Recent Developments in Open Access Publication

What is Open Access? It’s about making publications freely available on the Web Peter Suber: “Open-access (OA) literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. What makes it possible is the internet and the consent of the author or copyright-holder” Budapest Open Access Initiative: “.....world-wide electronic distribution of the peer-reviewed journal literature, with completely free and unrestricted access to it by all scientists, scholars, teachers, students, and other curious minds”

A brief history… The Open Access movement started in earnest about ten years ago Open Access publication has been mandatory for those receiving Research Council funding for several years now…….but compliance with the mandate has been very limited. The UK government’s attitude to Open Access was initially quite hostile, but there has been a profound change recently: David Willetts, Universities Minister, set up the “Finch” group to advise on how Open Access can be implemented in the UK

The Finch Group Chaired by Dame Janet Finch, formerly VC at Keele, and had representatives from universities, publishers, libraries, alearned societies and research funders. Recommended “Gold” Open Access as the principal way forward: Green Open Access: Putting material on to an open repository (publishers typically allow this after an “embargo” period of eighteen months to two years). Gold Open Access: Publishing in a journal, but making a payment to the publisher to make it openly available

Research funders’ responses to Finch RCUK require publication in journals that either: Offer a Gold Open Access route Offer a Green Open Access route, with an embargo period of not more than six months (twelve months in the case AHRC) The RCUK policy only applies to journal articles and refereed conference proceedings RCUK are making funding available for Gold open access payments (£380k to Liverpool in 2013/14) HEFCE’s intentions are, as yet, less clearly defined

Management and administrative implications for the University/Faculties/Departments RCUK requirements have not created a financial black hole ! There were initial fears that we would be required to find additional funding to comply with RCUK Open Access publication targets, but RCUK are providing sufficient funding Ways have to be found of allocating the funding appropriately Infrastructure has to be set up do deal with Open Access payments, advise staff on Open Access issues and payments, and monitor the level of publisher charges, but this is in hand. Short term issue that we have funding, received at short notice, from BIS (Department of Business Innovation and Skills) which has to be spent by the end of March. Discussions taking place currently on ways in which we spend this money that comply with BIS requirements and benefit our researchers.

Implications for researchers There is a real opportunity to gain greater visibility for our research writings Growing body of evidence that Open Access Publication leads to higher citation rates Worries about Open Access monograph publication are premature – Open Access monographs are at a very early experimental stage In an All Gold environment there could be issues about finding funding for Open Access Payments, but we are many years off such a scenario. There is a threat that publishers will double-charge us. We have to work with other universities to prevent this.