All published articles are available to readers without a subscription, paywall, or reader-side fee. The IJSPE article processing charge helps cover the practical costs involved in preparing and publishing an accepted article, including editorial handling, coordination of the double-blind peer review process, manuscript preparation, typesetting, online hosting, publication administration, and print production. Under this open access model, the financial responsibility is not placed on readers. Instead, the publication fee is charged to the author or the author's supporting institution only after editorial acceptance.

No Fee at Submission or During Review

IJSPE does not charge authors when they submit a manuscript. There is no submission fee, screening fee, or review fee.

A manuscript is first received by the editor and screened for relevance and suitability. If it proceeds, it is sent to a minimum of two independent reviewers under the journal's double-blind peer review process. The review decision is based on the manuscript's quality, relevance, originality, method, argument, evidence, and contribution to the journal's scope.

The APC does not influence whether a manuscript is reviewed, revised, accepted, or rejected. Editorial assessment and payment are separate stages. No author is required to pay before acceptance, and payment does not purchase acceptance.

Standard Article Processing Charge

The standard IJSPE Article Processing Charge is $300 USD per accepted article. This fee applies after acceptance and supports the publication of the article online and in print. It also includes one printed copy of the journal issue at no additional charge.

The standard APC is not payable at the time of submission. Authors should not send payment while the manuscript is being screened, reviewed, or revised. Payment instructions are provided only after the journal has issued an acceptance decision and notified the author of the applicable charge.

LMIC Waiver

IJSPE provides a 50% waiver for authors from low- and middle-income countries. The reduced APC is $150 USD per accepted article.

This fee waiver is intended to make publication more accessible to researchers working in countries and institutions where the standard charge may present a greater financial barrier. The reduced fee is applied after acceptance in the same way as the standard APC. It does not affect editorial screening, peer review, revision requirements, or the final academic decision.

The waiver exists specifically to support wider participation in academic publishing and to help researchers from under-resourced settings publish work without facing the full standard charge.

Printed Copies

One printed copy of the journal issue containing the accepted article is included free of additional charge. Authors who require extra printed copies may order them at $50 USD per additional copy. The cost for additional copies is separate from the APC.

Payment and Acceptance Letter

After a manuscript is accepted, the author is notified about the applicable APC — either the standard $300 USD charge or the reduced $150 USD LMIC fee. Once payment is confirmed, the journal issues the acceptance letter. The accepted article is then scheduled for an upcoming issue and proceeds toward publication online and in print. The order of the process is therefore:

1. manuscript submission;
2. editorial screening;
3. double-blind review by at least two independent reviewers;
4. editorial decision;
5. APC notification after acceptance;
6. payment confirmation;
7. issuance of the acceptance letter;
8. scheduling and publication.

Authors should account for this sequence when planning institutional documentation or reimbursement.

What the APC Supports

The APC supports the operational work required to move an accepted manuscript into publication, including editorial administration, reviewer coordination, preparation of the final article, typesetting, publication management, online access, hosting, and print production.

The charge does not create a reader-side paywall. Once published, the article remains freely available as part of IJSPE's open-access model. Readers do not need to subscribe or pay to access current or older published articles. This model is intended to balance academic accessibility with the real costs of journal production. By charging only after acceptance, IJSPE separates academic decision-making from payment and ensures that authors are not required to pay for unsuccessful submissions.

Fee Transparency and Accessibility

IJSPE applies a clear fee structure:

• Standard APC: $300 USD
• LMIC APC after 50% waiver: $150 USD
• One printed issue copy: included free
• Additional printed copies: $50 USD each

No fee is charged at submission or during peer review. The applicable APC becomes payable only after the manuscript has been accepted. The waiver for authors from low- and middle-income countries is part of IJSPE's effort to keep publication accessible to researchers from under-resourced institutions and regions. Authors should review the current fee information before submitting and follow the payment instructions provided after acceptance.