British Academy calls for pause of REF 29 open access proposals pending further analysis

The proposals for the REF 2029 open access (OA) approach could have negative impacts on research and researchers, the leaders of the British Academy have warned.

In a letter to the Executive Chairs and their equivalents of the UK's Funding Councils, the British Academy's President, Professor Julia Black and Vice Presidents, Professors Simon Swain and Lindsay Farmer, call on the four UK higher education funding bodies to pause the proposals and undertake further research and modelling.

The letter coincides with the Academy's submission to the Council's consultation on the open access framework for REF 29. In addition to calling for a full impact assessment of the proposed changes, the organisation highlights the need for any system of OA to be properly funded.

The Academy offers to work with the Councils to convene discussions - across funders, libraries, Higher Education Institutions, and publishers - to identify collaborative and more effectively resourced models for supporting open access.