Open Access Policy

Open Access Policy

Kotaragama Comparativa is committed to the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. This journal provides immediate open access to its content, ensuring that all published articles are freely accessible to readers worldwide without any subscription or payment barriers.

1. Open Access Statement
Kotaragama Comparativa is an open access journal, which means that all content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to:
  • Read the full text of all published articles.
  • Download articles in PDF format.
  • Copy and distribute the content.
  • Print articles for personal or academic use.
  • Search and link to the full text articles.

All of these activities can be done without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author, provided that proper attribution is given to the original work.
2. License and Copyright

All articles published in Kotaragama Comparativa are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Under this license:

  • Authors retain the copyright of their work.
  • Authors grant the journal the right of first publication.
  • Users are free to share (copy and redistribute) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon) the material for any purpose, even commercially.
  • Users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.

CC BY 4.0 Read the full license text →

3. User Rights
Under the open access policy, users have the right to:
  • Access: Read and download all published articles without any subscription or payment.
  • Reuse: Use the content for research, teaching, or personal learning purposes.
  • Distribution: Share the articles with colleagues, students, or the general public.
  • Text and Data Mining: Perform automated analysis of the content for research purposes.
  • Translation: Translate the articles into other languages, provided proper attribution is given.
4. User Responsibilities
While users enjoy broad rights under the open access policy, they are also expected to:
  • Provide Proper Attribution: Always cite the original authors and the journal when using the content.
  • Link to the Original: Include a direct link to the article's DOI or URL on the journal's website.
  • Indicate Changes: If the content is modified or adapted, clearly indicate that changes were made.
  • Respect Moral Rights: Do not distort, mutilate, or modify the work in a way that prejudices the author's honor or reputation.
  • No Implied Endorsement: Do not suggest that the author or the journal endorses the user's use of the material.
5. Self-Archiving Policy (Green Open Access)
Authors are encouraged to self-archive their work to maximize its visibility and impact:
  • Pre-print: Authors may deposit the pre-print version (before peer review) in any institutional or subject repository at any time.
  • Post-print (Accepted Manuscript): Authors may deposit the accepted manuscript (after peer review but before typesetting) in an institutional or subject repository immediately upon publication.
  • Published Version (PDF): The final published version (typeset PDF) is freely available on the journal's website and can be shared by anyone.
  • Required Information: When self-archiving, authors must include a link to the article's DOI and a statement indicating that the article was published in Kotaragama Comparativa.
6. Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI)

This open access policy is in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), which defines open access as:

"By 'open access' to [literature], we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself."

Learn more about the Budapest Open Access Initiative →

7. Article Processing Charges (APC)

Although Kotaragama Comparativa is an open access journal, it does not charge readers for accessing the content. Instead, the journal relies on a modest Article Processing Charge (APC) to cover the costs of publication, including:

  • Peer review management
  • Copyediting and proofreading
  • Typesetting and layout
  • DOI registration
  • Online hosting and archiving

The APC is only charged after a manuscript has been accepted for publication. For detailed information about the APC, please refer to the Author Fee page.
8. Archiving and Preservation

To ensure the long-term availability of all published content, Kotaragama Comparativa employs the following preservation strategies:

  • LOCKSS and CLOCKSS: The journal participates in distributed archiving systems to ensure content remains accessible even if the journal ceases publication.
  • PORTICO: Digital preservation service for long-term access to electronic journals.
  • DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals): The journal is registered with DOAJ to increase visibility and ensure compliance with open access standards.
  • Institutional Repositories: All articles are deposited in institutional repositories for backup and long-term preservation.
Summary: Kotaragama Comparativa is fully committed to open access publishing. All articles are freely available to read, download, and share under the CC BY 4.0 license. Authors retain copyright, and users are encouraged to reuse the content responsibly with proper attribution. This policy aligns with international open access standards, including the Budapest Open Access Initiative.
Questions? If you have any questions about our open access policy, licensing, or self-archiving, please contact the editorial team at journal.kotaragama@gmail.com.