All our readers and authors enjoy the benefits of free open access. We believe that open access of the journal promotes accessibility and uptake worldwide, serving the best interests of the professional and scientific community and the public at large. Since no fees are charged for access, AOSIS offsets the publication expenses – including those of peer review management, journal production and online hosting and archiving – by charging Article Processing Charges (APC), also known as page fees, to authors, institutions or funders for each article published.

This journal operates under two Article Processing Charge (APC) fee structures, determined by the eligibility status of the first author at the time of manuscript submission and at final editorial decision (following formal peer review).

Reduced APC rate

The reduced APC rate applies where the first author meets one or more of the following criteria:

• Is a fully paid ASLM LabPro Member with an active subscription;
• Has a primary affiliation with an institution in a Low‑Income or Lower‑Middle‑Income Country (as classified by the World Bank); or
• Is a government official, and more than 50% of the authors are affiliated with government institutions in a Low‑Income or Lower‑Middle‑Income Country.

Where these criteria are met, the APC is USD 123.75 per A4 PDF output page, excluding South African VAT at 15%, where applicable.

Standard APC rate

Where the above criteria are not met, the standard APC applies. The standard APC is USD 187.50 per A4 PDF output page, excluding South African VAT at 15%, where applicable. The average length of an article in this journal is eight pages.

The submitting author is responsible for payment of the APC and must confirm at submission that payment will be arranged if the manuscript is accepted for publication. APCs are valid for the current calendar year and may be amended at the sole discretion of the publisher. This responsibility may not be transferred to a third party without prior agreement from the publisher.

Please note: Articles submitted as part of special or themed collections are subject to the standard Article Processing Charge (APC).

Article Submission Charges

Article Submission Charges (ASC) does not apply.

Text changes after layout

Authors will be given the opportunity to revise and approve the text of the accepted manuscript in the final phase of copy-editing. After author approval the manuscript will go to design layout. The author will be asked to proofread the final galleys before going to publishing. Proofreading is intended to correct typesetting mistakes and not to introduce new changes to the text; such changes will require new layout of the pages. If new changes are introduced at this final proofreading stage, the publisher will charge Galley Change Fees (GCF) to the author, based on the cost incurred to make such changes. The GCF per hour is ZAR450.00 [excluding VAT].

Invoicing (if applicable)

The final APC is based on the finally approved manuscript word count, and no changes will be made after invoicing. Only one invoice shall be issued per article (no splitting of invoices) in order to expedite publication and keep costs to a minimum. All amounts are due within 7 days from invoicing. Payment can be made by Credit Card and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). The article will only be published once full payment has been received. If payment is done by EFT from a non-South African bank account, the author will be responsible for any bank transfer charges at the time of the transaction. Learn how to make a payment.

Subsidy opportunities

APC fees for Open Access journals have become an increasingly accepted method to defray the costs for publication and, fortunately, most institutions have developed mechanisms and funding sources to cover publication costs in high-quality open access journals. Authors are encouraged to contact their institution, department or funder for more details regarding possible APC subsidy opportunities earmarked for open access publications. As your department benefits directly and/or indirectly from publication of the article, where there is an absence of extramural funding we are confident that your department will be eager to carry the costs of the APC fee.