Implementing an Open Access Policy with Institutional Rights Retention with a Russell Group University

Research-intensive universities face growing pressure to ensure their scholarly outputs remain accessible while retaining institutional control over publication rights. Effective open access policies with rights retention mechanisms enable institutions to comply with funder requirements, support long-term preservation, and maximise research impact.

A structured approach to policy and service development ensures clarity, consistency, and more effective outcomes by aligning goals, resources, and stakeholder needs.

The brief:

Open access to research is essential for advancing knowledge and societal impact. For our client (a Russell Group, research-intensive University) and others, retaining rights over scholarly outputs is critical to ensure long-term accessibility, institutional control, and alignment with public funding mandates.

In support of open access, our client’s Libraries team engaged Strive Higher to support the development and implementation of an Open Access Policy with Institutional Rights Retention and the associated service. Fundamentally, there was a need to define the service and service scope and create a plan for how to deliver the service in a resource neutral way.

Our approach:

Working collaboratively with the Libraries team, we began by drawing on sector insights and best practice to co-create a compelling case for change, define intended outcomes and benefits, and articulate a clear and comprehensive critical path. This provided a robust framework for managing the necessary activities to secure policy approval and ensure institutional readiness for both the policy and service launch.

Throughout the policy development process, our approach focused on enabling the Libraries team to identify and clearly communicate the ‘why’, ‘what’, and ‘how’ to relevant stakeholders and stakeholder groups. This ensured clarity around roles and responsibilities, particularly in relation to proactive stakeholder engagement. As a result, key decision-makers were well-informed and had contributed meaningfully to shaping both the policy and the associated service at pivotal points.

By defining the core and enabling elements of the long-term service, we created a simple visualisation that illustrated what the service entails and the capabilities required to deliver it in a user-centric way. This foundation enabled the identification of resource needs, including specific service roles within Libraries, as well as collaboration points with other University teams critical to delivering a seamless user experience.

To ensure service resilience, we also established clear KPIs aligned with the strategic goals of both the University and Libraries, underpinned by a well-defined approach to performance management.

Outcomes:

• Repeatable blueprint for collaborative Open Access policy and Institutional Rights Retention service development

• Evidence-based rationale for development and implementation of the policy and service

• Increased capability, confidence and institutional impact of the Libraries team in delivering University strategic aims

• Clear articulation of KPIs, requirements, resource and institutional support needed for service sustainability

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