Accessibility Policy

Commitment to Accessibility

The International Review of FinTech Business and Management (IRFBM), published by the Academy of Decision and Data Sciences (ADDS), is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible publishing environment for all users, including individuals with disabilities.

The journal seeks to ensure that its website, published articles, and online services are accessible to authors, reviewers, readers, editors, and researchers regardless of their physical abilities, assistive technologies, or devices.

IRFBM continuously works to improve the accessibility of its digital content and aims to follow internationally recognized accessibility principles and good practices for scholarly publishing.

Website Accessibility

The IRFBM website is designed to provide a user-friendly experience across a wide range of browsers, operating systems, and devices.

Where reasonably possible, the journal aims to provide:

  • Clear and consistent page layouts.

  • Readable fonts and appropriate text contrast.

  • Logical heading structures.

  • Keyboard-accessible navigation.

  • Compatibility with commonly used web browsers.

  • Responsive display on desktop and mobile devices.

  • Accessible forms for manuscript submission and communication.

The journal regularly reviews its website to identify opportunities for improving usability and accessibility.

Accessibility of Published Articles

IRFBM publishes scholarly content in widely supported digital formats, including PDF and, where available, HTML.

The journal aims to ensure that published articles:

  • Are clearly structured with appropriate headings.

  • Use readable typography and consistent formatting.

  • Include searchable text rather than scanned images whenever possible.

  • Display tables and figures in a clear and understandable manner.

  • Remain compatible with commonly used screen readers and assistive technologies where technically feasible.

Authors are encouraged to prepare manuscripts using accessible formatting practices to improve the readability of published research.

Figures, Tables, and Supplementary Material

Authors should prepare visual and supplementary materials in a manner that supports accessibility.

Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to:

  • Provide descriptive captions for figures and tables.

  • Use meaningful labels within charts and diagrams.

  • Avoid relying solely on colour to communicate information.

  • Submit high-quality images and graphics.

  • Ensure that supplementary files are presented in widely accessible formats.

The editorial office may request revisions where accessibility improvements can reasonably be made before publication.

Alternative Formats

Readers who experience difficulty accessing published content may contact the editorial office to request reasonable assistance.

Where technically and legally possible, the journal will make reasonable efforts to provide:

  • Alternative accessible versions of published articles.

  • Assistance with inaccessible PDF files.

  • Clarification of tables, figures, or supplementary materials.

  • Guidance regarding access to published content.

Requests will be considered individually based on the nature of the accessibility requirement and the availability of the requested format.

Compatibility with Assistive Technologies

IRFBM aims to ensure that its website and published content remain compatible, where reasonably possible, with commonly used assistive technologies, including:

  • Screen readers.

  • Screen magnification software.

  • Speech recognition software.

  • Keyboard-only navigation.

  • Mobile accessibility features.

Because accessibility technologies continue to evolve, the journal periodically reviews compatibility and encourages users to report accessibility issues.

Open Access and Equal Access

As a fully open-access journal, IRFBM provides immediate and unrestricted access to all published articles.

Readers are not required to:

  • Pay subscription fees.

  • Register before accessing articles.

  • Request permission to read published content.

Open access supports the journal's commitment to making scholarly research available to the widest possible audience, including researchers, educators, policymakers, practitioners, and the general public.

All published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0), allowing lawful sharing and reuse with appropriate attribution.

Digital Preservation and Long-Term Access

IRFBM is committed to ensuring the long-term availability of published scholarship.

The journal supports digital preservation through its archiving and preservation arrangements, which may include:

  • Institutional backups.

  • Internet Archive.

  • PKP Preservation Network.

  • LOCKSS and other recognised preservation services where available.

  • Persistent identifiers such as Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), where applicable.

These preservation measures are intended to ensure that published articles remain accessible even in the event of technical failures or changes to the journal platform.

Accessibility Feedback

IRFBM welcomes feedback from readers, authors, reviewers, librarians, and other users regarding accessibility.

Users are encouraged to report:

  • Difficulties accessing published content.

  • Website navigation problems.

  • Compatibility issues with assistive technologies.

  • Broken links or inaccessible documents.

  • Suggestions for improving accessibility.

The journal will make reasonable efforts to investigate reported issues and implement appropriate improvements whenever feasible.

Contact

Questions, accessibility requests, or suggestions may be directed to:

International Review of FinTech Business and Management (IRFBM)
Academy of Decision and Data Sciences (ADDS)
Email: editor.irfbm@addsacademy.com

Policy Review

This Accessibility Policy is reviewed periodically to reflect developments in digital accessibility, scholarly publishing technologies, and international best practices. Updates will be published on the journal website to ensure continued transparency and support for an inclusive publishing environment.