COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING Policy of MAJ

Open Access

The Madras Agricultural Journal (MAJ) is dedicated to advancing open access in scholarly research. All articles published in MAJ are freely available to the public online without any charges to the user or their institution. MAJ operates under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, allowing users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, and to use them for any lawful purpose even commercially, provided the original authors and source are properly cited. This open access policy reflects best practices from leading publishers and complies with the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and DOAJ.

1. Copyright policy

• Copyright Ownership: Authors retain full copyright of their work upon publication
• By submitting their manuscript to MAJ, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, and archive the article. This means authors can share, reuse, and distribute their work freely without seeking further permission from the journal

No Copyright Transfer:

• MAJ does not require a copyright transfer.
• This policy ensures that authors maintain control over their intellectual property while allowing broad dissemination of their work in line with open access best practices.

Our open access and copyright policies comply with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) standards and the DOAJ guidelines for transparency and best publishing practices.

For more details, visit Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

2. Licensing Policy

All articles published in The Madras Agricultural Journal (MAJ) are made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Under this license, users are free to:

Share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format

Adapt: remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially

Terms of Use:

Attribution: Users must give appropriate credit to the original author(s), provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.

No additional restrictions:Users may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

The CC BY 4.0 license is the most accommodating of the Creative Commons licenses offered. It allows for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.

Why CC BY 4.0?

Promotes global access and reuse of research.

Complies with the DOAJ's open access best practices.

Aligns with COPE’s ethical publishing standards.

For the full legal code of the license, visit: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

3. Author Responsibilities

Third-Party Content: Authors must ensure that any third-party content (e.g., figures, tables) included in their manuscript has the necessary permissions for reuse under the chosen CC license. Proper attribution must be provided for all third-party materials.

Compliance with Ethical Standards:Authors are expected to adhere to ethical guidelines of the journal, ensuring integrity and transparency in their research and publications.

4. Self-Archiving Policy

Accepted Manuscripts: Authors may deposit the accepted version of their manuscript in institutional repositories or personal websites immediately upon publication, provided that the repository is non-commercial and that a link to the final published version on the MAJ website is included.

5. Compliance and Disputes

COPE Guidelines: MAJ follows COPE guidelines to handle any ethical issues or disputes related to publication, ensuring fairness and transparency in the resolution process.

By submitting to MAJ, authors acknowledge and adhere to the open-access policy, fostering the free exchange of knowledge and supporting the progress of agricultural research. Authors must sign the copyright form, granting the journal permission to publish their work. Please review the terms thoroughly before signing