Harnad Response to HEFCE REF OA Policy Consultation
Amsciforum 2013-07-24
Summary:
1.1 The HEFCE REF OA Policy should apply to the refereed, accepted version of peer-reviewed research articles or refereed conference articles. 1.2 It should be deposited in the author’s HEI repository, immediately upon acceptance for publication. 1.3 Access to the deposit should be immediately Open Access where possible, or, where deemed necessary, it can be made Closed Access if the publisher requires an OA embargo. 1.4 The crucial thing is that the deposit should be made at time of acceptance, time-stamped as such, with a copy of the acceptance letter to serve as the date marker. The proposal is excellent. And if adopted and effectively implemented, it will serve as a model for OA policies worldwide.