As of 1st January 2013, two of Australia’s major research funding bodies —the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC)—have both implemented open access policies which are now in effect.
The NHMRC’s policy was announced in 2012 and requires that journal articles, accepted after 1st July 2012 and arising from an NHMRC supported research project, are to be deposited into an open access institutional repository within a 12 month period from the date of publication.
This means articles accepted anytime after 1st July 2012 are subject to the NHMRC’s policy, regardless of when funding was granted.
The NHMRC understands that some researchers may not be able to meet the new requirements initially, because of current legal or contractual obligations.
The ARC’s policy, which has taken effect from 1st January 2013, requires that any publication arising from an ARC supported research project must be deposited into an open access institutional repository within 12 months from the date of publication.
It is important to note that the ARC’s policy:
• Applies to all publications (not just journal articles)
• Will take effect on publications arising from 2013 funding grants
QUT’s institutional repository, QUT ePrints, can assist authors in complying with these new policies by storing open access copies of their publications and ensuring they are discoverable. For more information about QUT ePrints and open access, contact your Liaison Librarian.
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