Article Processing Charge (APC) Waiver Policy

This policy aims to outline the principles and procedures for granting Article Processing Charge (APC) waivers to ensure equitable access to publication opportunities for authors, particularly from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

JAFES is committed to supporting researchers and authors from underserved regions, ensuring that financial barriers do not impede the dissemination of valuable research. In line with this commitment, JAFES will consider APC waiver requests on a case-by-case basis, using the Research4Life list of eligible countries as a guiding framework.

1. Full Waiver: Authors affiliated with institutions located in Group A countries as classified by Research4Life (representing low-income countries) are eligible for full waivers of the APC.

Afghanistan Angola Bangladesh Belize Benin Bhutan Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo Cook Islands Côte d’Ivoire Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Dominica Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gambia Ghana Grenada Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Kenya Kiribati Kyrgyzstan Lao People’s Democratic Republic Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Maldives

Mali Marshall Islands Mauritania Micronesia (Federated States of) Mozambique Myanmar Nauru Nepal Nicaragua Niger Niue occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem Palau Papua New Guinea Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Sierra Leone Solomon Islands Somalia South Sudan Sudan Suriname Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Republic of Tanzania Vanuatu Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

2. Partial Waiver: Authors from Group B countries (lower-middle-income countries) may be eligible for partial waivers, depending on the specific circumstances and the availability of institutional or grant support.

50 USD - AFES members
150 USD - for non AFES members

Group B (low-cost access)

Albania Algeria Antigua and Barbuda Armenia Azerbaijan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Colombia Cuba Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Fiji Gabon Georgia Guatemala Guyana Honduras Iraq Jamaica Jordan

Kosovo (in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)) Libya Mauritius Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Namibia Nigeria North Macedonia Pakistan Paraguay Peru Republic of Moldova Saint Kitts and Nevis Seychelles Sri Lanka Tunisia Uzbekistan Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam

3.  Special Considerations:
- Requests from authors outside the Research4Life eligibility list may be considered on a case-by-case basis, particularly if authors can demonstrate financial hardship or lack of institutional support.
- Early-career researchers, students, and authors from marginalized groups may also be prioritized.

1. Submission: Authors must submit a formal request for an APC waiver at the time of manuscript submission. The request should include:
- A statement explaining the financial need.
- Information on the authors’ institutional affiliation and funding status.

2. Review: Waiver requests will be reviewed confidentially by the editorial office, considering:
- The country of the corresponding author.
- The research’s significance and alignment with the journal’s mission.
- Availability of funds allocated for waivers.

3. Decision: The editorial office will communicate the decision on the waiver request prior to final acceptance of the manuscript.

- All decisions regarding waivers will be documented to ensure fairness and consistency.
- The total number and value of waivers granted may be reported annually for transparency.

- Waivers are subject to the journal’s financial capacity to support APC subsidies.
- The waiver policy does not influence editorial decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts, which are based solely on scientific quality and relevance.

Authors with questions about the waiver policy or application process may contact the JAFES editorial office at jafes.editor@gmail.com.

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*This policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with JAFES’s mission and the evolving needs of the global research community.