Three Teachings Studies: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism (TTS) is committed to protecting authors' intellectual property rights while supporting the open dissemination, preservation, and responsible reuse of scholarly knowledge. The journal adopts an author-retained copyright policy under which authors retain copyright in their original scholarly contributions and grant TTS the non-exclusive rights necessary for publication, distribution, and preservation. Published scholarly articles are made immediately available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), without subscription barriers or embargo periods. This policy explains copyright ownership, the journal's publishing rights, author self-archiving, permitted reuse, third-party materials, and the continuing legal and ethical responsibilities associated with open-access publication.

Copyright Ownership and Author Rights

Authors retain copyright in their original scholarly contributions published in TTS. Publication in the journal does not require a transfer or assignment of copyright ownership to the journal, its editorial office, or its publisher, Panorama Scholarly Group (PSG).

Copyright ownership and permission to publish are distinct legal matters. Authors remain the rights holders of their original work while authorizing the journal to undertake the activities necessary for scholarly publication and dissemination.

Subject to applicable third-party rights and other existing legal obligations, authors retain the ability to:

• Reproduce, distribute, and share their original scholarly contributions.
• Deposit published articles in personal, institutional, or disciplinary repositories.
• Incorporate their original research into subsequent books, scholarly collections, lectures, teaching materials, or other publications.
• Prepare translations, adaptations, or revised scholarly discussions based on their own original work.
• Grant additional non-exclusive permissions concerning rights they own, provided that such arrangements respect existing legal commitments and licenses.
• Receive appropriate recognition as the authors of their original scholarly contributions.

In jointly authored work, the rights of co-authors must also be respected. Authors must not grant publication permissions covering materials or rights that they do not lawfully control.

Non-Exclusive Publication Rights Granted to the Journal

Upon formal acceptance and publication, authors grant TTS the non-exclusive rights necessary to publish, reproduce, distribute, display, and make the accepted scholarly work publicly accessible for academic dissemination, bibliographic identification, and preservation.

These rights enable the journal and its publisher to:

• First Publication: Publish the accepted work as part of the journal's official scholarly publication record.
• Digital Distribution: Make published articles available through the journal's website and appropriate scholarly dissemination channels.
• Publication Preparation: Undertake copyediting, typesetting, formatting, and technical preparation necessary to produce the official publication files.
• Bibliographic Identification: Create, maintain, and distribute appropriate metadata, including article titles, author details, abstracts, publication dates, and DOI information where applicable.
• Scholarly Discovery: Facilitate lawful dissemination of publication records through bibliographic services, repositories, library systems, and other research infrastructure.
• Archival Maintenance: Maintain appropriate copies and records necessary for preservation, editorial accountability, and continuing access to published scholarship.
• Publication Record Administration: Issue and maintain corrections, retraction notices, expressions of concern, and other necessary editorial records when warranted.

TTS operates as an online-only scholarly journal. Its non-exclusive publication authorization allows appropriate reproduction in other formats where necessary or lawful, but it does not imply that the journal maintains a separate printed edition.

The grant of these rights does not transfer copyright ownership to TTS or PSG. Authors continue to exercise their own rights subject to the public license applied to the published work and other applicable legal obligations.

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

TTS publishes its scholarly articles under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license supports broad access to, redistribution of, and adaptation of licensed academic content while requiring appropriate recognition of the original creators.

Applicable License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
Copyright Holder: The author or authors of the original scholarly work.
Commercial Reuse: Permitted under the license.
Translation and Adaptation: Permitted under the license.
Attribution: Required in accordance with CC BY 4.0.
Access Embargo: None.

Subject to the license conditions, users may:

• Copy and Redistribute: Reproduce and share the licensed article, in whole or in part, in digital, printed, or other formats.
• Translate: Prepare and distribute translations of the licensed material, subject to appropriate attribution and identification of changes.
• Adapt and Transform: Modify, annotate, remix, or build upon the licensed work for scholarly, educational, cultural, or other lawful purposes.
• Use in Academic Publications: Incorporate licensed material into new scholarship, teaching resources, collections, and other academic outputs.
• Use for Commercial Purposes: Redistribute or adapt the licensed content in commercial publications or other lawful commercial activities.
• Share Adapted Versions: Publish and distribute lawful adaptations, provided that the conditions applicable to the original licensed material are respected.

Users do not ordinarily need additional permission from the copyright holder for activities already authorized by CC BY 4.0. However, the license does not grant rights that the licensor does not hold and does not override independently applicable restrictions involving privacy, personality rights, third-party copyrights, or other protected interests.

Official License Overview: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full Legal Terms: CC BY 4.0 Legal Code

Attribution Requirements and Conditions of Reuse

CC BY 4.0 requires appropriate attribution when licensed materials are shared or adapted. Attribution may be provided in any reasonable manner appropriate to the medium, method, and context of reuse, consistent with the actual license conditions.

Where reasonably practicable, users should retain or provide:

• Creator Identification: The original author or authors and any other attribution information supplied with the licensed work.
• Source Identification: A reference to the article title, journal name, and relevant publication information.
• Source Link: A DOI, official article URL, or other suitable source identifier where provided and reasonably practicable.
• License Identification: The applicable CC BY 4.0 license and a link or reference to its terms.
• Modification Notice: An indication of whether the material has been translated, shortened, annotated, adapted, or otherwise modified, together with any relevant previous modification notices.
• Existing Notices: Relevant supplied copyright and license notices, including applicable warranty notices.

Attribution must not suggest that the original authors, TTS, its editorial office, or the publisher endorse a subsequent publication, interpretation, translation, product, organization, or commercial activity unless such endorsement has actually been authorized.

Users must not apply additional legal terms or effective technological measures that restrict the exercise of rights granted under CC BY 4.0 in the licensed material. The license does not require adapted material as a whole to be distributed under an identical license, although the original CC BY 4.0 material remains subject to its existing terms.

Compliance with a Creative Commons license and compliance with academic citation ethics are related but distinct responsibilities. Permission to reuse licensed work does not justify plagiarism, misrepresentation of authorship, or misleading presentation of another scholar's arguments or findings.

Recommended Attribution Format

TTS recommends that users provide sufficient information for readers to identify the original article and understand the applicable licensing terms. The following is an illustrative attribution format rather than an additional mandatory condition imposed beyond CC BY 4.0:

Illustrative Attribution:
Author(s), "Article Title," Three Teachings Studies: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, publication year, DOI or official article URL. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Changes made: [identify modifications, if applicable].

This format should be adapted to the actual publication record and medium of reuse. Where the reused material is incorporated into formal scholarly writing, the citation should also satisfy the applicable academic citation conventions, including the journal's mandatory Chicago Notes and Bibliography requirements for manuscripts submitted to TTS.

Author Self-Archiving and Repository Deposits

TTS supports authors' ability to preserve, share, and disseminate their original research through personal, institutional, disciplinary, and other legitimate scholarly channels.

Authors may:

• Share the Published Version: Deposit the final published article on personal academic websites, institutional repositories, disciplinary repositories, and other appropriate platforms.
• Distribute Published Articles: Share their publications with students, colleagues, academic communities, and the general public.
• Maintain Institutional Records: Deposit publication records and lawful copies in institutional or research assessment systems.
• Support Teaching: Use published articles in teaching materials, academic courses, seminars, and other educational contexts.
• Develop Subsequent Scholarship: Reuse original research in later academic work while acknowledging the earlier publication where appropriate.

No embargo period applies to author self-archiving of the final published version. Authors may make that version available immediately upon publication without requesting separate permission from TTS, subject to the rights of any third-party material included in the work.

Authors are encouraged to include the article's official bibliographic citation, DOI where assigned, the journal's publication URL, and the applicable CC BY 4.0 license information when depositing or sharing the published version.

The journal's license for the final published article does not automatically determine the copyright status or licensing terms of earlier unpublished drafts, submitted manuscripts, or privately circulated versions. Authors should consider any existing obligations and third-party rights when sharing such materials.

Author Reuse, Translation, and Subsequent Publications

Because copyright remains with the authors and the journal receives non-exclusive publication rights, authors may reuse their own original scholarly contributions in subsequent academic and other lawful publications.

Such reuse may include:

• Incorporation of published research into a scholarly monograph or edited volume.
• Preparation of revised, expanded, or translated versions of previously published work.
• Reuse of original figures, tables, diagrams, or research materials owned by the authors.
• Inclusion of original scholarship in educational collections, lectures, presentations, and research resources.
• Distribution through academic websites, repositories, scholarly networks, or other appropriate media.

Authors should accurately acknowledge the original publication where the relationship between earlier and subsequent work is relevant to scholarly attribution and publication ethics. When submitting substantially revised or translated work to another publisher, authors remain responsible for disclosing the previous publication as required by that publisher's policies.

Permission to reuse copyrighted material does not automatically establish that substantially the same research qualifies as an original publication in another journal. Questions of redundant publication, originality, and appropriate disclosure remain governed by the relevant academic ethics standards.

Third-Party Materials and Copyright Permissions

Authors are responsible for identifying third-party materials incorporated into their submissions and ensuring that their use is lawful and compatible with publication under the journal's open-access framework.

Such materials may include:

• Visual Materials: Photographs, illustrations, diagrams, maps, artistic works, and previously published figures.
• Historical Reproductions: Manuscript facsimiles, archival documents, inscription images, museum photographs, and reproductions of historical artifacts.
• Literary and Textual Materials: Modern translations, critical editions, substantial copyrighted excerpts, and other protected literary works.
• Music and Performance: Modern musical arrangements, notation, recordings, performances, audio materials, and audiovisual works.
• Research and Educational Materials: Previously published tables, graphical analyses, original databases, and other materials subject to copyright or related rights.

Authors must obtain appropriate permission where required, or establish that the proposed use is authorized by an applicable license, statutory exception, public-domain status, or another lawful basis.

Third-party material is not automatically covered by an article's CC BY 4.0 license. Where such material is excluded from the article's license, its separate copyright, licensing status, or other restrictions must be identified clearly through an appropriate caption, credit line, or rights statement.

Authors should ensure that relevant permissions cover the intended form of publication and distribution. Permission limited to a particular medium, purpose, or audience may be insufficient for broader open-access reuse unless the excluded rights are clearly identified.

The editorial office may request documentary evidence of permissions, licensing terms, or source ownership before publication. The absence of appropriate clearance may require modification, replacement, or removal of the affected material from the manuscript.

Classical Texts, Manuscripts, and Historical Source Materials

Research on Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism frequently requires extensive engagement with classical scriptures, philosophical works, historical manuscripts, religious commentaries, inscriptions, ritual documents, and other primary sources.

The copyright status of such materials must be assessed according to the particular source and the rights involved. The fact that an original text was composed centuries ago does not necessarily establish that every modern edition, translation, photograph, annotated transcription, or reproduction is unrestricted.

Authors should distinguish among:

• Original Historical Works: Classical texts and other original materials that may be in the public domain under applicable law.
• Modern Translations: Translations that may contain original protected intellectual contributions and remain subject to copyright.
• Critical Editions and Annotations: Modern introductions, commentaries, explanatory notes, and editorial contributions that may have separate rights.
• Photographs and Facsimiles: Images of manuscripts, artworks, inscriptions, and artifacts that may involve distinct rights or conditions of use.
• Institutional Collections: Materials accessed through libraries, archives, museums, or repositories that may be subject to lawful access conditions or reproduction restrictions.

Public-domain status, scholarly citation, contractual access terms, and reproduction permissions are separate questions. Authors should not assume that holding a copy of a historical document or having lawful access to an archival collection automatically confers unrestricted rights to reproduce all associated content.

Appropriate scholarly attribution remains necessary even where the original source is not protected by copyright. Source editions, canonical identifiers, manuscript locations, and existing translations should be documented according to the journal's citation standards.

Translations, Adaptations, and Derivative Scholarship

CC BY 4.0 permits lawful translations and adaptations of licensed scholarly material. Users preparing adapted versions must provide appropriate attribution, identify modifications, and comply with any separate rights applicable to materials incorporated into the original work.

The license permits a third party to translate or adapt an article without obtaining additional permission for rights already granted under CC BY 4.0. However, that permission does not authorize misrepresentation of the original authors' views, false claims of endorsement, or conduct violating separately applicable rights.

New translations, annotations, critical editions, or other adaptations may contain original contributions by their creators. The existence and ownership of those contributions depend on applicable law and do not remove the CC BY 4.0 obligations attached to material reused from the original licensed article.

Authors and subsequent users should distinguish the right to prepare or distribute an adaptation from the academic question of whether that adaptation constitutes original research suitable for publication. Appropriate attribution and disclosure remain essential.

Supplementary Files, Research Data, and Related Materials

Scholarly publications may be accompanied by datasets, document transcriptions, image collections, tables, audio recordings, musical materials, appendices, and other supporting resources.

Where supplementary files form part of a published article, their licensing status should be identified accurately. The application of CC BY 4.0 to an article does not automatically establish that every separately deposited dataset, recording, software file, archival reproduction, or third-party resource is licensed under identical terms.

Authors must ensure that materials made publicly available are accompanied by appropriate source information and do not unlawfully disclose confidential research records, restricted cultural information, protected personal data, or third-party intellectual property.

Where supplementary materials carry separate licenses or rights statements, those terms should be displayed clearly. Users wishing to reuse such materials must follow their applicable conditions rather than assuming unrestricted reuse under the article's license.

Moral Rights, Privacy, and Other Legal Interests

CC BY 4.0 provides permissions concerning copyright and certain related rights held by the licensor. It does not automatically grant every legal permission that may be necessary for a particular use.

Depending on applicable law and the circumstances, further considerations may include:

• Moral rights and other rights relating to authorship or the integrity of a work.
• Privacy, personality, publicity, confidentiality, and personal data protection.
• Trademark, institutional identity, and other rights not granted by the article's copyright license.
• Rights held by third-party contributors, photographers, translators, performers, or other rights holders.
• Lawful restrictions affecting confidential research information or culturally restricted materials.

The treatment of moral rights under CC BY 4.0 is governed by the license and applicable law. Users should not interpret the journal's open-access policy as a blanket waiver of all personal, moral, institutional, or third-party rights.

Immediate Open Access and Licensing Continuity

TTS provides immediate open access to published scholarly articles. Readers may access, read, download, and share licensed articles without subscription charges, reader payment requirements, or embargo periods.

The same CC BY 4.0 licensing framework applies to published scholarly articles regardless of whether their publication is supported through the standard Article Processing Charge, a reduced charge, an approved waiver, or an applicable fee exemption.

The CC BY 4.0 license is irrevocable once validly granted. Authors and the journal cannot unilaterally withdraw the license permissions previously granted to recipients who continue to comply with its terms. Users who fail to comply with the license may lose their rights under its applicable termination provisions.

Authors may enter into additional lawful arrangements concerning rights they own, but such arrangements do not retroactively eliminate the continuing permissions of compliant recipients of the previously licensed material.

Corrections, Retractions, and Copyright Continuity

The journal's responsibility to maintain an accurate scholarly publication record may require the publication of corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, retractions, or other appropriate notices.

These editorial actions address the scholarly reliability, publication history, or integrity of a work. They do not automatically transfer copyright ownership to the journal or terminate the rights of parties who received the licensed material lawfully under CC BY 4.0.

An article may be retracted because of significant error, plagiarism, unreliable evidence, redundant publication, or another serious concern. Where appropriate, the journal ordinarily maintains an identifiable publication record and an explanatory notice to inform readers of the change in the article's scholarly status.

Retraction does not, by itself, revoke an already valid CC BY 4.0 license. However, a retraction may indicate that a publication should no longer be relied upon as a valid scholarly source without appropriate qualification. Claims involving invalid rights grants, unlawful third-party content, or other exceptional legal issues require separate assessment.

Removal or restriction of published content is exceptional and may be considered where required by law or justified by serious privacy, safety, or other overriding concerns. Such action should not be treated as a routine substitute for transparent scholarly correction. The relevant procedures are described in the Publication Ethics Policy.

Copyright Disputes and Permission Inquiries

Authors, rights holders, readers, and other interested parties may report potential copyright infringement, incorrect licensing information, disputed ownership, unauthorized reproduction, or other concerns affecting the lawful publication or reuse of materials.

A rights-related inquiry should include, where reasonably available:

• Identification of the relevant published article, file, figure, table, translation, or other material.
• A clear description of the alleged rights concern or requested clarification.
• Supporting information concerning ownership, permissions, publication history, or applicable licensing conditions.
• Contact information sufficient for the editorial office to communicate with the reporting party where appropriate.

The editorial office will consider the information supplied and may request clarification from authors, rights holders, or other relevant parties. Where necessary, the journal may seek specialist advice or take proportionate action in accordance with applicable law and its publication ethics responsibilities.

A copyright allegation does not independently establish infringement. The journal seeks to distinguish legitimate rights claims, academic citation disputes, third-party permission issues, and other concerns according to the specific evidence and legal circumstances.

Related Policies and Official Licensing Information

Authors and readers should consult the following resources for related requirements:

• Open Access Policy — Immediate access, reuse, and scholarly dissemination.
• Publication Ethics — Academic integrity, complaints, corrections, and retractions.
• Author Ethical Responsibilities — Authorship, source attribution, third-party materials, and permissions.
• Plagiarism & Similarity Screening — Originality, textual reuse, translation plagiarism, and attribution standards.
• Article Processing Charges — Publication charges, exemptions, and financial assistance.
• Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International — Official license overview and terms.

The official Creative Commons legal code governs the interpretation of CC BY 4.0. This journal policy explains the applicable publishing arrangements but does not replace or modify the license itself.

Editorial Contact and Licensing Assistance

Questions concerning copyright ownership, author self-archiving, Creative Commons licensing, reuse of published articles, third-party materials, permissions, or rights-related concerns may be directed to the editorial office.

Manuscripts and revised scholarly contributions must be submitted through the journal's official online submission system. The editorial email address is intended for licensing inquiries, permissions, policy clarification, and administrative assistance.