Publication in a scientific journal
Before choosing a license, you must identify the type of document you are attaching:
- Publisher postprint: final version of the peer-reviewed article, with formatting by the editor.
- Author postprint: final version of the peer-reviewed article, without formatting by the editor.
- Author preprint: Initial version of the article submitted to a journal.
See our complete definitions here as well as the description of the different licenses available on ORBi.
In any case, you must upload one of these versions.
- If you have published in open access, you can always attach the postprint version to the publisher in open access.
- If you have not published in open access, you can still deposit your scientific article in Open Access (Green Open Access).
Why?
Thanks to two decrees:
Decree of 03-05-2018 on the establishment of an open access policy for scientific publications (Belgian Official Gazette 28-05-2018, in force on 21-03-2025).
Art. XI.196 of the Code of Economic Law (in force on 21-03-2025).
The aim of these decrees is to improve the visibility of research work in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) by making scientific publications resulting from research carried out in the FWB accessible to all.
Be careful, however, you must comply with certain conditions.
You cannot upload the "editor postprint" version, unless the publisher allows you to do so.
Only the "author postprint" version can be deposited in open access, i.e. the final version accepted but without the publisher's formatting.
Most publishers impose an embargo period, a license to be assigned, and a specific notice. There is a tool that can quickly identify this information: Open Policy Finder.
Assign the correct license
- Check the conditions on the publisher/journal's website
OR
- Use Open Policy Finder to check publishers' licensing policies
Open Policy Finder is a valuable resource for checking the open access policies of different publishers. This tool can help you identify if and under what conditions you can publish your work in open access, such as license type, embargo periods, and more.
How to use Open Policy Finder:
- Visit the Open Policy Finder website
- Search for your journal or publisher: Enter the name of the newspaper or publisher you are considering.
- Consult the policies: you will find the license, embargo, and mention information for the 3 document versions.
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- Embargo periods: Waiting periods before making your work freely available. Thanks to the decree, the embargo period may not exceed six months for a publication in the field of science, technology and human or veterinary medicine and twelve months in the field of human and social sciences.
- Licensing options: Creative Commons licenses accepted and any restrictions. In case no license is mentioned, you must select "No Free License" in ORBi.
- Mention: Most publishers require a credit for the "postprint author" or "accepted" versions. Below is a compilation of the mentions required by major publishers.
Publisher Mention
Here are some examples of mentions for some major publishers:
- ACS: "This document is the unedited Author's version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in [Journal Title], copyright © [include copyright notice from the published article] after peer review. To access the final edited and published work see [insert ACS Articles on Request author-directed link to Published Work, see ACS Articles on Request]."
- Wiley: "This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: [FULL CITE], which has been published in final form at [Link to final article using the DOI]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions."
- Springer: "This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature's AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/[insert DOI]"
- Elsevier: No mention, but CC BY-NC-ND license.
- Taylor & Francis: "This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in [JOURNAL TITLE] on [date of publication], available online: https://doi.org/[Article DOI]."
WARNING: not all publishers or newspapers are listed on Open Policy Finder. You may need to check the terms yourself on the newspaper/publisher's website.
If no conditions are specified, follow the instructions below (Other documents (poster/thesis/course/etc.)).
Other documents (poster/thesis/course/etc.)
If your paper is not subject to any restrictions (scientific congress policy, etc.), you must choose a license on your own.
Consider the following questions to help you choose the right license:
- Do you want to allow commercial use of your work?
○ If yes, avoid licenses with the NonCommercial (NC) condition.
- Do you want to allow changes to your work?
○ If not, choose a NoDerivs (ND) license.
- Do you want to force others to share derivative works under the same license?
○ If yes, choose a ShareAlike (SA) license.
UMONS recommends CC-BY or CC-BY-SA licenses. The former ensures the maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials, while the latter also ensures that derivative works remain open.
Additional Resources
- Creative Commons website: Offers detailed explanations and a license selection tool to help you select the appropriate license.
- OAD Open Access Directory: A comprehensive list of resources and information on open access.
- SPARC Author Addendum: A tool to help you retain the rights to your work upon publication.
Conclusion
Choosing the right Creative Commons license ensures that your work is shared in conditions that you are comfortable with while maximizing its reach and impact. Use resources like SHERPA/RoMEO to understand publishers' policies and make informed decisions about open access publishing.
For further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the library or the legal department of UMONS.
