Access to Research Outputs

RCUK is therefore further consulting on its proposed position on access to research outputs. The position is based on four principles:

1) Ideas and knowledge derived from publicly-funded research must be made available and accessible for public use, interrogation, and scrutiny, as widely, rapidly and effectively as practicable.
2) Effective mechanisms are in place to ensure that published research outputs must be subject to rigorous quality assurance, through peer review.
3) The models and mechanisms for publication and access to research results must be both efficient and cost-effective in the use of public funds.
4) The outputs from current and future research must be preserved and remain accessible not only for the next few years but for future generations.

Specifically, it proposes to:

Require for all grants awarded from 1 October 2005 that, subject to copyright and licensing arrangements, a copy of any resultant published journal articles or conference proceedings should be deposited in an appropriate e-print repository (either institutional or subject-based) wherever such a repository is available to the award-holder. Deposit should take place at the earliest opportunity, wherever possible at or around the time of publication.

Research Councils will also encourage, but not formally oblige, award-holders to deposit articles arising from grants awarded before 1 October 2005.

Councils will ensure that applicants for grants are allowed, subject to justification of cost-effectiveness, to include in the costing of their projects the predicted costs of any publication in author-pays journals.

The statement is intended as a broad framework, which will serve as the basis for RCUK to draw up more detailed guidance and to determine good practice, in close collaboration with a range of key stakeholders as set out in this document. By the end of 2008, RCUK will review its framework.

RCUK has already undertaken extensive consultation with key stakeholders, including universities, publishers (profit, no-for-profit, open access), JISC, the British Library, HEFCE, and learned societies, to inform its current position. RCUK is very pleased with the useful feedback received and would like to thank everyone who has commented so far. The current proposed statement is now being circulated for a final round of public consultation. RCUK would in specific welcome further comments from learned societies. The deadline for this round of consultation is 31 August 2005. Responses should be sent to Drs. Astrid Wissenburg.

Read RCUK Position Statement