Article Processing Charges (APC) Policy

Emergent Life Sciences Research (ELSR) is committed to transparent, fair, and clearly communicated publication charges.

ELSR is an open access journal. Published articles are made freely and immediately available to readers in accordance with the journal's Open Access Policy and are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

The journal may apply an Article Processing Charge (APC) to accepted manuscripts to support publication-related activities.

APC arrangements do not influence editorial assessment, peer review, or manuscript acceptance decisions.

 

1. Purpose of the Article Processing Charge

Article Processing Charges may contribute to the costs associated with scholarly publishing and journal operation.

Publication-related activities may include:

  • Manuscript administration.
  • Editorial workflow management.
  • Peer-review coordination.
  • Journal platform operation.
  • Article production.
  • Typesetting and formatting.
  • Metadata preparation.
  • DOI-related publication processes.
  • Online publication.
  • Digital maintenance.
  • Archiving and preservation activities.
  • Journal website and technical infrastructure.
  • Other activities necessary to support scholarly publication.

Payment of an APC does not purchase manuscript acceptance or favorable editorial treatment.

 

2. Current Article Processing Charge

The standard Article Processing Charges for ELSR, applicable when no journal-wide waiver or other approved APC arrangement is in effect, are:

Then:

  • Authors based in India: INR 2,000 per accepted article.
  • Authors based outside India: USD 50 per accepted article.

The applicable APC is determined according to the journal's current charging arrangements.

ELSR may temporarily waive or modify APCs as part of a journal-wide waiver, publication initiative, or other formally communicated arrangement.

Authors should consult the current APC information displayed on the ELSR website at the time of submission.

 

3. Current APC Waiver

ELSR currently operates a full journal-wide APC waiver until further notice. During this waiver period, eligible accepted manuscripts are published without payment of an APC.

A journal-wide APC waiver:

  • Does not affect editorial assessment.
  • Does not guarantee peer review.
  • Does not guarantee manuscript acceptance.
  • Does not reduce the journal's scientific or ethical requirements.
  • Does not change the open access status of published articles.
  • Does not change the CC BY 4.0 license applied to published articles.

Where a waiver is linked to a defined submission or acceptance period, the journal should clearly identify the relevant eligibility condition.

 

4. APC Information at the Time of Submission

Authors should be able to identify the applicable APC or journal-wide waiver arrangements before submitting a manuscript.

ELSR seeks to communicate publication charges transparently through the journal website and relevant author information.

Authors are encouraged to review the current APC information before manuscript submission.

The journal should not introduce an undisclosed mandatory publication charge after manuscript acceptance.

Where APC arrangements change during the editorial processing of a manuscript, the applicable charge should be determined according to the APC conditions communicated by the journal and the relevant effective-date arrangements.

 

5. No Submission Fee

ELSR does not normally charge a manuscript submission fee.

Authors are not required to make an APC payment when initially submitting a manuscript.

Submission of a manuscript does not create an obligation to pay an APC unless the manuscript is subsequently accepted and a publication charge is applicable under the journal's current APC arrangements.

Any change to the journal's submission-fee policy should be communicated clearly on the ELSR website.

 

6. APCs and Editorial Decisions

APC payment arrangements are independent of editorial decision-making.

Editors and reviewers should evaluate manuscripts according to:

  • Scientific quality.
  • Originality.
  • Methodological reliability.
  • Relevance to the journal's aims and scope.
  • Research integrity.
  • Publication ethics.
  • Other applicable editorial standards.

The ability or willingness of an author to pay an APC must not determine whether a manuscript is accepted or rejected.

Reviewers should not be involved in APC payment decisions.

Where reasonably possible, financial administration should remain separate from scientific peer review and editorial assessment.

 

7. When the APC Becomes Applicable

Where an APC applies, payment is requested only after the manuscript has been formally accepted for publication.

Authors should not pay an APC during initial manuscript submission.

Authors should not make payment solely because a manuscript:

  • Has been submitted.
  • Has passed initial editorial assessment.
  • Has been sent for peer review.
  • Has received a revision request.
  • Has completed a round of peer review.

An APC becomes payable only after formal acceptance and when the manuscript is subject to the applicable publication charge.

 

8. APC Payment Request

Following manuscript acceptance, the Editorial Office or authorized publication administration may provide the corresponding author with APC payment information where a charge applies.

The payment communication should identify, where appropriate:

  • The accepted manuscript.
  • The applicable APC.
  • Payment instructions.
  • Relevant payment information.
  • Any applicable waiver or discount.
  • The expected payment process.

Authors should use only payment instructions officially communicated through ELSR or its authorized publication administration.

Authors should contact the Editorial Office if they receive an unexpected or suspicious payment request relating to ELSR publication.

 

9. Responsibility for APC Payment

The corresponding author normally coordinates APC-related communication with the journal.

The APC may be paid by:

  • An author.
  • The authors collectively.
  • An author's institution.
  • A research project.
  • A funding organization.
  • Another legitimate funding source.

ELSR does not determine how authors divide publication costs among themselves.

Payment of the APC does not create authorship rights.

An individual or organization should not be added as an author solely because they paid or supported the payment of the APC.

Authorship is governed by the ELSR Authorship Policy.

 

10. APC Waivers and Discounts

ELSR may consider APC waivers or discounts where an APC is applicable.

Waiver or discount arrangements may depend on:

  • A journal-wide APC waiver.
  • A formally announced publication initiative.
  • Author circumstances.
  • Funding limitations.
  • Institutional circumstances.
  • Other publication arrangements approved by the journal.

A request for an individual waiver or discount should normally be made to the Editorial Office.

Authors may be asked to provide a brief explanation of the request.

Approval of a waiver or discount is not automatic unless the manuscript qualifies under a formally announced journal-wide waiver.

 

11. Timing of Individual Waiver Requests

Authors who require an individual APC waiver or discount are encouraged to raise the request as early as reasonably possible.

Where appropriate, a waiver request may be submitted during the editorial process.

The request should be handled separately from scientific peer review.

Authors should not attempt to influence reviewers or scientific Editors through discussions concerning APC payment.

Where an APC waiver request is approved, the scientific and editorial requirements for publication remain unchanged.

 

12. Waivers and Editorial Independence

A request for an APC waiver or discount should not influence the scientific evaluation of a manuscript.

A manuscript should not receive favorable editorial treatment because the authors can pay an APC.

Similarly, a manuscript should not be rejected solely because an author has requested an APC waiver.

Editorial decisions should remain based on scientific, ethical, and editorial considerations.

The APC process should not be used to compromise editorial independence.

 

13. No Guarantee of Acceptance

Payment ability, funding availability, or eligibility for an APC waiver does not guarantee acceptance.

All manuscripts must complete the applicable editorial and peer-review processes.

An author cannot reserve publication space or obtain manuscript acceptance by offering to pay an APC.

ELSR does not sell editorial decisions.

Any communication suggesting guaranteed acceptance in exchange for payment should be reported to the Editorial Office.

 

14. APC and Open Access

The APC is a publication charge and should not be confused with a reader-access fee.

Readers are not charged to access published ELSR articles.

Whether an article is published during a full APC waiver or after payment of an APC, the published article remains openly accessible under the journal's applicable open access and licensing arrangements.

The amount of APC paid does not change:

  • The open access status of the article.
  • The CC BY 4.0 license.
  • The scientific status of the article.
  • The peer-review requirements.
  • The editorial standards applied to the manuscript.

Detailed open access arrangements are described in the ELSR Open Access Policy.

 

15. APC and Copyright

Payment of an APC does not transfer copyright from the authors to ELSR or Emergent Research Publications.

Authors retain copyright in accordance with the ELSR Copyright & Licensing Policy.

Published articles are licensed under CC BY 4.0.

The APC relates to publication processing and journal operation.

It is not a payment for the purchase or transfer of author copyright.

 

16. APC and Peer Review

ELSR does not charge authors for a favorable peer-review report.

Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts independently of APC arrangements.

Reviewer recommendations should be based on scientific and editorial considerations.

Reviewers should not:

  • Request payment from authors.
  • Discuss APC payment with authors.
  • Offer a favorable review in exchange for payment.
  • Make reviewer recommendations based on an author's financial circumstances.

Any suspected attempt to influence peer review through financial arrangements should be reported to the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Office.

 

17. Additional Publication Charges

ELSR should clearly disclose any mandatory additional publication charges before such charges are applied.

Unless otherwise clearly stated by the journal, authors should not assume that additional charges apply for:

  • Manuscript submission.
  • Standard peer review.
  • Standard online publication.
  • Standard article access by readers.

If the journal introduces a separate charge for a specific optional or additional service in the future, the nature and amount of the charge should be communicated transparently.

Optional services should not be presented as mandatory publication requirements unless they are genuinely required.

 

18. Taxes, Banking Charges, and Currency Conversion

Where applicable, authors may be responsible for taxes, bank transfer charges, currency-conversion charges, or other transaction costs imposed by financial institutions or payment providers.

Such external transaction costs are separate from the ELSR APC unless the journal explicitly states otherwise.

Authors should review the payment information provided following acceptance.

Where the journal is required to apply a tax or other legally required charge, this should be communicated in the payment information where applicable.

 

19. Payment Confirmation

Authors should retain appropriate evidence of APC payment.

Where applicable, the journal or authorized publication administration may provide payment confirmation or other relevant financial documentation.

Authors should ensure that manuscript identification information is correctly provided during the payment process.

If a payment cannot be identified, publication processing may be delayed while the payment is verified.

 

20. Publication Following APC Payment

Where an APC applies, publication processing may proceed after the applicable payment requirements have been completed.

Completion of APC payment does not permit substantive scientific changes to an accepted manuscript without editorial approval.

The accepted article remains subject to:

  • Production checks.
  • Proof review.
  • Publication requirements.
  • Copyright and licensing documentation.
  • Other applicable publication procedures.

APC payment does not remove the journal's right to take appropriate action if a serious scientific, ethical, legal, or publication-integrity concern is identified before publication.

 

21. Failure to Pay an Applicable APC

Where an APC applies, and no waiver or discount has been approved, authors are expected to complete the applicable payment process.

If payment is not completed, publication may be delayed.

The Editorial Office may contact the corresponding author to clarify the status of payment.

Authors experiencing genuine payment difficulties are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office.

Failure to pay an APC after acceptance should be treated as a publication-administration matter and should not retrospectively alter the scientific peer-review record.

 

22. Withdrawal After Acceptance

Authors who wish to withdraw an accepted manuscript should contact the Editorial Office promptly and provide an explanation.

Where APC payment has already been made, any refund consideration will depend on:

  • The stage of publication processing.
  • Whether production work has begun.
  • Whether the article has been published.
  • Costs already incurred.
  • The reason for withdrawal.
  • Other relevant circumstances.

Withdrawal of an accepted manuscript is also subject to applicable ELSR editorial and publication procedures.

 

23. APC Refunds

APC payments are not automatically refundable.

A refund request may be considered where:

  • Duplicate payment has occurred.
  • An incorrect amount was paid.
  • A payment-processing error occurred.
  • The journal is unable to proceed with publication for reasons attributable to the journal.
  • Other exceptional circumstances justify review.

Once an article has been published, an APC is normally not refundable solely because:

  • An author later changes their mind.
  • The article receives criticism.
  • The author disagrees with post-publication discussion.
  • The article is corrected.
  • The article is retracted following a scientific, ethical, or publication-integrity concern.

Refund requests will be assessed according to the circumstances of the case.

 

24. Retractions and APC Refunds

Retraction of a published article does not normally result in a refund of the APC.

The APC relates to publication processing and services already performed.

Retraction is a post-publication editorial action intended to protect the scientific record.

Where an exceptional situation involves a significant journal administrative or publication error, the journal may separately consider whether a refund is appropriate.

Retraction decisions are governed by the ELSR Corrections & Retractions Policy.

 

25. Corrections and APCs

ELSR does not normally charge an additional APC for publication of a formal Correction relating to an article published in the journal.

A Correction is part of maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record.

This does not prevent the journal from addressing exceptional costs or circumstances where legally or administratively necessary.

Authors should not delay reporting a significant error because of concern that a standard correction fee will be imposed.

 

26. Complaints Concerning APCs

Authors may raise concerns regarding:

  • Incorrect APC information.
  • An unexpected payment request.
  • Application of an APC waiver.
  • A payment-processing problem.
  • A refund decision.
  • Other APC-related administrative matters.

Authors should contact the Editorial Office and provide relevant manuscript and payment information.

APC-related complaints may be handled according to the ELSR Appeals & Complaints Policy.

Financial disputes should be distinguished from appeals against scientific editorial decisions.

 

27. Suspicious or Unauthorized Payment Requests

Authors should exercise caution regarding unofficial payment requests.

ELSR authors should make APC payments only through payment methods or instructions officially communicated by the journal or its authorized publication administration.

Authors should contact the Editorial Office before making payment when:

  • The payment request is unexpected.
  • The sender cannot be verified.
  • The amount differs from the journal's communicated APC.
  • Guaranteed acceptance is offered.
  • Payment is requested before submission as a condition of peer review.
  • A reviewer directly requests payment.
  • The payment request appears unrelated to official ELSR communication.

ELSR is not responsible for unauthorized third-party payment requests falsely presented as official journal communications, subject to applicable law and the specific circumstances.

 

28. Changes to APC Amounts

ELSR may review and revise its APC amounts.

Changes may reflect developments in:

  • Publication costs.
  • Journal infrastructure.
  • Publishing services.
  • Technical requirements.
  • Economic conditions.
  • Journal funding arrangements.

Any revised APC should be communicated transparently through the journal website.

The effective date of a new APC arrangement should be clearly identified where necessary.

Authors should not be subject to undisclosed retrospective APC increases.

 

29. Temporary APC Initiatives

ELSR may introduce temporary publication initiatives involving:

  • Full APC waivers.
  • Partial APC discounts.
  • Special publication periods.
  • Journal development initiatives.
  • Other formally approved APC arrangements.

The eligibility conditions and applicable period should be clearly communicated.

Temporary APC initiatives do not alter the journal's editorial standards or peer-review requirements.

Participation in an APC initiative does not guarantee manuscript acceptance.

 

30. Sponsored or Institutionally Supported Publication

In some circumstances, publication charges may be supported by:

  • Institutions.
  • Funding agencies.
  • Research projects.
  • Publication agreements.
  • Journal development funding.
  • Other legitimate financial arrangements.

Where such support applies, authors should provide relevant information when requested.

Financial support for publication should not influence the editorial decision.

Where appropriate, relevant funding or publication-support information may be disclosed transparently.

 

31. Editorial and Financial Conflicts of Interest

Individuals involved in scientific editorial decisions should not allow financial interests related to APC collection to influence manuscript evaluation.

Where an Editor has a relevant financial or other conflict of interest, the conflict should be appropriately managed.

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Office are responsible for supporting appropriate separation between scientific decision-making and APC administration.

Concerns regarding financial influence on editorial decisions may be raised under the ELSR Appeals & Complaints Policy or ELSR Publication Ethics Policy.

 

32. Accuracy of APC Information

ELSR seeks to maintain accurate and current APC information on the journal website.

Where conflicting APC information is identified across journal webpages or documents, authors should contact the Editorial Office for clarification.

The journal should correct inaccurate or outdated APC information when identified.

Authors should rely on official ELSR communication and current journal information rather than unofficial third-party descriptions of publication charges.

 

33. APC Policy and Accepted Manuscripts

The APC conditions applicable to an accepted manuscript should be communicated clearly before payment is requested.

Where a manuscript qualifies for a formally announced full APC waiver, the authors should not be required to pay the standard APC contrary to the stated waiver conditions.

Where no waiver applies, the standard APC or other clearly communicated applicable charge may be requested following acceptance.

The Editorial Office should maintain appropriate administrative records of APC status.

 

34. Transparency of Publication Charges

ELSR is committed to avoiding hidden mandatory publication charges.

Mandatory publication charges should be clearly identified.

Authors should be able to distinguish between:

  • Standard APCs.
  • Waivers.
  • Discounts.
  • Optional services.
  • External banking or transaction costs.

Clear APC information supports informed manuscript submission and responsible scholarly publishing.

 

35. Relationship With Other ELSR Policies

This Article Processing Charges Policy should be read together with the relevant ELSR policies, including:

  • Editorial Policy.
  • Publication Ethics Policy.
  • Copyright & Licensing Policy.
  • Open Access Policy.
  • Corrections & Retractions Policy.
  • Appeals & Complaints Policy.

The APC Policy concerns publication charges and financial administration.

It does not replace the journal's scientific, ethical, peer-review, copyright, or open access requirements.

 

36. APC Policy Oversight

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Office are responsible for overseeing the implementation of this Article Processing Charges Policy.

ELSR may review and update APC amounts, waiver arrangements, and payment procedures when necessary.

Changes to publication charges should be communicated transparently through the journal website.

All APC arrangements should remain separate from scientific peer review and editorial decision-making.

The principal financial transparency principle of ELSR is that authors should be informed of applicable mandatory publication charges, and payment should never purchase manuscript acceptance or favorable editorial treatment.