Manuscripts: which version to upload for REF

The REF Open Access policy requires you to upload a specific version of your work to be made open access in UCL's repository, UCL Discovery.

You should upload your final accepted manuscript. This may be alternatively referred to as the "final author version", "final manuscript" or "post-print". It is usually a Word document or LaTex file, and is the version of your work which:

has been accepted for publication
has been peer-reviewed
but has not yet had the publisher's layout and typesetting applied

Most publishers allow this version to be made open access after an embargo (delay) period (see our Understanding open access page for more information). The following diagram helps to identify the author accepted manuscript:

Diagram explaining author accepted manuscript

The final published PDF (the final version that appears on the publisher's website) cannot usually be made open access in a repository, unless it is gold open access with a Creative Commons licence.

The submitted version prior to acceptance (before peer review) does not satisfy the REF requirements, and should not be uploaded.

The diagram above is adapted from an original graphic from City, University London, under a CC BY 4.0 licence, by Rhav Lutchman.