Article Processing Charges (APC) Policy

Purpose

Verdant Legacy Publications is committed to ensuring broad dissemination of scholarly research through open-access publishing while maintaining high standards of peer review, editorial management, digital preservation, and publication quality. This policy outlines the Article Processing Charges (APCs), waiver provisions, transparency commitments, and payment procedures applicable to journals published by Verdant Legacy Publications.

Commitment to Open Access

All journals published by Verdant Legacy Publications operate under an open-access model. Published articles are freely and permanently available online without subscription fees or access restrictions.

APCs, where applicable, are intended solely to support:

• Editorial management and administration.
• Peer review coordination.
• Manuscript production and publication.
• Website maintenance and hosting.
• Digital preservation and archiving.
• DOI registration and metadata management.
• Long-term accessibility of scholarly content.

Payment of APCs does not influence editorial decisions.

Current APC Policy

To encourage scholarly participation and support journal development, no Article Processing Charges (APCs) are currently applied to manuscripts accepted in the inaugural and early volumes of participating journals.

Current APC Status

Volumes 1–2

• Submission Fee: USD 0
• Peer Review Fee: USD 0
• Publication Fee: USD 0
• Page Charges: USD 0

Authors can publish accepted articles without any publication-related charges during this introductory phase.

Future APC Policy

Beginning with Volume 3 and subsequent volumes, APCs may be introduced to support sustainable journal operations and long-term digital preservation.

The proposed APC structure is as follows:

These APC rates are indicative and may be revised periodically based on operational costs, technological requirements, and currency fluctuations.

Any revisions will be announced on the journal website before implementation.

APC Payment Conditions

APCs, where applicable, will only be requested after:

• Successful completion of peer review.
• Formal acceptance by the Editor-in-Chief.
• Issuance of an acceptance decision.

No fees are charged for manuscript submission or peer review.

Authors are never required to make payment as a condition for editorial consideration.

Waiver and Discount Policy

Verdant Legacy Publications recognizes that publication costs may present challenges for some researchers. Therefore, APC waivers and discounts may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Waiver requests may be considered for:

Authors from Low-Income Countries

Corresponding authors affiliated with institutions located in low-income or lower-middle-income countries may be eligible for partial or full APC waivers.

Independent Researchers

Researchers without institutional support or research funding may request consideration for fee reductions or waivers.

Early-Career Researchers

Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career academics demonstrating financial need may be eligible for reduced APCs.

Invited Contributions

Invited review articles, editorials, perspectives, and commissioned content may receive full APC waivers at the discretion of the editorial board.

Waiver Request Procedure

Authors requesting a waiver or discount should submit a brief written request explaining their circumstances.

Waiver requests should be submitted:

• Prior to manuscript submission; or
• At the time of submission.

Requests should be sent to:

Email: editorial@verdantlegacy.org

Waiver decisions are made independently of editorial evaluation and do not influence peer review outcomes.

Transparency and Ethical Standards

Verdant Legacy Publications adheres to the principles of transparency promoted by:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA)

The publisher is committed to maintaining complete transparency regarding publication charges.

There are:

• No submission fees.
• No review fees.
• No hidden publication charges.
• No mandatory membership fees.

Any applicable APCs are clearly communicated before publication.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based solely on:

• Scientific quality.
• Originality.
• Methodological rigor.
• Relevance to journal scope.
• Ethical compliance.

The ability or inability of authors to pay APCs does not influence acceptance, rejection, or editorial consideration.

Refund Policy

As APCs support editorial processing, peer review management, production, and publication services, fees paid after article acceptance are generally non-refundable.

Requests for exceptional consideration will be evaluated individually by the editorial office.

Policy Review

This APC Policy may be revised periodically to reflect changes in publication costs, digital infrastructure requirements, and international publishing standards.

Any updates will be published on the journal website.

Contact Information

Questions regarding APCs, waiver eligibility, payment procedures, or publication charges may be directed to:

Verdant Legacy Publications Email: editorial@verdantlegacy.org

Website: https://verdantlegacy.com