Peer-reviewed research publications – meaning predominantly, but not exclusively, journal articles – which benefitted from using funding from the EU ‘Horizon 2020’ programme must be published open access.

Horizon 2020 encourages but does not require the release of other types of scientific publications (monographs, book, conference proceedings, grey literature etc.) in an open access mode.

Open access publication options

Researchers can either choose to publish

Green open access: i.e. the electronic version of the published (depending on copyrights) or the final, machine-readable, peer-reviewed research publication is made available in an open access repository, latest six months after publication in a journal.

or

Gold open access: i.e. the publication is immediately being made available in an open access mode by a publisher in a journal – article processing charges (APCs) can apply.

Please, note that you need to adhere the six-month maximum embargo period above – hence (if not publishing Gold open access) you will need to choose a journal which is accordingly compliant with the embargo rule. For information concerning publishers’ embargo see Sherpa/Romeo.

APCs for Gold OA publications will be paid by H2020 only during the duration of a project. Researchers need to indicate the expected costs of publications when writing the proposal.

Please note: after completion of the project currently no funding is available. H2020 is reviewing this approach (as of Mar 2014).

Repositories

When considering Green Open Access publishing it may be best to choose an institutional repository, and/or one which is popular in your field.

(Europe PubMed Central also provides a repository option called Europe PubMed Central Plus. The submission of articles here depends on the appropriate funder. For more information concerning suitable repositories check OpenDOAR.

When depositing an article, please follow the H2020 guidelines accordingly.

Research data

Currently, under H2020 rules, researchers are encouraged (but not required) to make their research data available open access. For more information see the ‘Guidelines on Data Management in Horizon 2020’, which also covers the ‘Pilot on Open Research Data’ (for additional information, see here).

Generally, authors are encouraged retaining their copyright, e.g. by choosing a CC-BY or a CC-0 licence.

Summary of links relating to Horizon 2020 open access requirements:

1. Open Access Definition: Budapest Open Access Initiative
2. Fact sheet: Open Access in Horizon 2020
3. Horizon 2020 guidelines
4. Guidelines on Data Management in Horizon 2020
5. OpenAIRE on Open Research Data Pilot
6. Information concerning Creative Commons Licences
7. For specific requirements of H2020 see: Multi-beneficiary General Grant Agreement Model Horizon 2020

(The library would like to thank the University Library of Sussex for its advice concerning H2020.)