The University submitted its response to the consultation on proposed changes to the REF Open Access Policy. The full text of our response can be found here.
This response was submitted following a University wide invitation to provide feedback both online and at events run in person. An initial draft response was then reviewed by the University's REF Advisory Committee and the University's Research Committee (both chaired by Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Colin Bain), and the University's Open Scholarship Group (chaired by Professor Fuschia Sirois) as well as being circulated for comment to all department Directors of Research.
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).
The open access requirements for REF2021 only apply to:
MAXIMUM COMPLIANT EMBARGO PERIODS
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.
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
Please see our REF Open Access Exceptions Guide for further information.
Please see our REF Open Access FAQs Guide for further information.
