Open Access Policy

Sustainable Science Letters is committed to making research freely accessible to all readers worldwide. We operate under a full open access model where all published articles are immediately available to read, download, and share without subscription barriers.

All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license. This means that users are free to:

• Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
• Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially

Under the following terms:

• Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made
• No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits

Archiving Policy

Sustainable Science Letters is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of published content. Our archiving strategy includes:

• Digital Preservation: All journal content is digitally archived to ensure long-term availability even if the journal ceases operations
• Multiple Backup Systems: Content is stored across multiple secure servers with regular backups
• Future Platform Integration: Plans to integrate with LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) and/or PKP PN (Public Knowledge Project Preservation Network) for additional preservation security

Authors may also archive both pre-print and post-print versions of their work in institutional repositories or other appropriate venues, in accordance with our open access policy.

Withdrawal and Retraction Policy

Sustainable Science Letters takes its responsibility to maintain the integrity and completeness of the scholarly record seriously. We recognize our academic duty to correct errors and maintain the accuracy of the scientific record.

Article Withdrawal

Article withdrawal refers to the removal of an article that has been accepted for publication but not yet formally published. Withdrawal may be considered under exceptional circumstances, such as:

• Evidence of research misconduct
• Discovery of significant errors that undermine the reliability of the findings
• Ethical concerns or legal issues
• Duplicate submissions discovered after acceptance

Withdrawal requests must be made in writing to the Editor-in-Chief with a detailed explanation of the reason for withdrawal.

Article Retraction

Retraction applies to published articles and is considered when:

• There is clear evidence of fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism
• The findings have been published previously elsewhere without proper citation, permission, or justification
• Legal rights are infringed or there are serious ethical violations
• The main conclusions of the work are found to be incorrect or unsupported by evidence

The retraction process:

1. A retraction note will be published, linked to the retracted article
2. The original article will be clearly marked as retracted
3. The PDF of the retracted article will be watermarked with "RETRACTED"
4. The metadata of the article will be updated to reflect its retracted status

Editorial Independence

Sustainable Science Letters maintains strict editorial independence. All decisions regarding manuscript evaluation, peer review, acceptance, and publication are made based solely on scientific merit, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal's scope.

Our commitment to editorial independence includes:

• Separation from Financial Interests: Editorial decisions are never influenced by financial considerations, including article processing charges
• Freedom from External Pressure: The Editorial Board operates without interference from the publisher, sponsors, or other external entities
• Transparent Processes: All editorial processes are transparent, with clear guidelines for authors, reviewers, and editors
• Conflicts of Interest: Rigorous policies to identify and manage potential conflicts of interest for all parties involved in the publication process

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work published in Sustainable Science Letters. Upon acceptance, authors are required to sign a license agreement granting the journal the right to publish their work under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license.

This arrangement ensures that:

• Authors maintain ownership of their intellectual property
• The journal has the necessary rights to publish and distribute the work
• Readers can freely access, share, and build upon the published work with proper attribution

Authors are free to reuse their own work in other publications, presentations, or educational materials without seeking permission from the journal, provided they cite the original publication.