At UQ after approval from the UQ Research Committee the draft Open Access for UQ Research Outputs Policy and Procedures, championed by the UQ Library with the UQ office of the DVC (Research) as the custodian, will be tabled at the September UQ Academic Board. We will keep you posted on the progress of the drafts.

In the UK, Heather Joseph cleverly sums up that both the Finch Report and RCUK revisions placed a significant priority on using paid publication in Open Access journals (termed "Gold OA") as the primary compliance mechanism, while giving the so-called "Green OA route" - the deposition of articles in Open Digital Repositories - short shrift. The new BIS Committee report is the culmination of an inquiry started in January, when the Committee undertook a significant public consultation across broad groups of stakeholders to ensure that the Open Access Policies adopted in the UK effectively serve their intended purpose.

The press release issued with the report states: "Government mistaken in focusing on Gold as the route to full open access, says Committee…..While Gold Open Access is a desirable ultimate goal, focusing on it during the transition to a fully Open Access world is a mistake," and calls on the Government and the RCUK to give "due regard to the evidence of the vital role that Green Open Access and repositories have to play as the UK moves forward."

Elsewhere…In case you missed the announcement, The Australian Open Access Support Group has added a summary of "Developments in OA monograph publishing" - the page is an excellent summary of initiatives that are underway in Australian and internationally.