Open Access (OA) publishing allows your research outputs to be made freely available to anyone, anywhere in the world.  To extend this to a definition, Open Access publications are digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. What makes open access possible is the internet and the consent of the author or copyright-holder [definition language courtesy of OA expert Peter Suber].  When you publish with OA, it promotes the sharing of research and knowledge and has significant social, economic and scientific benefits. Open Access is part of the wider Open Research movement.     

The Aston University Open Access Policy states that Aston researchers should make all their journal articles and conference proceedings Open Access by depositing their work in Aston Publications Explorer, via Pure

Publishing at Aston University

In order to publish a book you must obtain an ISBN.  An ISBN is an International Standard Book Number, used to identify text-based monographic publications (for a single publication, not a serial publication such as a journal).

Aston University Library and Learning Services has a supply of ISBNs for publications by Aston staff; to be eligible to use them, the requestor must be a current contracted member of staff. The publisher for Aston ISBNs is Aston University. Aston ISBNs are administered by the Open Research Team.

Aston University's ISBNs have been purchased from Nielsen, the National ISBN Agency for the UK and Ireland. All ISBN publications must meet the UK's legal deposit requirements, which are administered by the British Library If your publication is electronic only, the Library can make the e-deposit on your behalf at your request.

To request an ISBN, please email openaccess@aston.ac.uk