The Journal of Community Medicine and Health Sciences (JCMHS) is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to making scientific knowledge freely accessible. This Charges Policy explains all financial aspects related to publication, ensuring transparency, fairness, and compliance with open-access best practices as outlined by DOAJ, COPE, and ICMJE.

JCMHS operates under a transparent cost-recovery model. There are no submission or subscription fees—only post-acceptance article processing charges (APCs) to sustain the open-access platform.

1. Purpose of the Charges Policy

This policy aims to communicate clearly the types of fees that may apply during the publication process, the rationale behind them, and the conditions for waivers or refunds. It supports ethical publishing, financial accountability, and accessibility for authors worldwide.

2. Principle of Transparency

All publication-related charges are publicly available on the journal website. Authors are notified of applicable charges before final acceptance to ensure informed consent. JCMHS does not request or collect any hidden fees at any stage.

3. Open-Access Model

JCMHS follows a Gold Open-Access model, which allows readers free, immediate access to published articles. The publication costs are covered through APCs paid by authors or their funding institutions after peer-review acceptance.

4. Article Processing Charges (APCs)

The APC covers services such as manuscript peer review management, plagiarism checking, technical editing, DOI registration, hosting, and long-term preservation. The standard APC structure is shown below.

Article Type	APC (USD)
Case Report / Clinical Trial	$2,949
Short Communication / Case Study	$2,949
Opinion / Editorial	$2,949

All APCs are exclusive of bank transfer fees or currency-conversion charges. Authors are responsible for any such transaction costs incurred during payment.

5. No Submission or Review Fees

JCMHS does not charge any fees for manuscript submission, initial screening, or peer review. Charges apply only after a manuscript has successfully passed peer review and is formally accepted for publication.

6. Payment Process

Upon acceptance, the editorial office sends an official APC invoice.
Payment can be made via bank transfer, credit/debit card, or institutional payment portal.
A receipt and payment confirmation are issued upon successful completion.

7. Services Covered by APC

The APC includes:

Editorial and peer-review coordination
Manuscript formatting, copy-editing, and proofreading
XML/HTML/PDF article production
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) registration
Permanent archiving in Portico and LOCKSS
Open-access hosting and website maintenance
Long-term metadata preservation and indexing
24/7 technical support for authors and readers

8. Financial Ethics and Accountability

JCMHS maintains strict financial ethics by ensuring:

Transparent APC invoicing with no hidden costs.
Invoices issued only after editorial acceptance.
Annual review of APC rates to maintain affordability.
Audit compliance for all transactions under publisher’s financial system.

9. Waiver and Discount Options

The journal supports equitable access by offering fee waivers and discounts to authors from low- and lower-middle-income countries, based on the World Bank Income Classification.

Author Category	Waiver / Discount Level
Low-income countries	Up to 100% waiver
Lower-middle-income countries	Up to 50% discount
Students or early-career researchers	Case-by-case partial waiver
Editorial board members / reviewers	Fee reduction or voucher benefit

Waiver requests must be submitted at the time of manuscript submission with proof of eligibility. Retrospective waivers after payment cannot be granted.

10. Institutional and Funder Support

Authors are encouraged to use institutional open-access funding or research-grant allocations to cover APCs. JCMHS is compatible with institutional open-access mandates and funding policies, including Plan S, Horizon Europe, and NIH Public Access policies.

11. Refund Policy

The refund process follows the Refund Policy. Refunds may be approved only in exceptional cases such as duplicate payments or technical errors. Once an article is published online, APCs become non-refundable.

12. APC Adjustments and Currency Fluctuation

All APC values are reviewed annually to account for inflation, exchange-rate changes, and service upgrades. Any revisions are publicly announced in advance and do not apply retroactively to accepted articles.

13. Sponsored Articles and Institutional Agreements

In some cases, institutions, societies, or funding bodies may enter sponsorship agreements with the publisher to cover APCs partially or fully for affiliated authors. Sponsored content is clearly identified with a funding acknowledgment.

14. Fee Exemptions

JCMHS does not charge fees for:

Editorials commissioned by the Editorial Board
Invited commentaries or peer-reviewed letters
Errata, corrections, or retraction notices
Supplementary materials hosted with published articles

15. APC Transparency Statement

The journal follows OASPA and DOAJ transparency criteria. The APC covers only actual editorial and technical costs; no profit is added. A detailed breakdown is available upon request.

16. Financial Assistance Programs

Through publisher initiatives, JCMHS offers annual support to research groups from resource-limited regions. Eligible authors may apply for publication vouchers under the Community Health Access Program (CHAP), which provides up to 70% cost reduction.

17. Payment Confirmation and Receipt

All payments are acknowledged with an official receipt containing:

Manuscript ID and article title
Transaction reference number
Author and payer details
Payment date and currency

18. Compliance with Global Standards

JCMHS’s financial and publication policies are designed to align with:

DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice
COPE Ethical Publication Standards
ICMJE Recommendations for Author Responsibilities
GDPR and international privacy regulations

19. Ethical Considerations

APCs are independent of editorial decisions. The editorial team makes acceptance decisions solely based on scientific quality and ethical compliance, without influence from payment status. Payment requests are sent only after editorial acceptance.

20. Queries Regarding APCs

For payment-related queries, authors may contact the Finance Department:

Email: [email protected]
Subject: “APC Inquiry – [Manuscript ID]”
Response Time: Within 5 business days

21. Annual Review and Policy Updates

The Charges Policy is reviewed annually to ensure fairness, compliance, and affordability. Updates are posted on the journal website, including revised APCs and waiver options.

“Transparency in publication charges strengthens trust between authors, readers, and publishers—ensuring that open access remains truly open.”