Open Access at NISC
Publishing Open Access in NISC Journals
NISC journals are divided into two categories.
- Journals which only publish articles Open Access. These journals are identified on our site by the Fully Open Access logo.
Traditional subscription journals, which offer authors various Open Access options. These journals are identified on our site by the Open Access Options logo.
Further details about these two types of publishing options are detailed below.
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Constitutional Court Review
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Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology
- Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa
- Nomina Africana: The Journal of African Onomastics
- Research in Hospitality Management
- South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition
APC waiver and discount policy
In keeping with best publishing practice, NISC has a APC waiver policy to facilitate Open Access publication by authors without adequate funding support for publication. Typically, NISC will grant APC waivers and discounts for papers published in our Fully Open Access Journals whose corresponding authors are based in low and lower-middle income countries as defined by the World Bank. Requests from authors for APC waivers or discounts may also be considered in cases of financial need. The granting of an APC waiver or discount is not automatic and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All applications should be made to the publisher prior to or at the point of manuscript submission by emailing the details to journals@nisc.co.za. Requests made during the review process or after acceptance will not be considered. The details of the APC waiver policy, including imposition of an annual quota of waivers, varies from journal to journal and authors should consult the relevant Author Information Page.
Self-Archiving/Green Open Access
All authors publishing in a NISC subscription-based journal are able to upload certain versions of their article online to their personal website or institutional repository without even publishing their article Open Access. This is traditionally referred to as Green Open Access. For full details on the versions that may be uploaded as well as the relevant embargo period for each article please click on the link.
Hybrid/Gold Open Access
An article published in any NISC subscription-based journal can also be published completely Open Access by paying an Article Processing Fee. This is traditionally referred to as Gold Open Access. In a NISC journal the author may only elect to publish via this method once the article has passed peer review. Please click on the link to see our full gold Open Access procedure and relevant pricing.
List of Open Access Options Journals
- Africa Journal of Management
- African Journal of AIDS Research
- African Journal of Aquatic Science
- African Journal of Herpetology
- African Journal of Marine Science
- African Journal of Range & Forage Science
- African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development
- African Zoology
- Anthropology Southern Africa
- Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies
- Investment Analysts Journal
- Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health
- Journal of Psychology in Africa
- Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa
- Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology
- Quaestiones Mathematicae
- South African Journal of Accounting Research
- South African Journal of African Languages
- South African Journal of Philosophy
- South African Journal of Plant and Soil
- Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
- Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science
What is Open Access?
Open Access is a movement triggered by the advent of online publishing. Traditionally academic research was only available via the use of print materials and most of this was only available via procurement. The Open Access movement aims to make information more readily accessible by making it available to use free online. This free availability of research has also prompted a re-evaluation of the terms under which research is published, used and reused. Various publishing organisations, both traditional and new, have developed new Open Access models to meet the growing demand. The era of online publishing and the associated Open Access movement have brought about a period of unprecedented change and innovation in the academic publishing industry.
History of Open Access at NISC
Although a traditional subscription-based publisher, NISC was an early adopter of Open Access initiatives. In 2005 NISC hosted and supported the new African office of African Journals OnLine (AJOL), which had moved from Europe. AJOL is a not-for-profit platform that aims to increase access to African research through various innovative Open Access initiatives. AJOL grew exponentially during its collaboration with NISC and is now fully independent.
In 2007 NISC made Open Access publishing options available in all its journals, ahead of many larger subscription based publishers. Many NISC journals have been available through INASP and various Research4Life programs since 2009. In 2010 NISC started publishing its first fully Open Access title the Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology.
Today NISC is a publisher of both hybrid and full Open Access titles. We are have various Open Access options available to suit the needs of our authors and publishing partners and have are committed to remaining flexible in the ever changing Open Access environment.