- Why does ISCI impose article processing charges (APCs) for publishing in its journals?
- Which article types are published free of charge?
- Bank, credit card and other fees
- Does ISCI offer any discounts on the article processing charges (APCs)?
- Do I have to pay if my manuscript is rejected?
- Are reprints of my article included in the article processing charges (APCs)?
Why Does ISCI Impose Article Processing Charges (APCs) for Publishing in its Journals?
ISCI publishes all its journals in full open access format. The scientific community and the general public have, for free, unlimited and immediate access to all content published in our journals as soon as it is published on the Internet. This means that ISCI does not receive any income from selling subscriptions to print or view online versions of its journals or from charging “pay-per-view” fees. Therefore, ISCI needs to defray its editorial and production costs by collecting article processing charges (APCs) from authors’ institutes or research funding bodies. ISCI is committed to keeping its open access publication charges at a minimum level. ISCI’s current charges—if calculated per page—are much lower than the revenues per published page generated by traditional, subscription-based academic publishers.
Which Article Types are Published Free of Charge?
Editorial items (Editorials, Corrections, Additions, Retractions, Letters, Comments, etc.) are published free of charge. Article processing charges (APCs) only apply to primary content: research articles, reviews and mini reviews, communications, short notes, etc.
Bank, Credit Card and other Fees
For wire transfers, we ask the customer to pay the fees for both the sender and the recipient bank, so that ISCI can receive the full invoiced amount. If you wish to pay by check, please add 12 CHF check fees.
Does ISCI Offer Any Discounts or Waivers of the Article Processing Charges (APCs)?
ISCI established an institutional membership scheme which grants authors of member institutes significant discounts on the regular Article Processing Charges (APC). In many cases, ISCI also offers discounts to previous reviewers of the journals.
Furthermore, ISCI publishes selected articles invited by the Editorial Office for free. Waivers may be granted at the Publisher’s discretion. The editorial decision making is decoupled from the authors’ ability to pay the Article Processing Charges in case their paper is accepted for publication.
Do I Have to Pay if My Manuscript is Rejected?
No. ISCI only sends the invoice for article processing charges (APCs) if a manuscript has been accepted for publication. The acceptance of a manuscript is based on the outcome of the peer-review procedure. The final decision as to whether a manuscript will be accepted for publication or rejected is made by an external editor (usually the Editor-in-Chief of a journal or the Guest Editor of a special issue) based on scientific merit.
Are Reprints of My Article Included In the Article Processing Charges (APCs)?
No. Article processing charges (APCs) do not entitle the authors to receive reprints of their published article. Reprints can be ordered separately and optionally for any article that has been published in an ISCI journal. To request an offer for reprints of an article, please visit the website of the article you would like to reprint, send an e-mail to [email protected].