Charges Policy
The Annals of Clinical Hypertension is an open access peer-reviewed journal that operates on a transparent Article Processing Charge (APC) model. We are deeply committed to ensuring that our authors understand the costs involved in the publication process, how these charges support the journal’s mission, and the value they receive in return. This policy outlines in detail the principles behind our charges, the structure of fees, their purpose, and considerations regarding waivers, refunds, and special circumstances. By elaborating extensively on our charging framework, we aim to maintain fairness, transparency, and accessibility for our global community of researchers.
Unlike subscription-based journals, open access publishing does not rely on paywalls or institutional subscriptions to recover publishing costs. Instead, APCs are levied to sustain the infrastructure required for high-quality scholarly communication. These charges ensure that all content remains free to read, download, cite, and distribute immediately upon publication, removing barriers to knowledge dissemination worldwide. By charging APCs, the journal is able to uphold ethical standards, maintain state-of-the-art technology platforms, and provide timely services to authors, reviewers, and readers alike.
What the Charges Cover
The APC collected from authors is not merely a fee for “printing” or “hosting” articles; it represents a comprehensive contribution to a robust publishing ecosystem. To provide full transparency, we break down how APCs are allocated across different aspects of the publication process:
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Editorial Management: This includes initial manuscript triage, assignment to appropriate editors, managing peer reviewers, handling revisions, and ensuring adherence to ethical and scholarly standards. Editorial management represents a large portion of the time and human resources invested in the publication process.
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Peer Review Administration: Coordinating double-blind peer review requires maintaining reviewer databases, inviting qualified reviewers, monitoring review timelines, providing guidance to reviewers, and safeguarding confidentiality. APCs sustain the infrastructure that makes this rigorous process possible.
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Plagiarism and Similarity Checking: Every manuscript undergoes checks using iThenticate or equivalent tools to detect overlap, plagiarism, or duplicate publication. The licensing costs and integration of these tools into our workflow are supported by APCs.
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Copyediting and Language Polishing: Manuscripts accepted for publication undergo professional copyediting to improve clarity, readability, and adherence to journal formatting requirements. Where necessary, language editing is also provided to assist authors for whom English is not a first language.
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Typesetting and Formatting: Articles are professionally formatted into multiple digital versions (HTML, XML, and PDF) to ensure readability across platforms. This includes graphical enhancement, table rendering, and consistent style application across all publications.
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Registration: APCs cover the cost of assigning DOIs via CrossRef, ensuring permanent identification and easy citation tracking of published works.
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Online Hosting and Maintenance: Published articles are hosted on a secure digital platform with 24/7 availability. APCs support server costs, website maintenance, cybersecurity, and constant upgrades to user experience.
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Indexing and Archiving: The journal actively works to deposit content in multiple repositories, university libraries, and indexing databases. The APC helps cover the cost of technical integration and metadata standardization required by these systems.
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Open Access Licensing: Articles are published under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licensing. APCs ensure compliance with licensing standards, allowing maximum visibility and reuse rights for published research.
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Administrative Support: A portion of APCs is dedicated to staff salaries, editorial training, and management of communication between authors, reviewers, and editors.
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Technological Innovation: The journal invests in digital publishing technologies such as responsive websites, searchable article databases, and metrics dashboards. APCs help us remain competitive with industry leaders in publishing innovation.
The Annals of Clinical Hypertension maintains a transparent fee structure. We ensure that authors are informed of all costs before submission, with no hidden charges for color figures, supplementary data, or length of manuscripts. This policy is rooted in fairness and in building trust with our author community.
Article Processing Charge (APC) Structure
The journal applies a standard APC for all accepted articles. The fee is payable upon acceptance and prior to final publication. Payment methods include bank transfers, credit card payments, and institutional payment arrangements. Authors receive official invoices for institutional reimbursement where applicable.
Waivers and Discounts
We recognize that APCs can pose challenges for authors, particularly those from low- and middle-income countries, or early-career researchers without sufficient funding support. Therefore, the journal provides a Waiver Policy, offering full or partial discounts on APCs depending on the author’s circumstances. Waiver requests are considered confidentially and fairly, and do not influence editorial decisions or peer review outcomes in any way.
Refund Policy Considerations
In line with our Refund Policy, APCs are generally non-refundable once paid, as they support ongoing administrative and editorial services regardless of an article’s subsequent withdrawal. However, in rare cases where technical errors prevent publication, or where the delay in publication exceeds established timelines, the editorial office may consider refund requests on a case-by-case basis.
Ethical Alignment of Charges
The journal aligns its charges policy with ethical publishing practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA). Authors are assured that charges are never used to influence editorial decisions; all manuscripts undergo rigorous peer review irrespective of the author’s ability to pay.
By paying APCs, authors contribute not only to their own publication but also to the advancement of global science. Their research remains openly available, cited more frequently, and accessible to clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and patients worldwide. Studies consistently show that open access articles have higher visibility and citation rates, amplifying the impact of the author’s scholarly contributions.
Institutional and Funder Support
Many universities and research funders now actively support open access publishing by covering APCs for their affiliated authors. The Annals of Clinical Hypertension is compatible with such institutional agreements, and we encourage authors to explore whether their institution provides APC support. Where funders mandate open access publication, our policies ensure compliance with funder requirements for deposition, licensing, and reuse.
Global Equity and Accessibility
We remain committed to reducing inequalities in global research publishing. While APCs sustain the journal’s operations, our waiver and discount program ensures that authors from underrepresented regions are not excluded from the opportunity to share their work. Our editorial board regularly reviews the charges policy to ensure that it remains equitable, accessible, and aligned with the journal’s mission of advancing clinical hypertension research worldwide.
Authors must settle APC invoices within the stipulated period following acceptance. Failure to do so may delay publication or result in withdrawal of the accepted manuscript. Invoices are official and binding, and late payments may attract surcharges. We therefore encourage timely communication with the editorial office regarding payment challenges to avoid disruptions.
Contact for Queries
For further clarification on our charges policy, waivers, or institutional billing, authors are invited to contact the editorial office. We are committed to addressing all concerns promptly and transparently.