Open Access Policy

The Journal of Contemporary Social Issues (JCSI) is a fully open-access journal committed to the unrestricted dissemination of high-quality scholarly work. This policy outlines the principles, licensing terms, and accessibility commitments that guide the journal’s open-access publishing model.

Commitment to Open Knowledge

JCSI believes that scholarly research should be freely accessible to everyone, regardless of geographical, financial, or institutional barriers. By adopting a complete open-access model, the journal facilitates the global exchange of knowledge, encourages broader readership, and supports equitable access to academic research. All published articles can be read, downloaded, distributed, shared, and cited without subscription or payment.

Free and Immediate Access

All articles published in JCSI are made freely available online immediately upon publication. No embargo periods, subscription fees, or logins are required for readers to access the full text of any article. The journal does not charge for downloading or sharing content, ensuring that researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the wider public can engage with the journal’s content without restriction.

Licensing and Copyright

JCSI publishes all articles under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license allows users to copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the material for any lawful purpose, including commercial use, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the source. Authors retain copyright of their work and grant JCSI the right to publish the article under this license. This approach ensures transparency, openness, and broad reuse of published materials.

Author Rights and Reuse

Authors maintain the full rights to their manuscripts, including the right to archive, disseminate, and reuse their material in institutional repositories, personal websites, academic networks, or future publications. They may distribute preprints and postprints without seeking prior permission from the journal. The journal encourages authors to deposit their final papers in institutional or discipline-specific repositories to enhance visibility and citation potential.

No Article Processing Charges (APCs)

JCSI does not impose article processing charges, submission fees, or publication costs on authors. The journal is committed to promoting research accessibility and does not require authors to pay for publication at any stage of the editorial or review process. This ensures that authors from all regions, including under-resourced institutions, can publish high-quality research without financial barriers.

Archiving and Long-Term Preservation

To ensure permanent accessibility, JCSI archives all published content in trusted digital repositories and platforms that support long-term preservation. Articles remain accessible even if the journal undergoes platform changes or hosting transitions. Authors and readers can rely on the stability and longevity of the journal’s digital library.

Open Access Compliance for Funding Agencies

Many research funders require that published work remains openly accessible under recognized open-access licenses. JCSI fully complies with these mandates, including those from international and national funding bodies. Authors may submit grant-funded work without concern for compliance restrictions, as the journal’s CC BY 4.0 licensing and immediate open-access policy meet major funder requirements.

Ethical and Transparent Dissemination

The journal upholds ethical standards in open-access publishing by avoiding paywalls, hidden charges, or misleading practices. All policies related to access, reuse, and author rights are clearly communicated to ensure transparency. JCSI aligns itself with the principles of open science and supports initiatives that promote equitable, ethical, and sustainable knowledge sharing.