Open Access Policy
The Archives of Surgery and Clinical Research (ASCR; ISSN: 2576-9537) publishes all articles as open access. Our default license is Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright, and the version of record is free for anyone to read, share, adapt, and text-mine—without paywalls—provided appropriate attribution is given.
Overview & Rationale
ASCR’s open access model advances surgical knowledge by removing price and permission barriers. Readers anywhere—clinicians, trainees, researchers, and the public—can read and reuse articles immediately. Authors keep their copyright and benefit from wider visibility, citations, and translation into practice. This policy consolidates how open access works at ASCR and clarifies rights for readers and authors, with clear links to licensing, copyright, and processing-charge pages on the legacy site.
What readers can do
- Read, download, print, and share articles without restriction.
- Reuse figures, tables, and text excerpts with attribution and license retention.
- Perform text-and-data mining (TDM) for lawful research and education.
What authors keep
- Copyright over their work.
- The right to post preprints, accepted manuscripts, and the version of record in repositories with a link to the DOI.
- The right to reuse their content in theses, books, and derivative works with proper citation to the version of record.
License & Attribution
Unless stated otherwise on a specific article, ASCR publishes under CC BY 4.0. This license authorizes sharing and adaptation—even for commercial uses—provided attribution is given, a link to the license is included, and changes are indicated. The license is displayed on article landing pages and PDFs, and we register the license URL in article metadata so that indexers and repositories can detect reuse permissions automatically.
How to attribute
Example: “Doe J, Smith R (2025). Laparoscopic approach to X. Archives of Surgery and Clinical Research. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.”
| Activity | Allowed? | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Share (download, print, distribute) | Yes | Credit authors & journal; link license; note changes. |
| Adapt/translate | Yes | Credit; link license; note translation/changes. |
| Commercial reuse | Yes | Credit; link license; avoid implying endorsement. |
| Text-and-data mining | Yes | Respect privacy/ethics; retain DOIs and license notices. |
Exceptions: Credit lines may specify alternative terms for third-party materials (e.g., images, scales, maps). In those cases, the credit line governs that element; the rest of the article remains under CC BY.
Copyright Ownership & Publishing Rights
Authors retain copyright. Upon acceptance, authors grant ASCR a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, and archive the version of record in all media and identify itself as the original publisher. This enables indexing, preservation, and lawful reuse while allowing authors to reuse their work with a citation to the version of record. Author rights and reuse permissions are reflected on the journal’s copyright and licensing pages.
Self-Archiving & Repository Use
ASCR supports sharing of all common versions to maximize access and compliance:
- Preprint (submitted manuscript): May be posted anywhere, any time. Include a citation to the version of record when available.
- Accepted manuscript (AAM): May be deposited in institutional/subject repositories upon acceptance. Label clearly as “Author Accepted Manuscript”.
- Version of record (VoR): May be deposited in repositories and personal/departmental websites immediately upon publication. Always include the DOI, license link, and full citation.
Third-Party Material & Credit Lines
Authors must secure permissions for materials not owned by them or confirm that those materials are available under compatible licenses. Each such item must include a clear credit line indicating the rights holder, license, and any reuse restrictions. Ethical considerations apply to clinical images: obtain documented consent and de-identify images to prevent re-identification.
| Item | Credit line format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Repository image under CC BY | “© Contributor, CC BY 4.0 (link).” | Retain original attribution text and license link. |
| Reused figure (publisher permission) | “Reproduced from [citation] with permission; © Publisher; not covered by CC BY.” | Attach permission letter and original DOI/citation. |
| Clinical photo | “Used with written informed consent; identifying features removed.” | Consent and de-identification required. |
Preprints & Prior Dissemination
ASCR accepts submissions previously posted as preprints. Authors should disclose the server, link the preprint DOI, and summarize substantive changes made during peer review. Conference abstracts, theses, and media coverage do not preclude submission; disclose prior dissemination in the cover letter and manuscript.
Article Processing Charges (APCs) & Waivers
ASCR does not charge submission fees. If a manuscript is accepted, an Article Processing Charge (APC) covers editorial management, production, hosting, indexing, and preservation. There are no hidden charges; invoices are issued only after acceptance. Waivers or discounts are available for authors with demonstrated need and are considered independently of editorial decisions.
Waiver & discount pathways
- Need-based waivers for authors from under-resourced settings or with financial constraints.
- Special-issue discounts per posted guidelines for lead guest editors and contributors where applicable.
- Requests should be made at submission or at acceptance when payment is requested. Ability to pay never influences editorial outcomes.
Text-and-Data Mining (TDM)
ASCR content under CC BY may be mined by researchers and automated agents for lawful purposes. Maintain attribution, do not strip embedded identifiers (e.g., DOIs), and respect privacy/ethics for any personal data contained in case reports or images. For bulk access, contact the editorial office to coordinate responsible crawling consistent with platform performance.
How We Display Licenses, DOIs & Metadata
Each article page and PDF displays: the DOI in canonical form (https://doi.org/…), the CC BY 4.0 license name and link, the journal title and ISSN, and a copyright line naming the authors. We embed machine-readable metadata (e.g., schema.org/ScholarlyArticle in JSON-LD) and deposit license URLs, funding data, and relation links (corrections/retractions) with DOI registration services. These practices improve discoverability and ensure legal clarity for reuse.
Compliance with Funder & Institutional Policies
Publishing under CC BY typically satisfies immediate-OA mandates. If specific deposit targets apply (e.g., PubMed Central for eligible work), our production workflow captures funder names, grant numbers, and license information to support compliance. Authors should provide accurate funder details and any required data availability statements in their submission.
Data, Code & Supplementary Materials
We encourage authors to deposit de-identified datasets and analysis code in trusted repositories with persistent identifiers. Choose licenses appropriate to reuse goals: CC0 or CC BY for data; MIT/Apache-2.0/GPL-3.0 for code. Cite repositories in the reference list where possible, include accession numbers, and ensure that clinical and personal data are shared only in line with consent and law.
Responsibilities
Authors
- Confirm that CC BY meets your reuse needs and funder mandates.
- Secure permissions and provide precise credit lines for third-party items.
- Include data/code availability statements and deposit materials in trusted repositories.
- Keep preprints and repository records updated with DOI and license information.
Readers & Reusers
- Retain attribution and license notices.
- Indicate changes or translations.
- Respect any credit-line restrictions on third-party materials.
- Avoid implying endorsement by authors or the journal.
Scenarios & How We Handle Them
Scenario: Using a figure in a commercial handbook
Permitted under CC BY with attribution and license link, unless the figure’s credit line indicates different terms. If a restrictive credit line exists, contact the rights holder for permission.
Scenario: Posting the publisher PDF on an institutional repository
Allowed immediately upon publication. Include the DOI and CC BY link; retain identifiers, watermarks, and credit lines in the file.
Scenario: Translating an article into another language
Permitted under CC BY with attribution and a notice that the text is a translation; link to the version of record.
Scenario: Mining all case reports for a meta-analysis
Permitted under CC BY. Respect privacy and ethical norms; do not attempt to re-identify patients. Cite the mined articles and preserve DOIs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you allow commercial reuse?
Yes, CC BY permits commercial reuse with attribution and license retention. Do not imply endorsement by the authors or ASCR.
Can I post the accepted manuscript before publication?
Yes. You may deposit the AAM upon acceptance. Label the file clearly and add the DOI link once the version of record is available.
Are supplementary files also open access?
Yes, unless a file explicitly states a different license in its caption or credit line. For datasets and code, choose repository-appropriate open licenses while honoring privacy and consent.
How do waivers work?
Submit a request with your manuscript ID and justification at submission or upon acceptance when payment is requested. Waivers/discounts are considered independently of editorial decisions.
What if my funder requires a different license?
Contact the editorial office before acceptance. Alternative CC licenses may be considered when required; any exception will be stated on the article page and PDF.
Contact
Licensing and reuse: [email protected] · Production and metadata: [email protected]