Here is a list of all the individual Open Access policies of Dutch universities:

• Universiteit van Amsterdam
• TU Delft
• TU Eindhoven
• Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
• Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
• Universiteit Leiden
• Maastricht University
• Open Universiteit
• Radboud Universiteit
• Tilburg University
• Universiteit Twente
• Universiteit Utrecht
• Wageningen University & Research

The ambition of the Netherlands is to achieve 100% open access. Agreements with publishers have helped with approaching this goal; however, they do not cover all types of publications and journals. Fortunately, Dutch copyright law offers an alternative.

Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act (Taverne Amendment) allows researchers to share short scientific works (e.g. articles & book chapters), regardless of any restrictive publishers' guidelines.

The Taverne Amendment allows researchers to share the final published version (Version of Record) of short scientific works via the institutional repository after an embargo period, even if they were published behind a paywall.  

"The maker of a short scientific work, the research for which has been paid for in whole or in part by Dutch public funds, shall be entitled to make that work available to the public for no consideration following a reasonable period of time after the work was first published, provided that clear reference is made to the source of the first publication of the work." (Dutch Copyright Act 2015) 

Together, Dutch universities have decided to interpret 'short scientific work' as journal articles, proceedings papers and book chapters, and 'a reasonable period of time' as six months.

• Many Dutch universities and UMCs are now taking advantage of this regulation on an OPT-OUT basis. This means that the published version of scientific works meeting the criteria will automatically be made publicly available 6 months after publication via the institutional repository, without any actions taken by the authors.
• If your university is not working on an OPT-OUT basis or if you have a publication that you think meets the criteria but has not yet been made publicly available, contact your university library to participate (see contact info here).
• Once made available, the works are freely accessible worldwide to download and print for personal use only. You can share the (perma)link to the work with scientists and audiences around the world, not the PDF itself. Any use of the publication other than authorized under copyright law is prohibited.
• If you receive questions at any time, for example from the publisher, reach out to your University Library. You can then decide together whether it makes sense for the university to communicate with the publisher on your behalf.
   

Dutch universities have been taking advantage of this amendment to give open access an extra boost for several years already, starting with a pilot in early 2019. 

• See also background information about the Pilot and a Q&A for authors
• Evaluation of the pilot (Dutch) and summary in English

In 2020 Dutch Universities and University Medical Centers started implementing the Taverne regulation widely.

As of 2024, many Dutch universities are now working on an OPT-OUT basis. This means that output that meets the criteria will be made available automatically unless the author objects. If you have questions about how the Taverne regulation is being implemented at your institution, reach out to the contact at your university.

Find the contact information for your institution's Open Access Team here. 

Research funding organizations play a vital role in advancing science and academia, providing essential support for conducting research across a wide range of disciplines. These organizations are increasingly driving the shift toward open access by requiring grant recipients to make their research findings freely available.  

Many funders have implemented clear guidelines to ensure compliance and offer financial support for open access publication costs. For researchers affiliated with Dutch universities, the most relevant funding bodies are part of cOAlition S, which aims to accelerate the transition to full open access for scholarly publications.  

In 2018, cOAlition S launched Plan S, a policy that requires researchers funded by these bodies to publish all their work open access with a Creative Commons License. The policy prohibits using grant funds for Article Processing Charges (APCs) in hybrid journals—those that charge both subscription fees and APCs. Instead, grants can only cover APCs for fully open access journals that are transparent about their fees. 

These are the most important funding bodies for researchers affiliated with Dutch universities:

• Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO): NWO follows Plan S and mandates open access for all publicly funded research (NWO Open Access Policy).
• ZonMw: As part of its commitment to open access, ZonMw, a key funding agency for health research in the Netherlands, also requires open access publication for all its funded projects (ZonMw Open Access Policy). 
• Horizon Europe: As the successor to Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe follows Plan S principles and requires open access for publications resulting from EU funding. (Horizon Europe Open Access Policy).

• Mandatory Open Access for Research Articles: All peer-reviewed articles resulting from research funded by cOAlition S funders, either the published version (‘Version of Record’) or the author's final manuscript as accepted by the journal (‘Author Accepted Manuscript') must be made freely available in open access with a Creative Commons License.
   
• No funds for APCs in Hybrid Journals: cOAlition S does not allow researchers to use grant funds to submit articles to hybrid journals (journals that offer both open access and subscription-based content). They do, however, fund APCs in fully open access journals. 
   
• Publishing Books Open Access: cOalitionS recommends that all academic books based on original research that was directly supported with funding from cOAlition S organizations should be made available open access on publication. This is however not a mandate, and each funder is free to adopt their own policy for books and book chapters. For instance, NWO has an Open Access book policy set at 12 months. The European Commission, conversely, has a stricter policy that mandates all books and book chapters to be Open Access without embargo. Most cOAlition S funders have dedicated funds (e.g. NWO Book Fund) to cover Book Processing Charges (BPCs). 
   
• Data and Open Science: cOAlition S also supports open science practices, including the open sharing of research data, ensuring that all aspects of research are accessible and reusable by others. 

Open access monographs are establishing themselves as a publication model in the humanities and social sciences. Yet open access for books is still in its infancy compared to open access for journal articles. 

The landscape of book publishing is inherently more complex than that of journal articles. While journal articles are typically shorter and part of fast-paced publication cycles, books are the result of years of research effort and therefore require thorough planning and substantial investment. Books have a wide range of appearances, from monographs and edited collections to textbooks. In addition, depending on the field and target audience, authors and editors may have specific needs, from reproducing copyrighted sources to including  content in multiple languages or producing an e-book with multimedia components. As a result, customization is often required. Additionally, the book landscape is populated by a variety of different  actors, ranging from commercial publishers to established university presses, to library initiatives, smaller non-profits, and software platforms that enable self-publishing. 

In this publishing context characterized by library biodiversity and a multitude of actors, no single OA model has yet positioned itself as dominant. The mix of traditional book publishers and (idealistic or market-driven) innovation has resulted in a whole range of business models; some of these models recover publishing costs from the author, while others are supported by universities and can therefore operate at no cost to authors and readers.

Most established publishers use Book Processing Charges (BPCs) to cover the cost of open access publishing. Depending on the publisher and the length of the book, these BPCs can vary widely, ranging from €5,000 to more than €15.000+. Some publishers offer the option of making a book open access at a discounted BPC after an embargo period of 12-24 months (“delayed OA”), but since it is often not made transparent how the discount offered is proportional to the publisher's revenues during the embargo period, this model can be seen as a form of double dipping. 

Other publishers are instead experimenting with business models that do not charge BPCs, such as freemium (e.g. OpenEdition), collective funding models and library membership (e.g. Open Book Collective, Punctum Books and Sidestone Press), institutional subsidy models (e.g. Netherlands University Presses)), voluntary author contributions (e.g. Open Book Publishers), the sale of paper books (e.g. Language Science Press), or some combination of these. These models all fall under the Diamond open access umbrella, where publications are made available immediately and with an open license (usually Creative Commons) at no cost to authors or readers.

Green OA may also be an option for books. Often, publishers’ self-archiving policies for books include embargo periods and allow only for a small part of the publication to be made available. The version of the output that can be shared varies by publisher but usually consists of the version that does not include work carried out by the publisher. Single chapters in edited volumes count as short scholarly work, which means they qualify for the Taverne route and can be made available after a six-month embargo, regardless of the publisher's own embargo policies.

When selecting a publisher for an OA book, several factors must be considered: 

• Your grantor's open access requirements, if any. When it comes to books, these can vary widely and some funders are more stringent than others. (Publication after an embargo period is sufficient for NWO, for example, but not for ERC.)
• The publisher's values, code of conduct and business model are also critical. If the publisher charges a BPC, is there transparency about its amount and calculation? Do you have funding available to cover these costs?
• The publisher's academic quality and peer review process 
• Practical issues around the file formats supported for e-books, and whether they allow for all desired functionality (e.g., embedding multimedia applications). 
• Licensing options should be reviewed to ensure they offer suitable OA terms. If the publisher proposes an ND or NC Creative Commons license, ensure what this will mean for you in practice and who will manage these rights. Sometimes, publishers will use these restrictions to make money from the sale of your work, or make it harder to produce new or translated editions. Use the NWO/UKB guide to Creative Commons licenses or ask your open access or copyright librarian for advice if necessary.
• Consider the timeline for OA publication: will the book be available immediately, or subject to embargo? If the publisher provides a BPC discount in exchange for a longer embargo, are they transparent about the calculation of this discount?
• Long-term preservation is another important factor; ensure the publisher guarantees the continued accessibility of the book, for instance via OAPEN and CLOCKSS. 
• Finally, assess how the publisher plans to disseminate and promote the book to ensure visibility and discoverability.

The Netherlands University Presses (NUPs) are a great example of how Diamond Open Access (OA) can work on a large scale. The NUPs network includes presses from universities such as Maastricht University Press, Open Press Tilburg University, Radboud University Press, TU Delft Open Publishing, University of Groningen Press, and Leiden University Press. 

The goals of these university presses is to remove financial barriers for both authors and readers, while ensuring sustainable and high-quality publications. In addition, authors retain copyright of their books, meaning they retain control over how their work is used and shared.

NUPs cover the full breadth of scholarly research in the Netherlands, from international to local, with room for multilingualism and other forms  bibliodiversity. NUPs can accommodate subjects that may not find a place with larger publishers with a commercial or international focus. NUPs publish journals, monographs, collections and textbooks; the precise range of offerings varies from press to press

Third-party content can be included in open access books, but there are a few key considerations to keep in mind. First, it is important to obtain the necessary permissions from the rights holders of any third-party material. With third-party copyrighted material, it is likely that the rights holder will not grant permission to share their material under the same open license as the book as a whole. In that case, a more restrictive license can be agreed upon for their material. Every piece of content originating from third parties should be provided with a source citation that includes both the name of the copyright holder and the license under which the material is shared.

The OAPEN Foundation has created a Toolkit to promote and support open access to academic books. It serves as a key resource for researchers, libraries, institutions, funders, publishers and anyone interested in open access book publishing. The Toolkit includes concise articles on a wide range of topics related to open access books, with each article offering references and further reading. As part of the EU-funded PALOMERA project, a Knowledge Base was also added to assist with policy development in the field of open access books. 

To verify the credibility of a journal, start by checking trusted directories like the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and using the Think. Check. Submit. checklist. Double check that the journal is indexed in reputable databases such as OpenAlex, Scopus, PubMed, or Web of Science, and be cautious of false claims. Investigate the editorial board to confirm the members are experts in the field and that the journal follows a transparent peer review process. Finally, if unsure, seek guidance from your university’s Open Access team.

Avoid questionable publishers to ensure your work remains credible, visible, and impactful. If you are unsure, reach out to your institution’s library or Open Access team for support.

Copyright is a key consideration when making your work open access. 

The particular aspect of copyright that is relevant for your publication depends on which route to open access you are using and at what stage of the publication process you are. 

Copyright considerations also differentiate between different versions of a scientific work:

• Preprint: This version is the original submission to a journal; it has not yet been peer-reviewed.
• Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM): This version, also known as the Postprint, has been accepted for publication but not yet formatted for the journal.
• Published Version: Also known as the Version of Record, this is the final version of an article. The published version will have a DOI from the journal. 

For more information on copyright issues in academic publishing, see this video featuring Dirk Visser, Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Leiden University and Martijn Katan, Professor of Nutrition at the Free University Amsterdam:

Note: The new link to SURF's website on copyright is: https://auteursrechten.nl/en/home/

Under the subscription model, authors typically sign away the rights to their work. However, the Rights Retention Strategy is a model agreement that an author can use to retain part of their copyright. If your publisher accepts this agreement you can place the full text of your publication (usually the AAM) on your personal page and publish it in open access in your university repository. If you wish to use your publication as material for your teaching, you do not need to request permission from your publisher.

For more information on how to make use of this model see the page on Self-Archiving and Repositories. 

University libraries offer you the option of submitting the full text of your publications for inclusion in the institutional repository (see here for more information). Typically the published version of an article cannot be shared in this way under copyright, however a preprint or Author Accepted Manuscript often can, sometimes with an embargo period. To check which versions of an article are allowed to be shared and the conditions, you can use the JISC Open Policy Finder. Library staff will also check whether the version you supply may be shared worldwide via the repository before posting it. 

Because of a provision in Dutch copyright law, it is now possible in many cases to publicly share the full text of short scientific works on institutional repositories 6 months after their publication date. For more information see the page on the Taverne Amendment. 

Most universities have a Copyright Information Point (AIP) to provide information and advice to academics about copyright in relation to open access. The AIP can also assist if you wish to use the Rights Retention Strategy to share your publication, for example, in the university repository. This service is usually attached to university libraries and you can reach out to them with any questions or for advice.  

Repositories are one of the main delivery routes and one of the complementary strategies to achieve open access initially identified in the Budapest Open Access Initiative. Repositories are digital archives designed to collect, organize, and preserve research output, enabling its dissemination and reuse through compliance with interoperability standards. These may include a variety of materials, like peer-reviewed publications, preprints, datasets, and grey literature, among others.

There are several types of repositories, including disciplinary/subject repositories (which preserve and organize materials within a specific field) and institutional repositories (which capture and showcase the research produced by a particular institution). Other types of repositories include generalist or centralized repositories, like Zenodo. Repositories may also be aggregated, like the Netherlands Research Portal, resulting in a federated system that collects and disseminates scholarly content harvested from other repositories. National and regional networks of repositories are also increasingly expanding, like OpenAIRE in Europe and LA Referencia, in Latin America.

Many academic institutions that support open access archive their researchers’ publications in online repositories that are freely accessible worldwide and easy to find online. The publication of academic information in these online databases is called the ‘green route to open access; another term is self-archiving. All Dutch universities, most of the Universities of Applied Sciences, and other research institutes have their own institutional repository. 

Netherlands Research Portal, the national portal for scholarly information

In the Netherlands Research Portal on OpenAIRE CONNECT, the national scholarly portal, you can consult all the Dutch repositories in one go. The research publications of HBO Knowledge Bank can also be found via this portal. 

Submitting your publication to the repository

Nowadays, most Dutch universities will automatically archive affiliated researchers' publications in their repository, although it may be necessary for you to register the publication in your institution's research output registration system. For more information, get in touch with the contact person at your university or research institute. For HBO Knowledge Base there is more information on the website.

Self-archiving allows authors to upload copies of their work to repositories, making research more accessible. Many publishers allow self-archiving, but they often impose specific conditions, such as embargo periods or restrictions on which version of the manuscript can be shared. Some publishers allow authors to upload the peer-reviewed version after a certain waiting period, while others only allow the preprint version. However, some publishers may still prohibit self-archiving altogether, and authors may need to negotiate permissions or seek individual agreements.

Many universities and research organizations require or encourage researchers to make their work publicly accessible through repositories to meet open access mandates and institutional policies. Authors must be aware of copyright policies and publisher rules, which can vary widely. To track and check publishers copyright and self-archiving policies, there are some tools available, like JISC Open Policy Finder (formerly Sherpa Romeo). It serves as a comprehensive resource, providing information on publishers' policies for self-archiving journal articles in digital repositories and other online platforms.

The Dutch copyright law has enshrined certain open access rights that always take precedent over the publisher's self-archiving policies. This means that authors affiliated with Dutch universities are always allowed to make their work available through a repository six months after publication, the so-called Taverne regulation. For more information on Taverne, check our dedicated webpage.

The Rights Retention Strategy (RRS) was initially developed by cOAlition S to support researchers to comply with their funder's policy, by allowing authors to publish in subscription journals while retaining the copyright to all versions of their work apart from the final published one. RRS enables authors to deposit a copy of the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM, also referred to as post-print) in a trusted repository, under a Creative Commons license, without embargo. 

If you want to make use of RRS, you should indicate so as soon as you first submit your article, by appending a 'Rights Retention Statement' to your submission. It is highly recommended that authors that are funded by a cOAlition S funder, like NWO or European Commission, always include the RRS statement in their submission, even if you plan to publish in a journal covered by a publisher deal. If the deal is not renewed, or the maximum number of articles is reached, RRS enables you to still comply with the open access policies of your funder even if the article's published version ends up behind a paywall.

There are standard versions of such RRS statements available. They highlight the fact that you are bound by a previous contract with your funder, under which you are obliged to make your AAM openly available. Researchers in the Netherlands who are funded by either NWO or ERC can refer to this FAQ for details about the procedure as well as copy-pastable RRS statements they can use. You can include the statement in your manuscript, cover letter or acknowledgements.

Additionally, a Journal Checker Tool has been developed to help researchers confirm which journal options are supported by their funder's open access policy, recommending a route based on the author’s journal of interest and funder requirements.