Rights Retention

This page provides guidance on Rights Retention and the University of Chester's Rights Retention Policy.

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Rights Retention: an introduction

Rights Retention is a mechanism for authors to retain rights to the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) of their work. It facilitates Green Open Access (OA) publishing, which involves depositing an AAM to a repository and making it openly available there. For a more detailed explanation, see the Open Access page. 

When authors publish in a hybrid/subscription journal and elect not to publish Gold Open Access (OA) (see the Open Access page for a definition), they may be asked to transfer some or all rights to the publisher. This subsequently gives the publisher (and not the author) control over how the work is shared and reused. 

Rights Retention solves this problem by empowering authors to share and reuse their AAMs as they see fit. Even though the publisher will still own the rights to the final published version, they will not be able to impose restrictions on the AAM. 

University of Chester Rights Retention Policy: key points

  • The University of Chester Rights Retention Policy enables University authors (members of staff) to make the AAMs of their journal articles and conference papers with an ISSN (i.e. those published in journal proceedings) openly available immediately on publication under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY).
  • Pursuant to the University of Chester Code of Practice for Research, the University permits staff to retain copyright in all scholarly works produced whilst under a contract of employment. In exchange, staff grant the University a non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free licence to make their AAMs available under a CC BY licence.
  • The CC BY licence granted to the University is known as a 'prior licence' and takes precedence over any subsequent assignments or licences of copyright in the AAM.
  • The University's LIS Research Support team have given official notice to a list of frequently used publishers. As further notice, authors are encouraged to include the following Rights Retention statement in the acknowledgements section of their manuscript and cover letter: 
  • For open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.
  • Authors should deposit their AAM as normal either on acceptance or no later than 10 weeks following acceptance as per the University's deposit mandate.
  • LIS Research Support will make the AAM openly available on first publication (usually the online publication date). 

Scope of the University's Rights Retention Policy

It applies to peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers with an ISSN (published in journals) submitted from 20th July 2026.

It applies to University of Chester staff (academic and professional services).

It does not apply to longform works and other scholarly outputs, but the University encourages authors to make these works openly available where possible.

It does not apply to students (undergraduate and postgraduate).

Why are we introducing the Rights Retention Policy?

The Rights Retention Policy has a number of key benefits. These include:

  • Compliance with all existing OA policies when publishing Green OA - major funders, such as the UKRI, stipulate that journal articles and conference papers with an ISSN (journal proceedings) must be openly available immediately under a CC BY licence. You can find out more about OA policies on our . Authors no longer need to worry about embargoes on repositories and not complying with policy requirements when opting for Green OA.
  • More cost-effective, sustainable and equitable open publishing - the AAM can be deposited and made openly available on a repository without the need to pay a fee. This means that you do not need to receive funding to publish openly.
  • Greater publishing autonomy - an author is no longer limited to journals covered by the University's Transformative Agreements with publishers and can publish in a wider range of hybrid/subscription journals without risking non-compliance with Open Access requirements.
  • Increased impact (and potentially citations!) - sharing work without delay under a CC BY licence allows for the widest possible dissemination whilst ensuring that the author receives full credit. This is why funders, such as the UKRI, mandate the use of this licence, as it ensures that publicly funded research can benefit as many people as possible. 
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What do you need to do?

Fortunately, there is not much that authors need to do in addition to the usual steps taken in the publishing process. Below is an outline of what to consider at the submission, acceptance and publication stages. 

On submission

  • Inform co-authors of the University's Rights Retention Policy and the requirement to make the AAM openly available under a CC BY licence on publication. Potential wording for an email can be found in section 5 of the Policy document. If co-authors object to the Policy, opting out may be required. Contact LIS Research Support if this happens or complete the opt-out form. 
  • It is encouraged that you add the following set statement to the funding/acknowledgements section of your manuscript and cover letter: 

"For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission."

Since the LIS Research Support team has notified various publishers, the inclusion of the set statement is not essential. However, you should consult the list of contacted publishers - if your publisher does not appear, we would advise you either to include the set statement or to contact LIS Research Support, and we will notify the publisher. 

On acceptance

  • Deposit the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) to ChesterRep via Symplectic Elements, ideally as soon as the publication has been accepted and no later than 10 weeks following acceptance.
  • Where possible, avoid signing a publishing agreement that indicates the transfer of copyright. Contact LIS Research Support if you are unsure about the wording of a publishing agreement offered to you. 

On publication

  • LIS Research Support will make the document openly available on the repository when the publication is first published (usually online). 

Frequently Asked Questions

Insert the Rights Retention Statement into the acknowledgements section of the manuscript and include it in the cover letter.

It should be added prior to submission. This signals to the publisher your intention to retain rights to the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM).

This is unlikely. Experience from other universities with established Rights Retention policies shows minimal publisher pushback. While publishers are not obliged to accept manuscripts containing the statement, they must decline as early as possible to allow authors to submit elsewhere. If a publisher challenges the Policy or statement, contact LIS Research Support (researchsupport.lis@chester.ac.uk).

The Rights Retention Statement gives notice to the publisher that the author has assigned a prior licence to UoC. However, a wide variety of publishers have already been contacted by LIS Research Support about the Policy. If you have not added a statement, consult the list of notified publishers. If the publisher has already been notified, the AAM can be made openly available upon publication in ChesterRep under a CC BY licence without a statement. If the publisher has not been notified, contact LIS Research Support (researchsupport.lis@chester.ac.uk).

Do not sign. The terms of the Rights Retention Policy take precedence, and publishers should not require agreements that compromise author copyright. If a publisher insists on the signing of an agreement that does not permit sharing the AAM with a CC BY licence, contact LIS Research Support (researchsupport.lis@chester.ac.uk), who will negotiate with the publisher.

Contact LIS Research Support (researchsupport.lis@chester.ac.uk), and we will negotiate with the publisher.

You are still encouraged to add a Rights Retention Statement to your manuscript even though Gold OA typically guarantees immediate OA under a CC BY licence. The inclusion of a statement ensures rights are retained for both the AAM and the published version.

Rights Retention supports Green OA. You retain the copyright on the AAM and make it immediate OA under a CC BY licence, which means that opting for Gold OA is not necessary.

If Gold OA is preferred, the University has agreements with some publishers to cover APCs. You can find out more about these agreements on the Open Access funding page or by contacting researchsupport.lis@chester.ac.uk before submission to check eligibility.

This should not be necessary. Inform the publisher that the CC BY licence applies to the AAM, not the published version (where fees may apply for Gold OA).

Yes, even if you are not the lead or corresponding author. All co-authors must agree to the terms of the Policy. Co-authors, especially those who are UK-based, may be subject to their own institutional Rights Retention policy, which should make agreement more straightforward. If agreement cannot be reached, contact researchsupport.lis@chester.ac.uk for guidance.

Yes, but only in certain circumstances. If you intend to opt out, please complete the opt-out form: Rights Retention Policy Opt-Out Form – Fill in form [University login required]. 

No. It currently applies only to journal articles and conference papers but may be extended in future based on funder and REF requirements.