Licence & copyright
This Open Access Policy outlines Afri Publishing’s commitment to providing open access to scholarly research outputs. It integrates the use of Creative Commons licenses, specifically the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license, and aligns with the principles of Plan S. Our policy aims to promote knowledge dissemination, foster innovation, and support the global research community.
Principles:
- Access for All:
- Afri Publishing ensures free, unrestricted access to research outputs for all users, making knowledge available to a wide audience.
- Quality Assurance:
- All published content undergoes rigorous peer review to maintain high academic and ethical standards.
- Author’s Rights and Responsibilities:
- Authors retain copyright of their work and grant Afri Publishing the right to publish and distribute their research under the specified Creative Commons license.
- Transparency:
- Publications are clearly marked with the applicable Creative Commons license, facilitating easy identification of usage rights.
Creative Commons License:
Afri Publishing employs the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license for all research outputs. This license allows others to share and adapt the work under the following conditions:
- Attribution:
- Users must give appropriate credit to the original author(s), provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
- Non-Commercial:
- Users may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- Share Alike:
- If users remix, transform, or build upon the material, they must distribute their contributions under the same license as the original.
Plan S Compliance:
Afri Publishing adheres to the principles of Plan S, advocating for:
- Open Access Journals:
- All Afri Publishing journals are fully open access, ensuring immediate availability of research outputs without subscription or paywall barriers.
- No Embargo Periods:
- Research articles are made available immediately upon publication, without any embargo periods.
- Funding and Support:
- Afri Publishing actively supports authors in complying with their funders’ open access policies.
- Quality and Rigor:
- High editorial and peer-review standards are maintained to ensure the quality and reliability of published research.
- Licensing and Reuse:
- Creative Commons licenses enable easy sharing, distribution, and adaptation of research outputs.
Implementation:
- Author Education and Support:
- Authors receive clear guidelines on selecting and applying the appropriate Creative Commons license during the submission process.
- Platform Integration:
- Afri Publishing’s platform automatically applies the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license to all published research outputs.
- Metadata and Licensing Information:
- Publications prominently display metadata indicating the specific Creative Commons license.