NGMC PUB is dedicated to the principles of open access, ensuring that all research published under its imprint is readily and freely available to a global audience. This commitment signifies a fundamental shift in scholarly communication, prioritizing the unrestricted dissemination and utilization of knowledge.
At the core of NGMC PUB’s open access policy lies the fundamental principle of immediate and universal access. Every article published by NGMC PUB is instantly accessible worldwide, without any subscription fees or paywalls. This means that researchers, educators, students, and the general public alike have unrestricted access to the complete text of all published articles. Furthermore, NGMC PUB champions the responsible reuse of published material. Authors retain copyright, and anyone is permitted to reuse the content, including figures and tables, provided they give appropriate credit and citation to the original publication. This fosters collaboration, accelerates discovery, and amplifies the impact of published research.
To support this open access model, NGMC PUB operates through a system of Article Processing Charges (APCs). These charges, typically covered by the authors’ institutions or research funding agencies, represent a transparent and comparatively low fee for the professional editorial handling and publication of accepted articles.
This commitment to open access extends to permissions and reuse. For articles published under the standard Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, no specific permission is required to reuse any part of the publication, as long as proper attribution is given. It is important to note that reuse of an article does not imply endorsement by the authors or NGMC PUB. Moreover, authors are actively encouraged to share their work broadly and require no special permission to deposit their manuscripts in external repositories at any stage of the publication process – submitted, accepted, or published.
For individuals new to the concept of open access, several readily available resources offer valuable insights. The Wikipedia article on Open Access and the Open Access Network website provide comprehensive overviews and further information. Additionally, readily accessible videos like “Open Access Explained!” offer a concise introduction to the core principles.
NGMC PUB’s definition of open access aligns directly with the widely recognized Budapest, Berlin, and Bethesda declarations, emphasizing three key conditions: peer-reviewed literature must be freely and readily available without subscription barriers; publication occurs immediately in an open access format, with no embargo periods; and the published material can be reused without seeking specific permission, provided proper citation is given to the original source.
NGMC PUB’s journey towards full open access has been a progressive one. Prior to 2008, a standard copyright notice allowed for reproduction for noncommercial purposes. However, in 2008, the transition to publishing articles under the Creative Commons Attribution License began, culminating in the adoption of the latest version of the CC BY license. This license offers authors the most extensive rights over their work. Crucially, this policy is now applied retroactively, meaning all articles published by NGMC PUB before and during 2008 are now considered to be licensed under the post-2008 Creative Commons Attribution License.
This comprehensive open access policy ensures that all content published in NGMC PUB journals, including data, graphics, and supplementary materials, can be easily discovered and utilized. External sources can freely link to articles, search engines can index them, and text mining applications and websites can incorporate the information – all under the simple condition of proper attribution to the original source and publisher. NGMC PUB firmly believes that open access publishing is a powerful catalyst for the exchange of research findings across disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and democratizing access to knowledge for researchers worldwide, including those in developing countries, as well as the broader public. While championing open access, NGMC PUB recognizes its place within the broader ecosystem of scholarly communication, coexisting alongside traditional publishing models and conferencing activities.
Important Note: While NGMC PUB is committed to open access for its own content, some articles, particularly review articles, may incorporate figures, tables, or text from other publications where NGMC PUB does not hold the copyright or the right to re-license. In such instances, users are advised to directly contact the original copyright holder, typically the original publisher or authors, to inquire about the terms of reuse for that specific material.
Advantages of Open Access for Authors:
Publishing with NGMC PUB offers significant benefits for authors, primarily driven by the inherent advantages of open access:
- Enhanced Visibility and Availability: Open access articles enjoy unparalleled visibility due to their free and unrestricted accessibility online. Anyone with an internet connection can readily access and download the full text of articles published by NGMC PUB, eliminating subscription barriers for researchers and the public. This increased accessibility also leads to greater inclusion in search engines and indexing databases, further amplifying discoverability.
- Increased Citation Impact: The heightened visibility and accessibility of open access publications directly translate to a demonstrably higher citation impact. Studies have consistently shown that open access articles are cited more frequently than those behind paywalls [1, 2].
- Reduced Publishing Costs: The open access model shifts the cost of publication from readers to the funding sources of the research. NGMC PUB covers the expenses associated with editorial handling and production through a one-time Article Processing Charge (APC) for each accepted article. Importantly, these APCs are generally lower than the revenue generated per paper by traditional subscription-based publishers. NGMC PUB maintains a consistent APC, regardless of article length, to encourage the publication of comprehensive research, including detailed experimental and computational information [3].
- Accelerated Publication Timelines: NGMC PUB’s online-only publication model enables faster dissemination of research findings. Accepted articles are typically published online more rapidly compared to traditional print-based journals [4].
Links and Notes:
[1] Open access citation impact advantage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_access#Authors_and_researchers For example, a standard research paper “Shutalev, A.D.; Kishko, E.A.; Sivova, N.V.; Kuznetsov, A.Y. Molecules 1998, 3, 100-106” has been cited 51 times, the highest number among all the papers published so far by the same author.
[2] Lin, S.-K. Editorial: Non-Open Access and Its Adverse Impact.
