Licensing Terms

In our dedication to fostering the free dissemination of knowledge and honouring the contributions of authors, the licensing terms for the use and re-use of content published on our website are founded on principles of clarity, fairness, and accessibility. We strongly advocate for the use of Creative Commons (CC) licenses, with a particular emphasis on the CC BY licence, due to its flexibility and encouragement of widespread accessibility.

Creative Commons (CC) BY Licence

The Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence serves as the primary framework for our published content. This choice is underpinned by our belief in providing free access to scholarly works while ensuring that creators are duly recognised for their efforts. Under the CC BY licence, users are granted the freedom to:

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and
  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, with the condition that appropriate credit is given to the author.

This licence epitomises our commitment to academic and creative liberty, ensuring that authors are credited for their work while allowing the content to be used in an unrestricted manner.

Attribution Requirement

The essence of the CC BY licence is its attribution requirement. Utilising content under this licence mandates that users must provide proper credit to the author, include a link to the licence, and indicate if changes were made. Such recognition ensures respect for the intellectual labour of creators whilst facilitating the material's versatile application.

Rationale for CC BY

Opting for the CC BY licence reflects our mission to support open access and the unimpeded sharing of knowledge. It enables the utilisation of published work in diverse settings, from scholarly endeavours to commercial projects, thus amplifying the reach and impact of authors' works. The licence's straightforwardness and clarity also aid in ensuring compliance and respect for authors' rights.

Authors' Rights

The Research Studies in English Language Teaching and Learning (RSELTL) journal guarantees the copyright to the authors of their work published on the journal site. Authors retain full rights to their published work, ensuring they are acknowledged and can control the future use of their content. This policy reinforces our commitment to upholding the integrity and ownership of authors' intellectual property.

Display of Licensing Terms

To maintain transparency and facilitate access, the specific CC BY licensing applied to each piece of content is distinctly displayed on the content’s page and on the main page of the manuscript where the DOI is present. Embedding licensing information directly within full-text articles is recommended for convenience but is not a prerequisite for inclusion in our collection.

Open Access Policy

Our open access policy ensures that all content is freely available without charge to the user or their institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This aligns with the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) definition of open access.

Archiving and Preservation

To ensure long-term access and preservation of our content, the RSELTL journal currently stores its material on our trsuted partner servers. We are also listed in Sherpa Romeo, which provides details on our open access policies. Our commitment to secure digital archiving ensures that our content remains accessible for future generations.

Further Information on Licensing

For detailed insights into the CC BY licence, including guidelines on proper attribution, please visit the Creative Commons website or contact our support team. Our licensing approach is crafted to promote the dissemination of knowledge while protecting the rights and acknowledgements of content creators, guaranteeing that their contributions are shared and valued responsibly.