What is the author accepted manuscript or AAM and what is the version of record or VOR?

Your accepted manuscript, sometimes referred to as your 'author accepted manuscript' (AAM), 'final author version', 'final author manuscript', or ‘final manuscript’ is the version of your work which:

  • has been accepted for publication
  • has been peer-reviewed
  • but has not yet had the publisher's layout and typesetting applied

The REF Open Access Policy mandates deposit within 3 months of acceptance.

This is often a Word or PDF version of your publication. Most publishers allow this (and only this) version to be made available from an open access repository after any embargo period has passed. 

Your uploaded accepted manuscript will be checked for any embargoes, copyright or publisher restrictions by the Research Services team before it is made live in the Leeds Beckett Repository.

The accepted manuscript is the version that must be uploaded to the Leeds Beckett Repository via Symplectic at acceptance to be eligible for submission to the next REF. The final published PDF, the version of record or VOR (the final version that appears on the Publisher's website) probably cannot be uploaded for this purpose.

For more information, see our webpages on Open Access or contact us

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