Open Access for REF

The MyImpact database has been replaced, and the new system launched; see the NUProfiles SharePoint page for updates. 

Open Access Policy Summary

This page relates to the REF 2029 Open Access Policy only. Information regarding REF 2029 at Newcastle University can be found on the REF 2029 pages (internal access only).

The next Research Excellence Framework, REF 2029, will assess the quality of research in UK higher education institutions between 2021 and 2028. Building on changes made in REF 2021, REF 2029 will be a more inclusive research assessment exercise, capturing the valuable contributions of a wider range of research and research-enabling staff.

The full Open Access Policy for REF 2029 is available now, including some Open Access FAQs. The key points for the policy are:

Journal articles and conference proceedings

	REF 2021 Open Access Policy guidance	REF 2029 Open Access Policy guidance
Published between	1 Jan 2021 to 31 Dec 2025	1 Jan 2026 to 31 Dec 2028
Deposit	the author accepted manuscript (AAM) must be deposited in a repository within 90 days of acceptance	the author accepted manuscript (AAM) or version of record (VoR) must be deposited in a repository or suitable platform within 90 days of publication
Accessible	within 30 days of publication or of an embargo period	once published or at end of embargo period
Licence	minimum requirement CC BY-NC-ND	CC BY, but CC BY-NC or CC BY-ND or equivalent permitted
Permitted embargo period	12 months for papers submitted to Panels A & B 24 months for papers submitted to Panels C & D	6 months for papers submitted to Panels A & B 12 months for papers submitted to Panels C & D
Published open access	outputs made immediately fully open access meet the REF OA requirements	output made immediately fully open access meet the REF OA requirements
Exceptions	Specific exceptions are defined in the REF 2021 exceptions section	Specific exceptions are defined in the REF 2029 exceptions section

• If unsure, contact openaccess@ncl.ac.uk.
• For content published after 1 August 2022, see the University Research Publications & Copyright Policy regarding deposition of the AAM with no embargo under a CC BY licence.

Longform outputs (in-scope monographs, book chapters and edited collections)

• No mandate for longform open access in REF 2029.
• Open access for longform outputs will be included in the next REF exercise, no earlier than 1 January 2029.
• We encourage deposition of author manuscripts in an appropriate repository, i.e. NUProfiles for Newcastle University, and the library team will make them open access where possible. If unsure, contact openaccess@ncl.ac.uk.
• Other types of outputs, including but not limited to, datasets, code, protocols or artistic creations are welcomed as submissions to REF 2029. Although these fall outside of the scope of the OA policy, the funding bodies encourage that they are made available as open access, where appropriate.

FAQ