Simplifying how we share research

From 1 March 2026, the OU’s new Research Publications Policy comes into force - an important step in strengthening our commitment to open research and simplifying processes so colleagues can focus on what matters most… their research.

The policy removes unnecessary complexity from Open Access publishing and aligns with the University’s strategic focus on reducing barriers and improving the research ecosystem.

What’s changing and why it matters

Before the policy, Author Accepted Manuscripts published on ORO were frequently hidden behind embargo periods determined by differing publisher-imposed self-archiving  policies. These create uncertainty with authors, delay visibility, and add administrative burden.

From March, the new approach provides greater clarity and control:

• Researchers retain the rights to their Author Accepted Manuscript.
• The Author Accepted Manuscript will be made Open Access under a CC BY licence on Open Research Online (ORO) at the same time the article is published - with no embargo.
• There is a clear, supported opt-out route if required.

This creates a simpler, more consistent route to Open Access - reducing admin, supporting compliance with funder requirements, and increasing the reach and visibility of OU research worldwide.

Supporting impact and researcher confidence

One of the most common concerns about rights retention policies nationally has been potential publisher pushback, or fears about limiting where colleagues can publish - with possible implications for impact, career progression, and REF eligibility.

In practice, institutions that have already introduced similar policies have seen very limited resistance from publishers. Instead, the result has been faster sharing, wider readership, and greater confidence that researchers can publish in their journal of choice while still ensuring their work is openly accessible.

Organisational benefits

Alongside supporting individual researchers, the policy:

• Ensures legal clarity and consistent compliance with funder requirements
• Reduces manual checking and administrative overhead
• Strengthens the visibility and discoverability of OU research
• Reinforces our commitment to accessible, high-impact scholarship

Want to learn more?

Colleagues are invited to attend an introductory session on 24 March to understand how the policy improves the OU research environment and how to maximise the reach and impact of their own work.

Visit the guidance webpages for full details or contact the Research Support team with any questions.