Licensing Policy

Licensing Policy of MATAI: International Journal of Language Education

MATAI: International Journal of Language Education embraces the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)'s commitment to transparent, ethical, and accessible scholarly publishing. To accommodate diverse author preferences, institutional mandates, and global open access requirements, the journal permits a wide spectrum of licenses, ranging from highly permissive to more restrictive options. This flexibility ensures authors retain control over their intellectual property while maximizing the reach, reuse, and impact of their work.

Permitted Licenses

The journal explicitly authorizes the following licenses, all compliant with DOAJ’s definition of "open access":

  1. Creative Commons Licenses (CC):

    • CC BY (Attribution):
      Allows unlimited redistribution, adaptation, and commercial/non-commercial use, provided the original work is properly credited. Ideal for maximizing global reach and collaboration.

    • CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike):
      Permits derivatives and reuse (including commercial) if new works are licensed identically (SA = ShareAlike). Ensures open access continuity.

    • CC BY-ND (Attribution-NoDerivatives):
      Allows sharing (commercial/non-commercial) but prohibits modifications or adaptations (ND = No Derivatives). Protects authorial integrity.

    • CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial):
      Permits reuse and derivatives only for non-commercial purposes (NC = NonCommercial). Safeguards against commercial exploitation.

    • CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike):
      Non-commercial reuse permitted; derivatives must carry the same license (NC + SA). Balances protection and openness.

    • CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives):
      Most restrictive: Only allows verbatim sharing for non-commercial purposes, with no derivatives permitted. Prioritizes strict control.

  2. Public Domain & Waivers:

    • CC0 (Public Domain Dedication):
      Authors waive all copyright interests, placing work directly into the public domain for unrestricted reuse.

    • Public Domain:
      Applies to works where copyright has expired or been voluntarily relinquished without restrictions.

  3. Proprietary Licensing:

License Attributes & Their Implications

Authors selecting a license must consider these core attributes:

Attribute Applies to Licenses Purpose
Attribution (BY) All CC licenses Mandates credit to the original author(s).
Share Alike (SA) CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC-SA Ensures derivatives reuse the same license ("copyleft" principle).
No Derivatives (ND) CC BY-ND, CC BY-NC-ND Prohibits remixing, transformations, or adaptations.
NonCommercial (NC) CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-NC-ND Restricts commercial reuse (e.g., by for-profit entities).

Why This Diversity Matters

  1. Author Autonomy:
    Researchers can align licensing with their funding obligations (e.g., Plan S), ethical stance, or preferences for reuse control.

  2. Global Compliance:
    Supports mandates from institutions (e.g., universities) and funders (e.g., NIH, Wellcome Trust) requiring specific CC licenses.

  3. Innovation & Integrity:
    Permissive licenses (CC BY, CC0) enable text/data mining and computational reuse; restrictive licenses (CC BY-ND) preserve scholarly context.

  4. DOAJ Adherence:
    All licenses meet DOAJ’s criteria for true open access:

    • Immediate, barrier-free access

    • Clear reuse rights via machine-readable licensing

    • Copyright retention statements

Commitment to Open Access Excellence

By offering this comprehensive licensing framework, MATAI: International Journal of Language Education:

  • Empowers authors to disseminate work without surrendering ethical or practical control.

  • Guarantees users legal clarity for accessing, sharing, and building upon research.

  • Upholds DOAJ’s pillars of transparency, inclusivity, and academic rigor.

  • Fosters innovation across disciplines by enabling flexible reuse scenarios (e.g., OERs, meta-analyses, policy briefs).

Authors are encouraged to review the journal’s author guidelines or consult the DOAJ checklist to select the optimal license for their submission. This policy solidifies MATAI: International Journal of Language Education’s role as an ethical steward of open scholarship in the global academic landscape.

For verification: DOAJ License Requirements | Creative Commons Licenses