This Charges Policy expands on the foundational APC information found on the predecessor website and modernizes the framework according to best practices from DOAJ, COPE, Plan S, OASPA, and global open-access standards.

Purpose of the Charges Policy

The aim of this Charges Policy is to:

Ensure financial transparency
Provide clear explanations of APC components
Protect authors from hidden fees
Support resource needs of sustainable open-access publishing
Meet funder requirements and global OA standards

APMH does not charge submission fees, editorial assessment fees, or per-page charges.

When APCs Are Charged

APCs are charged only after final acceptance, meaning:

Peer review is completed
All revisions are approved
The manuscript has been formally accepted by the editor

There are:

No submission fees
No peer-review fees
No editorial processing fees
No fees for rejected papers

Authors pay only once the manuscript is guaranteed for publication.

Breakdown of APC Components

APCs fund essential services, including:

Editorial assessment and coordination
Peer reviewer management
Plagiarism screening
Copyediting and language enhancement
Professional typesetting and formatting
HTML and PDF conversions
DOI registration and Crossref fees
Website hosting and technical support
Digital preservation and repository integration
Indexing infrastructure

These costs are integral to maintaining rigorous scientific and publishing standards.

APC Structure

APCs may vary based on:

Article type (research article, review, case report, short communication, editorial)
Word count and complexity
Funding source
Geographic economic status (HIC/MIC/LIC classifications)

APMH ensures that APCs remain reasonable and competitive within the field of mental health publishing.

Current APC Range

The typical APC range for APMH is:

$500 – $1500 USD depending on article type and production requirements

Exact APC values are shared with authors only upon acceptance and per the journal’s official acceptance letter.

APCs for Article Types

Article Type	APC Range (USD)	Description
Original Research Articles	$2949	Full-length studies with extensive peer review and production steps.
Review Articles	$2949	Comprehensive analyses requiring advanced formatting and citation verification.
Case Reports / Case Series	$2949	Shorter format; moderate editorial/production workload.
Short Communications	$2949	Brief reports with streamlined processing.
Editorials / Commentaries	$2949	Often invited; lower processing requirements.

Waivers and Discounts

APMH offers APC waivers or partial discounts based on:

Economic status of the author’s country
Financial hardship
Lack of institutional funding
Student authorship
Special academic circumstances

Countries classified as Low-Income (LIC) or Lower-Middle Income (LMIC) by the World Bank may be eligible for significant reductions.

APMH maintains an ethical stance ensuring that the inability to pay APCs does not block high-quality mental health research from being published.

What APCs Do Not Cover

APCs do not include additional services such as:

Professional illustration or graphical design
Statistical consulting
Major language editing beyond routine copyediting
Manuscript rewriting services
Conference printing or promotion

These services, if requested, may incur separate optional fees.

Circumstances with No Charges

The following incur no charges:

Rejection after peer review
Manuscript withdrawal before acceptance
Corrections or errata initiated by the journal
Retractions due to editorial responsibilities
Invited commentaries or guest editorials

Refund Conditions

Refunds are governed by the APMH Refund Policy. In summary:

Full refunds may be issued prior to production work
Partial refunds may apply once editing/typesetting begins
No refunds after galley proof approval

Ethical Use of APC Funds

APMH adheres to strict ethical guidelines for APC usage:

No APC revenue influences editorial decisions
No prioritization of articles based on author funding
APCs are used exclusively to sustain journal operations

Editorial independence is absolute. APC payment status never affects acceptance decisions.

Funding Compliance

Many funders require:

Open-access publication
Deposition in public repositories
Use of Creative Commons licensing

APMH ensures compatibility with:

NIH Public Access Policy
Wellcome Trust
Horizon Europe
UKRI open-access mandates
DOAJ best practices

Authors may request customized invoices to comply with institutional accounting rules.

Additional Administrative or Compliance Fees

APMH does not charge hidden fees. However, optional charges may apply for:

Major figure redrawing
Re-formatting large datasets
Extensive language correction
Reprocessing due to author errors in proofs

Such charges are applied only with author consent.

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Funded Institution

A research group funded by a European public health grant submits a review article. Upon acceptance, the APC invoice is sent to their institution. The APC is paid in full through grant allocation with no additional requirements.

Scenario 2: Low-Income Country Discount

A graduate student from a low-income nation submits an original research article. After acceptance, they request a financial reduction. The editorial team verifies eligibility and grants a 70% APC discount.

Scenario 3: Ethical Concern Refund

APMH discovers an editorial system error that prematurely triggered the acceptance email. The author receives a full refund, and the manuscript returns to peer review.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is there a fee for submitting a manuscript?: No. Submission and peer review are free of charge.
Q: Are APCs negotiable?: Discounts or waivers may be considered for eligible authors.
Q: When do I pay the APC?: Only after the final acceptance letter is issued.
Q: Does paying the APC guarantee publication?: No. Payment occurs after acceptance, not before.
Q: Can institutions pay on my behalf?: Yes. Institutional or grant payments are accepted.
Q: Are APCs refundable?: Refunds follow the APMH Refund Policy.

Conclusion

The Charges Policy of the Archives of Psychiatry and Mental Health ensures fairness, transparency, and ethical stewardship of open-access publishing funds. By outlining APC structure, waiver eligibility, and fee justification, APMH upholds a responsible and sustainable publishing ecosystem that supports global dissemination of high-quality mental health research.