Copyright and License Statement
The statement encompasses the following critical sections:
Copyright Notice and Author Rights — Clearly establishes that authors retain copyright while granting the journal right of first publication, with simultaneous licensing under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. This reflects the collaborative model used by many open-access academic journals.
License Terms and Conditions — Provides explicit delineation of what users may do (share and adapt content) and under what constraints (attribution required, non-commercial use only, share-alike requirement for adaptations).
Author Responsibilities and Permissions — Outlines author warranties regarding originality, permits authors to reuse their work in future publications and institutional repositories, and specifies that third-party republication requires explicit permission.
Attribution Framework — Incorporates the TASL (Title, Author, Source, License) standard for proper attribution, a best practice recommended by Creative Commons.
Use Restrictions — Explicitly prohibits commercial use, sublicensing under more restrictive terms, and removal of copyright notices, ensuring compliance with CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 requirements.
Warranties and Disclaimers — Includes legally appropriate language stating that published material is provided "as-is," protecting the journal from liability while clarifying license limitations.
Third-Party Content Management — Requires authors to disclose and secure permissions for all external materials, a critical compliance requirement.
Perpetual Access Commitment — Affirms the journal's commitment to long-term digital preservation and free scholarly access, consistent with open-access principles.