Open Access

What is Open Access?

Open Access (OA) makes research outputs freely available online to anyone with an internet connection, in agreement with the author and/or copyright holder.

Why should I make my work available via Open Access?

Greater exposure to your work
Potential increase in citations
Provides access to a broader audience, including those who cannot afford journal subscriptions
Research funders may require that your work is made available via OA

In June 2012 Dame Janet Finch and the Working Group on Expanding Access to Published Research Findings recommended in their Report (a.k.a. the Finch Report) that 'the UK should embrace the transition to open access, and accelerate the process in a measured way which promotes innovation but also what is most valuable in the research communications ecosystem'. The ultimate aim is to make all publicly-funded research publicly-accessible for free.

The Government's response was to accept all of the recommendations made (with the exception of a specific point on VAT) and welcome the push to Open Access.

Research Councils UK followed this with a change in policy on Open Access which will affect all future research grants. This policy was revised in March 2013 following the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee short Inquiry into Open Access during January/February 2013. The Committee Report on Open Access, published on 22 February 2013, criticised the RCUK's lack of clarity on its policies and recommended it improve its communication strategy to aid future compliance within the scholarly communication system. RCUK published it's revised policy on 8 April 2013, along with a set of FAQs for guidance.

Open Access at Essex

The institutional repository for the University of Essex contains full-text versions and bibliographic records of outputs produced by University of Essex staff, principally journal articles, book chapters and books, but also working papers, conference papers and more.

How can I deposit my work in the Repository?

To deposit either the full text or bibliographic details of your work, see How to Deposit or email repository@essex.ac.uk. Once an item has been added to the repository it will be checked by repository staff before being made live, this will include a check on the copyright status of full text papers.

Which version of my work should I deposit?

Authors are encouraged to deposit the "author final" version of their work. This is the final, post-refereeing version, as provided to the publisher prior to publication. Where available, the University of Essex Research repository contains links to an article's DOI (digital object identifier), ensuring that the published version is clearly identified to users of the repository.

What are the routes to publishing via Open Access?

There are various types of types of Open Access publishing, including:

Green: author publishes via traditional routes and makes a version of their paper available in a database such as the University of Essex Research Repository, according to publisher permissions.

Gold: paying a fee to publish in an Open Access journal or paying to publish in a journal that offers an Open Access option (a hybrid journal).

Who pays the Article Processing Charges?

In certain circumstances, ie for RCUK funded research, the University may be able to assist with the payment of APCs. See the details of the University's RCUK Open Access Fund.