APC / Fees

Article Processing Charge

The current standard Article Processing Charge is Free until Dec 2026, from Jan 2027-USD 500, from Jan 2030-USD 1000 per accepted article

The APC contributes to costs associated with journal administration, editorial systems, website and digital infrastructure, copyediting and production, DOI and metadata services, archiving, publication management, and long-term development of the journal.

No Submission Fee

There is no fee to submit a manuscript to IJSB.

• Authors are not charged for:

• Submitting a manuscript;

• Initial editorial screening; or

• Normal peer review.

APC Is Payable Only After Acceptance

Authors should never be required to pay an APC before an editorial decision is made.

The APC becomes payable only after the manuscript has successfully completed the editorial and peer-review process and has been formally accepted for publication.

Payment of an APC does not guarantee acceptance and has no influence on editorial or peer-review decisions.

Discounts

• Editorial Board Members and Reviewers: up to 25% APC discount.

• Authors from developing countries and eligible self-funded students/researchers: approximately 10–25% discount, depending on individual circumstances.

• Discounts are subject to approval and availability.

Waiver and Financial-Hardship Requests

Authors who are unable to pay the full APC may contact the journal before publication to request consideration for a discount or waiver based on genuine financial hardship.

Factors that may be considered include:

• Country and institutional context;

• Availability of research funding;

• Student or early-career status;

• Self-funded research; and

• Other relevant financial circumstances.

A request for financial assistance will not influence the academic evaluation of a manuscript.

The editor responsible for the scholarly decision should not base acceptance or rejection on an author's ability to pay.

Editorial Board and Reviewer Submissions

Any APC discount provided to editorial board members or reviewers is separate from the editorial decision-making process.

Where an editor or editorial board member submits a manuscript, the manuscript must be handled independently, and the submitting individual will have no role in selecting reviewers or making the final editorial decision.

No Payment for Guaranteed or Faster Acceptance

• IJSB does not accept payment in exchange for guaranteed acceptance, favorable peer review, or editorial decisions.

• Authors cannot purchase a favorable decision or bypass the journal's normal scholarly review procedures.

Additional Charges

• Unless clearly communicated in advance, IJSB does not charge separate mandatory fees for standard manuscript submission or peer review.

• Any optional service offered independently of editorial assessment must not influence acceptance or rejection.

Refunds

• Once an article has been accepted, processed, and production work has commenced, APC payments will not be refundable.

• If the journal is unable to publish an accepted article for reasons attributable to the journal, the journal will review the circumstances and determine an appropriate refund.

Taxes and Payment Charges

• Any applicable taxes, bank transfer charges, currency-conversion charges, or payment-provider fees may be the responsibility of the payer where required.

• Authors will receive payment instructions only after formal acceptance.

Important Notice

Authors should make payments only through payment details officially provided by IJSB.

IJSB editors and reviewers should never request personal payment in return for:

• Acceptance;

• A favorable review;

• Faster acceptance; or

• Influencing an editorial decision.

Any suspicious payment request should be reported immediately to:

ijsb.editorial@gmail.com