Clear copyright policies and flexible licensing options protecting author rights while maximizing research accessibility.
Creative Commons License Options
All articles published in IJSTD are licensed under Creative Commons licenses that define how others may use, share, and adapt published content. Authors may select from available license options at the time of manuscript acceptance, allowing customization based on preferences regarding commercial use, derivative works, and attribution requirements. Understanding license terms helps authors make informed decisions aligned with their goals and funder requirements.
CC BY 4.0 (Attribution)
The most permissive option allowing others to share, copy, adapt, and redistribute content in any medium or format including commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated. This license maximizes dissemination and impact while ensuring proper attribution.
Funder Compliance
Many research funders including NIH, Wellcome Trust, and European Commission require specific license types, typically CC BY. Authors should verify funder requirements before selecting a license. IJSTD supports compliance with major funder open access mandates through appropriate licensing options.
Author Rights and Retained Permissions
Authors publishing in IJSTD retain extensive rights to their published work beyond the selected Creative Commons license. These retained rights enable authors to use their research in teaching, presentations, grant applications, and future publications without seeking additional permission from the journal. Understanding retained rights helps authors maximize the value of their published STI research.
Specifically, authors may reproduce articles in print and electronic form for teaching purposes, include articles in dissertations and theses, share articles through personal websites, institutional repositories, and academic social networks, create derivative works for non-commercial purposes, and translate articles into other languages with appropriate attribution. Authors may also grant additional permissions beyond the selected license when contacted by parties seeking expanded use rights.
Third-Party Content Permissions
Authors are responsible for obtaining necessary permissions to include any third-party content such as figures, tables, or extended quotations from previously published sources. Permission documentation must be submitted with the manuscript and should explicitly authorize use under the open access license selected for the article. Content licensed under compatible Creative Commons terms may not require separate permission but should be properly attributed.
When adapting figures or tables from other sources, authors should clearly indicate the original source and nature of any modifications made. Previously published content incorporated into IJSTD articles must be compatible with open access distribution requirements. Authors uncertain about permission requirements should consult the editorial office before submission.
Copyright Transfer Not Required: Unlike many traditional journals, IJSTD does not require copyright transfer. Authors retain full copyright ownership while licensing their work for open access publication. This approach respects author intellectual property rights while ensuring broad accessibility.
Institutional Repository Deposit: Authors may immediately deposit published articles in institutional or subject repositories without embargo periods. The published version with IJSTD formatting may be used. Proper citation to the journal publication is required.
Reuse and Republication Policies
Articles published under Creative Commons licenses may be reused according to license terms without contacting the journal or authors for permission. Users must provide appropriate attribution including author names, article title, journal name, volume, pages, publication year, and DOI. Any adaptations or modifications must be clearly indicated. Commercial reuse requires CC BY licensing or separate permission for more restrictive licenses.
IJSTD encourages legitimate reuse of published research to maximize scientific impact. Translations into other languages, inclusion in educational materials, adaptation for policy briefs, and incorporation into systematic reviews and meta-analyses represent valuable forms of reuse that advance public health goals. Users should ensure compliance with applicable license terms for their intended use.
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Public Access and Funder Compliance
Some authors are required by their funders to make their research publicly available. Under the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy, Author Accepted Manuscripts accepted for publication on or after July 1, 2025, must be submitted to PubMed Central upon acceptance and made publicly available without embargo on the official date of publication.
What IJSTD provides: IJSTD publishes the Version of Record under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. The journal also permits authors to deposit their Author Accepted Manuscript in funder-designated repositories. Upon acceptance, we confirm the accepted manuscript version and record the funder and grant information supplied by the authors.
Author responsibility: IJSTD does not currently deposit manuscripts in PubMed Central on behalf of authors. Authors are responsible for determining which funder requirements apply, initiating the appropriate repository submission and completing any required NIHMS approval steps.
Eligibility and successful processing through PubMed Central or NIHMS are determined according to the relevant funder and NIH/NLM requirements.
Important: The deposit of an individual article in PubMed Central may result in that article appearing in PubMed. It does not mean that IJSTD is indexed in MEDLINE, included in the PMC Journal List or that all IJSTD articles are available through PubMed. The journal's current coverage is listed on the Indexing page.