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:
An Article Processing Charge (APC) is a fee charged by publishers to individuals or institutions wishing to publish their article in a journal which uses the Gold Open Access model. The benefit of this model is that anyone can read the research from the publisher's website for free, but the cost of the APC has to be considered. Please contact your Director of Research for guidance on APC funding available in your School.
Leeds Beckett University has agreements with the following publishers which may mean your APC is discounted or free:
Please contact us for further information on how to access these discounts.
Leeds Beckett University has a new Open Research Policy, which sets out our commitment to making the products of our research (both outputs and research data) publicly available.
Plan S
Plan S is an initiative to support Open Access Publishing. From January 2021, all Wellcome Trust funded research must be made available through Open Access immediately and without embargo. Other funders are likely to implement Plan S later in 2021. Further information can be found on the Plan S website.
UKRI Open Access consultation
UKRI is due to announce its new Open Access policy in early summer 2021. The current proposal covers journal articles and the introduction of Open Access requirements for monographs.
The next REF
The REF 2021 Open Access Policy continues for the next REF, until another policy is announced. The policy for the next REF may be influenced by both Plan S and the new UKRI policy.