Open Access

Open Access Policy of ERA

ERA is committed to advancing global scholarly communication by providing free, immediate, and unrestricted online access to research outputs. Through our Gold Open Access model, we ensure that anyone, anywhere in the world, can read, distribute, and reuse scholarly work without subscription barriers. This approach supports our mission to maximize the reach, visibility, and impact of the research we publish.

Our open access operations are sustained through Article Processing Charges (APCs), which cover the costs of editorial management, rigorous peer review, professional production, online hosting, indexing, and archiving. These charges are applicable only to manuscripts accepted for publication following our independent, external peer review process. APCs may be paid by authors, their institutions, or research funders.

Gold Open Access

Under the Gold Open Access model, the complete, final version of an article is made freely and permanently available online immediately upon publication on the ERA platform. This ensures that scholarly work is accessible worldwide without subscription barriers, maximizing visibility, readership, and research impact.

Providing Gold Open Access involves substantial investment in high-quality publishing services, including:

Expert editorial coordination and manuscript management
Organization of rigorous peer review by qualified reviewers
Plagiarism detection and compliance checks
Professional copyediting, layout, and design
DOI assignment and metadata registration with CrossRef
Submission to major abstracting and indexing databases
Long-term digital preservation and archiving

Because these costs cannot be offset through subscription revenue for openly accessible content, Article Processing Charges (APCs) are applied to cover the expenses associated with publication.

Pathways to Gold Open Access Publication

Author-Paid Gold Open Access
Authors may select Gold Open Access publication by paying the applicable APC.
- APC Rates: The APC for ERA Journal titles varies depending on the specific journal.
- Additional Costs: APCs are separate from any other optional production charges, such as colour printing or reprints.
- Waivers and Discounts: ERA offers a comprehensive waiver program. Authors from developing countries or those lacking institutional support may qualify for full or partial waivers; see our Waiver Policy for details.
Society-Sponsored Open Access
For certain partner journals, scholarly societies cover APCs for selected articles or journal sections, allowing authors to publish Open Access without personal cost. In these cases, subscription fees apply only to content not made freely available.
Sponsored Issues or Content
In some instances, institutions, research consortia, funding agencies, or industry partners may underwrite the APCs for all articles in a themed issue or special section, ensuring the entire set of publications is available under Gold Open Access.

By offering multiple funding pathways, ERA ensures that Open Access remains an attainable and sustainable option for authors, while maintaining the highest standards of academic quality and publishing integrity.

Licensing and Reuse Rights

Gold Open Access articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) unless otherwise specified.
License details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Under this license, users may:

View, read, and download the work.
Share the work by copying and redistributing in any medium or format.
Upload the work to personal, institutional, or public repositories.
Use the work for non-commercial purposes, with proper attribution.

They may not:

Create derivatives, adaptations, or translations for distribution.
Use the work for commercial purposes without permission.

If a different Creative Commons license (e.g., CC BY for funder compliance) is required, authors should inform the editorial office upon acceptance.

Choosing Open Access as an Author

Authors are offered the choice of Open Access after their manuscript has been accepted for publication. Regardless of the access model, all articles benefit from:

Rigorous double-blind peer review.
Expert editorial input to improve clarity, structure, and scientific impact.
Professional production services (copyediting, typesetting, layout design).
DOI registration and metadata submission to CrossRef.
Inclusion in relevant abstracting and indexing databases.

Authors will receive full guidance from their Production Editor upon acceptance.

Open Access License Options

Eman Research aims to provide authors with the most suitable license for their needs while complying with funder and institutional mandates.

License Type	Read/Download	Redistribute	Translate	Text/Data Mining	Reuse Extracts	Commercial Use
CC BY 4.0	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0	Yes	Yes	Yes (private use only)	Yes	Yes	No
ER User License	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No

CC BY 4.0 – Maximum openness, allowing reuse (including commercial) with attribution.
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 – Open for non-commercial reuse; no derivatives allowed.
ER User License – Specific to our open archive content; restricts redistribution and commercial use.

Once chosen, a Creative Commons license cannot be revoked. Authors should verify if their funding body requires a specific license before finalizing their choice.

Fee Waiver and Discount Policy

ERA is committed to ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent the publication of high-quality research.

Full Waivers – Available for authors from low-income countries, as classified by the World Bank.
Partial Waivers – Considered on a case-by-case basis for authors from middle-income countries or those without funding.
Application Process – Authors must submit a waiver application before or immediately after manuscript submission. Waiver requests are reviewed within two weeks. Editorial decisions are made independently of financial considerations.

Institutional Memberships

To further reduce APC burdens on authors, ERA partners with universities, research institutions, and consortia to establish Institutional Memberships.
These agreements may:

Cover APCs fully or partially for affiliated authors.
Provide discounted APC rates.
Simplify payment processing.

A list of participating institutions is available on our website.

Article Types and APC Applicability

ERA publishes a wide range of scholarly article types, grouped as follows:

A-Type Articles: Clinical Trials, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Original Research, Policy Reviews, Systematic Reviews, Technology Reports.
B-Type Articles: Brief Research Reports, Case Reports, Mini Reviews, Perspectives, Policy Briefs.
C-Type Articles: Data Reports, Commentaries, Opinions.
D-Type Articles: Book Reviews, Editorials, Corrections.

APCs apply to all Gold Open Access articles, regardless of type, unless otherwise sponsored.

APC Payment Process

Pro Forma Invoice – Issued at submission for transparency.
Final Invoice – Issued upon article acceptance.
Payment Terms – APCs must be paid within 30 days of final invoice.
Accepted Payment Methods – Bank transfer, credit card, and institutional purchase orders.

APC rates are reviewed periodically. The rate applicable is the one in effect at the time of manuscript submission.

Effective Date of Policy

This policy, including fee structures and waiver options, is effective for all manuscripts submitted on or after January 1, 2019, and remains in force until updated.

Summary of Key Benefits of Publishing Open Access with Eman Research

Global reach and immediate visibility.
Compliance with funder and institutional mandates.
Permanent DOI registration and indexing in major databases.
Flexible licensing to suit author and funder requirements.
Waiver and institutional membership programs to reduce financial barriers.