Since its introduction in 2022, the Newcastle University Research Publication and Copyright Policy, also known as our Rights Retention Policy (RRP), has enabled our authors to make their research journal articles and conference proceedings openly available, at no cost, with no embargo, under an open licence. The RRP ensures researchers can retain the rights to their work whilst meeting funder and REF open access policy requirements via dissemination in a repository while publishing in a journal of their choice.
Under the RRP, Newcastle University authors grant the University a non‑exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide licence to make their Author Accepted Manuscripts (AAMs) available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence. Authors self-archive their manuscripts, which are then made publicly available in the university repository on the date of first online publication.
Through consistent monthly reporting, we are able to demonstrate the growth in the number of research outputs made openly accessible in our repository via the RRP, since the launch in 2022. This allows us to track how Rights Retention has supported an increased volume of article deposits over the past four years. The chart below highlights this progression, illustrating both the scale and the steady upward trajectory of openly available research articles produced through research connected to the University. Since the policy’s implementation, to date, we have been able to make 1,369 AAMs available under a CC BY licence. These numbers reflect the dedication of our research community, the effectiveness of our open‑access workflows, and the value of authors retaining the rights to share their work openly.
Research carried out by University of Liverpool explored the field weighted citation impact (FWCI) of journal articles, from 2021-2024, across the N8 Research Partnership, for different open access categories, including the impact of having a ‘green’ version of the paper available in a repository.
Across all eight N8 institutions, green (AAM) and hybrid/subscription open access papers consistently came out on top as the most highly cited. Articles that were published and had a green version available had more citations that those without a green version.
Credit: University of Liverpool
The analysis brings together data from several sources: Web of Science to identify corresponding authors, OpenAlex to check for repository versions, and Scopus to measure median FWCI.
The growing adoption of RRPs across the UK is helping to shift the landscape of scholarly publishing. Newcastle University’s position within the N8 Research Partnership has played an important role in our transition, with the N8 institutions simultaneously launching their individual RRP, and as other UK universities launch their own policies the momentum continues to grow. The sector’s collective stance contributes to our ability to assist authors with restrictions they may face when they choose to share their own work openly. While there is more work required to achieve open access to all content, positive change is happening as more of our research is made openly and freely accessible.
Our ongoing collaboration with the N8 is now focused on supporting the N8 statement on sustainable scholarly publishing, to develop the scholarly publication routes available to researchers, including enhanced self-archiving options through institutional repositories.
We remain committed to supporting all Newcastle University authors in understanding the advantages of depositing and sharing their AAMs, as they navigate this evolving publishing landscape. If you’re new to Rights Retention, unsure about depositing your manuscript, or simply want to learn more, please contact us at openaccess@ncl.ac.uk. We also host monthly drop‑in sessions, offering a friendly and informal space for researchers to ask questions, explore open access routes, and discover how Library Research Services can support at every stage of the publication process.
