1. Commitment to Open Access. The SWS Scholarly Society Vienna is dedicated to promoting open access and the free dissemination of scientific knowledge. To support this vision, all articles published in Societies & Sustainability (SAS) are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).

This open-access policy ensures that scientific research is freely accessible to the global community, encouraging knowledge sharing, accelerating discovery, and fostering innovation.

2. Article Processing Charges (APCs). To support the open-access publishing model and ensure global accessibility, Societies & Sustainability (SAS) applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) of €500 for accepted manuscripts. This APC helps cover essential publishing costs such as editorial processes, peer review management, digital archiving, and platform maintenance. Our aim is to make high-quality research in the social sciences freely accessible to the global community while maintaining a sustainable and ethical publishing model. Our commitment to open access ensures that groundbreaking research on societal development, governance, and sustainability is available to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide.

Waivers and Discounts. SAS is committed to supporting researchers from diverse backgrounds. Authors from low-income or lower-middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank classification, may apply for partial or full waivers of the APC. Waivers are considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure equitable access to the publishing process. Early-career researchers and authors without institutional support may also request fee reductions or financial assistance.

Funding Support. Many universities, research institutions, and funding bodies provide financial support to authors to cover APCs. We encourage authors to check with their affiliated institutions, research funders, or grant providers to see if such support is available. If you have questions about funding sources or how to apply for a waiver, please contact the editorial office.

3. Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). Under the CC BY license, authors retain full copyright to their work while granting the journal the right to publish and distribute the article. The journal is identified as the original publisher, ensuring proper academic attribution. This license allows for:

• Distribution: Others may share, copy, and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
• Adaptation: Others may remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
• Commercial Use: The work may be used in commercial projects, provided appropriate credit is given.

4. Attribution Requirements
When using content licensed under the CC BY license, users must adhere to the following conditions:

• Credit: Proper attribution must be given to the author(s) and the journal as the original source of the content.
• Link to the License: Users must include a link to the CC BY license. (e.g., https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
• Indication of Changes: If modifications are made to the original work, users must clearly state that changes were made.

5. Author Rights and Responsibilities

• Author Copyright: Authors retain the copyright of their published work.
• Author Use: Authors are free to deposit their work in institutional repositories, personal websites, and academic networking sites.
• Reuse Rights: Authors may reuse their work for future research, conference presentations, and educational purposes, with no need for permission from the publisher.

6. Benefits of the CC BY License
The CC BY licensing model promotes maximum dissemination and visibility of scientific research. This approach benefits the academic community in several ways:

• Global Accessibility: Research is available to all readers worldwide, without subscription fees.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Open access facilitates academic collaboration and cross-disciplinary research.
• Increased Citations: Studies show that open-access articles often receive more citations and higher visibility.
• Innovation and Knowledge Transfer: By allowing commercial use, CC BY accelerates knowledge transfer to industry and society.

7. Licensing for Supplementary Materials
Supplementary materials (e.g., datasets, images, videos, and software) accompanying published articles are also subject to the same CC BY license unless explicitly stated otherwise. This ensures consistent access and reuse rights for supporting materials.

8. Licensing and Indexing Requirements
The CC BY licensing model aligns with the open-access policies of major indexing databases such as Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and other scholarly repositories. By adopting this license, our journal meets the criteria for compliance with key open-access mandates, including those of Plan S, cOAlition S, and funder policies worldwide.

9. Licensing Disputes and Misuse
In cases where content licensed under CC BY is used without proper attribution, altered without disclosure, or otherwise misused, the SWS Scholarly Society will take appropriate action to protect the rights of its authors and journals. Any breach of the license can result in the following actions:

• Cease and Desist Letters: Misuse notifications will be issued to violators.
• DMCA Takedown Requests: Infringing content may be removed from digital platforms.
• Legal Action: In extreme cases, the SWS Scholarly Society may pursue legal action against repeat violators.

10. How to Attribute Articles Published in Our Journal. To correctly attribute articles from SAS, users should follow this simple format:

Author(s) Name(s). (Year). Title of the Article. Societies & Sustainability. DOI (if available). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Example: Smith, J., & Doe, A. (2024). Advances in Social Sciences. Societies & Sustainability. DOI: 10.1234/sas.2024.001. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

11. Licensing Contact Information
For any questions, licensing requests, or clarification on the use of CC BY licensed content, please contact the journal editorial team email at [email protected]