Open access policy
ACTA CLINICA CROATICA is dedicated to advancing the dissemination of high-quality scientific knowledge in the fields of clinical medical sciences, biomedicine, and healthcare. In keeping with the evolving landscape of scholarly publishing and the increasing demand for freely accessible research, the journal has recently undergone a significant transition—from a traditional subscription-based model to a fully Open Access (OA) publication.
This transformation reflects our unwavering commitment to global knowledge equity and the democratization of scientific information. By adopting an Open Access model, ACTA CLINICA CROATICA now ensures that all content published in the journal is freely available to anyone, anywhere in the world, without financial, legal, or technical barriers. This change is particularly significant for researchers, practitioners, and institutions in resource-limited settings, who previously faced restricted access to subscription-based content.
Under the new Open Access policy, all articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This licensing model allows others to share, copy, distribute, and adapt the work—even for commercial purposes—provided the original work is properly cited. The CC BY license is the most accommodating of the Creative Commons licenses, ensuring maximum dissemination and reuse of open-access materials.
By enabling free access and liberal reusability, the journal seeks to:
- Enhance the global visibility and impact of research published in ACTA CLINICA CROATICA.
- Promote collaboration across disciplines and borders.
- Accelerate scientific discovery and clinical innovation.
- Support evidence-based healthcare practices worldwide.
Authors who publish in ACTA CLINICA CROATICA retain the copyright to their work. However, they grant the journal the right to publish and distribute their article under the terms of the Creative Commons license. This approach fosters transparency and integrity in the publishing process, while empowering authors with broader control over how their work is accessed and used.
To sustain the costs associated with high-quality Open Access publishing—including editorial processing, peer review, digital archiving, and platform maintenance—the journal applies an Article Processing Charge (APC). These charges are typically covered by the author’s institution, research funders, or through personal funds. Importantly, ACTA CLINICA CROATICA remains committed to affordability and may offer waivers or discounts to authors from low-income or lower-middle-income countries, in accordance with its mission to support inclusive publishing.
All submitted manuscripts continue to undergo rigorous peer review through the journal’s established double-blind process, which ensures impartiality and maintains high editorial standards. Transitioning to Open Access has not altered the scholarly integrity of ACTA CLINICA CROATICA—instead, it enhances transparency by making peer-reviewed content immediately accessible to the broader scientific community.
Our Open Access policy aligns with international declarations and frameworks such as the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), Plan S, and the principles laid out by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). As a result, ACTA CLINICA CROATICA proudly contributes to the global movement toward open, equitable, and reproducible science.
In summary, the shift to Open Access allows ACTA CLINICA CROATICA to better fulfill its mission: to serve as a platform for the dissemination of clinically relevant, high-quality research that informs medical practice and contributes to the advancement of human health. We invite scholars, clinicians, and researchers from all over the world to submit their work, confident that their contributions will reach the widest possible audience—unrestricted and universally accessible.
For detailed submission guidelines, licensing terms, or waiver information, please visit our journal website at: http://hrcak.srce.hr/acta-clinica-croatica
