Open Access and the academic library

This work seeks to outline the effect of publisher policies and open access on academic libraries and academics, namely in reference to the Research Excellence Framework (REF).
It will provide an outline of the literature surrounding publishing and open access and seeks to chart how we can compare and contrast the changes within publishing against the challenges academic librarians and academics face. In essence, this study seeks to determine the effect Open Access has had on publishers and conversely how this has affected academic libraries and academics. The question this work seeks to assess is twofold.
How has open access affected the HEI’s Library budget? In terms of subscription based charges 2016-2019. How have aspects of open access affected academic staff? Namely in terms of their academic output 2016-2019.A statistical analysis of subscription costs and article processing charges (APC’s) was undertaken to show how publishers are adapting their model to ensure their position remains profitable. A case study of a UK High Education Institution (HEI) will compare and contrast the article processing charges (APC’s) that authors are subject to against the subscription charges the HEI already pays. The purpose of this analysis is to determine how much publishers get on top of their subscription based charges that they already levy on academic libraries. The dissertation will also give a brief contextual outline of what the Research Excellence framework is and how this has effected research output within UK Higher Education Institutions (HEI).