Open Access Policy

Introduction

AIJSS is firmly committed to advancing global knowledge through free and unrestricted access to peer-reviewed research in the social sciences, humanities, and policy studies. Our open access policy reflects the belief that academic knowledge should be available to everyone—regardless of geography or financial resources.

???? Free and Immediate Access

  • All articles are freely accessible online upon publication.

  • No registration, subscription, or payment is required.

  • This ensures maximum visibility, usage, and global reach of published content.

⚖️ Licensing Terms

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.

Permitted under this license:
✔ Copy, download, and share content in any format
???? Not for commercial use or modification

Conditions:

  • Attribution: Proper credit must be given to the original author(s) and source.

  • NonCommercial: Use is restricted to non-commercial purposes only.

  • NoDerivatives: Content may not be altered or remixed.

✍️ Author Rights and Copyright

  • Authors retain full copyright of their work.

  • A non-exclusive license is granted to AIJSS to publish, distribute, and archive the article.

  • Authors are free to reuse and share their published work with appropriate citation.

⏱️ No Embargo Policy

AIJSS enforces a zero-embargo policy:

  • Articles are immediately available after final publication.

  • There is no delay in access, ensuring timely academic engagement.

✅ Benefits for Authors

Publishing with AIJSS provides:

  • Global Reach: Open access broadens readership, especially in underserved and developing regions.

  • Higher Impact: Increased downloads and citations due to barrier-free access.

  • Cross-Sector Engagement: Researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers can apply findings in real-world contexts.

???? Article Processing Charges (APC)

To maintain quality and open access sustainability, a one-time APC is charged only upon acceptance.

The APC covers:

  • Peer review management

  • Editorial and technical support

  • DOI assignment and metadata indexing

  • Long-term hosting and archiving

???? Refer to the Charges Policy for detailed APC structure and waiver criteria.

???? Waivers and Discounts

AIJSS is committed to equitable publishing.

  • Authors from low-income countries or with financial need may apply for partial or full APC waivers.

  • Waivers must be requested before or immediately after manuscript acceptance.

???? Contact for waiver requests: editorial@aijss.org

???? Compliance with Funding Agencies

AIJSS's open access policy complies with the open access mandates of most international research funders and institutions. Authors can confidently publish in AIJSS while meeting funding requirements.

????️ Long-Term Digital Preservation

To safeguard scholarly content, AIJSS partners with trusted archiving platforms including:

  • PKP Preservation Network

  • LOCKSS / CLOCKSS

  • Institutional repositories and subject-based archives

These partnerships ensure permanent accessibility, even with future platform or technology changes.

???? Our Mission

At AIJSS, open access is more than a model—it is a mission. By removing access barriers, we aim to:

  • Amplify diverse academic voices

  • Promote interdisciplinary research

  • Foster scholarly collaboration across borders