Hi Rachel. We’re here to talk about our publication policy and I just wondered if you could explain it to colleagues - what it’s all about.
I can Nick. What it’s about is us retaining the rights of papers authored by Man Met researchers within the University even after they’re published.
And what does that mean in terms of REF etc? Why is that important that we maintain that copyright?
So it’s for a number of reasons really, our author copyright is really, really valuable to us and what we want to do is to protect our research community. And once we’ve implemented the policy, our researchers are able to share, use, and distribute their research much more widely, whilst at the same time maintaining compliance with funder and REF requirements.
So we talk about culture a lot in the new research strategy. How do you think this policy is going to help and develop that culture of research?
I think what it will do is it will be a really important component of us developing a culture of open research at our University. Openness across all aspects of research, this is important about open access publishing, but that’s within the context of a wider approach to research which we want to be increasingly open.
But isn’t there a risk that publishers are going to push back on that? What confidence have we got that we’re going to still be able to publish where we want to publish?
There is no experience in the sector where this approach is already underway of any pushback or any difficulties with any publishers. So we’re confident that that’s not going to be the case.
Oh, that’s great to hear. So I’m glad you mentioned open access, because I think open access is really, really important for research institutions. I think as an institution, we’ve got a moral obligation to make sure the research that we do is available to the widest possible audience. Particularly if they’ve paid for it directly, or indirectly through their taxes. That we make sure the results of the excellent research here are getting out to the community. But do you see any other advantages of having such an open research policy?
Well, there’s definitely that. And providing the fastest and the best access to open research that we can to practitioners and policymakers, as well as the public. So that we can use that research to make lasting and profound impacts on the economy and society. So our growing reputation for high quality research is dependent on the visibility of that research and how well it’s cited. So that it can be used and seen and built upon by the research community within the University and beyond.
So you say this policy will help promote our research in order to attract better students, better staff, better researchers who want to come to the University because they know more about us. There on the global stage.
Absolutely. The more our amazing research is visible outside of the University and beyond paywalls and outside of embargo periods, the better.
Oh, that sounds like a really positive move. But I’m also aware there’s a big push, not only in the University, but across the sector to reduce research bureaucracy. Is this going to cause any issues trying to get research published on top of what people have to do already?
Not at all. In fact, the workflows for researchers remain exactly the same. And in fact, there’s a benefit in that copyright permissions are more straightforward. Researchers still need to deposit an accepted manuscript on agreement in the repository. For anyone who is unfamiliar with that or would like some help, the Library’s Open Research team is on hand and available to do that. And in the background, the Library is writing to all of the publishers that Man Met regularly publishes with, to let them know about the policy and that as an institution, we are retaining the rights of our authors who will be sharing our research much more widely.
Okay, so it’ll help develop that great place to work ethic that we’re really pushing at the University.
Absolutely. And we’ve got a whole programme of events and support to help us to roll it out and embed that and support staff through that change.
So if I need more information, where would I go for that?
The Library website will provide access to the policy, the contact details of the Open Research team and all of the help and support that any researcher will need.
Fantastic. So this is a real step forward for the sector that puts Man Met at the forefront yet again.
Absolutely.
Thank you, Rachel.
Thank you.