What Tier 0 means
Every paper archived at Atopos is Tier 0. That means:
- Free to read, always, for everyone
- No login required to access the full text
- No paywalls, ever
- No embargo period
Tier 0 is not a tier among options. It is the only tier. Open access is an architectural constraint at Atopos, not a policy that can be reversed.
Why Tier 0 is free
Readers pay nothing and authors pay nothing. Submitting to Tier 0 — the open archive — is free, and every paper receives a permanent DOI through Zenodo at no cost. Operating costs are carried by those with resources, in keeping with our founding principle: knowledge belongs to everyone.
Optional paid tiers and services may be introduced in future for things beyond basic archiving (such as higher-tier review or workshops). When they are, 10% of every fee will seed the Waiver Fund, so cost is never a barrier. Basic open-access archiving will always be free.
The founding cohort (first 100 accounts) is recognised permanently by sequence number as early supporters of the archive.
Preservation
Archived papers receive a permanent Atopos identifier and are deposited to Zenodo for long-term preservation. Papers are not removed from the archive. Retracted papers receive a permanent tombstone record.