Research Publications Policy guidance

You wrote it. You own it.

At the OU, we’ve simplified Open Access publishing so you can focus on research.

• You keep the rights to your Author Accepted Manuscript - no statement needed.
• Your Author Accepted Manuscript goes open on ORO when your article does - no embargos.
• Want to opt out? You can.

Open by default. Opt out if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Research Publications Policy

• Does the policy apply to me?
• Which of my research outputs does the policy apply to?
• Which of my research outputs does the policy NOT apply to?
• How does the policy affect my research outputs?
• What is a 'CC BY licence', and can I choose a different licence?
• What do I need to do to comply with the policy?
• Do I need to discuss the policy with publishers?
• Do I need to discuss the policy with my co-author(s)?
• Should I opt out of the policy?
• How do I opt out of the policy?

Does the policy apply to me?

The Research Publications Policy applies to you if you are a Researcher as defined in the Research Code of Practice.

The policy applies to each of your research outputs on an individual basis.

Which of my research outputs does the policy apply to?

The Research Publications Policy applies specifically to your journal articles and conference proceedings with an ISSN that have been accepted for publication from 1st March 2026, where the final version is published behind a paywall.

Which of my research outputs does the policy NOT apply to?

The Research Publications Policy does not apply to your journal articles and conference proceedings where the final version is published open access. The policy also does not apply to books, book chapters, or other outputs.

How does the policy affect my research outputs?

The policy affects how and when your outputs can be shared, ensuring they are as openly accessible as possible. It does this in two ways:

1. The policy states that you will retain rights in your Author Accepted Manuscript. The publisher may still own the copyright of the final Published Version.
2. The policy grants The Open University a licence to make your Author Accepted Manuscript publicly available under a CC BY licence without an embargo. This enables us to share your manuscript on ORO at the same time the final version is published, without having to wait for an embargo to elapse.

What is a 'CC BY licence', and can I choose a different licence?

A licence applied to your output determines how it can be shared and reused. Creative Commons licences are often applied to open access publications. There are several licence variations. CC BY allows reuse only on condition of attribution (commercial use and adaptation are permitted under CC BY). Several major funders (e.g. UKRI, Wellcome) require open access using a CC BY licence.

You can choose a different licence for your output (for example, CC BY-NC-ND, which allows only non-commercial, non-derivative use). To choose a different licence, please fill out the policy opt out form and specify your preferred licence in the optional field 'What is your reason for opt-out?'.

What do I need to do to comply with the policy?

You do not need to do anything to comply with the Research Publications Policy. The Library Research Support Team is managing policy implementation. Simply upload your manuscript to ORO as usual.

The policy will apply whether or not you include a rights retention statement on your submission. If you choose to include a rights retention statement, here is some suggested wording:

For the purpose of Open Access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence without embargo to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.

Do I need to discuss the policy with publishers?

You do not need to discuss the Research Publications Policy with publishers. The Library Research Support Team is notifying publishers of the policy and managing implementation.

The policy supersedes any downstream licence a publisher may try to impose. Please contact us if you have any concerns.

Do I need to discuss the policy with my co-author(s)?

You may wish to discuss rights retention with your co-author(s) to explore your various institutional requirements and personal preferences.

Over 50 UK Universities, and many institutions internationally, have equivalent policies in place. Different institutions may have differing requirements.

Should I opt out of the policy?

The decision to opt out belongs to you - you will not be penalised for opting out of the policy.

In the majority of cases opt out is unlikely to be required. Circumstances in which opt out might be appropriate could include:

• You or your co-author(s) do not agree to share the manuscript with a CC BY licence
• You or your co-author(s) would prefer to follow the publisher's embargo
• Your manuscript contains a substantial amount of third party content which cannot be shared under a CC BY licence, and redaction would significantly impact the reading of it
• You have applied for a licencing exception from your funder (e.g. UKRI)
• The publisher will not publish your output unless you opt out of the policy

How do I opt out of the policy?

If you need to opt out of the policy, please fill in the opt out form before the final version is published.

Please note that:

• Opting out may cause your output to be non-compliant with funder requirements - please check your funder's open access policy to ensure you remain compliant
• Opting out of the Research Publications Policy does not opt you out of the requirement to deposit your output on ORO, as outlined in the Research Code of Practice
• If you have a co-authors(s), they may also need to opt out of their equivalent institutional rights retention policy