Understanding Open Access

Open Access publishing is a compulsory requirement in the UK for both the REF research assessment process and also for many external research funding bodies.

The UK REF Open Access Policy requires all journal articles and published conference contributions with London Met authors to be made available in the London Met Repository on Open Access. This policy has recently been updated for REF 2029, with some changes affecting publications published from 1st January 2026 onwards. 

Requirements for articles and papers published up to 31st December 2025

• The article/paper must be added to the Repository within three months of the date of acceptance
• The article/paper must be made available on Open Access in the Repository with a maximum delay of 12 months (REF Panels A and B) or 24 months (REF Panels B and C) after publication
• The Accepted Manuscript (final version after peer review and corrections) or Version of Record must added to the Repository

Requirements for articles and papers published from 1st January 2026

• The article/paper must be added to the Repository on or before the date of publication
• The article/paper must be made available on Open Access in the Repository with a maximum delay of 6 months (REF Panels A and B) or 12 months (REF Panels B and C) after publication
• The Accepted Manuscript (final version after peer review and corrections) or Version of Record must added to the Repository
• The Repository copy should be posted with a Creative Commons CC-BY licence

Most journal publishers operate author sharing and re-use policies that enable compliance with the REF policy. Publisher policies for specific journals can be checked on the Jisc Open Policy Finder service. Failure to adhere to REF policy for any specific journal article or conference paper may make the publication inadmissible as a research output in the next REF process.

Please note that other publication types such as books, monographs or book chapters are currently not subject to the REF Open Access Policy. However authors are still strongly encouraged to add Repository entries for these publications as part of the University's research record. 

In addition to the REF requirements outlined above, research publications produced with external grant funding are usually subject to the relevant funding body’s Open Access policy. These policies generally require journal articles to be made available on Open Access immediately with no delay/embargo and also require publications to carry a Creative Commons licence. Some policies also now cover book publications and supporting research data.

Funders with compulsory Open Access requirements for funded research include:

• UKRI/Research Councils/Research England
• British Heart Foundation
• Cancer Research UK
• NIHR
• Wellcome Trust

Funder Open Access policies can be checked using the Jisc Open Policy Finder service (select Funder from the drop-down menu). Please verify you can meet the funder’s requirements for Open Access, including payment of Article Processing Charges or Book Processing Charges where necessary, before making an application. In some cases funder Open Access requirements for journal articles may be met by publishing using one of the University's Read & Publish Agreements.