Skip to Main Content

Open Access: What is Open Access?

This guide provides information and advice on open access publishing and licensing at Ulster University. It also provides advice to PhD researchers on their theses in the institutional repository.

What is Open Access?

Open access (OA) means that scholarly work is made freely available online, with no charge to the reader and with limited re-use restrictions. 

Ulster University is committed to making the outputs of its research as widely available as possible and supports the principles of open access. 

Click here to read about various types of open access.

Click here to read about available routes to publish open access.

If you are an Ulster University researcher looking for help or advice with open access, please contact the Open Research Team at Library-OpenAccess@ulster.ac.uk

 

Why should I make my research OA?

  • OA makes your research available to more people. There is evidence that this can lead to an increase in citations of your work.
  • OA encourages public engagement with research, which is often paid for out of public money.
  • Your funding body may have a mandate that requires you to make your research available OA.
  • Ulster University requires you to deposit (copyright permissions allowing) a copy of all forms of published research in Pure so as to support OA and meet the requirements of the growing number of research funders who now encourage or mandate OA. 

 

 

 

Plan S

Plan S is a major initiative for open access publishing launched in September 2018 by cOAlition S, an international consortium of research funders including UKRI, the Wellcome Trust and the European Science Foundation. Plan S requires that, from 1st January 2021, publications arising from research funded through grants from cOAlition S members must be published in open access journals, on open access platforms or made immediately available through open access repositories without embargo.

Benefits of Open Access graphic