University Libraries OA Resolution - FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

*This page contains general information about the Libraries' Open Access Resolution. For more detailed information about managing rights, please visit the Rights Help page.*

1. Why was the policy initiated?

The policy states that it is a reflection of the Faculty's desire for "disseminating the fruits of its research and scholarship as widely as possible." By placing works in the University's open access repository and granting the University the rights it needs to preserve and share those works indefinitely, it becomes easier for readers to find, cite, and use the Libraries Faculty's scholarly works. There is also interest in Libraries Faculty serving as models of good practice for sharing research to assist in engaging in dialogue with faculty in other units on campus. There is a desire to walk the walk, as well as talk the talk.

2. Why have the legal language in the policy? Why not just say the same thing in plain English? What does Nonexclusive mean? Paid-up? Irrevocable?

The policy uses carefully crafted legal language to ensure that the policy effectively ensures that the rights needed to allow sharing, dissemination, and preservation of the affected works are granted by the affected faculty. We can explain the "legalese" here in simpler terms. The policy seeks a "nonexclusive" sharing of rights with the University. This means the author retains their copyrights but allows the University to use the rights as well. The author can give more, less, or the same rights to other parties like a publisher as they see fit. "Paid up" means that no future payment or fees are needed for the University to exercise its license. The arrangement to share rights with the University is complete in the policy itself. "Irrevocable" means that once the policy is passed and a work deposited the author can't come back later and take back the license they have granted.

3. What is the policy implementation date?

The policy is effective July 1, 2012. Any publishing agreements signed before that time do not fall under the policy. Any publishing agreements for scholarly journal articles signed on or after July 1, 2012 fall under the policy (even if the work was submitted for review before the policy was in effect). 

4. What exactly do I have to do to comply with the policy?

The policy requires that when you publish a scholarly journal article you do two things: you need to retain your rights as an author to deposit your work in an open access or public access repository. Once you have had an article accepted and have signed any author agreement, you need to deposit a copy of your article in the Knowledge Bank.

5. To whom does the policy apply? 

The policy only applies to individuals that hold a tenure-track faculty appointment of 50% or more, with the rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor. The policy applies to both tenured and untenured faculty. Non-faculty librarians and other staff within the Libraries who publish are welcome to follow the policy on a voluntary basis. 

6. What kinds of publications are affected by the policy? Is it just articles? What about other things in journals like columns or book reviews?

Only scholarly journal articles are covered by the policy. Which articles are scholarly is the judgment of the faculty member. Peer reviewed articles are obviously scholarly. Editor reviewed articles may be scholarly if the author views them as such. Scholarly articles are typically presented in peer-reviewed scholarly journals and conference proceedings. For other kinds of publications, you might still want to retain your rights to deposit a copy of your work in a public repository (and deposit it), but you are not required to do so.

7. How would the policy change where I can submit my publications?

The policy does not prevent you from publishing your articles where you chose. However, it is likely that some publishers will be easier to work with once your article is accepted. For some publishers you don’t need to even ask to retain your copyrights to permit public access deposit, because they allow that for all authors. For instance College and Research Libraries and portal: Libraries and the Academy allow all authors to retain rights to deposit their works in repositories like the Knowledge Bank. For a list of the rules of individual publishers and journals regarding deposit to institutional repositories see the RoMEO database.

8. Should I notify the publisher about the policy when I submit my work?

The best time to notify your publisher is when your article is accepted. It should not matter for review purposes what our faculty policies are for deposit. Once the article has been reviewed and accepted, it is time to be sure the publisher knows about your desire to retain rights to allow deposit in the Knowledge Bank.

9. I just got an acceptance letter (!!) Now what do I do about complying with the policy?

Congratulations. Now it’s time to look out for an author agreement. Sometimes the agreement is sent with the acceptance letter, with page proofs, or at some other point in the publishing process. It’s your job to look out for it. If the letter includes the author agreement, it’s time to review it and figure out if you need to ask for any changes or use an alternative agreement. In addition to looking for information on who has what rights to the article, look for language about particular versions of the work that can (or cannot) be deposited, and when the article can be made public (immediately, at publication, at some point after publication, etc.). Additional information is available from the University Libraries OA Resolution - Rights Help page. If you need help understanding your rights, please email Copyright Services at libcopyright@osu.edu.

10. Should I keep a copy of my author agreements?

Yes. You should always keep a copy of the author agreement you signed with the publisher, along with any addenda or other supplementary materials. It is also helpful to keep a copy of any correspondence with the publisher about the agreement. This information may be necessary for requesting a waiver, but it is also just good practice. Without a copy of your signed agreement, it is very difficult to answer questions that may come up in the future about what is and is not allowed.

11. I am a co-author with a lead author who is not at Ohio State. Do I come under the policy?

Yes, the policy applies to all Libraries authors. You need to work with the lead or corresponding author to be sure that you see a copy of the author agreement. Please encourage your co-author to negotiate the retention of your deposit rights. If that is not possible, you need to request a waiver.

12. What version of my article goes in the Knowledge Bank?

It may be a requirement of your publisher that you can only deposit certain versions of your article in a repository like the Knowledge Bank. If you have rights to deposit the final version of your article, that is preferred. At a minimum please submit your final accepted version (without copy editing).

13. How soon do I need to make my article publicly available? Can I keep it unavailable for some period of time?

The policy prefers immediate public availability but you may be required to keep it unavailable (or embargoed) for some period of time – perhaps until publication or for some period after publication (e.g. for 6 months after publication). Please deposit your work and then set up the appropriate embargo period.

14. What if a publisher insists that I transfer all of my copyrights and will not let me make my article publicly available?

You may need to request an exception, but first see if the publisher will change their author agreement or will allow deposit with some access restrictions. If the publisher absolutely will not allow public deposit of any kind, you should still deposit a copy of your manuscript in the Knowledge Bank, but Knowledge Bank staff will limit access to it so that only the metadata is publicly available.

15. Who can get exceptions to the policy and how?

A waiver allows an article to be exempted from rights retention and public access, but still requires you to submit your article with access suppressed. Waivers are provided article by article as each is accepted for publication. You can’t get a blanket waiver for yourself or for a particular journal. Anyone can request a waiver as needed from the Dean. Once your article has been accepted and after you've tried unsuccessfully to negotiate your license with your publisher you can request a waiver. Please consult the "Instructions for Requesting a Waiver" for more information.

16.  What if my article is already available in an Open Access journal? Should I still submit it?

Yes, you should still submit it. You also need to make sure to retain your rights to deposit a copy of your work in a public repository even if publishing in an open access journal.

17.  What if the publisher of my journal charges fees for Open Access permission?

This is one cost of doing research and you are encouraged to consider applying for funding from the Libraries Committee on Faculty Benefits, Rights and Responsibilities (CFBRR). The Libraries Open Access resolution also applies to open access publications and you should use the Author Addendum as needed.

18. How was this policy developed?

A task force was formed by the University Libraries Faculty Advisory Council to consider developing a policy, draft a policy, and bring it to the faculty for a vote. Membership: Tschera Connell, Anne Fields, Anne Gilliland, Dracine Hodges, Melanie Schlosser (Chair), Eric Schnell, and Karla Strieb.