Frontiers in Medical and Clinical Sciences (FMCS)

eISSN: 2978-3747

1. Introduction & Overview

Frontiers in Medical and Clinical Sciences (FMCS) is a fully Open Access, peer-reviewed journal committed to making high-quality clinical and medical research freely accessible to healthcare professionals, researchers, and readers worldwide. To support editorial management, peer review administration, professional copyediting, digital publishing, and long-term accessibility of published articles, the journal applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) only after a manuscript has successfully completed double-blind peer review and has been formally accepted for publication.

The APC enables the journal to maintain high scientific publishing standards while ensuring that all published medical literature remains immediately and permanently available without subscription or paywall access barriers. Authors are charged only after formal editorial acceptance, and no payment is requested during initial submission or peer review.

2. No Submission or Review Charges

FMCS does not charge any manuscript submission fee, editorial evaluation fee, or peer review fee. Authors may submit their clinical manuscripts free of charge. The Article Processing Charge (APC) becomes applicable only after the manuscript has successfully passed the editorial evaluation and peer review process and has received formal acceptance for publication.

The journal is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, and ethical editorial process. Editorial decisions are made completely independently of any financial considerations or payment capabilities.

3. Article Processing Charge (APC) Structure

The Article Processing Charge (APC) supports the comprehensive publication services provided by the journal, including editorial administration, clinical manuscript processing, language editing, typesetting, DOI assignment via Crossref, online publication, digital preservation, and long-term platform maintenance.

Charge Type	Fee Status	Payment Timing
Submission Fee	Free	No charge upon submission
Peer Review Fee	Free	No charge during evaluation
Article Processing Charge (APC)	Applicable Fee	Applicable only for accepted manuscripts
Payment Timing	—	Strictly after formal editorial acceptance

4. Payment Process

Once a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication, the corresponding author will receive an official acceptance notification together with complete payment instructions and an invoice from the Editorial Office.

After payment confirmation, the manuscript enters the production stage, which includes copyediting, typesetting, author proof preparation, DOI assignment, final quality checks, and online publication in the scheduled journal issue.

Authors experiencing difficulties with payment are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office before the payment deadline. The journal will make reasonable efforts to assist authors in completing the payment process through the available payment options.

5. Payment Methods

The journal offers multiple secure payment options to facilitate convenient payment for authors worldwide. Detailed payment instructions are provided only after a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication.

Available Payment Options:

• PayPal

• Wise

• Credit / Debit Card (via secure online portal)

• Direct Bank Transfer (SWIFT / Wire)

• Other approved international payment methods

Authors are requested to retain proof of payment and share the transaction confirmation with the Editorial Office to facilitate timely verification and production processing.

6. Waivers and Discounts

FMCS is committed to supporting medical researchers, clinicians, and institutions from diverse economic backgrounds. In alignment with DOAJ and Open Access principles, the journal offers partial APC waivers or discounts in selected cases to encourage the publication of high-quality clinical research from underrepresented regions.

Waiver or discount requests may be considered for:

• Authors from low-income or lower-middle-income countries (based on World Bank classifications).

• Clinical researchers with limited institutional or grant funding.

• Medical residents, doctoral students, and early-career researchers.

• Special editorial invitations or approved promotional programs.

• Exceptional cases approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

Requests for APC waivers or discounts should be submitted before or during manuscript submission. Each request is evaluated individually and confidentially based on the supporting information provided by the author, without affecting the peer review outcome.

7. No Hidden Charges

The journal maintains complete transparency regarding publication charges. Apart from the officially communicated Article Processing Charge (APC), the journal does not impose any hidden fees for manuscript submission, color clinical figures, page counts, DOI registration, online publication, or standard publication services.

8. Editorial Independence and APC Transparency

Payment of the Article Processing Charge (APC) has no influence whatsoever on the editorial evaluation or publication decision. All submitted manuscripts are evaluated exclusively on the basis of scientific quality, clinical originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance (IRB/patient consent), reviewer recommendations, and relevance to the journal's scope.

Editors and reviewers conduct the editorial assessment independently and do not have access to payment status during the peer review process. Acceptance cannot be purchased under any circumstances, and APC payment does not guarantee publication.

9. APC Policy Statement

The Article Processing Charge (APC) supports the sustainability of the journal's Open Access publishing model and enables the publication of peer-reviewed biomedical research without subscription barriers. The APC contributes solely to publication-related services and does not influence the journal's editorial independence, peer review process, or publication ethics.

10. Invoice and Payment Confirmation

After a manuscript has been formally accepted, the corresponding author will receive an official invoice and complete payment instructions from the Editorial Office. The invoice includes the applicable Article Processing Charge (APC), accepted payment methods, and payment reference details.

Following successful payment, authors are requested to send the payment confirmation or transaction receipt to the Editorial Office for verification. Upon verification, the manuscript will proceed to the production stage without unnecessary delay.

11. Publication Process After Payment

After confirmation of APC payment, the accepted manuscript enters the publication workflow, which generally includes the following stages:

1. Payment Verification: Confirmation of receipt by the billing department.

2. Professional Copyediting: Linguistic, grammatical, and clinical terminology refinement.

3. Typesetting and Layout Preparation: Formatting into standard journal layout.

4. Author Proof Review and Approval: Final galley proof sent to corresponding author.

5. DOI Registration: Assignment and activation of Crossref DOI.

6. Final Quality Assessment: Final editorial check prior to indexing.

7. Online Publication: Immediate open access publication in the scheduled issue.

12. Refund Policy

The Article Processing Charge (APC) becomes payable only after a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication. Once payment has been received and publication services have commenced, APC payments are generally non-refundable.

Refund requests may be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as duplicate payments or verified administrative errors made by the publisher. Each request is evaluated individually by the Editorial Office in accordance with the journal's publication policies.

Requests for refunds should be submitted promptly with appropriate supporting documentation. The decision of the Publisher regarding refund requests shall be considered final.

13. Currency and Banking Information

All international payments are processed in the official billing currency specified in the formal invoice. Any currency conversion charges, bank transfer fees, intermediary bank charges, or payment service provider fees are the responsibility of the payer unless otherwise stated by the journal.

14. Billing Support

Authors requiring assistance regarding invoices, payment confirmation, receipts, APC waivers, billing issues, or alternative payment methods are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office. The journal is committed to providing timely support throughout the publication process.

15. Important Notice

Please note that payment of the Article Processing Charge (APC) does not guarantee acceptance or publication of a manuscript. Editorial decisions are made independently before any payment request is issued and are based solely on scientific quality, clinical relevance, ethical compliance, reviewer recommendations, and relevance to the journal's scope.

Authors are advised not to make any payment unless they have received an official acceptance notification and payment instructions directly from the Editorial Office.

16. Contact Information

For questions regarding Article Processing Charges (APC), invoices, payment methods, waivers, refunds, or billing assistance, please contact the Editorial Office:

• Editorial Email: editor@irjernet.com