Guidance on Access to Research Outputs

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is committed to the principles articulated in the research councils' statement on access to research outputs, and to ensuring the full participation of its user communities in the activities planned.

The Council reaffirms its long-standing view that authors choose where to place their research for publication. Furthermore, the Council now also strongly encourages researchers to deposit research outputs resulting from use of Council facilities or grants in appropriate open access repositories. Authors should at the earliest opportunity:

• Personally deposit, or otherwise ensure the deposit of, a copy of articles published in journals or conference proceedings in an appropriate e-print repository (link opens in a new window).
• Wherever possible, personally deposit, or otherwise ensure the deposit of, the bibliographical metadata relating to such articles, including a link to the publisher's website, at or around the time of publication.

Which version of the article should be deposited depends upon publishers agreements with their authors. The Council recognises that full implementation of these requirements requires that current copyright and licensing policies, such as embargo periods or provisions limiting the use of deposited content to non-commercial purposes, are respected by authors. The Council's guidance is based on the assumption that publishers will maintain the spirit of their current policies.

The Council is working to amend grant and facility access conditions to provide information to authors on the implementation of these guidelines and will issue further details as they are developed.

For further information, please contact: Dr Juan Bicarregui.