A short narrative on article processing charges (apcs) for open accessed journals (oa) in scientific studies

Abstract

Many open-access (OA) publishers impose fees on authors in exchange for unrestricted online availability of their papers. This work reviews the literature on article processing charges (APCs) published since 2000. Although some OA journals allow free publication, most OA papers are published by commercial publishers that impose article-level charges (APCs). To cover these costs, authors rely on a combination of personal funds, library budgets, and research grants.APCs have raised two primary concerns: their impact on journal quality and the inability of authors with limited funding to publish their research. Waivers have not effectively resolved the underlying issue over time. Studies in the literature reveal limited expansion of waiver utilization, unintended negative effects on co-author networks, and concerns about the eligibility criteria for waivers. Recent bibliometric research indicates that APC-charging publications influence citations similarly to journals with other revenue streams.This short narrative review examines whether APCs are essential for OA publishing.