Review of Open Access in the UK

Adam Tickell’s independent review of Open Access in the UK, Open Access to Research Publications, has been published.  As has the response from the Minister of State for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson. 

Two predictions are made in the documents. Adam Tickell states that “By April 2017, almost all journal articles published by UK university academics will be available under Open Access routes.” This is a clear reference to the expected results of the HEFCE Open Access policy being implemented across HEIs as we speak.  This policy is based on the Green Route to Open Access where a pre-publication version of an article is deposited in a subject or institutional repository.

Secondly, Jo Johnson writes “I am confident that by 2020, the UK will be publishing almost all of our scientific output through Open Access“.  He goes on to state a preference for Gold Open Access “The advantages of immediate ‘gold’ access are well-recognised, and I want the UK to continue its preference for gold routes where this is realistic and affordable” whilst noting the “validity of  green routes“.

It seems to me that whilst Gold Open Access may be the preferred route to Open Access  in the UK most of the actual progress is being made via the Green route – in particularly the hard yards being put in across UK HEIs implementing the HEFCE OA policy.

2 thoughts on “Review of Open Access in the UK

  1. Pingback: Open Access 2016: A Year of Price Bargaining, Preprints, and a Pirate | Absolutely Maybe

  2. Pingback: Open Access 2016: A Year of Price Bargaining, Preprints, and a Pirate | PLOS Blogs Network

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