Open Access (OA) means that research outputs are made available online, in a digital format, at no charge to the reader and with limited restrictions on re-use.
There are two main routes to Open Access:
Plan S
Plan S is an initiative to support Open Access Publishing. A new set of tools published by cOAlition S and the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) aims to help smaller independent publishers, libraries, and consortia enter into Open Access agreements. Further information can be found on the Plan S website.
The next REF
The REF 2021 Open Access Policy continues for the next REF, until another policy is announced.
The Future Research Assessment Programme consultation is underway, reviewing REF 2021 and exploring possible approaches to future assessments. It is due to report findings in Autumn 2022. The policy for the next REF may be influenced by both Plan S and the new UKRI policy.
From 1 April 2022, all research articles funded by UKRI grants must comply with the following Open Access policy requirements:
From 1 January 2024, monographs, book chapters and edited collections funded by UKRI grants must comply with the following Open Access policy requirements:
For more details, please read the full UKRI Open Access policy.
Leeds Beckett University's Open Research Policy sets out our commitment to making the products of our research (both outputs and research data) publicly available.