CISMAC-Guidelines for publications and payment of article processing charges (APCs)

Many journals levy rather substantial APCs. Here is how we will promote Open Access Publishing while minimizing APC payments.

Use opportunities for waivers

Many journals reduce or even waive APC if the corresponding author is from an LMIC, see for example here. Such waivers have been achieved by many CISMAC authors.

UiB support to open access publishing

If a waiver cannot be granted, the UiB will consider covering the APC, or part of it. The link to the application form is here and more on UiBs publication support can be found here.

The UiB rules for (partially) covering the APCs are as follows:

1. The corresponding author has a UiB position, and
2. The article is to be published in an eligible open access journal. Open access articles in subscription journals (so called hybrid access journals) are no longer eligible for support. To be eligible, the journal must be registered in the Directory of Open Access Journals and categorized in the Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers as a Level 1 or 2 journal.

When choosing the journal, i.e. before submission, we ask you to take the above considerations into account. When successfully submitted, you should immediately apply to the journal to have the fee waived (if one of the corresponding authors is from an LMIC institution). If that is not possible, UiB-affiliated corresponding authors can apply as described above to have UiB cover the APC.

Prior approval required for CISMAC to cover part of APCs

CISMAC acknowledges that there may be situations where a waiver cannot be obtained or the UiB criteria above for full coverage are not fulfilled, such as when there are no appropriate high impact “pure” Open access journals or when none of the corresponding author(s) is/are UiB-affiliated. In such situations, CISMAC encourages you to consider the option of Free Public Access, offered by many journals, which makes access online free 12 months after publication. Several journals will allow the article to be self-archived, in which a version of it (often the peer-reviewed version before editorial typesetting) can be posted online on an institutional and/or subject repository, sometimes after a period of embargo.

If, after trying the above options, you still need assistance in covering publication costs, CISMAC can consider covering part or all of the APC. If you want to have CISMAC support for the APC, you should discuss it with the Publication Committee (attn. Ane Straume) before submitting the paper.

If you have any questions regarding publications and publication fees, please contact Iselin Henriksen Kvamme, iselin.kvamme@uib.no CISMACs administrative leader, who also administers the work of the Publication Committee.