Change log – Section 5 – Open Access policy

Originally published: 11 March 2025

Last updated: 15 May 2025

Section 5 – Open Access policy shows the latest version of the policy. Any changes made since the initial publication are detailed below.

Content

3. Summary
5. Technical requirements – outputs published 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025
7. Technical requirements – outputs published from 1 January 2026
8. Permitted exceptions from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028

3. Summary

Paragraph number: 3.1.4. (new paragraph added)
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: n/a
Updated content: It is not expected that researchers and institutions will be required to incur additional open access publication costs (such as through payment of an article processing charge) in order to meet REF 2029 open access policy requirements.

Paragraph number: 3.3.3.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: Licensing: outputs should be licensed as openly as possible; the funding bodies strong preference is for licensing as CC-BY or other license formats meeting this standard of openness. However, licensing outputs at CC-BYNC or CC-BY-ND (including CC-BY-NC-ND) or licenses meeting an equivalent standard of openness are also permitted.
Updated content: Licensing: Outputs should be shared as openly as possible; the funding bodies’ strong preference is for licensing as CC-BY or other license formats meeting this standard of openness. However, licensing outputs at CC-BY-NC or CC-BY-ND (including CC-BY-NC-ND) or licenses meeting an equivalent standard of openness are also permitted. For the period 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028 outputs shared by deposit (AAM), where subject to terms of a publication agreement limiting sharing and/or use of downloaded materials will not need to fully meet these licensing standards. They will however need to meet all other conditions for deposit, discovery and access. Application of an exception will not be required. From 1 January 2029 all future in-scope outputs will need to fully meet open licensing standards, subject to any permissible exceptions.

5. Technical requirements – outputs published 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025

Paragraph number: 5.2.3.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: Outputs that are made open access through the ‘gold’ route, at the point of first publication, in accordance with other funder’s requirements and definitions, meet the requirement of the REF 2021 open access policy. HEIs will need to confirm that outputs were available immediately after publication via the gold route.
Updated content: Outputs that are made open access through the ‘gold’ or ‘diamond’ route (immediate open access) at the point of first publication fully meet the requirements of the REF 2029 open access policy with no further action required. This includes outputs published as ‘gold’ in accordance with other funder’s requirements and definitions.

Paragraph number: 5.5.4.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: The routes to determine the timing of compliance with the access requirements are set out below:

Route 1: for outputs deposited with no or ‘zero’ embargo. Where the output has no or a ‘zero’ embargo period it must meet the access requirements as soon as possible and no later than one month after deposit.

Route 2: for outputs deposited under embargo. Where the output is deposited under embargo, it must meet the access requirements as soon as possible and no later than one month after the end of the embargo period. The embargo period typically begins at the point of first publication (including ‘early online’ publication).
Updated content: The routes to determine the timing of compliance with the access requirements are set out below:

Route 1: for outputs deposited with no or ‘zero’ embargo. Where the output has no or a ‘zero’ embargo period it must meet the access requirements as soon as possible and no later than one month after deposit or within one month following publication where sharing pre-publication is not permitted.

Route 2: for outputs deposited under embargo. Where the output is deposited under embargo, it must meet the access requirements as soon as possible and no later than one month after the end of the embargo period. The embargo period typically begins at the point of first publication (including ‘early online’ publication).

7. Technical requirements – outputs published from 1 January 2026

Paragraph number: 7.2.1.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: Published open access: where an output is made fully open access on publication (commonly termed ’Gold‘ open access, also ’Diamond‘ or ’Platinum‘), conditional to its also fully meeting discovery and access criteria there is no further action required.
Updated content: Published open access: where an output is made fully open access on publication (commonly termed ’Gold‘ open access, also ’Diamond‘ or ’Platinum‘), conditional to its also fully meeting discovery, access and licencing criteria there is no further action required.

Paragraph number: 7.2.3.
Updated on: 11 March 2025
Original content: Published subject to embargo: where an output is subject to an allowable embargo requirement (see paragraph 7.6), a copy of such outputs should be deposited in a suitable repository or other appropriate platform within three months of publication.
Updated content: Outputs shared by deposit: where an output will be compliant via deposit in a suitable repository or other appropriate platform, a copy of such output should be deposited within three months of publication. This includes outputs subject to an allowable embargo requirement (see paragraph 7.6).

Paragraph number: 7.4.2.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: The output must be fully accessible at the expiry of any required embargo period.
Updated content: The output must be made fully accessible on deposit, subject to the expiry of any required embargo period.

Paragraph number: 7.5.1.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: Outputs (in-scope outputs) submitted to REF 2029 must be published under appropriate licensing for meeting open access requirements and which allows for free access, sharing and reuse of published materials.
Updated content: The funding bodies do not mandate any specific license format or standard and recognise that researchers and institutions may choose from a variety of formats suitable for their output subject to meeting minimum standards identified.

Paragraph number: 7.5.2.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: The funding bodies do not mandate any specific license format or standard and recognise that researchers and institutions may choose from a variety of open licensing formats suitable for their output subject to meeting minimum standards identified.
Updated content: Outputs should be shared as openly as possible; the funding bodies’ strong preference is for licensing as CC-BY or other license formats meeting this standard of openness. However, licensing outputs at CC-BY- NC or CC-BY-ND (including CC-BY-NC-ND) or licenses meeting an equivalent standard of openness are also permitted.

Paragraph number: 7.5.3.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: Outputs should be licensed as openly as possible; the funding bodies’ strong preference is for licensing as CC-BY or other license formats meeting this standard of openness. However licensing outputs at CC-BY- NC or CC-BY-ND (including CC-BY-NC-ND) or licenses meeting an equivalent standard of openness are also permitted.
Updated content: In-scope outputs which are published open access (7.2.1.) must be published under an appropriate licence which meets the standards set out in 7.5.2., including allowing free sharing and reuse of published materials.

Paragraph number: 7.5.4. (new paragraph added)
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: n/a
Updated content: In-scope outputs shared by deposit (7.2.3.) do not need to meet the licensing standards set out in 7.5.2. if the deposited output (AAM) is subject to terms of a publication agreement which limits sharing and/or use of downloaded materials. These outputs will still be required to meet all other conditions for deposit, discovery and access. Application of an exception will not be required.

Paragraph number: 7.5.5. (new paragraph added)
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: n/a
Updated content: These licensing requirements will be in place through the period 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028. From 1 January 2029 all future in-scope outputs will need to fully meet the open licensing standards set out in 7.5.2., regardless of publication and/or deposit route, subject to any permissible exceptions.

8. Permitted exceptions from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028

Paragraph number: 8.1.1.
Updated on: 11 March 2025
Original content: The following exceptions apply where the output is unable to meet the deposit requirements. In these cases, the output will not be required to meet any of the open access criteria (deposit, discovery or access requirements).
Updated content: The following exceptions apply where the output is unable to meet the deposit requirements. In these cases, the output will not be required to meet any of the open access criteria (deposit, discovery, access or licensing).

Paragraph number: 8.3.1.
Updated on: 11 March 2025
Original content: The following exceptions deal with cases where an output is unable to meet the criteria due to a technical issue. In the following cases, the output will not be required to meet the open access criteria (deposit, discovery or access requirements).
Updated content: The following exceptions deal with cases where an output is unable to meet the criteria due to a technical issue. In the following cases, the output will not be required to meet the open access criteria (deposit, discovery, access or licensing).

Paragraph number: 8.4.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: Further exception
Updated content: Further (“Other”) exception

Paragraph number: 8.4.1.
Updated on: 15 May 2025
Original content: “Other” exception should be used where criteria beyond the control of the higher education institution (HEI) (including but not limited to: personal circumstances of the author, industrial action, closure days and software issues) prevent compliance. If ‘other’ exception is selected, the output will not need to meet the open access criteria (deposit, discovery or access requirements).
Updated content: “Other” exception should be used where criteria beyond the control of the higher education institution (HEI) (including but not limited to: personal circumstances of the author, industrial action, closure days and software issues) prevent compliance. If ‘other’ exception is selected, the output will not need to meet the open access criteria (deposit, discovery, access or licensing requirements).