Open Access Regulations
The University of Groningen (UG) and the University Medical Center (UMCG) consider open access publishing a priority. To realise this ambition, the Board of Deans approved new Open Access Regulations, which will take effect on 1 September 2026.
With these new regulations, the UG commits to a value-driven approach to scholarly publishing, centred on openness, academic quality, integrity, equity, and cost-consciousness.
Key elements of the new regulations:
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Open access remains the default for all scholarly publications.
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Publishing through institutional and UNL agreements remains supported.
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Diamond and community-led publishing are actively encouraged.
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APC-funded hybrid publishing outside existing agreements will generally no longer be supported unless funded externally.
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Faculties will adopt either a so-called Selective Gold or Reflective Gold approach for APC-funded gold open access journals.
Each faculty is asked to adopt one of the two approaches prior to the start of implementation. The regulations offer a choice between two models for APC-funded open access publishing.
Selective Gold Model
This model limits gold publishing when publishing costs are fully covered by existing open access agreements, or cases where the APC is covered externally, e.g. by funders, or non-faculty co-authors. Exceptions can be granted following a motivated request.
Reflective Gold Model
This model allows gold open access publishing outside existing deals, provided authors confirm they have considered alternative publishing routes and that the selected venue aligns with disciplinary standards, research objectives, academic integrity, and any applicable funder requirements. Confirmation can be provided by selecting the relevant option in the existing publication claim form in AFAS.
Further information on the regulations and their implementation across the faculties will be shared in due course, along with supporting tools to facilitate adoption for authors.