Explore QOLAC’s open access (OA) policies for journal articles published through both immediate (gold) OA and subscription routes on this page. Our publication policies are designed to assist authors in attaining a significant level of openness with their research, ensuring compliance with the open access (OA) requirements set by research funders and institutions.
To learn more about adhering to OA policies of funders and institutions when publishing with QOLAC, check our dedicated OA funding support service.
For details on our OA policies concerning books and chapters, please refer to the information available here.
Open Access (OA) Licensing and Copyright #
Open Access Licensing #
QOLAC journals embrace open access (OA) through articles published under Creative Commons licenses, offering a standardized framework for seamless re-use of OA content.
Our primary choice is the widely adopted Creative Commons Attribution v4.0 International license (CC BY), recognized as the industry ‘gold standard’ for open access. This license, preferred by numerous funders, allows readers to copy, redistribute, modify, and build upon material, even for commercial purposes, as long as proper credit is given to the original author.
CC BY is the standard license for QOLAC Open journalsBand most OA articles in QOLAC hybrid and Transformative Journals. Additionally, it applies to all other QOLAC owned fully open access journals.
A few journals still default to the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC). However, when there is a funder requirement, QOLAC accept requests to publish under the CC BY license.
Authors are encouraged to review their funder’s open access requirements for compliance. Explore here for information on how authors can discover funders’ OA policies and meet their requirements.
All QOLAC journals offering an open access option provide versions of Creative Commons licenses tailored for intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) upon request, as needed by the author’s employer.
Retrospective License Modifications #
For authors who have published the immediate open access option in a QOLAC journal, it is possible to alter the associated Creative Commons license post-publication. However, authors can only request a change from a more restrictive license to CC BY (the least restrictive license) and may only transition to a standard license offered by the journal, unless the license is mandated by the funder. Refer to our ‘Open Access Licensing’ policy above for comprehensive details on open access licenses.
Authors seeking to retrospectively modify the license of their article should reach out to QOLAC Support Team at [email protected], providing the article’s title, DOI, and journal name in their communication.
Copyright of Open Access Articles #
Authors retain copyright of all OA articles published by QOLAC.
Self-archiving and digital preservation #
Self-Archiving for Open Access Publications #
Authors choosing the gold open access route are encouraged to deposit the final published PDF in their institutional repository or a relevant subject repository upon publication.
It is recommended that authors include a link from the deposited version to the publisher’s website. This requirement aims to safeguard the integrity and authenticity of the scientific record, emphasizing that the online published version on the publisher’s website is the definitive version.
The version of record of this article, initially published in [Journal name], can be accessed online at the Publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/[Insert DOI]
Authors are urged to review their funders’ deposition requirements to ensure adherence. For guidance on policy compliance, authors can refer to our policy compliance FAQs to ensure they meet funder self-archiving specifications.