APC and Waiver Policy

Article Processing Charges and Waiver Policy

Avicenna Journal of Clinical and Translational Medicine

The Avicenna Journal of Clinical and Translational Medicine (AJCTM), published by Avicenna Medical Press (AMP), is committed to transparent and equitable open-access publishing. Article Processing Charges (APCs) support the editorial, technical, production and dissemination costs associated with publishing peer-reviewed scholarly work.

1. Article Processing Charges

There is no fee for manuscript submission. The applicable APC is payable only after formal acceptance of a manuscript.

2. Discount for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

AJCTM offers a 50% reduction in the standard APC to eligible corresponding authors based in low- and middle-income economies, reducing the publication charge from USD 1,500 to USD 750.

Eligibility is determined according to the World Bank Country and Lending Groups classification applicable when the manuscript is submitted. The discount covers low-income, lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income economies.

The corresponding author's primary institutional affiliation and usual country of professional residence will be used to assess eligibility. Where affiliations or circumstances are unclear, the Editorial Office may request verification.

Eligible authors should identify their country and institutional affiliation accurately during submission. The standard LMIC discount does not require a separate financial hardship application.

3. Additional APC Waivers

AJCTM recognizes that even a reduced publication charge may be unaffordable for researchers without sufficient institutional, grant or personal financial resources. Full or additional partial waivers may therefore be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Requests may be considered where authors demonstrate:

• Absence of research or publication funding.
• Significant institutional financial constraints.
• Early-career researcher status combined with demonstrable financial need.
• Humanitarian emergencies, conflict-related disruption or exceptional hardship.
• Other well-documented circumstances that prevent payment.

Waivers are not guaranteed and are subject to individual assessment and the availability of journal waiver support. Any approved reduction will be confirmed in writing.

4. Waiver Application Requirements

A waiver request should include:

• Proposed manuscript title and article type.
• Corresponding author's full name, institutional affiliation and country.
• A brief description of the research and its relevance to AJCTM.
• A clear explanation of financial circumstances and why a waiver is required.
• Information about available research grants or publication funding.
• The level of support requested: full or partial waiver.

Requests should be sent with the email subject: Pre-submission APC Waiver Request - AJCTM. The Editorial Office may request clarification or supporting documentation where necessary.

A waiver decision concerns publication costs only. It does not constitute manuscript acceptance, preliminary scientific approval or a promise of publication.

5. Editorial Independence

All editorial decisions are based on scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical standards and relevance to the journal's scope.

The ability to pay an APC, eligibility for an LMIC discount or receipt of a waiver does not influence the peer-review process or editorial decisions. Waiver applications are assessed separately from the scientific evaluation of manuscripts.

6. Payment and Invoicing

Following formal acceptance, the corresponding author will receive an official notification stating the applicable APC after any approved discount or waiver. Payment instructions will be supplied through authorized journal or publisher correspondence.

Authors should not make payments to personal accounts or unverified third parties. A payment confirmation or receipt will be issued following successful processing.

7. Refunds

Duplicate or erroneous payments may be refunded following verification. Any refund request should be communicated promptly to the Editorial Office with supporting payment details.

Following publication, APCs are normally non-refundable because publication services have been delivered. Requests received before publication will be assessed individually, subject to applicable legal and contractual obligations.

8. Policy Review and Transparency

AJCTM may periodically review its publication charges and financial assistance arrangements. Any revised APC schedule will be published on the journal website. Authors will be informed of the applicable charges before payment is requested.

9. Contact

Editorial Office
Avicenna Journal of Clinical and Translational Medicine
Published by Avicenna Medical Press (AMP)
Email: editor@ajctm.org
Website: www.ajctm.org