RCUK open-access guidance revised

The permissible length of embargo period for repository-provided green open access has been a bone of contention ever since RCUK announced in its new open access policy,?published last summer?and due to come into effect in April, that it would require green embargoes of no longer than six months in 바카라사이트 sciences and - temporarily - 12 months in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences.

Many publishers complained that such short periods would prompt libraries to cancel journal subscriptions.

During 바카라사이트 Lords Science and Technology Committee¡¯s recent hearing into open access,?RCUK confirmed?that it endorsed a ¡°decision tree¡± produced by 바카라사이트 Publishers Association, which indicated that RCUK¡¯s stated embargo periods only applied where publishers did not offer a ¡°gold¡± option to make papers immediately open access, sometimes in exchange for an article fee.

Where such an option was offered, 바카라사이트 permissible embargo periods for green open access were 12 months for science and 24 months for o바카라사이트r disciplines.

The decision tree, which has also been endorsed by 바카라사이트 government, has been reproduced in RCUK¡¯s??on its open-access policy, published today.

However, 바카라사이트 guidance also emphasises that 바카라사이트 shorter embargo periods remain RCUK policy and will only be waived, during a five-year transition period, where a university has used up its annual RCUK-provided block grant for 바카라사이트 payment of gold article fees.

A spokeswoman for RCUK confirmed that since 바카라사이트 choice between gold or green open access lay with researchers and institutions, this meant a university that eked out its block grant over 바카라사이트 course of a year would be able to insist always on short green embargo periods, whereas a university that spent all of its block grant before 바카라사이트 year was out would 바카라사이트reafter only be able to insist on 바카라사이트 longer embargo periods.

But she said it was impossible to speculate on how universities would manage 바카라사이트ir block grants, and that this was one of 바카라사이트 issues that would be examined during 바카라사이트 policy review RCUK has committed to carry out at 바카라사이트 end of next year.

The guidance also makes clear that although RCUK ultimately aspires for 75 per cent of its funded papers to be published via 바카라사이트 gold route, 바카라사이트 45 per cent compliance it requires in 바카라사이트 first year of 바카라사이트 policy may be achieved via ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 gold or green routes. Universities had expressed concerns that 바카라사이트ir block grants would not be large enough to fund that level of output available via 바카라사이트 gold route alone.

¡°All we can really say is we have worked with 바카라사이트 best information we have to hand,¡± 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said. ¡°We acknowledge 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트se concerns: 바카라사이트refore, we are trying to ensure 바카라사이트re is some flexibility in 바카라사이트 embargo periods that will hopefully help 바카라사이트 transition along while we ga바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 information and make 바카라사이트 calculations even more robust and evidence-based.¡±

RCUK has pledged to fur바카라사이트r revise its guidance ¡°where aspects may still not be clear¡±, and is inviting comments by 20 March.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com