Open Access Policy

Frontiers in Microbiology and Biotechnology follows the principles of Open Access (OA) publishing, which aims to provide immediate and unrestricted access to all published content. The journal embraces the belief that making research freely available to the public accelerates the global exchange of knowledge and advances scientific discovery.

  1. Open Access Commitment
    Frontiers in Microbiology and Biotechnology offers immediate and unrestricted open access to all of its published content. This means that readers from anywhere in the world can freely access, download, read, copy, and distribute the articles published in the journal without facing any financial, legal, or technical barriers, aside from those inherent in accessing the internet.

    The journal follows the definitions outlined in key open access initiatives, including:

    • The Budapest Open Access Initiative
    • The Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing
    • The Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities

    These initiatives collectively form the 'BBB' definition, emphasizing that peer-reviewed research should be freely available to all users, fostering broader access and engagement with scientific knowledge.

  2. Licensing and Copyright
    Articles published in Frontiers in Microbiology and Biotechnology are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY). This license allows users to freely share and adapt the work, provided that proper attribution is given to the original authors and the initial publication in the journal is acknowledged. This ensures that authors retain copyright over their work while allowing others to use the content for a wide range of lawful purposes, such as redistribution, adaptation, and use in future research.

  3. Repository Policy
    Authors are encouraged to archive their published work in institutional repositories, personal websites, or any other non-profit server immediately after publication. The final published version of the article (publisher PDF) may be used for self-archiving in compliance with this policy. However, the following conditions must be met:

    • The published source must be appropriately acknowledged.
    • A link to the journal homepage or the article’s DOI should be included, directing readers to the original publication in Frontiers in Microbiology and Biotechnology.

  4. Preprint Policy
    Authors are encouraged to share their work as preprints prior to submission to the journal. This practice supports early dissemination of research and promotes academic collaboration. Preprints do not hinder subsequent publication in Frontiers in Microbiology and Biotechnology, and we support authors in making their research accessible at all stages of the publication process.

By adopting these open-access policies, Frontiers in Microbiology and Biotechnology seeks to maximize the visibility and impact of research, ensuring that knowledge is shared widely and without barriers, benefiting both the global scientific community and society at large.