On this page:
“Publishing open access means your book or chapter can be read, reviewed, shared, and cited without depending on readers buying it or libraries stocking it.”
The rationale for Open Access books
The EU-funded OAPEN Foundation has developed an OA Books Toolkit for authors, to better understand open access book publishing and to increase trust in open access books. The editorial board includes authors, publishers, research support staff, and funders.
Toolkit content includes "The benefits of publishing an OA book", "How to choose a publisher", and strategies for increasing "Dissemination and Discoverability".
Output from the AHRC-funded OAPEN-UK project included a guide to open access monograph publishing in the arts, humanities and social sciences (2015).
OAPEN is also responsible for the Directory of Open Access Books, a searchable online catalogue of titles from authoritative publishers.
COPIM (Community-led Open Publishing Infrastructure for Monographs) is an international partnership of researchers, universities, librarians, open access book publishers and infrastructure providers... building community-owned, open systems and infrastructures to enable open access book publishing to flourish. With support from UKRI and the Arcadia charitable foundation, COPIM projects include the Open Book Collective: a UK-based network of publishers, libraries and infrastructure providers dedicated to the development of sustainable OA book publishing models which don't rely on author fees.
The Open Access Books Network is a space for passionate conversations about OA books, hosted by the Humanities Commons, sponsored by several US universities and scholarly societies. Resources for authors include video interviews with OA advocates, recommended reading and links to further support.
Book Publishers (under development)
Browse the Directory of Open Access Books by Publisher or Subject to identify authoritative publishers in your field who offer an OA route, with or without a book processing charge for authors. The DOAB Foundation is a non-profit entity based at the National Library of the Netherlands, governed by European researchers and representatives of the publishing industry.
Open Book Publishers is the leading independent Open Access publisher in the Humanities and Social Sciences in the UK: we're not-for-profit, run by scholars, and committed to making high-quality research freely available to readers around the world. Authors without a research funder do not have to pay a book processing charge - the OBP Library Membership Programme sustains the publishing operation.
Advice about choosing a publisher for your open access monograph:
Sources of funding
From January 2024, UKRI is providing approx. £3.5M to support open access for long-form outputs, to enable compliance with their Open Access Policy. The fund is centrally held by UKRI, and research organisations are invited to apply as need arises, via a staged application process:
- Stage 1: the research organisation registers the output(s) with UKRI for funding. A publishing contract does not need to be signed at this stage.
- Stage 2: the research organisation provides final confirmation of publication, to enable UKRI to release funds.
As UKRI funds institutions, authors and publishers will not usually apply directly to UKRI for this fund, except in some exceptional circumstances, such as when an author is no longer employed by a research organisation.
UKRI, Implementing our Open Access Policy, 24 May 2023
See also:
- Further information for authors from UKRI about their open access requirements for monographs, book chapters and edited collections.
- An introduction to UKRI's fund for longform outputs (Feb 2024), published by Jisc - further information for authors and their institutions about utilizing the fund.
- Guidance for UKRI's open access fund for long-form publications (March 2024) - a source of reference for staff applying for the fund on behalf of authors.
Other funders may permit authors to cost book processing charges into grant applications. University of Hull researchers should contact their Research Development Manager to explore their options.
Research England is developing a policy to support open access monographs for the post-2021 REF, recognizing the complexity of publishers' business models, some readers' preferences for print format, and the benefits arising from free-to-read scholarly output.
Green OA for books
An increasing number of publishers permit authors to self-archive longer-form works, in a similar way to the established 'green' OA model for journal articles. Typical conditions attached to self-archiving:
- Maximum 1 chapter from an edited work, or 10% of a monograph.
- The file version should be the author's accepted manuscript or post-proof, i.e. the final agreed text before the publisher's typesetting is applied.
- An embargo of up to 24 months, to protect the market for the published work.
- Third party content such as figures or excerpts from other works may need redaction if the rights-holder has not granted permission for open access to their material.
For more information, refer to your chosen publisher's guidance for authors and/or copyright policy.
University of Hull authors creating a Worktribe record for a book chapter or monograph should deposit their final manuscript . Library staff will check the publisher's terms and make the file open access in Repository@Hull as/when permitted.
Who Can Help?
Staff who administer the Library's Periodicals collection can advise on OA book publishing options and the availability of financial support from research funders: periodicals@hull.ac.uk
Library staff responsible for collection management in the University's Repositories (Worktribe and Hydra) can assist with record editing and manuscript deposit: repository@hull.ac.uk
