Open Access Monographs
Since 2019, The University of Manchester Library has provided funding for Open Access monographs through a competition, supporting authors in publishing or converting their publication to Open Access.
The Library has also worked in partnership with Manchester University Press to convert existing publications from Manchester authors to Open Access.
As the Open Access landscape changes, so too will our approach to Open Access monograph publishing, and a review is currently underway to consider how best the Library can encourage researchers to make their monographs accessible to a wider audience, and support researchers through any policy changes on the horizon.
Monograph publishing
Monograph publishing comprises an important share of The University’s publishing profile, and is a key research dissemination route for many disciplines, particularly in the Humanities and Social Sciences. While Open Access business models in monograph publishing are immature, improving access to long-form publications is a shared goal for researchers, funders, universities and other stakeholders, and moves towards increasing openness for monograph publishing have gained momentum in recent years.
Funders have now begun to mandate Open Access to accelerate this change, with UKRI joining The Wellcome Trust in bringing monographs into the scope of their Open Access policy from 2024. Similarly, a REF consultation into monograph publishing is now underway, signalling intent to do the same.
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