The Journal of Clinical Nephrology (JCN) is committed to the principles of open access, ensuring that all published content is freely available to researchers, clinicians, and the general public without any financial, legal, or technical barriers. By adopting an open-access model, we support the global dissemination of high-quality nephrology research and promote scientific collaboration.

Unrestricted Access to Knowledge

All articles published in JCN are freely accessible online immediately upon publication. This means:

• Readers worldwide can access, download, and share research without subscription fees.
• Authors benefit from increased visibility, readership, and citation potential.
• Healthcare professionals can apply the latest findings to clinical practice without restrictions.
• Educational institutions can integrate published research into teaching and training programs.

Licensing and Copyright

All published content in JCN is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which allows:

• Unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
• Authors to retain copyright over their work while allowing broad dissemination.
• Researchers and institutions to freely incorporate findings into their own work.

Author Rights and Responsibilities

Authors publishing with JCN retain the following rights:

• Full copyright ownership of their submitted and published work.
• The right to share their published articles on institutional repositories, preprint servers, and personal websites.
• The ability to distribute, reproduce, and use their work for educational or research purposes.

In return, authors are responsible for ensuring their submissions adhere to ethical publishing guidelines, including proper citation of sources and compliance with open-access licensing terms.

Archiving and Long-Term Availability

To ensure permanent access to published research, JCN participates in robust digital preservation programs. All articles are archived in:

• LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) – A decentralized preservation system.
• CLOCKSS – A secure and distributed archiving service.
• Portico – A trusted long-term digital preservation service.
• Institutional repositories and academic databases for extended accessibility.

No Publication Fees for Readers

JCN operates under a no-paywall policy, ensuring that:

• Readers are not required to pay subscription or access fees.
• Scientific knowledge remains freely accessible to all communities, including those in low-resource settings.
• Medical practitioners and patients can access critical nephrology research without financial limitations.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

To support open-access publishing and cover editorial costs, an Article Processing Charge (APC) may apply. The APC covers:

• Manuscript processing, peer review, and editorial management.
• Long-term digital preservation and archiving.
• Website maintenance and open-access infrastructure.

We offer fee waivers or discounts for authors from low-income countries and institutions with limited funding. Please contact the editorial office for further details on APC policies.

Why Choose Open Access?

The open-access model benefits both researchers and the wider scientific community by:

• Enhancing global knowledge sharing without financial barriers.
• Promoting increased citation rates and research impact.
• Allowing faster dissemination of critical findings in nephrology.
• Fostering collaboration between institutions, researchers, and clinicians worldwide.

Contact and Further Information

For any inquiries regarding open-access policies, licensing, or archiving, please contact the editorial office at assistant-jcn@clinnephrologyjournal.com.