1. Aims and Objectives

The Asian Journal of Life and Social Sciences (AJLaSS) is committed to the principles of Open Access (OA), aiming to democratize access to scholarly knowledge across diverse fields of life and social sciences. The journal’s primary goal is to ensure that scientific research, ideas, and innovations are freely available to the global academic and professional communities, including students, researchers, educators, policymakers, and the public without financial or legal barriers. The Open Access policy of AJLaSS is designed in line with international standards and indexing requirements, supporting broader visibility, impact, and dissemination of research.

 

2. Open Access Policy

AJLaSS operates fully under the Open Access model as defined by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). All articles published in the journal are made freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication. Readers from around the world may read, download, share, copy, print, or distribute the content without subscription or paywall restrictions. This unrestricted access fosters inclusive knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary research, and faster innovation across academic and policy communities.

3. Copyright and Licensing

AJLaSS follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Under this license:

• Authors retain full copyright of their work.
• Authors grant AJLaSS the non-exclusive right to publish and disseminate the article as the original publisher.
• Others may reuse, distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even for commercial purposes, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors and source.

This approach protects the intellectual ownership of the authors while encouraging the widest possible use of scholarly content.

License details: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

4. Attribution and Citation

To ensure academic integrity and ethical reuse of published content, users must provide full and accurate citation of any article reused or repurposed. This includes authors’ names, article title, year of publication, journal name (Asian J. Life Soc. Sci.), volume, issue, and DOI (if available). Proper attribution safeguards scholarly credit and supports the traceability of research contributions.

 

5. Exceptions and Limitations

While AJLaSS is dedicated to open access dissemination, certain legal or ethical restrictions may apply in specific cases. These exceptions may involve:

• Third-party copyrighted material
• Confidential or sensitive data
• Institutional or governmental limitations

In such circumstances, AJLaSS evaluates concerns individually, striving to uphold the core values of open access while respecting all legal and ethical obligations.

 

6. Article Processing Charges (APC)

To maintain operational sustainability under the Open Access model, AJLaSS will begin charging Article Processing Charges (APC) from 1^st January 2026. Key details include:

• APCs will only apply after a manuscript is accepted following peer review.
• APC rates will be communicated transparently at the time of submission.
• Waivers or discounts may be offered to authors from low-income countries or those facing financial hardship.
• Waiver requests must be submitted at the time of manuscript submission. Requests made during or after the peer review process will not be entertained.

7. Archiving and Preservation

AJLaSS ensures the long-term accessibility and integrity of its scholarly content through:

• Archiving in trusted digital repositories.
• Encouraging authors to self-archive preprints or post-prints in institutional or subject-specific repositories.
• Participation in digital preservation initiatives, aligned with industry standards.

 

8. Policy Review and Updates

AJLaSS periodically reviews its Open Access, Licensing, and Distribution policy to align with evolving best practices, international guidelines (e.g., DOAJ, COPE), and the needs of the research community. Any significant updates to the policy will be clearly communicated to authors, reviewers, and readers via the journal’s website and official communication channels.