Abstract
Open access (OA) has become a critical component of academic publishing, promoting free access to research outputs. The Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) plays a crucial role in this by serving as the institutional repository, tasked with the collection, preservation and dissemination of the University of Oxford’s scholarly output. However, the demands of ensuring compliance with OA policies, particularly those set by funders and the Research Excellence Framework (REF), have imposed significant administrative burdens on both researchers and support staff. This article explores the evolving landscape of OA at the University of Oxford, the shift towards gold OA, the integration of automated systems to ease administrative load, and the future directions for improving OA policy adherence and research dissemination.