Article Processing Charges (APC)
FMDB is committed to providing high-quality Open Access publishing while maintaining transparency in its publication fees. To support editorial operations and ensure the long-term sustainability of its journals, an Article Processing Charge (APC) is applied to manuscripts that are accepted for publication.
The APC covers the costs associated with:
The applicable Article Processing Charge (APC) for each journal is published on the respective journal website. For this journal, the APC is USD 550 (exclusive of applicable taxes). No payment is required at the time of manuscript submission. The APC becomes payable only after a manuscript has successfully completed the peer review process and has been formally accepted for publication. The applicable APC is the fee published on the journal website at the time of manuscript submission, unless otherwise specified by the journal. Editorial decisions are made independently and are based solely on the manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, scientific quality, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal's scope, and the recommendations of independent peer reviewers.
Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are made independently of Article Processing Charges (APCs), commercial interests, sponsorship, advertising revenue, and any other financial considerations. The ability or inability of authors to pay the APC does not influence editorial evaluation, peer review, or the final publication decision.
Open Access Funding Support
FMDB recognizes that publication fees may present challenges for some researchers. Authors are encouraged to explore funding opportunities provided by their:
Where institutional publishing agreements or partnerships exist, eligible authors may benefit from alternative payment arrangements in accordance with the applicable agreement.
FMDB Publication Fee Assistance Program (FPFAP)
FMDB offers the FMDB Publication Fee Assistance Program (FPFAP) to support authors who demonstrate genuine financial need and have limited access to publication funding. Fee assistance applications are evaluated confidentially on a case-by-case basis using the eligibility criteria established by FMDB. Applicants are encouraged to seek available institutional or research funding before applying for fee assistance. Authors may be asked to disclose available funding sources, including institutional support, research grants, or external funding, as part of the evaluation process. Applications should normally be submitted at the time of manuscript submission or before the final publication decision. The Editorial Office aims to communicate its decision within approximately 10–15 working days. Editors responsible for editorial decisions and peer reviewers are not informed of fee assistance applications, ensuring that editorial decisions remain completely independent of financial considerations.
Eligible Countries
Fee assistance may be available to authors from eligible low-income (Full APC waiver) and lower-middle-income (GDP below $200 billion (USD): 50% APC discount) countries, as determined by FMDB's eligibility criteria. The list of eligible countries is provided below and may be updated periodically.
Low-income locations: Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Madagascar, Somalia, Central African Republic, Malawi, South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Togo, Congo (Democratic Republic), Mozambique, Uganda, Eritrea, Namibia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Niger, Yemen, Gambia.
Lower-middle-income locations: Angola, Jordan, Sao Tome and Principe, Benin, Kenya, Senegal, Bhutan, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Bolivia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Lebanon, Tanzania, Comoros, Lesotho, Timor-Leste, Congo (Republic), Mauritania, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Micronesia, Uzbekistan, Djibouti, Morocco, Vanuatu, Eswatini, Nepal, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Nicaragua, Haiti, Palestinian Territories, Honduras, Papua New Guinea.
Refund Policy
Article Processing Charges become payable only after a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication.
Once payment has been received and publication procedures have commenced, APCs are generally non-refundable, except where required by applicable law or in exceptional circumstances determined by FMDB.
Payment Confirmation
An official payment receipt and confirmation will normally be issued within three to five business days, subject to banking and payment processing times.