The Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) has welcomed the new Open Access policy from Research Councils UK (RCUK).

Ann Rossiter, Executive Director of SCONUL, commented:

"We wholeheartedly welcome the new open access policy from RCUK. In particular, we are pleased that the policy provides for both gold and green open access and includes clear compliance criteria for journals, including the Creative Commons licence, as well as a simple definition of open access itself.

"The insistence on the entitlement to use text and data-mining tools on published research outputs and on a statement of how the underlying research materials can be accessed, are also welcome.

"The move towards open access is one of the most significant events in the academic publishing landscape and will bring significant benefits for students, academics and businesses across the UK by increasing opportunities and improving efficiency.

"SCONUL will work closely with universities and other organisations to ensure that the RCUK's funding for article processing costs (APCs), now provided through block grants to institutions rather than grant applications, is administered in the best possible way. We will also continue to work closely with publishers and funding bodies to ensure that licences and subscriptions provide value for money for all parties and maximise access to content."

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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Jo Nussbaum, John Hood or Simon Maule at Linstock Communications on 0207 089 2080.