Open Access Statement

The Archives of Clinical and Experimental Orthopaedics (ACEO) is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that operates under the principle of unrestricted access to scientific knowledge. Every article published by ACEO is freely and permanently available online immediately upon publication, with no subscription or access fees for readers worldwide.

“Knowledge should never be behind paywalls — ACEO champions universal access to orthopaedic science.”

Open Access Philosophy

ACEO embraces the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), promoting the free exchange of scientific information to foster innovation, equity, and progress in healthcare. By publishing under a transparent open-access model, ACEO ensures that clinicians, researchers, and the public can access the latest orthopaedic findings without financial or legal barriers.

  • Immediate and permanent online access to all research articles.
  • Full reuse rights under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
  • Authors retain copyright and full ownership of their work.

Creative Commons Licensing

All ACEO publications are distributed under the CC BY 4.0 license. This license allows users 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.

Proper attribution must be given to the original authors and the journal. Any modifications must be clearly indicated.

“Open Access empowers knowledge transfer, collaboration, and innovation across borders.”

Author Rights and Responsibilities

Authors publishing with ACEO retain full copyright ownership while granting the journal non-exclusive rights to distribute and promote their work. Authors are encouraged to:

  • Share their published articles widely across institutional and subject repositories.
  • Include links to the official DOI on personal websites or academic networks.
  • Deposit data, supplementary materials, and preprints for transparency.

There are no restrictions on self-archiving of published articles (postprints).

Accessibility and Global Reach

ACEO ensures global accessibility by maintaining full-text availability across indexing databases and repositories. The journal’s platform is optimized for viewing on all devices and follows WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards.

  • Accessible PDF and HTML versions for every article.
  • Metadata and DOIs registered for discoverability through Crossref and Google Scholar.
  • Interoperable OAI-PMH data feeds for library and institutional harvesting.

Benefits of Open Access Publishing

  • Increased visibility and citation of published research.
  • Accelerated dissemination of new clinical and experimental findings.
  • Equal access for clinicians and researchers in developing countries.
  • Fostering collaboration across institutions and disciplines.

Open Access and Funding Compliance

Many funding bodies and institutions require open-access publication. ACEO’s CC BY 4.0 license complies with mandates from organizations including:

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • European Research Council (ERC)
  • UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
  • Wellcome Trust
  • Plan S Initiative

Authors can use ACEO publications to fulfill their funding obligations while maintaining research visibility.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

To support open access, ACEO applies a nominal Article Processing Charge (APC) covering peer review management, archiving, and digital maintenance. Authors from low-income countries or early-career researchers may request a full or partial APC waiver.

Repository and Self-Archiving Policy

Authors are permitted and encouraged to deposit all versions of their manuscripts in institutional or subject repositories:

  • Preprint: Allowed anytime before peer review.
  • Accepted Manuscript (Postprint): May be shared immediately upon acceptance.
  • Published Version: Freely shareable with proper citation and DOI link.

Transparency and Ethics

ACEO is transparent about its open-access model, ensuring that all APCs, waiver policies, and publishing standards are publicly available. Ethical open-access publishing means the journal does not engage in deceptive or predatory practices. All submissions undergo rigorous peer review before acceptance.

Preservation and Archiving

All ACEO articles are preserved in trusted digital archives such as CLOCKSS, LOCKSS, and PKP Preservation Network (PN), guaranteeing permanent accessibility even in case of website changes or closure.

Reader Rights

Readers have the right to access, download, print, and reuse articles for personal or educational purposes, provided that proper credit is given to the authors and ACEO as the original source.

Conclusion

By adopting a transparent and inclusive open-access policy, ACEO contributes to global knowledge dissemination and supports equitable participation in orthopaedic research. Open access reflects our belief that scientific discoveries should serve humanity without barriers.