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:

1. Access for All:
   • Afri Publishing ensures free, unrestricted access to research outputs for all users, making knowledge available to a wide audience.
2. Quality Assurance:
   • All published content undergoes rigorous peer review to maintain high academic and ethical standards.
3. 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.
4. 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:

1. Open Access Journals:
   • All Afri Publishing journals are fully open access, ensuring immediate availability of research outputs without subscription or paywall barriers.
2. No Embargo Periods:
   • Research articles are made available immediately upon publication, without any embargo periods.
3. Funding and Support:
   • Afri Publishing actively supports authors in complying with their funders’ open access policies.
4. Quality and Rigor:
   • High editorial and peer-review standards are maintained to ensure the quality and reliability of published research.
5. Licensing and Reuse:
   • Creative Commons licenses enable easy sharing, distribution, and adaptation of research outputs.

Implementation:

1. Author Education and Support:
   • Authors receive clear guidelines on selecting and applying the appropriate Creative Commons license during the submission process.
2. Platform Integration:
   • Afri Publishing’s platform automatically applies the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license to all published research outputs.
3. Metadata and Licensing Information:
   • Publications prominently display metadata indicating the specific Creative Commons license.