Research Councils UK (RCUK) has published the first independent review of the implementation of the RCUK Policy on Open Access.
Chaired by Professor Sir Bob Burgess, former University of Leicester Vice-Chancellor, the review received an excellent response from the research community, with over 85 submissions of written evidence highlighting how the policy is working in practice, with many positive responses about the principle of open access publishing. The independent review panel, made up of key experts across the disciplines in research, higher education, open access and publishing, also held oral evidence sessions with publishers and learned societies, plus visited institutions to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the policy in practice.
A number of recommendations have been made by the review panel to help improve some of the processes involved in implementation of the policy, specifically in relation to the impact of embargoes and the use of licences in particular disciplines; communication of the policy; the use and distribution of RCUK's block grant for open access; as well as the broader impact of the policy on different disciplines.
The review examined the impact of the policy's implementation for higher education institutions, independent research organisations, learned societies and publishers. This is the first of a number of independent reviews of the policy during the transition period (five years from the policy being introduced), and covers the first 16 months, April 2013 to July 1014, of the policy's implementation.
Evidence for the review was gathered from the higher education sector, publishers, librarians, learned societies, researchers and funders. The review panel also invited a number of learned societies and publishers to give oral evidence and visited a small number of institutions to gather further evidence for the review. Written evidence submissions and transcripts of the oral evidence sessions are available on the RCUK website.
This is the first of a number of independent reviews, which RCUK has committed to over the next few years, in order to monitor the implementation of the policy and provide advice where needed. The next review will be held in 2016.
