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Background

Open AccessThe ‘Open’ environment is about a commitment to sharing pre-competitive ideas and innovation as part of a worldwide community. This is the most effective way to support knowledge transfer and ensure that universities and colleges can play a leading role in stimulating the knowledge economy. Open access is one element in this broader environment.

Open access to the outputs from publicly funded research has clear benefits for research, higher education and the UK economy. It is important that it is implemented quickly and cost-effectively across the sector, especially at a time of restraint in public finances.

A range of public and private sector organisations are committed to Open Access, and have (as appropriate) OA policies, statements of principle or relevant business models that are wholly supportive of OA. This, on its own, has not yet been sufficient to see a major shift toward OA in the UK higher education sector, despite the clear benefits that such a shift would bring. It is proposed that more effective and regular coordination between these organisations will lead to a significantly increased rate of movement toward OA in UK higher education.

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Last modified: October 4, 2012

Main contact

Professor Martin Hall
Vice Chancellor
University of Salford
Salford
Greater Manchester
M5 4WT
martin.hall@salford.ac.uk

Communications contact

Dicky Otlet
Senior Outreach Manager
JISC Executive
University of Bristol
2nd Floor, Beacon House
Queens Road
Bristol
BS8 1QU
dicky.maidment-otlet@bristol.ac.uk
d.otlet@jisc.ac.uk
+44 (0) 7867 552072

Press contact

Rebecca Whitehead
JISC press and PR manager
JISC Executive
University of Bristol
2nd Floor, Beacon House
Queens Road
Bristol
BS8 1QU
r.whitehead@jisc.ac.uk
+44 (0)7879 880198

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