MSI Publishers is committed to an Open Access model that guarantees free, immediate, and unrestricted online access to all published content, while safeguarding authors’ rights and ensuring compliance with international best practices. Our Open Access Policy defines licensing terms, author and publisher responsibilities, fee structures, waiver mechanisms, repository archiving, funder mandates, and transparency requirements to foster maximum dissemination, reuse, and impact of scholarly work.
Definition of Open Access
All journals published by MSI Publishers operate under a fully Open Access model, in which final published articles are made freely available online immediately upon publication, without paywalls or subscription barriers . Readers worldwide may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, or use them for any lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical obstacles .
Licensing and Reuse
Every article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license by default, allowing others to share and adapt the work non-commercially, provided appropriate credit is given, a link to the license is provided, and any changes are indicated . Authors may opt for the CC BY license at no additional charge to maximize reuse and compliance with funder mandates such as Plan S .
Author Rights Retention
Authors retain copyright in their work and grant MSI Publishers a non-exclusive, worldwide license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher . This model empowers authors to disseminate their work via personal websites, institutional repositories, and other platforms immediately after publication .
Article Processing Charges (APCs) & Waivers
To cover editorial, peer review, and production costs, MSI Publishers charges an APC of USD 50 for standard processing and USD 80 for fast-track service . We offer full or partial waivers for authors from low-income countries (per World Bank classifications) and for financially disadvantaged researchers upon request, ensuring equitable participation in Open Access publishing .
Archiving and Repository Policy
MSI Publishers deposits all articles in long‐term digital archives (e.g., Portico, LOCKSS) to guarantee perpetual preservation . Authors are encouraged to self-archive both preprints and published versions in institutional or subject-specific repositories without embargo .
Compliance with Funder and Institutional Mandates
Our Open Access Policy aligns with major funders’ requirements (e.g., NIH, Wellcome Trust, European Commission Horizon Europe, cOAlition S) by providing immediate Open Access under CC BY, ensuring authors can easily comply with grant conditions .
Open Data and Transparency
Authors must include a Data Availability Statement detailing where supporting data can be accessed (e.g., public repositories, supplementary files) . We encourage depositing datasets in recognized archives (e.g., Dryad, Figshare) and assigning DOIs to both articles and datasets to facilitate reproducibility and citation .
Quality Control and Peer Review
Despite the Open Access model, all submissions undergo rigorous, double‐blind peer review by at least two independent experts, upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity and methodological rigor .
Indexing and Discoverability
MSI Publishers ensures articles are indexed in leading databases (e.g., DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed Central) and assigned a DOI via CrossRef upon publication, maximizing visibility and citation potential .
Monitoring and Metrics
We provide article-level metrics (downloads, citations, altmetrics badges) on each article page to track reach and impact . Authors receive automated alerts for citations and can download usage reports for funding or performance assessment.
Policy Updates and Contact
MSI Publishers reserves the right to amend this Open Access Policy in line with evolving best practices and funder requirements. For questions or waiver requests, please contact our Open Access team at contact@msipublishers.com
