Self-archiving means depositing a version of your published research into an Open Access repository. It is also known as the 'green' route to Open Access. It is not considered a substitute for publishing in scholarly journals as there is no peer review process, however self-archiving can help to maximise exposure of research by making it widely available.
Self-archiving benefits both authors and readers. For authors, it gives them a free route to sharing their research open access. For readers, it gives them access to research which may otherwise be paywalled. If you want to know more about Open Access, check out our Open Access guide.
Birmingham Newman University researchers are encouraged to self-archive their work, irrespective of funding. Even if you have made your work available via the Gold route, you are still expected to deposit a copy in Birmingham Newman University's repository. We have created a guide to depositing your research at Birmingham Newman to support you with self-archiving.
Open Access repositories are freely accessible online digital archives of research outputs which have been deposited by authors. These repositories are designed to store, preserve and disseminate research outputs in perpetuity.
There are different types of Open Access repositories, including institutional repositories such as Birmingham Newman University's repository, and subject/disciplinary repositories such as arxiv.org, BioRxiv or MedRxiv.
Academic networking sites such as ResearchGate and Academia.edu are not OA repositories. Although they encourage authors to share their work, they do not apply robust digital preservation policies to ensure long-term preservation and usability of the archive content. Authors should always be sure they read their publishing agreement before posting their work on such sites.
As a researcher at Birmingham Newman University, you should deposit your work in Birmingham Newman University's repository.
If your research has been funded, you may also be required to deposit your research in a repository of your funder's choosing such as PubMed Central (PMC) or Europe PMC. You should check your funder's Open Access policy in case this is a requirement.
You can search for other suitable Open Access repositories using OpenDOAR or Directory of Open Access Repositories.
Almost all publishers permit self-archiving, however they will often place conditions on how your work can be shared. The most common types of restrictions include archiving a specific version of your work, limited licence options and imposing embargo periods.
If you are reliant on self-archiving (green route) to be compliant with the REF2029 or your funder's OA policy, it is recommended that you investigate the self-archiving options for your chosen publisher before you submit your work.
For journals, you can use the Sherpa Romeo tool which aggregates self-archiving and publishing policies for many journals and publishers across the globe.
For monographs and chapters, you can use the Open Access for Books tool.
Last reviewed: 28 May 2024
