Waiver Policy

1. Purpose

The waiver policy aims to promote inclusivity and ensure that lack of financial resources does not deter deserving authors from publishing in ABSE. Waivers are granted solely based on economic need and do not influence editorial or peer-review decisions.

2. Eligibility Criteria

Authors may apply for a full or partial waiver if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Primary affiliation in a low-income or lower-middle-income country as defined by the World Bank Country Classification.
• Absence of institutional or grant funding to cover publication fees.
• Students, early-career researchers, or independent scholars with no external funding support.
• Corresponding authors affiliated with non-profit organizations, NGOs, or community-based institutions.

3. Waiver Types

4. Application Process

1. Send a waiver request via email to [email protected] before or during manuscript submission.
2. Include:
   • Article title and abstract.
   • Author affiliation and country.
   • A brief justification for the request (max 200 words).
   • Proof of financial need (if applicable, e.g., funding denial letter).
3. Await confirmation within 7–10 business days from the editorial office.

5. Evaluation Procedure

All waiver requests are reviewed confidentially by the Editorial Board and the Finance Committee. Evaluation is based solely on financial need and regional economic indicators. The waiver decision has no impact on the editorial assessment or peer-review outcomes.

6. Ethical and Editorial Independence

The waiver process is completely independent of editorial decisions. Manuscripts are accepted or rejected purely on scientific merit, not on the author’s ability to pay the publication fee. This principle follows COPE’s “Ethical Publishing Practices” and OASPA’s code of conduct.

7. Confidentiality

All waiver requests and related documents are treated confidentially. Personal financial details are never shared with reviewers or external parties. Data are processed in compliance with GDPR and the journal’s privacy framework.

8. Notification of Waiver Decision

Applicants are notified of their waiver decision via e-mail. Approved waivers are automatically applied to the invoice generated post-acceptance. The notification includes the percentage of discount granted and the revised invoice amount (if applicable).

9. Institutional and Regional Support

ABSE encourages collaborations with institutions, research councils, and open-access initiatives to sponsor authors’ publication fees. Universities or libraries interested in institutional agreements can contact the finance department for partnership options.

10. Transparency and Reporting

ABSE maintains records of all waiver requests and granted waivers for accountability. Aggregated, non-identifiable statistics may be shared with DOAJ or OASPA for compliance verification. No identifying author information is disclosed publicly.

11. Limitations

• Waiver requests made after invoice issuance may not be considered.
• Waivers apply only to the Article Processing Charge (APC) — not to additional costs like print copies or translation services.
• One waiver request per manuscript is permitted.

12. Annual Review of the Waiver Policy

This policy is reviewed annually to ensure fairness, inclusivity, and compliance with global best practices for open-access publishing. Updated criteria and country lists are published on the journal’s website each year.

13. Contact Information

• For Waiver Requests: [email protected]
• For Finance Queries: [email protected]
• Editorial Office: Annals of Biomedical Science and Engineering (ABSE), USA

14. Policy Statement

“ABSE ensures that every author—regardless of economic background—has an equal opportunity to share their research globally. Financial constraints will never be a barrier to publication.”