HEFCE's OA policy: guidance on key issues

Following the announcement by HEFCE of open-access requirements in the post-2014 Research Excellence Framework, guidance is being offered to the research community on practical steps towards implementation.

Ben Johnson, Research Policy Advisor, HEFCE and Neil Jacobs, Head of Scholarly Communications, Jisc will deliver a webinar on 15 May 2014.

This Webinar will provide delegates with an overview of HEFCE’s OA policy for the post-2014 REF and the implications on research and the assessment of research. It will also consider what services, tools and guidance are available or are forthcoming to support institutions in the implementation of this policy and what key issues will need to be addressed if full implementation is to be fully realised. 

Date: 15th May 2014
Time: 1400 GMT
Duration: 45 minutes including Q&A

Jisc Open Access Implementation Community Webinar: HEFCE's Open Access requirements for REF
Sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jisc-open-access-implementation-community-webinar-hefces-open-access-requirements-for-ref-registration-11446421555 

New reports from Open Access Implementation Group

The UK OAIG has just released two new reports on the benefits of open access to the private sector, and the practicalities of implementing 'gold' open access in HE.

Benefits to the Private Sector of Open Access to Higher Education and Scholarly Research provides some examples of the ways that businesses have used and benefited from open access material, and suggests that further evidence is needed to fully understand the potential impact of open access.

JISC Collections open access fees project: final report describes the outcome of a study into the principles and practical processes of paid open access options, particularly the 'hybrid' model where individual articles in a traditional journal can be made open access on payment of a fee. The report identifies several areas where improvements could be made to support the transition to open access publishing.

See our information about research funders and open access policies on the Library web pages.

Authors rights to deposit in repositories

The UK Open Access Implementation Group (OAIG) have made a statement supporting the rights of authors to deposit a copy of their published work in repositories. "Do you know your publishing rights?" is a response to recent changes in the policies of some publishers.

If authors want to investigate how to retain certain rights, the JISC/SURF Copyright toolbox provides practical suggestions.

OAIG: http://www.open-access.org.uk
"The aim of the UK Open Access Implementation Group is to add value to the work of the member organisations to increase the rate at which the outputs from UK research are available on OA terms."

UK alliance backs Open Access

The Wellcome Trust has announced the formation of the UK Open Access Implementation Group to " coordinate evidence, policies, systems, advice and guidance, to make open access an easy choice for authors and one that benefits all universities."

The high level group is chaired by Martin Hall, Vice Chancellor at the University of Salford who spoke at the recent Future of Research conference, and includes senior members of RLUK, the UK Research Councils and the Wellcome Trust. They aim to drive debate and maximise the impact of UK research.