Open Access Policy

1. Introduction

The Studies of Social Sciences (TSSS) is committed to the principles of Open Access and the broad dissemination of scholarly knowledge in the social sciences, education, community development, and related interdisciplinary fields.

The journal believes that immediate and unrestricted access to scholarly publications promotes the advancement of knowledge, facilitates academic collaboration, supports education, encourages interdisciplinary research, strengthens evidence-based policymaking, and increases the societal impact of research findings.

TSSS recognizes that scholarly knowledge should be accessible to researchers, educators, students, policymakers, practitioners, community organizations, and the general public without financial or subscription-based barriers.

The journal therefore provides immediate open access to its published content and seeks to make scholarly articles available to the widest possible audience.

The Studies of Social Sciences (TSSS) is published by Universitas Sam Ratulangi, through the Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LPPM), Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Official Journal Website:

https://ejournal.unsrat.ac.id/v3/index.php/ssj/index

2. Definition of Open Access

TSSS follows the principle that scholarly research should be freely accessible to readers immediately upon publication.

All published articles are made available online without subscription charges or mandatory registration for readers.

There is no embargo period for accessing published articles.

Subject to the applicable Creative Commons license and relevant copyright laws, readers may:

• Read published articles.
• Download full-text articles.
• Copy and reproduce licensed content.
• Share and distribute published materials.
• Print articles for academic or other lawful purposes.
• Search and link to published content.
• Use article metadata for scholarly discovery and indexing.
• Adapt and reuse licensed material in accordance with applicable licensing conditions.

The conditions governing reuse are determined by the Creative Commons license applied to the relevant article.

Open Access does not remove the obligation to respect copyright ownership, intellectual property rights, publication ethics, or applicable licensing requirements.

3. Free and Immediate Access

All articles published in The Studies of Social Sciences (TSSS) are freely available online immediately upon publication.

Readers are not required to:

1. Pay subscription fees.
2. Purchase individual articles.
3. Register an account solely to access published content.
4. Obtain institutional membership to read published articles.
5. Wait for an embargo period before accessing full-text publications.

The journal supports equitable access to scholarly information regardless of geographic location, institutional affiliation, nationality, or financial resources.

This policy aims to ensure that research findings can be accessed and used by the academic community and wider society.

Published articles are accessible through the journal's official website and relevant article landing pages.

4. Copyright and Licensing

Authors who publish in The Studies of Social Sciences (TSSS) retain copyright ownership of their original scholarly work.

Authors grant the journal a non-exclusive right of first publication and authorize TSSS to publish, distribute, preserve, and make their articles publicly accessible under the applicable publishing agreement.

The journal's published copyright notice identifies the applicable license as the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Under CC BY-SA 4.0, users may:

1. Share: Copy and redistribute licensed material in any medium or format.
2. Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon licensed material for any purpose, including commercial purposes.

These permissions are subject to the following conditions.

4.1. Attribution (BY)

Users must provide appropriate credit to the original authors and acknowledge TSSS as the original source of publication.

Where available, citations should include the article title, author names, journal title, publication year, volume, issue, page numbers or article identifier, and Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

Users must provide a link to the applicable Creative Commons license and indicate whether changes have been made.

Attribution must not imply endorsement by the original authors or the journal.

4.2. ShareAlike (SA)

If users remix, transform, or build upon licensed material and distribute the resulting adaptation, they must apply the same or a compatible license as permitted under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The ShareAlike requirement supports the continued availability of adapted scholarly content under compatible open licensing conditions.

4.3. Commercial and Non-Commercial Reuse

The CC BY-SA 4.0 license permits both commercial and non-commercial reuse, provided that the license conditions are satisfied.

Commercial reuse is not automatically prohibited under this license.

4.4. No Additional Restrictions

Users may not impose legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from exercising the rights granted by the license.

4.5. License Information

The full license terms are available at:

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

The applicable license should be clearly displayed on the journal website, article landing pages, and published articles where technically feasible.

Third-party material identified as subject to separate copyright or licensing conditions is not automatically covered by the article's Creative Commons license.

5. Author Rights

Because authors retain copyright ownership, they may reuse and disseminate their published scholarly work in accordance with the applicable license, publishing agreement, and relevant third-party rights.

Authors may:

1. Deposit published articles in institutional or disciplinary repositories.
2. Post articles on personal, academic, or institutional websites.
3. Share articles with students, colleagues, researchers, and community partners.
4. Use published materials for teaching, academic presentations, training, and educational activities.
5. Reuse portions of their work in subsequent scholarly publications, subject to appropriate acknowledgment and relevant publication requirements.
6. Present findings at conferences, seminars, workshops, and academic meetings.
7. Distribute copies of their work for scholarly, educational, professional, and community-development purposes.
8. Incorporate original research findings into educational resources, community engagement materials, or policy recommendations.

Authors should acknowledge TSSS as the original place of publication and provide the DOI or official article link whenever available.

Authors must also respect intellectual property rights associated with third-party materials included in their publications.

6. User Rights and Permitted Reuse

The Open Access model adopted by TSSS enables readers to access and reuse scholarly content while respecting the rights of authors and other copyright holders.

Under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, users may reproduce, share, redistribute, and adapt licensed materials, including for commercial purposes, provided that the relevant attribution and ShareAlike requirements are fulfilled.

Permitted activities may include:

• Sharing articles for teaching and research.
• Incorporating findings into literature reviews and academic publications.
• Using licensed content in educational materials.
• Adapting scholarly content for training and community development.
• Translating licensed articles or selected content, subject to license requirements.
• Using research findings to support evidence-based policies and professional practices.
• Redistributing licensed materials through academic and institutional platforms.

Users must ensure that adaptations are appropriately identified and that the original authors and publication source receive proper acknowledgment.

Third-party materials included in an article may be subject to separate copyright or licensing conditions.

The journal encourages responsible scholarly use that maintains the accuracy, integrity, and contextual meaning of published research.

7. Article Processing Charges and Publication Fees

The Studies of Social Sciences (TSSS) provides immediate and free access to all published articles without subscription or reader access fees.

To support its editorial administration, manuscript processing, digital publication, website maintenance, and long-term sustainability, the journal applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) in accordance with its officially established fee policy.

The APC rate identified in the journal information previously reviewed is IDR 400,000 per accepted manuscript, subject to confirmation against the currently approved fee schedule.

No manuscript submission fee is charged under the fee arrangement previously identified.

The publication charge is payable only after the manuscript has completed the required editorial and peer-review procedures and has been formally accepted for publication.

Publication charges may support:

1. Editorial administration.
2. Peer-review coordination.
3. Manuscript preparation and production.
4. DOI registration and metadata management.
5. Website operation and maintenance.
6. Digital archiving and preservation.
7. Other legitimate publication-related activities.

Editorial decisions must be based exclusively on scholarly quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope.

An author's ability or willingness to pay publication fees must not influence manuscript evaluation, reviewer recommendations, or editorial decisions.

Information regarding APC rates, payment procedures, effective dates, and any applicable waivers or exemptions must be communicated transparently through the journal's official website.

Author Fees:

https://ejournal.unsrat.ac.id/v3/index.php/ssj/authorfees

The journal's editorial office should confirm the applicable fee and effective date before this policy is formally published.

8. Benefits of Open Access

Open Access provides significant benefits to authors, researchers, institutions, communities, and society.

8.1. Benefits for Authors

Open Access can:

1. Increase the visibility and accessibility of published research.
2. Broaden readership beyond institutions with subscription access.
3. Facilitate academic collaboration and interdisciplinary research.
4. Increase opportunities for research findings to inform educational practices and public policies.
5. Support compliance with applicable Open Access requirements of funding organizations and academic institutions.
6. Improve opportunities for research findings to be disseminated among professional and community stakeholders.

8.2. Benefits for the Scholarly Community

Open Access can:

1. Facilitate the exchange of research findings.
2. Promote collaboration among academic institutions.
3. Support research synthesis and knowledge development.
4. Increase access to scholarly resources for students and researchers.
5. Encourage interdisciplinary approaches to addressing social challenges.

8.3. Benefits for Society

Open Access can:

1. Support evidence-based public policymaking.
2. Increase the availability of educational resources.
3. Facilitate the dissemination of community development practices.
4. Improve the accessibility of research findings for public institutions and non-governmental organizations.
5. Strengthen the societal relevance and public value of academic research.

TSSS recognizes Open Access as an important mechanism for connecting scholarly research with practical applications and community needs.

9. Compliance with Funder and Institutional Policies

Authors are responsible for ensuring that publication in TSSS complies with the Open Access, copyright, repository, licensing, and research dissemination requirements established by their funding organizations or affiliated institutions.

Research funding agreements may establish specific requirements concerning:

• Copyright retention.
• Open Access licensing.
• Research data availability.
• Repository deposition.
• Research output dissemination.
• Publication acknowledgment.
• Intellectual property management.

Authors are encouraged to review applicable funding agreements and institutional policies before submitting manuscripts.

Where necessary, authors should contact the journal's editorial office for clarification regarding publication rights, licensing conditions, or repository deposition.

The journal supports responsible compliance with legitimate funding and institutional requirements while maintaining its established publication ethics and licensing standards.

10. Repository and Self-Archiving

TSSS supports responsible self-archiving and the wider dissemination of published scholarly research.

Authors may deposit their work in:

• Institutional repositories.
• Disciplinary or subject repositories.
• University digital libraries.
• Personal academic websites.
• Recognized scholarly communication platforms.
• Other appropriate repositories.

Subject to applicable publishing agreements and third-party rights, authors may share:

1. Submitted Manuscript (Preprint): The version prepared before formal peer review.
2. Accepted Manuscript: The version accepted following peer review but before final journal production.
3. Published Version of Record: The final article formally published by TSSS.

Authors depositing published articles should:

1. Acknowledge TSSS as the original place of publication.
2. Provide a complete bibliographic citation.
3. Include the DOI or official article URL where available.
4. Identify the applicable Creative Commons license.
5. Clearly indicate the version deposited.
6. Respect any separate restrictions associated with third-party materials.

The journal encourages the use of repositories that support long-term preservation, persistent identification, and reliable access.

11. Digital Preservation and Long-Term Access

TSSS is committed to supporting the long-term accessibility, preservation, and integrity of its published scholarly content.

The journal recognizes that digital preservation is essential for maintaining a reliable scholarly record and preventing the permanent loss of published research.

TSSS uses the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform to publish and provide access to its scholarly articles.

Digital preservation arrangements should support the retention and accessibility of:

• Published full-text articles.
• Bibliographic metadata.
• Article identifiers and DOI information.
• Journal volumes and issues.
• Essential publication records.
• Relevant supplementary materials.

Potential preservation mechanisms may include:

1. Periodic backups of the journal's website and publication records.
2. Institutional repositories maintained by Universitas Sam Ratulangi or other authorized institutions.
3. Compatible digital preservation services.
4. Appropriate scholarly archiving and repository networks.
5. Other recognized preservation arrangements formally adopted by the publisher.

The journal may consider recognized preservation services such as the PKP Preservation Network, LOCKSS, or CLOCKSS where appropriate.

However, reference to such services does not constitute a claim that TSSS is currently enrolled in or actively using them.

Only preservation mechanisms that have been verified and operationally implemented should be identified as active services.

The journal should periodically review its preservation procedures to support continued accessibility and protection of published scholarly content.

For further information, readers may refer to the journal's Archiving Policy.

12. Transparency

TSSS is committed to maintaining transparency regarding its Open Access publishing practices.

The journal seeks to provide clear and publicly accessible information concerning:

1. Open Access status.
2. Copyright ownership.
3. Creative Commons licensing.
4. Article Processing Charges and publication fees.
5. Author rights and responsibilities.
6. Repository and self-archiving rights.
7. Digital preservation arrangements.
8. Editorial and peer-review policies.
9. Publication ethics and research integrity.
10. Conditions governing the reuse of published material.
11. Journal ownership and management.
12. Official contact information.

These policies should be made available through the journal's official website.

Information must be consistent with the journal's actual operational practices and should be reviewed periodically to ensure accuracy and relevance.

Any substantive changes to publication fees, copyright arrangements, or licensing conditions should be communicated transparently.

13. Statement of Principle

The Studies of Social Sciences (TSSS) believes that immediate, equitable, and responsible access to scholarly research is essential for advancing scientific knowledge, promoting education, strengthening community development, and supporting informed decision-making.

The journal's Open Access model reflects its commitment to ensuring that published research can be accessed by researchers, educators, students, policymakers, practitioners, community organizations, and the wider public without subscription barriers.

Through Open Access publishing, author copyright retention, responsible Creative Commons licensing, and appropriate digital preservation, TSSS seeks to contribute to a more accessible, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable scholarly communication system.

The journal remains committed to promoting the responsible dissemination and utilization of scholarly knowledge for academic advancement and societal benefit.

References and International Guidance

The Open Access Policy of TSSS is informed by internationally recognized principles and resources, including:

1. Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) — Principles and definitions of Open Access.
2. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) — Open Access journal standards and transparency practices.
3. Creative Commons — Copyright licensing framework.
4. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International — Applicable licensing terms.
5. Sherpa Romeo — Repository and self-archiving policies.
6. SPARC — Open Access and author rights resources.
7. cOAlition S — Open Access and rights-retention principles.
8. UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science — International principles of open science.
9. COPE — Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.