How to meet the Research Excellence Framework Open Access requirement
To be eligible for submission to REF2029, all journal articles and conference papers published with an ISSN have to be deposited in WestminsterResearch, via the VRE, within three months of acceptance.
How to comply
On acceptance, upload a copy of your accepted author manuscript including the date of acceptance to the Virtual Research Environment (VRE). The repository team will then check for missing information and ensure publishers' copyright policies are complied with, including adding embargoes, before publishing the record to our open access institutional repository WestminsterResearchGo to WestminsterResearch site site.
Full-text embargoes
Some publishers insist on an embargo period before the author manuscript version can be made openly available. You should still add the manuscript to the VRE within three months of acceptance, as this ‘closed’ deposit still meets the REF open access criteria. The REF states maximum embargo periods:
For outputs published 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025:
- 12 months for REF Panels A and B
- 24 months for REF Panels C and D
For outputs published from 1 January 2026:
- 6 months for REF Panels A and B
- 12 months for REF Panels C and D
You can check embargo periods for most journals through Open Policy Finder.
By complying with the University’s Open Access Policy, you will be fully compliant for REF2029.
FAQs
We have created a list of FAQs relating to the policy, including possible exceptions.
Contact
If you require further help, or information, please email [email protected].