# Accessibility, sustainability, excellence: how to expand access to research publications/Annex A: Terms of Reference and Membership

​ Annex A: Terms of Reference and Membership
1. Purpose
The purpose of the group is to provide a means through which representatives of the HE sector, research funders, the research community, scholarly publishers, libraries and other interested parties can examine how most effectively to expand access to the quality-assured published outputs of research; and to propose a programme of action to that end.
2. Status
The working group will be independent of Government, but its activities, findings and recommendations will be considered by Government. Initial findings may be reflected, as appropriate, in the Research and Innovation Strategy to be published by Government in the autumn of 2011.
3. Scope
The group’s work will focus on scholarly publications in the form of journal articles, conference proceedings and monographs. It will take account of parallel work relating to research data and other outputs being conducted by the Government Office for Science Funders’ Forum and by the Royal Society. So far as appropriate, it may consider issues as to the relationships and links between scholarly publications and underlying data.
4. Working principles
The group will adopt an evidence-based approach to its work. So far as possible it will work collaboratively and will seek to achieve consensus. Where that is not possible, it will seek to identify precise points of difference.
5. Issues and objectives
The group will take account of and consider work that has already been, or is being, undertaken on issues relating to its purpose and objectives. Where necessary, it may commission additional work to clarify key issues.
The group will
i. appraise the current landscape of access to the published findings of research in the UK and other major producers and consumers of research;
ii. identify the key goals and guiding principles that should underlie public policy on publication of and access to research findings;
iii. in the light of the guiding principles, likely technological and other relevant developments, identify the possible routes and mechanisms in order to achieve the key goals, and the associated costs, risks and benefits;
iv. assess relevant policies and practice, and likely developments, in other countries; and
v. propose a programme of action for all interested parties in the UK.
6. Timing
The group will meet c 4 times, and produce a report in spring 2012.
​ Working Group Members
| Dame Janet Finch, DBE (Chair) | Professor of Sociology, University of Manchester |
| Simon Bell | Head of Strategic Partnerships and Licensing, British Library |
| Dr Laura Bellingan FSB | Head of Science Policy, Society of Biology |
| Robert Campbell | Senior Publisher, Wiley Blackwell |
| Professor Peter Donnelly FRS | Professor of Statistical Science, University of Oxford and Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics |
| Dr Rita Gardner CBE | Director, Royal Geographical Society |
| Professor Martin Hall | Vice Chancellor, University of Salford and Chair, Open Access Implementation Group |
| Steven Hall | Managing Director, IoP Publishing |
| Robert Kiley | Head of Digital Services, Wellcome Trust |
| Wim van der Stelt | Executive Vice President Corporate Strategy, Springer |
| David Sweeney | Director, Research Innovation and Skills, HEFCE |
| Phil Sykes | Librarian, University of Liverpool and Chair, Research Libraries UK |
| Professor Adam Tickell | Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Transfer), University of Birmingham |
| Drs Astrid Wissenburg | Partnerships & Communication and Deputy CEO, ESRC, and chair of the RCUK Knowledge Transfer and Economic Impact Group |
| Ron Egginton OBE (Observer) | Research Base Directorate, Department for Business Innovation and Skills |
| Secretary |
| Dr Michael Jubb | Director, Research Information Network |
Sub-group on Licensing
| Professor Martin Hall | University of Salford (Chair) |
| Sam Beale* | Technology Strategy Board / Rolls Royce |
| Lorraine Estelle* | JISC Collections |
| Steven Hall | IoP Publishing |
| Vicky Jones* | HEFCE |
| Phil Sykes | University of Liverpool |
| Professor Adam Tickell | University of Birmingham |
| Alicia Wise* | Elsevier |
Sub-group on Open Access Publishing
| Professor Adam Tickell | University of Birmingham (Chair) |
| Dr Laura Bellingan | Society of Biology |
| Ian Carter* | University of Sussex / Chair of the Association of Research Managers and Administrators |
| Dr Rita Gardner | Royal Geographical Society |
| Rhodri Jackson* | OUP |
| Robert Kiley | Wellcome Trust |
| Stephen Pinfield* | University of Nottingham |
| Wim van der Stelt | Springer |
| Mark Thorley* | RCUK |
Sub-group on Repositories
| Phil Sykes | RLUK / University of Liverpool |
| Juan Bicarregui* | RCUK |
| Robert Campbell | Wiley Blackwell |
| Ian Bannerman* | Taylor and Francis |
| Vicky Jones* | HEFCE |
| Alison Henning* | Wellcome Trust / UKPMC |
| Professor Jon Saunders* | University of Liverpool |
| Wendy White* | University of Southampton |