UKRI accepts open access monographs must be ‘fully funded’

Thank you for covering this important issue. This article seems to focus on open access for UKRI-funded research. There is also the wider context of uncertainty over future policy regarding open access monographs and the REF. As I understand it, a consultation on this issue to occur after UKRI announces its updated Open Access policy. The UKRI March 2020 consultation document you cite in the article says: "Informed by the outcomes of the UKRI review, a detailed REF-specific OA consultation will be launched no later than six months after the UKRI policy is announced, taking into account the work within higher education institutions (HEIs) associated with preparing submissions for REF 2021. It will build on the evidence gathered in this UKRI consultation and address REF-specific issues, including compliance, tolerance of non-compliance and specific exceptions. It will inform the UK HE funding bodies’ decisions about the OA policy for the REF-after-REF 2021. No changes will be made to the REF 2021 OA policy, which should be followed until further notice... The REF 2021 OA should continue to be followed until further notice at the beginning of the REF-after-REF 2021 publication window, which will start on 1 January 2021." However, we are now half a year on from the start of the publication window for the REF-after-REF 2021, and we still do not know what the rules will be for open access for that REF exercise. How can it be right to have a system of assessment where the terms under which the assessment take place are not agreed beforehand, or under which the terms may change part way through the exercise? For example, what happens if, later this year, a researcher signs a contract to publish their book, without an open access provision (this is typical in monograph publication, where open access is currently rare). However, at some point in the next few years the rules could then be changed to say that only open access monographs are eligible for the REF. Note that it can sometimes take several years to go from initial contract to publication. The researcher would suddenly find that their main research contribution is not eligible for the REF. Such a situation would clearly be unfair. Any reporting which THE can do to gain clarity on this issue would be greatly appreciated.