Did you know that CCCU has an open access policy? We do! And we’ve just revised it. But you might be thinking, what even is open access?  

At its most basic, ‘open access’ refers to unrestricted, online access to the published findings of research, free at the point of use, but it also has wider connotations, as this video explains: 

But why do we need an open access policy?  

Mainly, to ensure that researchers at CCCU know how, when and why they need to make their research outputs (articles, book chapters, conference presentations, performances, to name just a few examples) open access. The UK Government, funders and publishers all have their own rules (or mandates) about what should, shouldn’t, can and can’t be made open access. For example, the current rule is that articles and conference proceedings published with an ISSN must be made open access within three months of being accepted for publication, otherwise they won’t be able to be entered into the next Research Excellence Framework (REF), the results of which determine the amount of research funding given to each institution. 

Our open access policy reflects this rule, and other more recent developments in the UK higher education landscape. 

You can find out more about open access, and download the revised policy, from our webpage.  

Please contact us at library.researchsupport@canterbury.ac.uk if you have any questions about the revised policy or open access that are not answered on the webpages.