APC
This page sets out in full the financial terms applied to authors publishing in Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies (JSSHRS). It documents the standard Article Processing Charge (APC), the comprehensive list of all charges that may apply to an author, the journal's fee waiver provisions, the procedure for requesting a waiver, the payment process, and the journal's policy on the relationship between APC payment and editorial decisions.
Identifiers: e-ISSN 3051-3561 (electronic), 3051-3553 (print).
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1. Standard Article Processing Charge
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The standard Article Processing Charge for JSSHRS is:
USD 30.00 (up to 21 pages) per accepted article. The APC covers a complete accepted article of up to 20 pages.
Articles longer than 20 pages are charged USD30 for each additional block of up to 20 pages. On this basis a 21-to-40-page article is USD60, and a 41-to-60-page article is USD90.
This is dramatically below the industry average. Comparable open access journals typically charge between USD 1,500 and USD 11,000 per article. EP Journals Group has set the APC at USD 30 deliberately, to ensure that publication is accessible to students, early-career researchers, and authors who would otherwise be priced out of legitimate, indexed open access publication.
The APC is invoiced after the manuscript has been accepted for publication and is payable before the article is released to production. Authors are not asked to pay anything at submission, during peer review, or at any stage prior to acceptance.
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2. What the APC funds
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The 30 USD APC contributes to the operational costs of producing and disseminating the article, including:
— Editorial workflow management (handling editor time, communication with authors and reviewers)
— Peer review coordination (reviewer invitation, tracking, follow-up)
— Editorial decision-making support
— Copyediting and language polishing of accepted manuscripts
— Typesetting and PDF production
— Web hosting and content delivery
— CrossRef Digital Object Identifier (DOI) registration (per-article fee paid to CrossRef)
— Long-term digital preservation through LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, and Internet Archive
— Indexing relationships with DOAJ, Google Scholar, OpenAIRE, BASE, and other discovery platforms
The journal's lean operational model — including a partly volunteer editorial structure, automated production pipelines, and shared infrastructure across all six EP Journals Group titles — enables this very low APC level.
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3. No charges at submission
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The journal does not charge any of the following at submission or during peer review:
— Submission fees: NONE
— Editorial processing charges: NONE
— Author registration fees: NONE
— Manuscript handling fees: NONE
— Peer review fees: NONE
Submission to JSSHRS is, and will remain, free of charge. The 30 USD APC applies only to manuscripts that have been formally accepted for publication.
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4. No hidden charges
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There are no charges of any kind beyond the standard 30 USD APC (up to 21 pages). Specifically, the journal does not levy:
— Colour figure charges: NONE
— Additional figure or table fees: NONE
— Supplementary material fees: NONE
— Printing or reprint charges: NONE (printing is not offered as a service)
— Open access fees beyond the APC: NONE
— Express or fast-track publication fees: NONE (the journal already operates a 1-2 week peer review timeline as standard)
— Reviewer suggestion fees: NONE
— Cover letter fees: NONE
— Copyediting fees beyond the APC: NONE
— DOI registration fees beyond the APC: NONE
The APC is a single, transparent payment. Authors will not encounter any unexpected charges at any stage of the publication process.
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5. Why the APC is set so low
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The journal's 30 USD APC reflects EP Journals Group's deliberate choice to position itself as an affordable, accessible open access publisher. Several factors enable this pricing:
5.1 Lean operational structure. The journal operates with a small core editorial team supplemented by volunteer editorial board members and reviewers, in line with practice at most academic-society journals.
5.2 Shared infrastructure across journals. The six EP Journals Group titles share submission, hosting, indexing, and preservation infrastructure, allowing fixed costs to be spread.
5.3 Automated production. The journal uses automated typesetting, copyediting support tools, and DOI registration pipelines to reduce per-article production overhead.
5.4 No marketing or sales overhead. The journal does not employ sales representatives, conference exhibitors, or commission-based author recruitment. Author awareness builds organically through search, indexing, and word of mouth.
5.5 Open-source platform. The journal runs on the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, an open-source academic publishing system that does not require commercial licensing fees.
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6. Comparison with industry standards
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For context, typical APC ranges at comparable journals are:
— Top-tier flagship journals (Nature Communications, Cell Reports, eLife): USD 5,000-11,000 per article
— Major commercial open access publishers (PLOS, MDPI, Frontiers, Hindawi): USD 1,500-3,500 per article
— Mid-tier open access journals: USD 800-2,000 per article
— Society-published or subsidised open access journals: USD 200-1,500 per article
— EP Journals Group (JSSHRS): USD 30 per article
The journal's 30 USD APC is therefore approximately 50-200 times lower than typical commercial open access journals, while maintaining identical core publishing services (peer review, copyediting, DOI registration, indexing, preservation).
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7. Fee waivers
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EP Journals Group recognises that even a low fee can present a barrier for some authors. A fee waiver of 10% is available to qualifying authors, reducing the APC from USD 30 to USD 27 per accepted article.
7.1 Eligibility
Waivers are available to two categories of author:
(a) Students currently enrolled at any recognised academic institution worldwide. This includes undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral students. Eligibility is based on academic enrolment status at the time of submission.
(b) Researchers without active research funding for the work being published. This includes independent scholars, researchers between research positions, retired researchers continuing to publish, and researchers whose grant funding has expired before publication of this manuscript.
7.2 Documentation required
For students:
— A copy of a current student identification card showing the student's name, institution, and current academic year, OR
— A letter or email from the student's supervisor or institutional registrar confirming current enrolment, OR
— A recent enrolment certificate issued by the institution
For unfunded researchers:
— A brief written statement (50-200 words) describing the funding situation, including: whether the work was funded at any stage, when funding (if any) ended, and confirmation that the author has no active research grant covering this manuscript
The journal does not require detailed financial proof; the documents and statement above are sufficient for waiver consideration.
7.3 What the waiver does and does not cover
The 10% waiver applies only to the standard APC of USD 30, reducing the fee to USD 27. There are no other charges to waive — the journal does not levy submission fees, page charges, or other ancillary fees (see section 4 above).
Country-based waivers are NOT offered by this journal. The journal's standard APC is already set at a level intended to be affordable across all economic contexts; no further reduction is offered on the basis of geographical or national affiliation alone.
The 10% waiver is also not stackable with any other discount. Each accepted article qualifies for at most one 10% waiver, regardless of how many of the eligibility categories its authors fall under.
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8. How to request a waiver
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Waivers must be requested BEFORE submitting the manuscript. The journal does not retroactively grant waivers after acceptance.
To request a waiver, send an email to the editorial office:
editor@ep-journals.org
with the subject line "Waiver request — [your manuscript title]" and the following information:
— Author name(s) and ORCID iD(s)
— Manuscript title (or working title) and target journal (JSSHRS)
— Eligibility category (student / unfunded researcher)
— Supporting documentation (per the requirements in section 7.2 above) attached to the email
— Brief description of the manuscript (1-2 sentences) so the editorial office can confirm scope fit
The editorial office, in consultation with the Editorial Board where appropriate, reviews waiver requests and responds within 5 working days. If the waiver is granted, the author will receive a waiver confirmation reference number to include in their submission. The waiver remains valid for 6 months from the date of grant; if the manuscript is not submitted within that period, a new waiver request is required.
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9. Editorial independence from APC
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The journal's editorial decisions are made on the basis of scholarly merit alone. APC payment, waiver status, author seniority, institutional affiliation, geographical location, and other non-scholarly factors play no role in acceptance decisions.
This commitment is operationalised through:
— Editorial decisions are made by the handling editor before the APC is invoiced
— Manuscripts undergoing peer review do not have APC or waiver status visible to reviewers or to the handling editor at the time of decision
— Authors with waivers receive identical peer review, identical handling, and identical production as authors paying the standard APC
— APC payment is processed by the Editorial Office (administrative function) and not by editors making scholarly decisions
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10. Payment methods and process
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After acceptance, the corresponding author receives an invoice for the applicable APC (USD 30 standard, or USD 27 if the 10% waiver has been granted). Payment can be made via:
— Bank wire transfer (international)
— PayPal
— Online card payment through the journal's payment portal
A receipt is issued upon payment. Receipts can be issued in the name of the author or the author's institution as required for institutional reimbursement.
Production of the article begins as soon as payment is confirmed.
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11. Refund policy
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Refunds may be issued in the following circumstances:
— If the journal fails to produce or publish an accepted article within 90 days of payment (full refund)
— If the author identifies an error in invoicing, including incorrect application or non-application of an approved waiver (full refund of the overcharged amount)
— If the article is retracted due to publisher error (partial or full refund at the publisher's discretion)
Refunds are not issued in the following circumstances:
— After the article has been published (production costs already incurred)
— If the author chooses to withdraw the article after acceptance and after publication has commenced
— If the article is retracted due to author misconduct
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12. Withdrawal policy
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Authors may withdraw their manuscript at any time before acceptance at no charge.
After acceptance and APC payment, withdrawal is permitted but may be subject to a partial refund based on production work already completed:
— Withdrawal before production begins: full refund of any APC paid
— Withdrawal during copyediting: 50% refund
— Withdrawal during typesetting or after typesetting completion: no refund
Withdrawal requests should be sent to editor@ep-journals.org.
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13. Tax and invoicing
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EP Journals Group invoices the APC inclusive of any applicable taxes. Authors paying the APC personally cannot generally claim VAT or similar input tax. Authors whose institutions reimburse APCs as research expenses can claim input tax in accordance with local tax rules.
Institutional invoices are available on request. Authors needing a particular institutional invoice format should specify this in advance of payment.
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14. Annual review of fees
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The APC and waiver structure are reviewed annually by EP Journals Group. The publisher commits to:
— Maintaining the APC at a level dramatically below industry average
— Maintaining the 10% waiver programme for students and unfunded researchers indefinitely
— Reviewing the waiver structure based on demand and operational sustainability
Any changes to the APC structure are announced at least 90 days in advance and apply only to manuscripts submitted after the change date. Manuscripts already in the editorial system at the time of any change are processed under the previous APC structure.
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15. Contact and questions
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Questions about APC, waivers, payment, refunds, or any other financial matter should be directed to:
editor@ep-journals.org
Publisher: EP Journals Group
Publisher website: https://www.ep-journals.org
Journal: Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies (JSSHRS)
Last reviewed: 2026
APC structure version: 1.1
