Article Processing Charges (APC) and Payment Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

The International Journal of Multidisciplinary Inquiry (IJMI) operates as an open-access scholarly journal committed to making published research freely accessible to readers without subscription barriers.

To support the administration, editorial coordination, manuscript processing, production, website maintenance, and other legitimate publishing activities, IJMI applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) to manuscripts formally accepted for publication.

This policy establishes the journal's arrangements concerning publication charges, payment obligations, discounts, invoicing, payment verification, and financial accountability. It applies to Original Research Articles and Review Articles submitted to IJMI.

The journal maintains a clear separation between academic editorial decisions and financial administration. Payment of an APC does not influence the scholarly assessment of manuscripts or guarantee publication irrespective of the journal's ethical and editorial requirements.

2. Article Processing Charge

The standard Article Processing Charge for IJMI is USD 135 per accepted article.

The APC is charged per article, irrespective of the number of authors. The standard charge applies to both Original Research Articles and Review Articles unless an approved discount or waiver has been granted.

The APC contributes to the journal's publishing operations, including editorial administration, manuscript management, copyediting, typesetting, online publication, website infrastructure, and other associated publishing expenses.

The charge does not constitute payment for manuscript acceptance, favourable reviewer recommendations, or preferential editorial treatment.

Any changes to the standard APC will be communicated through the journal's official website. The applicable amount for an accepted manuscript will be confirmed in the official APC invoice.

3. No Submission or Peer Review Fees

IJMI does not impose submission fees or separate peer review fees.

Authors are not required to make any payment when submitting a manuscript or while it is undergoing initial editorial screening and peer review.

The APC becomes payable only after the manuscript has completed the required editorial evaluation and received formal acceptance for publication.

Manuscripts rejected during initial screening or peer review are not subject to an APC. A request for revision does not constitute acceptance and does not create an obligation to pay the publication charge.

4. Editorial Independence and Financial Integrity

All manuscripts submitted to IJMI are evaluated according to scholarly merit, originality, relevance to the journal's scope, methodological appropriateness, research integrity, and compliance with applicable publication requirements.

Editorial decisions are made independently of article processing charges, financial considerations, institutional relationships, or other interests unrelated to academic quality.

Editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in manuscript evaluation must not request payments, gifts, or financial benefits from authors in connection with editorial decisions.

Payment of an APC does not guarantee accelerated publication, exemption from editorial requirements, or protection from subsequent action where serious ethical or scholarly concerns arise.

Financial administration is conducted separately from academic editorial evaluation to preserve the independence and integrity of the journal's publication process.

5. APC Discounts and Waivers

IJMI recognizes that publication charges may present financial challenges for some researchers, particularly students, early-career scholars, and authors working in economically disadvantaged or conflict-affected environments.

The journal may consider partial APC discounts or waivers in appropriate circumstances, subject to administrative approval and available financial resources.

Eligible applicants may include students, researchers from low- and middle-income countries, and authors experiencing significant financial hardship or exceptional circumstances.

Partial discounts of approximately 10% to 20% may be considered where justified. Larger reductions or full waivers may be granted exceptionally, subject to the journal's financial capacity.

Requests for discounts or waivers should ordinarily be submitted before payment is made and should include a brief explanation of the circumstances supporting the request.

Discount and waiver decisions are administrative matters and do not influence the academic assessment or acceptance of manuscripts.

Any approved reduction will be reflected in the official APC invoice. Discounts and waivers are not guaranteed.

6. APC Invoicing and Payment Procedures

Following formal acceptance of a manuscript, IJMI will issue an official APC invoice identifying the manuscript, the applicable publication charge, any approved discount, and the authorized payment instructions.

Each invoice will contain a unique manuscript or invoice reference number to support accurate payment identification and financial reconciliation.

The standard payment procedure is as follows:

1. The manuscript completes the required editorial evaluation and receives formal acceptance.

2. The journal issues an official APC invoice to the corresponding author or designated payer.

3. The author confirms the intention to proceed with publication and completes payment through an authorized payment method.

4. The journal verifies receipt of payment against the relevant invoice.

5. An official payment receipt is issued.

6. The accepted manuscript proceeds through the remaining production and publication procedures.

Authors should review the invoice, payment instructions, and applicable publication terms before making payment.

Payment instructions will be communicated only through the journal's official administrative channels.

7. Accepted Payment Methods

IJMI may accept APC payments through direct bank transfer to the publisher's designated business account.

For authors in Malaysia, DuitNow QR or other approved domestic payment arrangements may be made available where operationally appropriate.

International payment methods may be introduced as the journal's publishing activities develop, subject to the availability of suitable payment service providers and associated transaction arrangements.

The authorized payment methods and relevant instructions will be specified in the official APC invoice.

Where currency conversion, intermediary bank charges, or payment service fees apply, the invoice or accompanying payment instructions will clarify the amount payable and any relevant financial arrangements.

Authors should retain proof of payment until an official receipt has been issued.

8. Non-Refundable Article Processing Charges

The Article Processing Charge becomes payable only after a manuscript has successfully completed the required editorial evaluation and has received formal acceptance for publication.

Authors are expected to confirm their intention to proceed with publication before making payment. Payment of the APC constitutes confirmation of the author's agreement to proceed with the publication process under the journal's established terms and conditions.

Once payment has been made, the APC is generally non-refundable. This includes circumstances in which an author subsequently requests manuscript withdrawal, changes publication plans, decides to submit the work elsewhere, or no longer wishes to proceed with publication.

The journal commits administrative resources and undertakes publication-related activities following acceptance and payment. Authors are therefore expected to consider their publication intentions carefully before completing the transaction.

Exceptions will be addressed where necessary in cases of duplicate payment, verified overpayment, or circumstances in which IJMI is unable to provide the agreed publication service. Any refund or other remedy required under applicable law will be respected.

Withdrawal requests involving substantiated ethical, legal, or research integrity concerns will be assessed independently of the APC payment. Such requests do not automatically establish an entitlement to a refund.

IJMI reserves the right to suspend or discontinue publication where serious ethical or scholarly concerns arise, in accordance with its established publication ethics policies. The financial consequences of such action will be assessed according to the circumstances and applicable legal obligations.

9. Payment Verification and Exceptional Refunds

All APC payments are subject to verification against the official invoice and the journal's financial records.

Where a duplicate payment or verified overpayment has occurred, the payer should notify IJMI through its official administrative communication channels and provide the relevant invoice reference and payment documentation.

Where IJMI is unable to provide the agreed publication service, the journal will assess the circumstances and arrange an appropriate refund or other remedy where warranted.

Approved refunds will ordinarily be returned through the original payment method where practicable, or through another verified method where necessary.

Any applicable transaction charges, currency conversion differences, or other non-recoverable costs will be handled in accordance with the payment terms and applicable legal requirements.

The journal does not provide refunds merely because an author changes publication preferences or voluntarily withdraws an accepted manuscript after payment.

Nothing in this policy limits rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.

10. Unauthorized Payments and Third-Party Intermediaries

IJMI does not authorize agents, manuscript brokers, independent reviewers, editors, or other third parties to collect APC payments on behalf of the journal unless such an arrangement has been expressly approved and formally communicated through the publisher's authorized channels.

Authors must make payments only according to the instructions provided in the official APC invoice.

The journal does not recognize unauthorized payment requests made through personal bank accounts, informal intermediaries, or individuals claiming to guarantee acceptance or accelerated publication.

No individual or organization may legitimately guarantee acceptance of a manuscript in exchange for payment.

Authors who receive suspicious payment requests, conflicting banking instructions, or offers of guaranteed publication should contact IJMI directly through its official website before making payment.

The journal reserves the right to investigate suspected payment irregularities, fraudulent representations, or unauthorized use of its name.

11. Publication Following Payment

Following verification of the applicable APC payment, an accepted manuscript will proceed through the remaining stages of publication, including copyediting, typesetting, final author verification, and online publication, as appropriate.

Where DOI registration services have been established, eligible published articles will receive a DOI in accordance with the journal's registration arrangements.

Payment does not exempt a manuscript from final editorial checks, copyright requirements, author verification, or other necessary publication procedures.

If significant ethical or scholarly concerns emerge after acceptance but before publication, IJMI may suspend the publication process while the matter is assessed.

Where publication cannot proceed, any financial remedy will be determined in accordance with the circumstances, the journal's payment policy, and applicable legal obligations.

12. Policy Administration and Review

IJMI is committed to communicating its publication charges and payment procedures clearly and consistently.

The journal may periodically review its APC structure, discount arrangements, payment methods, and administrative procedures in response to changes in publishing costs, operational requirements, and the needs of its scholarly community.

Any changes will be published through the journal's official website and implemented with appropriate consideration for authors who have already received formal acceptance or invoices.

Questions concerning APCs, invoices, discounts, payments, or exceptional payment adjustments should be directed to the journal through its official administrative communication channels.

This policy should be read alongside IJMI's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, Peer Review Policy, Copyright and Licensing Policy, and other applicable journal requirements.