Article Processing Fees (APC)

Overview

Sentam Research and Publishing operates on an open access model to ensure maximum accessibility and impact of published research. Our fee structure is designed to cover the costs associated with peer review, editorial processing, and open access publication while maintaining affordability for researchers worldwide.

Fee Structure

Standard Article Processing Charges

Note: Manuscript length excludes Abstract, References, and Supplementary Materials

Fast-Track Publishing Option

For authors who need expedited processing, we offer a Fast-Track Publishing Service that prioritises your manuscript at every stage:

• Additional Fee: $25 USD (added to standard APC)
• Review Decision: Within ~2 weeks of submission
• Publication Timeline: Within 14 days of acceptance (vs. 7 days standard — expedited production workflow)
• Activation: Available during submission or before review begins
• Eligibility: All manuscript types and lengths

Developing countries as classified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s low- and middle-income countries list

What's Included

Your APC covers:

• Professional peer review process
• Editorial services and manuscript preparation
• Open access publication with DOI assignment
• Long-term digital preservation and hosting
• Indexing and discovery services

Payment Process

When to Pay

Payment is required only after your manuscript has been accepted for publication. You will receive a payment notification with detailed instructions once the peer review process is complete and your manuscript is approved.

Payment Methods

Payments can be made through your Author Dashboard or Manuscript Tracking Area:

• Credit/Debit Cards Visa, MasterCard, American Express
• PayPal - Secure online payments worldwide
• M-Pesa - Mobile money payments for East Africa
• Bank Transfer: Direct bank transfers (details provided upon acceptance)

Payment Timeline

1. Manuscript Acceptance → Payment notification sent immediately
2. Payment Processing:

• PayPal, Cards, M-Pesa: Immediate confirmation
• Direct Bank Transfer: Up to 24 hours (if not received, contact editor@sentam.org)

1. Publication:

• Standard Process: Within 7 days after payment confirmation
• Fast-Track Process: Within 14 days of acceptance (expedited review + production workflow)

Note: Publication timelines assume all author revisions are complete and no further editorial changes are required

How to Activate Fast-Track Publishing

During Submission:

1. Select "Fast-Track Publishing" option in the submission form
2. Pay the additional $25 USD fee along with standard APC
3. Your manuscript will be prioritized throughout the review process

After Submission (Before Review):

1. Log into your Author Dashboard
2. Navigate to your submitted manuscript
3. Click "Upgrade to Fast-Track" and pay the additional fee
4. Your manuscript will be moved to the fast-track queue

Important Notes:

• Fast-track cannot be activated once peer review has begun
• The $25 fee is non-refundable once activated
• Fast-track manuscripts receive priority in editorial processing
• All standard quality standards and peer review requirements apply

Fee Waiver Policy

Eligibility

Fee waivers are available for:

• Authors from UN-classified Least Developed Countries experiencing financial hardship
• Graduate students with demonstrated financial need
• Authors facing exceptional circumstances

Application Process

1. Include fee waiver request in your manuscript cover letter
2. Provide supporting documentation (student ID, institutional letter, or hardship statement)
3. Editorial team review within 5-7 business days
4. Notification of waiver decision

Contact Information

Payment & Billing Support: support@sentam.org

Fee Waiver Inquiries: editor@sentam.org

General Support: support@sentam.org

Refund Policy

Sentam Research and Publishing aims for transparent, fair handling of payments. The following rules apply to refunds and excess payments for Article Processing Charges (APCs):

• Scope: refunds apply only to payments that were made but then rejected by the author or withdrawn by the author before the article is published. No refunds will be issued once an article has been published.
• Excess payments: if an author or institution pays more than the invoiced APC, the overpayment will not be refunded directly to the paying organisation/persons. Instead, the overpaid amount will be credited to the payer's account as a redeemable credit to be applied to future APCs or other publishing fees with Sentam Research and Publishing. Credits will be shown on the Author Dashboard and may be redeemed by contacting support@sentam.org.
• Time window and processing: refund or credit requests should be submitted within 90 days of the payment date. Refunds of eligible payments will be processed within 30 days of approval. Bank transfer refunds may incur fees or currency adjustments; Sentam will communicate any such costs to the payer and may deduct reasonable transaction fees from the refundable amount.
• Exceptional cases: refunds may be considered for administrative errors, double payments, or proven payment gateway failures. All such requests require supporting documentation and review by the Billing Team.
• No refund after publication: once an article is published (the DOI assigned and article publicly available), the APC is considered final and non-refundable in all normal circumstances.
• Redeemable credit expiry: redeemable credits expire after 24 months from the date they are issued unless otherwise agreed in writing.

For details on refund eligibility, excess payments, processing and the refund request process, see our Article Processing Charges (APC) Refund Policy.

Payment Security

All transactions are secured with:

• SSL encryption and PCI DSS compliance
• Secure payment gateway integration
• No storage of sensitive payment information

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For complete submission guidelines and editorial policies, visit our Author Resources section.