Gold Open Access — No Subscription Required
Keith Publications operates on a Gold Open Access model. All published articles are immediately and permanently free to read. We charge a modest Article Processing Charge (APC) to cover editorial, production, and archiving costs.
Submission is always free. The APC is only due upon acceptance.
APC Schedule
| Charge Type | Amount | When Due | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submission fee | FREE | N/A | No charge to submit |
| Article Processing Charge (APC) | USD 100 | Upon acceptance | All article types |
| Waiver / Discount | AVAILABLE | Apply before submission | Eligible authors — see below |
| Colour figures (online) | FREE | N/A | No charge for colour in the PDF |
| Page charges (excess pages) | FREE | N/A | No page charges |
Note: APCs are quoted in USD and include all taxes where applicable. Institutional purchase orders and wire transfers are accepted.
What the APC Covers
- Peer review management and editorial administration
- Professional copyediting, typesetting, and XML production
- Online hosting and permanent open-access availability
- CrossRef DOI registration
- Long-term digital preservation (LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, Portico)
- Metadata submission to indexing databases (Google Scholar, DOAJ, etc.)
- Author support and customer service
Waivers & Discounts
No author should be unable to publish for financial reasons. Apply at submission via the cover letter — waivers are assessed independently of editorial decisions and are never contingent on peer-review outcome.
| Category | Who Qualifies | Discount |
|---|---|---|
| Low-income countries | Corresponding authors based in countries on the World Bank low-income list | 70% waiver |
| Middle-income countries | Corresponding authors based in countries on the World Bank lower- & middle-income list | 60% discount |
| Early-career researchers | PhD students and postdocs within five years of award | 50% discount |
| Editorial board members | Serving editors and active reviewers (≥3 reviews/year) | 25% discount |
| Bulk submission & publication | Every third paper submitted by the same corresponding author within a calendar year | 25% discount |
| Institutional partners | Partner institutions through our APC offset programme | Variable — contact us |
To apply, include your waiver request in the cover letter at submission or email [email protected] with your name, institution, country, article type, and a brief justification. Decisions are made within 3–5 business days.
Payment Process
- Authors receive an acceptance notification by email
- An APC invoice is issued to the corresponding author
- Payment is due within 30 days of invoice date
- Production begins upon confirmed receipt of payment
- Article is published online within 5–10 business days of production completion
Accepted Payment Methods
- Bank / wire transfer (preferred for international authors)
- Credit card (Visa, Mastercard) via secure payment link
- Institutional purchase order (for member institutions)
Refund Policy
APCs are non-refundable once the article has entered production (post-acceptance copyediting). Exceptions:
- If Keith Publications retracts an article due to an editorial error, a full refund will be issued
- If an author withdraws before production begins, a full refund is granted
- Duplicate payments are refunded in full
Contact
For APC-related queries, invoicing, or payment issues:
Finance / APC Team — Keith Publications
Email: [email protected]
Response within 2 business days.
See also: Publication Fees Summary | Open Access Policy