International Open Access Week (20th to 26th October 2025) is a global event highlighting the importance of making research freely available to all. Open access means removing barriers to content, so that knowledge can be read, shared, and built upon without restriction.
Southampton was one of the first UK institutions to introduce an open access policy in 2008, enabling researchers to share their work via our institutional repository, ePrints Soton. We have continued to champion open access by actively supporting diverse publishing models including:
This year's International Open Access Week theme, “Who Owns Our Knowledge?” invites reflection on how knowledge is created, shared, and controlled. The Organisers SPARC, chose the theme as it provided the focused question that challenges us to ‘reflect on not only who has access to education and research but on how knowledge is created and shared, where it has come from, and whose voices are recognized and valued.’ (SPARC, 2025)
To celebrate Open Access Week the library is hosting events throughout the week, open to staff and students. Sign up on Staff Book or the PGR Manager
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Open Access Week stand
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Tuesday 21st October 10.30am-2pm |
In person in Hartley Library Foyer |
Open access mini activities with the library team who will be available to talk about all things Open Access |
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Open Access Publishing: Author Rights and Ownership |
Wednesday 22nd October 12-12.30pm |
Online - Book via Staffbook/PGR Manager
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Discover how the University of Southampton Press supports authors in retaining ownership and control of their work through rights retention and Creative Commons licences. |
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Open Licensing: Understanding Your Options |
Thursday 23rd October 12-12.30pm |
Online - Book via Staffbook/PGR Manager
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Open licences, like those from Creative Commons, help communities control how their research is shared and reused. Come along to a short practical session on open licences. |
They have also created a ‘reading list’ of platforms for finding Open Access books 
For more information about open access at the University of Southampton please visit our open access page or contact us at eprints@soton.ac.uk.
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