FJMRI Journal | ISSN: Applied | DOI: via Zenodo | Open Access
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Zero Submission Fees · Transparent APC · Need-Based Waivers

Article Processing Charge (APC) & Fee Transparency Policy

FJMRI is dedicated to fair, transparent scholarly publishing. We never charge submission fees or review assessment charges; the transparent APC is requested strictly after formal peer-reviewed acceptance.

🚫 Zero Submission Charges 💳 Pay After Acceptance 🌍 Country & Need-Based Concessions Last Updated: January 2026

01. Zero Submission Charges Guarantee

To ensure research is judged solely on scientific merit, FJMRI charges zero submission fees, zero processing charges, and zero reading paywalls prior to editorial acceptance:

100% Free Initial Submission

Authors may submit manuscripts without entering credit card details or paying any preliminary administrative fees.

100% Free Desk Pre-Screening

Format checking, scope evaluation, and plagiarism screening during Phase 1 are completed without charge.

100% Free Peer Review

Double-blind peer evaluation by independent external doctoral referees carries zero assessment cost.

Free Rejection

If a manuscript is rejected at desk screening or following peer evaluation, authors owe absolutely nothing.

02. Transparent Article Processing Charge (APC)

As a pure Gold Open Access journal, FJMRI does not generate subscription revenues from universities or libraries. To cover operational publishing costs, a transparent Article Processing Charge (APC) is levied upon acceptance:

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What the APC Finances: Persistent Zenodo DOI allocation and permanent registration, professional LaTeX/XML and Word camera-ready typesetting, similarity audit screening, high-availability cloud server infrastructure, long-term digital deposition, and open-access metadata syndication.

03. Post-Acceptance Payment & Documentation

Payment is requested strictly after the Editor-in-Chief issues the formal decision letter of acceptance (Stage 09).

  • Official Documents Generated Instantly: Upon formal acceptance, authors can immediately download their signed Acceptance Letter and Author Publication Certificate directly from their dashboard.
  • Secure Payment Channels: Invoices can be settled via secure international card payment, institutional wire transfer, or approved gateway with instant receipt generation.
  • Rapid Production Turnaround: Once payment is confirmed and galley proofs are approved, publication and Zenodo DOI registration are completed in 1 to 2 business days.

04. Fee Waivers & Developing Country Discounts

FJMRI recognizes international equity principles to assist scholars from resource-constrained regions. However, to maintain quality open-access infrastructure, fee waivers and discounts are not automatic and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis through mutual understanding:

Developing Country Considerations

Authors based in qualifying developing economies (guided by World Bank and Research4Life indicators) may apply for fee concessions. Granting and discount percentage are determined based on verified institutional support, country tier, and available journal waiver funds.

Author Situation & Hardship Review

Unfunded postgraduate students, early-career researchers, and independent scholars lacking institutional grant support may request hardship review by providing documentation of their situation and lack of dedicated research funding.

Case-by-Case Discretionary Assessment

Discounts and waivers are not guaranteed. Each application is assessed based on the author's circumstance, available journal waiver allocations, and mutual agreement between the author and editorial management.

Strict Editorial Firewalls

Waiver requests are handled solely by the administrative office and are never disclosed to peer reviewers or handling editors, guaranteeing completely unbiased scientific evaluation.

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Application Protocol & Mutual Understanding: Authors seeking fee relief must submit their request during initial manuscript submission via the Message to Editor field. Retrospective requests after peer review completion are generally not accommodated. Depending on the evaluation and mutual agreement, the journal may offer a full waiver, a partial discount, or standard APC terms.

05. Refund & Cancellation Terms

Because Article Processing Charges directly finance immediate, irreversible digital production, typesetting, and indexing infrastructure:

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Strict No-Refund Policy Once Published: Once an article is published online and assigned a persistent Zenodo DOI, the Article Processing Charge is strictly 100% non-refundable under any circumstances. No refunds will be issued post-publication, including in cases where an article is later retracted, corrected, or removed due to author scientific misconduct, plagiarism, or copyright violations.
  • Post-Publication Non-Refundability: Online release, Zenodo DOI allocation, and digital repository deposition represent permanent scientific archival records. The APC is non-refundable once published.
  • Article Retraction: If an article is retracted post-publication due to author scientific misconduct, plagiarism, or data falsification, zero refund will be issued per COPE guidelines.
  • Pre-Publication Withdrawal: If an author formally requests withdrawal after paying the APC but prior to DOI registration and final publication, a partial refund minus administrative processing costs may be considered upon formal editorial review.
  • Rejected Manuscripts: Manuscripts rejected during desk screening or peer review owe zero fees; no payment is ever requested.

06. Strict Commercial Independence

Editorial decision-making is strictly insulated from financial operations:

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Editors Have No Financial Incentive: Neither the Editor-in-Chief, handling editors, nor peer reviewers receive financial bonuses tied to manuscript acceptance. An author's ability or inability to pay an APC plays zero role in the scientific evaluation of their work.