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Library Research Support: Open Research: REF OA

This guide is intended to provide advice and support on open access research, including guidance around Durham Research Online (DRO), open access publishing, research data management and related topics.

REF Open Access 2029

REF Open Access Policy

REF 2029 Open Access Policy: Consultation (March - June 2024)

On 18 March 2024, Research England published their delayed consultation on proposed changes to the REF Open Access Policy.

A slidedeck provide a summary of the changes, and how you can feed back to the University, can be found below.

Longform Publications

A key proposed change will include an extension of requirements to long-form publications, which:

 - are published on or after 1 January 2026.
 - did not have a publication agreement in place prior to 1 January 2026 which does not allow for provision of open access.

For REF purposes, this will include Authored Books, Edited Books, Chapters in books and Scholarly Editions.

 

The consultation will remain open until Monday 17 June 2024. 

How can I provide feedback to contribute to the University's response to the consultation?

You can:

  • Provide feedback through our online form to any or all of the questions in the consultation. This form will remain open until April 29th 2024.
  • Come and speak to us in person! Sign up to one of our feedback sessions during April 2024.
    • 3rd April     13.00 – 13.45   14.00 – 14.45  15.00 – 15.45
    • 10th April   11.30 – 12.15   12.30 – 13.15   13.30 – 14.15
    • 12th April   08.30 – 09.15   09.30 – 10.15   10.30 – 11.15
    • 15th April   11.00 – 11.45   12.00 – 12.45   13.00 – 13.45
    • 17th April   09.00 – 09.45   10.00 – 10.45   11.00 – 11.45
    • 18th April   10.00 – 10.45   11.00 – 11.45   12.00 – 12.45

 

REF2029 OA Consultation Durham University (March 2024) by James on Scribd

REF Open Access Policy 

We have set out below a summary of the requirements that were in place for REF 2021. These requirements remain in force for REF 2029 until the implementation of new open access requirements (currently proposed to start in January 2025).

Scope

The open access requirements for REF2021 only apply to:

  • Scholarly journal articles and conference papers published in a proceedings with an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) and only if
  • Accepted for publication from 1 April 2016 onwards
Requirements
  1. DEPOSIT: accepted peer-reviewed manuscript in either an institutional or subject repository within 3 months of its acceptance for publication
  2. OPEN ACCESS: make deposited manuscript open access
  • within 1 month of deposit if there is no publisher-imposed embargo or
  • no later than 1 month after the publisher-imposed embargo has expired

MAXIMUM COMPLIANT EMBARGO PERIODS

  • 12 months for papers submitted to Panels A and B
  • 24 months for papers submitted to Panels C and D

Note that manuscripts deposited in DRO will only be made open access once the particular publisher's embargo has expired

REF requires a manuscript is accessible no later than 1 month form the end of any embargo, or no later than 1 month after the date of deposit if the journal requires no embargo.

What do I need to do?

Email your final accepted peer-reviewed manuscript to dro.admin@durham.ac.uk. The DRO Team will create a Staff Profile record, transfer a copy record to DRO, check the publisher's repository policy and deposit your file.

OR

  • Create your own output record in Worktribe
  • Upload and attach your final accepted peer-reviewed manuscript
  • Ensure that any Durham co-authors are linked to the record in Worktribe, which enables its display on their Durham University staff profile as well as yours

 

Outputs which fail to meet the Open Access Requirements for REF

Please see our REF Open Access Exceptions Guide for further information.

REF FAQs

Please see our REF Open Access FAQs Guide for further information.

REF 2029 OA Consultation: Feedback Form

Provide feedback on the REF Open Access consultation via an online form

REF 2029 OA Consultation: Come see us!

Book a slot to come and see us to discuss the REF Open Access Consultation

REF 2029 Quick Links

REF 2021 Quick Links

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