General

To build a more sustainable future, Bio-protocol introduced an Article Processing Charge (APC) of $1,200 for protocol articles submitted on or after March 1, 2023, that go on to be accepted for publication. Please read our editorial article “Introducing Article Processing Charges to Create a Sustainable Future” for more details. Note that some funding agencies and institutions will cover the APCs on behalf of their investigators. Authors who cannot afford the publication charges are encouraged to request a fee waiver.

Questions related to our publication fees are addressed below.

• Why has Bio-protocol implemented an Article Processing Charge (APC)?

  Bio-protocol is an open access journal, with all protocols being immediately free to access online upon publication. Like other open access journals, Bio-protocol charges a publication fee, also known as an Article Processing Charge (APC). While this fee only partially covers Bio-protocol operating costs, it is a critical component of a financially sustainable business model—one that allows us to pay our staff living wages, to invest in improvements to the journal, and to build a platform that truly supports the exchange and discussion of protocols in the life sciences, to improve research reproducibility and accelerate discovery.

• I cannot afford the fee. Can it be waived?

  Yes, we will grant a waiver to authors who cannot afford the fee.

• Does Bio-protocol meet the eligibility criteria for university or funding agency APC subsidies?

  Some universities and funding agencies subsidize APCs on behalf of their researchers who publish articles in open-access journals. Journals are usually required to meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • The journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
  • The publisher is a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association or adheres to its Code of Conduct.
  • Articles are distributed open access under a Creative Commons license.
  • The journal provides a publicly available article fee schedule.
  • The journal has a policy to waive or substantially discount fees in case of economic hardship.
  Bio-protocol meets all these criteria. Please contact Fanglian He at fhe@ed.bio-protocol.org for more information.

• Will my manuscript be treated differently if the fee is waived?

  No. Regardless of whether a fee waiver is in place, all submissions will follow the same editorial process. Editorial decisions will not be based on an author’s ability to pay the APCs.

• I do not want to pay a fee or request a waiver. Can I still share my protocol?

  You can post a protocol for free in the Bio-protocol Preprint Repository, where it can be assigned a DOI.

• Is a fee charged for a preprint protocol posted on the Bio-protocol Preprint Repository?

  No.

• Are there other publication charges in addition to the APC?

  No.

• How do I request an APC waiver?

  When you submit a manuscript for review, you will see the option to request a waiver.

• Can I request a partial fee waiver?

  Yes. Payment of the article processing charge ensures that your protocol is freely available for all to read. We encourage you to pay as much of the APC as you can to support open access publication.

• When is payment requested?

  Payment is requested at the time your article is accepted for publication.

• How are the APCs collected?

  After acceptance, you will receive a billing form, in which you will provide contact information about the entity that will pay the charges. Note that some funding agencies and institutions will cover open access fees on behalf of their researchers.

If you have any additional questions, contact us at fees@bio-protocol.org.

APC waiver policy

Regardless of whether a fee waiver is in place, all submissions will follow the same editorial process. Editorial decisions will never be based on an author’s ability to pay the APC.

When you submit a manuscript for review, you will see the option to request a waiver. Each individual waiver request will be considered and treated confidentially. Bio-protocol journal editors and reviewers have no access to information about waiver requests. Thus, submitting a request for a waiver will not influence editorial decisions.

Refund policy

If an article processing charge has been paid but the article has been withdrawn prior to publication, the corresponding author should contact us at fees@bio-protocol.org to request a refund.

Payment and Taxes

Invoices and payments are managed by a third-party billing service (eJournalPress), independent of Bio-protocol, and a separate set of credentials will be required for access to their billing system. Payments must be made in U.S. Dollars (USD), and can be made by credit card, wire transfer, or checks. Please contact us at fees@bio-protocol.org for any questions related to billing and payments.

The amount charged to you may be subject to and include applicable taxes and fees. You are responsible for remitting any taxes that apply, which will be based on the information you have provided.

Page updated on March 14, 2023