Open Access Policy

Reader Access and Reuse

Readers may freely access, read, download, print, search, and link to IJFPS articles. Published material may also be copied, shared, and adapted for noncommercial purposes, subject to proper attribution and the applicable licence terms.

No permission from the journal is required for uses already authorized by the article’s Creative Commons licence. Users remain responsible for respecting attribution requirements, third-party rights, privacy rights, and any separately identified material that is not covered by the article licence.

---

Copyright and Licence

Authors retain copyright in their published work.

IJFPS articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Under this licence, readers may share and adapt the published material for noncommercial purposes, provided that:

• appropriate credit is given to the author or authors;
• the original publication in IJFPS is acknowledged;
• a link to the CC BY-NC 4.0 licence is provided;
• any changes to the original material are clearly indicated; and
• the reuse is not primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary compensation.

Permission may be required for commercial reuse or for material excluded from the Creative Commons licence.

---

Author Rights

Authors retain copyright and grant IJFPS the right to publish, identify, distribute, preserve, and make the article available as the official version of record under the stated licence. Authors remain responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted third-party material included in their articles.

---

Self-Archiving and Repository Deposit

IJFPS supports responsible self-archiving and scholarly sharing.

• Preprints: Authors may post a pre-peer-review version on a personal website, institutional repository, subject repository, or recognized preprint platform. The existence and location of a related preprint should be disclosed when the manuscript is submitted.
• Accepted Author Manuscripts: Authors may deposit the accepted manuscript in an institutional or subject repository after acceptance, provided that its status is identified accurately and it links to the published version when available.
• Version of Record: After publication, authors may share or deposit the final published version in accordance with the CC BY-NC 4.0 licence. The journal citation and DOI link should accompany the shared copy.

When a preprint or accepted manuscript is subsequently published by IJFPS, authors are encouraged to update the earlier record with the full citation and persistent DOI link to the version of record.

---

NikoUArxive and Preprint Sharing

Authors may use the NikoUArxive Research-Development Platform for manuscript submission, preprint presentation, version development, and linking to a subsequently accepted or published article.

Submission for private evaluation does not automatically authorize public preprint posting. Public availability on NikoUArxive requires the author’s explicit consent.

---

DOI Registration and Discoverability

Every article published by IJFPS is assigned a persistent Digital Object Identifier registered through Crossref under the journal DOI prefix 10.14331/ijfps.

Article metadata are deposited with Crossref following publication. The journal also provides structured article pages, metadata, references, and sitemaps to support discovery by scholarly search engines, academic libraries, repositories, and research-discovery services.

The timing and final decision regarding inclusion in any external indexing or discovery service are controlled independently by that service and cannot be guaranteed by IJFPS.

---

Article Processing Charge and Sustainability

To support editorial administration, peer-review management, technical production, online publication, DOI registration, website maintenance, and long-term journal operation, IJFPS applies an Article Processing Charge of EUR 320.

Any applicable bank, currency-conversion, or transfer charges are the responsibility of the author.

---

APC Waivers and Discounts

IJFPS may offer full or partial APC waivers in exceptional circumstances, subject to available journal resources. Consideration may be given to documented financial hardship and to authors based in low-income or lower-middle-income economies according to recognized classifications such as the World Bank country and lending groups.

A waiver or discount is not automatic and must not be assumed until confirmed in writing by the journal.

Requests are handled confidentially and administratively, separately from scientific peer review. Reviewers are not informed of an author’s waiver request or ability to pay.

The final waiver or discount decision is normally communicated after the editorial decision and before invoicing. A request for financial assistance does not affect whether a manuscript is accepted or rejected.

---

Funder and Institutional Requirements

Authors are responsible for confirming whether the IJFPS open-access licence and self-archiving policy comply with the requirements of their funder, institution, employer, or research programme.

Some funders require publication under CC BY 4.0 or another specified licence. Because IJFPS currently uses CC BY-NC 4.0, authors subject to a particular mandate should verify compatibility before submission and contact the editorial office when clarification is required.

---

Version of Record, Corrections, and Retractions

The published version of record remains openly accessible on the journal website. When significant errors or confirmed ethical concerns arise, IJFPS may publish corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or other appropriate notices.

Updated notices are linked to the affected article, and relevant Crossref metadata are updated where applicable to preserve the transparency and continuity of the scholarly record.

---

Digital Availability and Preservation

IJFPS maintains digital copies and regular backups of published content to support continued availability. Crossref DOI registration provides persistent identification and reliable linking to official article records.

DOI registration and local backups support access and citation continuity but do not, by themselves, constitute participation in an independent long-term preservation service. IJFPS remains committed to strengthening its digital-preservation arrangements as resources and technical infrastructure develop.

---