Open Access Policy

Principles & Scope

Our open access model ensures that scholarly articles are available without subscription barriers. Readers may access, read, and reuse content under permissive licenses, accelerating discovery and knowledge sharing.

We support global equity in access to research outputs and align with recognized open science practices.

Licensing

• Articles are published under Creative Commons licenses specified by each journal (e.g., CC BY 4.0).
• Licenses allow sharing, adaptation, and reuse with appropriate attribution and within license terms.
• Journal pages state the exact license for each article.

Author Rights

• Authors typically retain copyright of their articles.
• Authors grant the publisher a license to publish, distribute, and archive the work.
• Authors may share the final published version in accordance with the applied license.

APCs & Waivers

• Article processing charges (APCs), where applicable, are listed on journal pages.
• Waivers or discounts may be granted based on need or institutional agreements.
• No submission fees are charged unless explicitly stated.

Self-Archiving & Repositories

• Authors may deposit accepted or published versions in institutional or subject repositories.
• Please include the DOI and license information when depositing.
• Embargoes are not required for the final published version under CC BY unless license or policy states otherwise.

Preprints

• Posting preprints on recognized servers is permitted and encouraged.
• Disclose preprint DOIs during submission and cite the preprint in the manuscript where applicable.

Open Data & Materials

• Include a data availability statement; deposit data and code in recognized repositories when feasible.
• Share materials, reagents, and software upon reasonable request, respecting legal and ethical constraints.

Accessibility

• We strive for accessible content, including web-accessible formats and alt text for figures where applicable.

Funder & Institutional Mandates

• We support compliance with funder and institutional open access policies.
• Authors should indicate specific requirements during submission to ensure proper license selection and acknowledgments.

Third-Party Material

• For images, figures, or data not owned by the authors, obtain permission or ensure reuse is permitted by the license.
• Credit third-party materials clearly and accurately.

Misuse & Retractions

We investigate ethical concerns and follow COPE-aligned processes. Corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions may be issued when necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Contact

Editorial Office - Open Access
Email: [email protected]