Article Processing Charge (APC) Policy

Journal: Journal of Materials for the Built Environment (JMBE)
Policy Version: 1.0
Effective Date: September 2026

1. Overview

Journal of Materials for the Built Environment (JMBE) is a Gold Open Access journal.

To support editorial administration, peer-review coordination, production, digital publication, hosting, metadata management, and long-term access to published content, the journal operates an Article Processing Charge (APC) model.

The APC is payable only after a manuscript has been accepted for publication.

The payment, waiver, or discount status of a manuscript does not influence the editorial or peer-review process.

2. Current APC

The current JMBE APC is:

The launch-period waiver applies to manuscripts accepted for publication during the stated period, subject to the journal's applicable publication policies.

APCs may be revised as the journal develops. Any changes will be announced on the journal website before taking effect and will not normally apply retrospectively to manuscripts already accepted.

3. When the APC Is Charged

The APC is charged after final editorial acceptance.

Authors should not make payment before an acceptance decision has been issued.

The APC is not:

• an application fee;

• a submission fee;

• a peer-review fee; or

• a fee for editorial consideration.

A manuscript will not be accepted because an author is willing or able to pay an APC.

4. Editorial Independence

JMBE maintains a strict separation between academic decision-making and APC administration.

Editors and reviewers must not consider:

• whether an author can pay the APC;

• whether a waiver has been requested;

• whether an article is expected to generate revenue;

• whether the author has previously published with the journal; or

• the commercial value of a submission

when making editorial or peer-review decisions.

The Publisher and Editorial Office will not use APC considerations to override academic decisions.

5. APC and Peer Review

All eligible manuscripts are subject to the journal's normal editorial and peer-review procedures.

The APC does not affect:

• editorial screening;

• reviewer selection;

• reviewer reports;

• revision requirements;

• acceptance or rejection;

• appeals; or

• post-publication editorial actions.

Peer review is conducted independently of payment status.

6. Who Is Responsible for Payment?

The APC may be paid by:

• the corresponding author;

• another author;

• the author's institution;

• a research funder;

• a grant;

• an employer; or

• another organization acting on behalf of the authors.

Authors are responsible for arranging payment or confirming an applicable waiver or discount.

JMBE does not require authors to personally pay the APC when institutional or external funding is available.

7. Invoicing and Payment

An APC invoice is issued after acceptance.

Payment instructions will be provided by the Publisher or designated publishing service.

Invoices may be addressed to:

• the corresponding author;

• an institution;

• a funding organization; or

• another authorized payer.

Authors should provide accurate billing information before the invoice is issued where possible.

8. Currency

APCs are normally quoted in United States dollars (USD).

Where payment is made in another currency, the applicable amount may vary according to the payment provider's exchange rate or processing arrangements.

The final amount shown on the invoice or payment page will apply.

9. Taxes and Additional Charges

Authors or paying institutions may be responsible for applicable taxes, duties, bank charges, or payment-processing fees imposed by the relevant jurisdiction or payment provider.

Where such charges apply, they will be communicated where practicable.

JMBE does not ordinarily add separate fees for:

• submission;

• routine peer review;

• ordinary editorial consideration; or

• standard online publication.

Additional charges, if applicable to a specific service or exceptional publication requirement, will be disclosed in advance.

10. Waivers and Discounts

JMBE recognizes that APCs may create financial barriers for some authors.

The journal may therefore provide full or partial waivers or discounts under its applicable waiver arrangements.

Consideration may be given to:

• authors based in eligible low-income economies;

• early-career researchers, where applicable;

• authors experiencing significant funding limitations; and

• other exceptional circumstances.

Waiver decisions are handled separately from academic editorial decisions.

11. Country-Based Waivers

Authors based in eligible low-income economies may qualify for full or partial APC support in accordance with the journal's current waiver arrangements.

Eligibility may be determined using an internationally recognized country-income classification or other published criteria adopted by the journal.

Authors should consult the current waiver information before submission where possible.

Country eligibility alone does not guarantee a waiver where additional conditions apply.

12. Early-Career and Special Waiver Requests

JMBE may consider waiver requests from early-career researchers or authors facing exceptional financial circumstances.

Such requests should explain:

• the author's circumstances;

• available institutional or funding support; and

• the requested level of APC assistance.

Waiver requests should preferably be submitted before or during peer review and, where possible, before acceptance.

A waiver request must not contain arguments about the academic merits of the manuscript, and editors should not allow waiver requests to influence academic assessment.

13. Institutional Agreements

JMBE may establish institutional, funder, society, or other publishing arrangements that provide APC discounts, waivers, or alternative funding mechanisms.

Where such arrangements exist, eligibility and applicable terms will be published or communicated clearly.

Institutional support arrangements do not affect editorial independence.

14. Reviewer Recognition Discounts

JMBE recognizes the contribution of peer reviewers.

Reviewers who provide timely and substantive review reports may receive APC discount vouchers in accordance with the journal's reviewer-recognition arrangements.

Such vouchers:

• are intended to recognize reviewer contributions;

• may be used toward a future eligible publication in a Sunlit Grove Publishing journal;

• are subject to the applicable voucher terms;

• are not transferable unless expressly stated otherwise; and

• do not influence editorial decisions.

A reviewer voucher cannot be used as a basis for preferential editorial treatment.

15. Editorial Board and Journal Contributor Benefits

Editors, Editorial Board members, Guest Editors, and other eligible journal contributors may receive APC-related benefits where specified in their appointment or collaboration terms.

Such benefits are administrative or recognition arrangements and do not affect:

• reviewer selection;

• editorial assessment;

• acceptance decisions; or

• any other academic judgment.

16. APC Waiver and Editorial Decision Separation

Where possible, waiver and discount administration is handled separately from manuscript evaluation.

Editors do not need to consider the financial circumstances of authors when assessing manuscripts.

An author's request for a waiver must not be interpreted as:

• an indication of manuscript quality;

• an indication of acceptance;

• a request for preferential treatment; or

• a factor in editorial decision-making.

17. If an Author Cannot Pay

Inability to pay an APC does not automatically affect the academic outcome of a manuscript.

Authors who anticipate difficulty meeting the APC should contact the Editorial Office as early as possible.

Where an eligible waiver, discount, institutional arrangement, or other support mechanism is available, the journal will consider the request in accordance with its applicable policies.

Authors should not feel pressured to secure payment before an editorial decision.

18. Cancellation or Withdrawal After Acceptance

If an author withdraws an accepted manuscript before publication, the journal may assess whether any publication-related costs have already been incurred.

Where no publication has occurred, the journal will normally not treat withdrawal itself as an APC-triggering event, unless a separate written agreement applies.

If production has already begun, any applicable administrative or production costs will be handled in accordance with the relevant agreement and will be communicated transparently.

19. APC Refunds

Where an article has been published, APCs are generally non-refundable except where:

• the publisher has made a material billing error;

• duplicate payment has occurred;

• publication cannot proceed due to an error attributable to the publisher; or

• another exceptional circumstance warrants a refund.

A retraction after publication does not automatically result in an APC refund.

20. APC and Retraction

If an article is retracted after publication, the original APC is generally not refundable.

Retraction decisions are made on academic, ethical, or research-integrity grounds and are independent of the APC paid.

A decision to retract an article does not imply that APC payment influenced the original editorial decision.

21. Changes to APCs

JMBE may revise APCs as the journal develops.

Possible factors include:

• expansion of editorial services;

• publication volume;

• production and hosting costs;

• digital infrastructure;

• indexing and discoverability;

• internationalization of the journal;

• editorial office development; and

• broader publishing requirements.

Any revised APC will be announced on the journal website before taking effect.

The journal will make reasonable efforts to provide advance notice of significant changes.

22. APCs for Accepted Manuscripts During a Price Transition

Where an APC change takes effect between submission and acceptance, the applicable APC will normally be determined according to the APC rate stated on the journal website at the time specified in the journal's published pricing notice.

Where appropriate, the journal may establish a transition arrangement for manuscripts already substantially advanced in the editorial process.

Any such arrangement will be communicated transparently.

23. Special Issues

Unless otherwise stated, articles published as part of a Special Issue are subject to the same APC principles as regular submissions.

Guest Editors and Special Issue Editors must not make publication decisions based on APC revenue.

Any Special Issue-specific APC arrangement must be approved and communicated by the Publisher and must not compromise editorial independence.

24. Commissioned and Invited Content

Invited or commissioned content may be subject to different APC arrangements where appropriate.

Any exemption, discount, or special arrangement should be agreed before publication and documented appropriately.

Such arrangements must not influence the academic assessment of the content.

25. Transparency of Publication Charges

JMBE aims to maintain transparent and predictable publication charges.

The journal website will clearly identify:

• the current APC;

• when the APC is charged;

• applicable waiver and discount arrangements;

• any significant additional charges; and

• the effective date of material price changes.

Authors should not be charged undisclosed publication fees.

26. Contact

Questions regarding APCs, waivers, discounts, invoices, or payment arrangements may be directed to:

Editorial Office
Journal of Materials for the Built Environment (JMBE)
Sunlit Grove Publishing
Email: contact@sunlitpub.com