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Open Research: 3rd London Conference on Opening Access to Research Publications London, 11 June 2007 The UK Research Councils and access to scholarly publications Drs. Astrid Wissenburg Director Communications & Information, ESRC Chair RCUK Research Outputs Group [email protected] www.rcuk.ac.uk/access Research Councils UK • Strategic partnership of 7 research councils – – – – – – – Arts & Humanities RC Biotechnology & Biological Sciences RC Engineering & Physical Sciences RC Economic & Social RC Medical RC Natural Environment RC Science and Technology Facilities Council (merger of Central Laboratory of the Research Councils, and Particle Physics & Astronomy RC) • Operates through working groups – including the Research Outputs Group (ROG) Science budget allocation 2006-7 PPARC 12% AHRC 4% BBSRC 14% NERC 14% MRC 19% CCLRC 7% ESRC 5% EPSRC 25% Source: DTI, SCIENCE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS 2005-06 to 2007-08, May 2005. Differences • In funding models – Research in own institutes and/or on universities – Responsive and/or directive funding • In research and user communities – Size of communities – Boundaries of ‘research’ community – Importance of private sector, public and not-for profit sector as users – Role of general public and media • In cultures, e.g. – Publishing cultures – Traditions of data sharing – Longevity of information/knowledge Research Councils and OA - drivers • Value for money and generating impact: RC’s fund research which needs to be communicated and exploited through e.g. publications • Ensuring the health of the science base, which includes high-quality infrastructure to support research with no major access barriers • Exploiting the potential of technological developments, such as e-science • Stakeholder expectations and activities of other research funders RCUK open access principles for research outputs • Ideas and knowledge derived from publicly-funded research must be made available and accessible for public use, interrogation and scrutiny as widely, rapidly and effectively as practicable • Effective mechanisms must be in place to ensure that published research outputs are subject to rigorous quality assurance, through peer review • The models and mechanisms for publication and access to research results must be both efficient and costeffective in the use of public funds • The outputs from current and future research must be preserved and remain accessible not only for the next few years but for future generations Pay-to-publish OA model • Authors choose where they publish • Both pay-to-publish and subscription models supported through full economic costs by all RC’s: level playing field • Publication costs are part of allowable costs of a research proposal – Directly – if within the lifetime of a grant – Indirectly – through institutional schemes • Implementation issues: – Lack of awareness – Assessing reasonable costs – Encouraging institutional schemes Pay-to-publish OA model - issues Indirect costs are ‘hidden’ Requires universities to setup infrastructure to be able to charge these BUT The principle and funding can be extended to cover nonresearch councils grants Would allow funding to be transferred between subscriptions and pay-to-publish model at university level How can we support universities to setup such infrastructure Is this just moving money around, and will it make a real difference? OA Deposit • Subject to individual councils guidelines • STFC, ESRC, BBSRC, NERC – For awards from grant applications submitted from 1 October 2006 (STFC: 1 Dec 2006) – Requirement to deposit published articles from journals or conference proceedings – in an appropriate e-print repository, wherever such a repository is available – current copyright and licensing policies, such as embargo periods, maintained by publishers and respected by authors – At earliest opportunity • Except: – MRC: as above, but deposit within six months. Aligned with Wellcome Trust requirements. – EPSRC: no policy – AHRC: policy expected end June, as part of new funding guidelines OA repositories • Repositories: – Direct support and management, eg: • ESRC Society Today • UKPubMed – Indirect support of institutional repositories through full economic costing regime • Impact will take 3-4 years, considering length of research projects and publication lead times OA deposit - issues Allows subject and institutional repositories to develop (and they are all interoperable, so does it matter?) Accepts existing embargo periods BUT Accepts existing embargo periods Funding for institutional repositories is ‘hidden’ Multiple deposit options are confusing to researcher What is the impact on publishers, embargo period and in the end repositories? Can we coordinate landscape for researchers (deposit & access)? Thank you Drs. Astrid Wissenburg [email protected] www.rcuk.ac.uk/access