Editorial policy of journals in information science with Qualis A1 and A2 and dimensions of authors' rights

Abstract

The study analyzed editorial policies of seven Brazilian electronic journals in the field of Information Science, classified as Qualis A1 and A2, focusing on authors’ rights dimensions: intellectual property, authorship and co-authorship, licenses, and ethical guidelines. The method consisted of document analysis of the journals’ editorial policies. Results revealed heterogeneity among the journals: five presented comprehensive guidelines across all four dimensions, while two showed significant gaps. Three distinct models of copyright transfer were identified: partial single transfer, total single transfer, and full retention of rights by authors. Regarding authorship and co-authorship, only two journals lacked clear guidance, while others adopted instruments such as the CRediT taxonomy. In terms of licenses, six journals use CC BY 4.0 and one CC BY NC 4.0, although inconsistencies were found in the license attribution within articles in one journal. Ethical guidelines ranged from complete absence to robust policies aligned with COPE and SciELO. The study concludes that, despite the adoption of relevant international standards, some editorial policies still exhibit weaknesses that compromise clarity, transparency, and credibility in scientific communication, highlighting the need for greater standardization and deeper critical reflection on authors’ rights dimensions.