Open Access Policy

Open Access Policy – ESTEM Inc.

1. Open Access Commitment

ESTEM Inc. is committed to the unrestricted dissemination of scholarly research. All journals published by ESTEM Inc. follow a full open-access model, ensuring that peer-reviewed research articles are freely available online immediately upon publication.

We believe that open access accelerates scientific discovery, promotes transparency, and ensures that knowledge benefits researchers, institutions, policymakers, and society worldwide.

2. Free and Immediate Access

All articles published by ESTEM Inc.:

  • Are freely accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world

  • Do not require subscription or registration for access

  • Are available immediately upon publication, with no embargo period

3. Copyright and Licensing

Authors publishing with ESTEM Inc. retain the copyright to their work.
Articles are published under a Creative Commons license, allowing lawful reuse with appropriate attribution.

By default, ESTEM Inc. recommends the use of:

  • Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY)

This license permits others to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to full texts, and reuse the content for lawful purposes, provided proper credit is given to the original authors.

4. Author Rights

Authors retain the right to:

  • Share their published articles without restriction

  • Deposit articles in institutional, subject-based, or personal repositories

  • Use their work for teaching, academic presentations, and research dissemination

No embargo is placed on article sharing or repository deposition.

5. Reader Rights

Readers are permitted to:

  • Access, read, and download articles free of charge

  • Distribute and reuse content in accordance with the applied license

  • Cite and link to published work without permission barriers

6. Compliance with Open Access Standards

ESTEM Inc. journals comply with international open-access standards and principles, including those promoted by:

  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

  • Funding agency open-access mandates

  • Institutional and national research access policies

7. Article Processing Charges (APCs)

To support the costs of editorial management, peer review, production, and long-term preservation, ESTEM Inc. may charge Article Processing Charges (APCs).

  • APC details are transparently displayed on each journal’s website

  • Fees are independent of editorial decisions

  • No submission fees are charged unless explicitly stated

Waivers or discounts may be available in accordance with journal policy.

8. Ethical Publishing and Editorial Independence

Open access at ESTEM Inc. does not compromise editorial integrity.
All submitted manuscripts undergo rigorous peer review, and acceptance decisions are based solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance, irrespective of authors’ financial capacity.

9. Long-Term Availability

ESTEM Inc. ensures the permanent availability of published articles through:

  • Digital archiving and preservation systems

  • DOI-based permanent linking

  • Repository-friendly publishing policies

10. Contact Information

For questions regarding open access policies or licensing:

Open Access Support Team
ESTEM Inc.

📧 Email: openaccess@esteminc.com
🌐 Website: www.esteminc.com