APC Details

Fee Structure Policy 

Pakistan Journal of Management & Social Science

The Pakistan Journal of Management & Social Science (PJMS) is committed to promoting high-quality, accessible, and inclusive research in the fields of management, social sciences, and related interdisciplinary areas. Recognizing that financial constraints can impede scholarly participation—especially for early-career researchers, students, independent scholars, and academics from under-resourced institutions—the journal maintains a comprehensive Free-of-Cost Policy. This policy ensures that no financial barriers exist for authors or readers throughout the submission, review, and publication processes.

1. No Submission Fees

PJMS does not impose any submission fees. Authors can submit original research articles, review papers, case studies, conceptual papers, or short communications without any financial obligation. This approach promotes equitable participation and encourages contributions from scholars across diverse socioeconomic and institutional backgrounds.

2. No Article Processing Charges (APCs)

The journal strictly adheres to a zero Article Processing Charge (APC) policy. All editorial and publication-related activities—including:

  • Initial manuscript screening,

  • Plagiarism and similarity checks,

  • Double-blind peer review,

  • Revision management, and

  • Final acceptance and preparation—

are provided free of charge. Authors are never required to pay fees, and publication decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

3. No Publication, Formatting, or Hosting Fees

PJMS provides a fully cost-free publication process. Authors incur no charges for:

  • Copyediting and language refinement

  • Typesetting, layout, and formatting

  • DOI registration and metadata management

  • Online hosting, indexing, and archiving

  • Publication of supplementary materials, datasets, or appendices

  • Inclusion in thematic or special issues

If printed copies are produced for institutional distribution or archival purposes, authors are not charged unless additional personal copies are requested.

4. Full Open Access for Readers

The journal follows a full Open Access model, ensuring that all content is freely accessible worldwide. Readers can download, cite, and share articles without subscription fees or paywalls. This approach enhances the visibility, reach, and scholarly impact of research in management and social sciences.

5. Transparent Institutional and Grant Funding

Operational costs—including editorial management systems, website hosting, DOI services, digital archiving, and administrative support—are fully funded by the journal’s supporting institution, academic partners, or external grants. This transparent and ethical funding model guarantees that neither authors nor readers bear any financial burden.

6. Promoting Equity and Global Inclusion

The free-of-cost policy ensures that PJMS actively supports:

  • Early-career researchers and graduate students

  • Scholars from developing regions or low-income countries

  • Independent researchers and practitioners

  • Academics from underfunded institutions

By eliminating financial barriers, the journal fosters a globally inclusive and diverse scholarly community.

7. Long-Term Archiving and Free Access

PJMS employs secure digital preservation systems to ensure permanent, cost-free access to all published content. Past and current issues remain freely available to readers, supporting sustainable dissemination of knowledge and facilitating research, teaching, and professional practice.

8. Licensing, Reuse, and Author Rights

All articles are published under a Creative Commons Open Access License (typically CC BY), allowing users to:

  • Download, reproduce, and distribute content

  • Use articles for academic, teaching, research, and policy purposes

  • Adapt, translate, or build upon the work with proper attribution

Authors retain copyright and may self-archive their work in institutional repositories, professional networks, or personal websites, enhancing visibility and scholarly impact.

9. No Hidden or Optional Fees

The journal maintains full transparency:

  • No hidden charges at any stage

  • No optional paid services

  • No fees for expedited review or inclusion in special issues

Editorial and peer-review decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, independent of financial considerations.

10. Commitment to Ethical, Inclusive, and Accessible Publishing

The free-of-cost policy reflects PJMS’s core values: academic integrity, ethical publishing, global accessibility, and inclusive knowledge dissemination. By removing financial barriers for authors and readers, the journal ensures that high-quality research in management and social sciences reaches a wide and diverse audience, contributing to academic, professional, and policy development.