WASR Publications is committed to making research accessible to a global audience through open access publishing. This policy outlines our approach to open access and the rights and responsibilities related to accessing, using, and distributing published content.

Definition of Open Access

1. Definition

   • Open access (OA) refers to unrestricted, free online access to scholarly research literature.
   • This allows anyone, anywhere to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles without any financial, legal, or technical barriers.

2. Types of Open Access

   • Gold Open Access: Articles are freely available immediately upon publication on the publisher’s website.
   • Green Open Access: Authors deposit a version of their manuscript in a repository, such as an institutional repository or subject repository, after an embargo period.

Publishing Model

1. Publication Fees

   • WASR Publications may charge authors or institutions article processing charges (APCs) to cover the costs of publication and maintenance of open access.

2. Creative Commons License

   • All articles published in WASR Publications are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
   • This license allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as they credit the authors for the original creation.

Benefits of Open Access

1. Accessibility

   • Facilitates unrestricted access to research findings for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the general public globally.

2. Visibility and Impact

   • Increases visibility, downloads, citations, and overall impact of published research due to wider dissemination.

3. Ethical Considerations

   • Promotes transparency and accountability in research dissemination.
   • Enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing across disciplines and geographic boundaries.

Compliance and Repositories

1. Repository Policies

   • Authors are encouraged to deposit their manuscripts in institutional or subject repositories post-publication, in line with green open access policies.

2. Funder Requirements

   • Authors should comply with funding agency mandates regarding open access publishing and deposition in repositories.