Prior to publication, authors hold all rights to their scholarly publications. Upon acceptance, many publishers ask authors to transfer these rights to them, which restricts what authors can do with their research findings, including making articles open access. For this reason, cOAlition S has developed the Rights Retention Strategy (RRS), which helps authors remain compliant with their funders’ open access requirements.
What is the Rights Retention Strategy?
The Rights Retention Strategy (RRS) is developed by cOAlitionS, a federation of funders that includes the most important funding bodies for Dutch researchers (NWO, ZonMW, and Horizon Europe). These funders have an open access policy that requires researchers funded by these bodies to publish all their work open access. The RRS enables researchers funded by these organizations to retain copyright over their work even if submitted to a subscription journal by allowing them to deposit the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) version of their work in EUR’s institutional repository (Pure) with a CC-BY license without an embargo period. This strategy is recommended for researchers who wish to publish in subscription or hybrid journals that are not covered by publisher deals. By using the RRS, researchers can ensure compliance with funder mandates such as those from cOAlition S funders.
When to Use the RRS
The RRS is applicable only if:
- Your research is funded by a cOAlition S organization;
- The journal of your choice is a subscription or hybrid journal.
Workflow for Using the RRS
Using the RRS involves the following actions:
- Pre-Submission stage
- Verify if the journal is a subscription or hybrid journal via the EUR Journal Browser. If the journal is not Gold open access and you are cOAlition S funded, proceed with the RRS.
- Use the pre-submission agreement template to notify the journal of your rights retention requirements and ensure funder compliance.
- Submission stage
- Add the RRS Statement in the acknowledgments or funding section of your manuscript.
- Post-Acceptance stage
- Send your manuscript and cover page (including the DOI of the published version) to the EUR Library Open Access (OA) Team. They will handle uploading and registering it on your behalf.
For a detailed visual representation of the RRS process, consult the RRS Flowchart at the bottom of this page.
Why Use the RRS?
- Compliance with Open Access Mandates: Meet funder requirements seamlessly.
- Cost Efficiency: No APC fees for authors publishing in eligible journals.
- Enhanced Visibility: Increase the reach and impact of your research by making it openly accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions on the RRS
Depending on the journal policy you might be allowed to deposit your author AAM in PURE with a CC BY without an embargo period. You can find this policy in the journal browser under Accepted Manuscript. If in doubt contact the EUR Library Open Access Team.
Generally, you would not need to use the RRS, as the APC will be waived under the read and publish deal. However, some of our publisher deals have a maximum amount of articles per year, meaning that if your article is accepted after this maximum has been reached, then your APC will not be waived. For this reason, if you are a cOAlitionS funded researcher, it is better to use the RRS even if submitting to a journal that is part of a publisher deal. Finally, please ensure that your article type is covered by the deal. Editorials and opinion pieces are often not included.
Rights Retention Strategy Flowchart
Downloads
More information
For more information on RRS, please consult the RRS FAQs prepared by UKB. The EUR Library Open Access and Publication Support Team is available to answer questions about publishing, open access and the RRS.
If you need help, please feel free to contact us at: openaccess@eur-nl.libanswers.com.