Open Access Publishing

Open Access Publishing

Wellcome Trust and research councils
The MRC, BBSRC, NERC and the ESRC have joined the Wellcome Trust in requiring that articles resulting from research they fund must be made available in an open access archive. The MRC and the Wellcome Trust specify that this must be UK PubMed Central (UKPMC). In order to comply with this condition researchers need to either publish in journals that offer open access options, including deposit in UKPMC, or obtain permission to self-deposit in UKPMC.

In the case of the Wellcome Trust deposit in UKPMC is a condition of all grants they have issued, regardless of the date of award.

The MRC, BBSRC, NERC and the ESRC are applying the condition to all grants they award from 1st October 2006 and encourage open access publishing for articles resulting from any awards made prior to this date.

Details are available of the RCUK's general statement. Policies from the specific councils are available here: BBSRC; ESRC; MRC; NERC

Information from the Wellcome Trust is also available.

Information is available on how to meet the conditions of the Wellcome Trust, MRC, BBSRC, NERC and the ESRC is available on the Open Access Conditions page.

Other funders
The SHERPA/JULIET database provides details of the conditions of funders with respect to open access publishing.

Further information
Information on the different open access publishing models, costs and other issues is available on the Open Access background page.

If you have any queries relating to open accessing publishing please contact Andrew Gray, Repository Manager, 020 7958 8193

Links
BioMed Central (BMC) : publisher of open access journals. The School has supporter membership of BMC. This entitles all School members to a 15% discount on BMC's fees. Wellcome funded researchers can use the Trust's open access award to meet the remaining 85%.

Cambridge Open Option : open access service from Cambridge University Press

Directory of Open Access Journals

Elsevier arrangements for Wellcome Trust funded researchers

Grant-awarding bodies that make funds available for the payment of publication fees

Guidance on acknowledging funders

JISC briefing paper on open access

OUP Oxford Open : open access service from Oxford University Press.

Public Library of Science (PLoS) : publisher of open access journals.

Research Councils UK: Access to Research Outputs

SHERPA : project investigating the future of scholarly communication.

SHERPA/JULIET : database of the open access requirements of research funding bodies.

SHERPA/RoMEO listing of publishers with paid options for open access