Fagan’s fêted open access book

Professor Johannes Fagan’s acclaimed surgical encyclopaedia Open Access Atlas of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Operative Surgery, which has been published online and accessed for free by doctors and students the world over, was named best Open Book in the International 2017 Open Educational Resources & Project Awards for Open Education Excellence. Fagan, of UCT’s Division of Otorhinolaryngology, will receive the award on 9 March.

With about a million chapters downloaded, Fagan says this speaks to the effectiveness of the open access format to freely share knowledge in the internet era with colleagues in even the remotest places on earth.

The textbook is still in evolution, and chapters will be added as they are completed.

Story Yusuf Omar. Photo Michael Hammond.