Open access and rights retention
In June 2024, University Senate approved an institutional Rights Retention Policy which applies to research articles submitted for publication from 1 October 2024. The new policy supports and supplements the existing Open Access Mandate.
Read the policy here.
Rights Retention Policy scope and aims
The policy applies to peer-reviewed journal articles and published conference proceedings with a Brunel affiliated corresponding author or co-author. Under the policy, which aims to remove access delays to Brunel research, Brunel researchers, employees and students retain all the rights necessary to archive and disseminate their research under a CC BY licence in the institutional repository immediately on publication. This also ensures compliance with REF and funder open access requirements.
Publishing open access under the Rights Retention Policy
The policy automatically applies to the Author Accepted Manuscripts arising for articles submitted for publication from the policy implementation date, for all publishers who have been officially notified.
Open Research and Rights, Library Services is contacting key publishers to notify them of the policy. However, to aid implementation and assist publishers and their administrative teams, authors are asked to take the following steps when first submitting a manuscript for publication. Before submission, all Brunel authors must follow the pre-submission procedures outlined here.
Procedures for authors submitting a manuscript for publication
- Before submission, ensure that you have first completed the pre-submission form here and have received confirmation from Open Access that you can proceed.
- Add the following rights retention statement to all manuscripts being submitted within the body of the manuscript, or in an Acknowledgements field if there is no appropriate place in the submission platform. The statement should be added to all submissions, whether you are opting for paid open access or closed access (access to subscribers only).
Rights retention statement for inclusion in all submitted manuscripts
‘For the purposes of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) Licence to any Accepted Author Manuscript version arising from this submission’.
- Include the cover letter with your manuscript submission which you will receive from Open Access.
- Upload the final Author Accepted Manuscript immediately on acceptance to BRAD for deposit in the institutional repository, BURA. For non-staff authors who do not have access to BRAD, please ensure that a co-author with access does so on your behalf. Alternatively, contact BRAD.
Exceptions and opt out
The University acknowledges that there may be exceptional circumstances where authors may wish to opt out of the institutional policy for an individual article. Authors considering opting out must be clear why this step is necessary and should consider the impact on the article's ability to comply with all applicable REF or funder requirements. Funders such as UKRI or Wellcome Trust mandate immediate open access for research articles acknowledging their funding, so opting out of the policy could put authors in breach of the funder's requirements and grant terms and conditions. Failing to meet funder requirements can affect eligibility for future funding.
Authors wishing to opt out should submit a request by email to Open Access, clearly stating the reasons for opting out and include all necessary supporting documentation or evidence of any applicable exceptions.
All requests will be reviewed by Open Research and Rights, with referrals to the Pro Vice-Chancellor Research as appropriate. A decision will be made within 10 working days.
Records of all opt-outs will be retained by the University indefinitely to support REF and funder open access compliance monitoring and audits.
Key benefits
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Immediate open access. Authors can archive the final Author Accepted Manuscript immediately in the institutional, repository under a CC BY licence, meeting REF policy and funder mandates.
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Increased research visibility and impact. By removing barriers to access, Brunel research can be shared more quickly with the research community and the wider public, increasing collaboration, reach and influence, and potential for public good.
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Compliance with REF and funder open access mandates. The policy supports authors in meeting REF and funder open access requirements, maximising compliance, without the need to negotiate with publishers or breach copyright agreements. ensuring that researchers and the University remain eligible for future funding.
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Reduced administrative burden. By providing authors with a standardized institution-wide framework and process for rights retention, the policy simplifies compliance with open access mandates. This reduces the need for complex, case-by-case compliance checks, saving time and effort for both authors and the institution.
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Open access for all authors. The policy ensures that all Brunel affiliated authors can make their work openly accessible through a suitable repository, even those authors not eligible for dedicated open access publishing funds for APCs and do not have access to alternative funding.
Frequently asked questions
Below is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help answer some common queries. If you have a question that isn't covered here, please get in touch with Open Access for further assistance.
What if I forget to include the rights retention statement or cover letter for publishers in my submitted manuscript?
While adding a statement and sending a cover letter is helpful for publishers and their administrative teams, this is an additional step taken mainly as a courtesy step, and to cover any instances where the publisher may not have received or overlooked notification.
The policy automatically applies from the effective date, irrespective of whether the cover letter and statement are included, provided the publisher has been officially notified. Authors do not need to negotiate.
To support authors, Open Research and Rights is contacting all key publishers in advance to notify them of the new policy, which automatically applies to the final Author Accepted Manuscript of all in-scope articles from the implementation date.
What if a publisher directs the article from a hybrid journal to a fully open access journal?
Please contact Open Access in the first instance for advice before agreeing any options with the publisher.
In all cases where costs to the University are incurred, you must first apply to Open Access for APC funding and have received confirmation that publishing charges can be met, before submitting a manuscript to a publisher. The Open Access Publishing Fund is unable to cover charges where this process is not followed, and you or your department may be liable for any payments due. To find out more about funding for publishing, and to apply for APC funds, see here.
What if the publisher asks me to choose a paid CC BY licence for open access, but I have opted for standard access via a subscription route?
Please contact Open Access in the first instance for advice before agreeing any options with the publisher.
If the journal you are submitting to is a hybrid journal offering both paid open access and subscription only access options, you will be able to choose the subscription only access option and meet all open access requirements via the repository (green open access) route. Authors do not need to negotiate this as this automatically applies to the Author Accepted Manuscript arising. If you are incurring costs for APC funding, you will need to have applied to Open Access for APC funding before submission and received confirmation prior to submission, and will not be able to access funds, with limited exceptions.
What if a publisher refuses to publish my article because of rights retention?
Publishers follow codes of practice and publication ethics guidelines which are standardized across the industry, so occurrences like this are uncommon. However, if this does occur, or you have concerns, please contact Open Access as soon as possible. We will look into the specific circumstances, and work with you and or any publishers to find a resolution to any issues or clear up any misunderstandings.
We have notified all key publishers of the new policy by the implementation date, and many publishers with whom we have Transformative Agreements have indicated that they support the inclusion of rights retention statements.
What is excluded from the rights retention policy?
The policy does not currently apply to books and other monographs, datasets or other outputs, but may be included in future versions. The policy does not apply to articles submitted for publication before 1 October 2024.
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