Chitkara University Publications (CUP) is committed to implementing the Diamond Open Access model across all its journals, ensuring equitable and inclusive scholarly communication. This model ensures that scholarly publications are freely accessible to readers and free of publication charges for authors. CUP’s commitment aligns with the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021), which promotes equitable access to scientific knowledge and inclusive, non-commercial approaches to scholarly publishing.

Core Principles of Diamond Open Access

No Article Processing Charges (APCs)

CUP journals do not charge authors any fees for manuscript submission, peer review, or publication. All publication costs are supported by Chitkara University, ensuring that authors can publish without financial barriers or hidden charges.

Free and Immediate Access

All published content is made freely available online immediately upon publication, without subscription requirements or embargo periods. Readers worldwide can access, read, and download published articles without financial or registration barriers.

Non-Commercial Publishing

CUP follows a non-commercial publishing model supported by institutional funding. The model prioritises the dissemination of scholarly knowledge, academic excellence, and research integrity over commercial interests.

Editorial Independence and Academic Integrity

The absence of publication fees does not influence editorial decisions. Editors retain independence in evaluating manuscripts, and all decisions are based on scholarly merit, originality, relevance, and scientific quality. Conflicts of interest are managed in accordance with established publication ethics standards.

Quality and Scientific Rigor

The Diamond Open Access model does not compromise editorial quality or peer-review standards. All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment and, where considered suitable, a rigorous peer-review process in accordance with each journal’s editorial policies and recognised publication ethics guidelines, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Open Licensing and Copyright

All articles published by CUP journals are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. This licence permits users to share, copy, redistribute, adapt, and build upon the published work for any purpose, including commercial use, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s). Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the necessary publication rights to the journal.

Digital Preservation and Long-Term Accessibility

CUP is committed to maintaining the long-term accessibility of its published content through appropriate digital archiving and preservation practices. This helps ensure the continued availability and discoverability of scholarly research.