Article Processing Charges

Zakariya Journal of Social Sciences (ZJSS) follows a full open access publishing model, ensuring that all published articles are freely available to readers worldwide. Published articles can be accessed, downloaded, shared, and reused under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) with proper acknowledgment of the original authors and journal source.

Article Processing Charges

ZJSS applies a one-time Article Processing Charge (APC) for manuscripts that are accepted for publication. The APC supports essential publishing activities, including:

  • Editorial management and peer review administration.
  • Manuscript processing and professional production.
  • Article formatting and online publication.
  • DOI registration and research dissemination.
  • Digital hosting and long-term preservation of published content.

The payment of APCs does not influence editorial decisions, peer review outcomes, or acceptance of manuscripts. All articles are evaluated solely on academic quality, originality, research contribution, and ethical standards.

APC Structure

Article Processing Charge (APC) National Authors International Authors
Submission Fee (Non-refundable) PKR 5,000 USD 25
APC after Desk Review PKR 35,000 USD 175
Total Publication Charges PKR 40,000 USD 200

Submission Fee Policy

The submission fee is a one-time processing charge paid by the corresponding author at the time of manuscript submission.

  • The submission fee is non-refundable, regardless of acceptance or rejection during the initial editorial screening process.
  • Payment of the submission fee does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

APC Payment and Refund Policy

After successful completion of the desk review process, authors are required to pay the remaining APC amount.

  • If a manuscript is rejected during peer review, the remaining APC amount (excluding the non-refundable submission fee) will be refunded.
  • No APC is charged for manuscripts rejected before acceptance.
  • No additional charges are applied based on article length, figures, tables, or supplementary materials.

Waiver and Discount Policy

ZJSS considers APC waiver or discount requests from authors facing financial limitations. Authors may request a waiver or discount by providing a valid justification.

Waiver decisions are made independently and do not affect the editorial evaluation, peer review process, or publication decision.

Transparency of Charges

ZJSS maintains complete transparency regarding publication fees:

  • All applicable charges are clearly communicated before publication.
  • No hidden fees or additional publication charges are applied.
  • Rejected manuscripts are not charged APCs.
  • Editorial materials such as corrections, addendums, and retractions may be published without APC charges where applicable.

Compliance with Open Access Standards

Zakariya Journal of Social Sciences (ZJSS) follows transparent open access publishing practices and international scholarly publishing standards. The journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and Guidelines and ensures fairness, transparency, and equal opportunities for all authors.