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REF open access requirements

Ensure you're eligible for the next REF

To ensure eligibility for future REF exercises, authors must continue to follow the REF 2021 Open Access policy requirements. All journal articles and conference papers must be deposited on acceptance together with the author accepted manuscript. This guidance will be updated as soon as we have the new REF information.

You must ensure that the full text file you upload is the author accepted manuscript (your final version that has been accepted for publication and doesn’t yet have publisher formatting).

If you know your publisher requires an embargo that exceeds the permitted lengths of 12 months (REF Main Panels A and B) or 24 months (REF Main Panels C and D), tell us using the comments box on the deposit screen in Symplectic.

Outputs that do not meet the above requirements will not be eligible for submission to the REF, unless any of the permitted deposit, access or technical exceptions apply.