Fee Waiver Program

Fee Waiver Policy

The IJTRM believes that the ability to publish high-quality research should not depend solely on an author's ability to pay. While Article Processing Charges (APCs) help support the journal's peer-review process, editorial management, digital publishing, open-access availability, archiving, website maintenance, and long-term scholarly preservation, the journal recognizes that publication costs may create genuine financial barriers for some researchers.

This may particularly affect students, early-career researchers, independent scholars, authors from under-resourced institutions, and researchers working without access to institutional or external funding. To help address this concern, IJTRM maintains a Fee Waiver Program for eligible authors whose financial circumstances may otherwise prevent publication of an accepted manuscript.

Who Can Apply

Fee waiver requests are considered individually and are not granted automatically. Authors may be considered for a waiver or discount if they fall into one or more of the following categories:

Undergraduate or postgraduate students without institutional or research funding support.
Early-career researchers without access to grants, fellowships, or departmental publication budgets.
Independent researchers who are not supported by a university, institution, or funded research project.
Researchers affiliated with under-resourced institutions.
Authors from economically disadvantaged or developing regions.
Researchers experiencing genuine financial hardship that may otherwise prevent publication.
Authors whose institutions do not provide financial assistance for Article Processing Charges.

Eligibility is assessed based on the circumstances described in the waiver request and any supporting information provided by the corresponding author.

What the Waiver May Cover

Depending on the outcome of the review, available waiver capacity, and the author's circumstances, IJTRM may offer one of the following:

Full Waiver: Complete exemption from the applicable Article Processing Charge.
Partial Waiver: Reduction of the standard Article Processing Charge by an approved percentage.
Case-by-Case Discount: A specially approved reduced fee based on the author's individual circumstances.

The exact amount of any waiver or discount will be communicated directly to the corresponding author after review of the request.

How to Apply for a Fee Waiver

Submit the Manuscript: Authors should first submit their manuscript through the journal's normal submission process.
Complete Peer Review: The manuscript must undergo the journal's standard editorial screening and peer-review process.
Receive Acceptance: Waiver requests are normally considered only after the manuscript has been approved for publication.
Submit a Formal Waiver Request: The corresponding author should send a written request to the Editorial Office explaining the reason for seeking financial assistance.
Provide Supporting Information: Where appropriate, authors may be asked to provide information regarding student status, institutional affiliation, lack of research funding, or other circumstances relevant to the request.
Await Editorial Decision: Each request is reviewed individually, and the final decision is communicated directly to the corresponding author.

When to Submit a Waiver Request

Authors are encouraged to submit fee waiver requests after manuscript acceptance, once the paper has successfully completed peer review and has been approved for publication.

This approach helps maintain a clear separation between editorial evaluation and financial considerations. Manuscripts are assessed solely on academic quality, originality, methodological rigor, relevance, and ethical compliance.

Important Conditions

Fee waiver approval is not automatic.
All requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
A waiver request does not influence editorial or peer-review decisions.
Manuscripts are evaluated solely on scholarly merit.
Waiver decisions are communicated directly to the corresponding author.
IJTRM may approve, partially approve, or decline a waiver request.
Approval depends on the circumstances of the applicant and the available capacity of the waiver program.
Payment of an APC does not guarantee acceptance, and inability to pay does not influence peer-review outcomes.

Editorial Independence and Fairness

The journal maintains a strict separation between editorial decisions and publication charges. Editors and reviewers evaluate manuscripts without regard to the author's ability to pay.

Requesting a waiver or discount will not disadvantage an author during peer review, revision, or final editorial consideration. Likewise, payment of the full APC will never guarantee acceptance or preferential editorial treatment.

Confidentiality of Waiver Requests

Information provided in connection with a fee waiver request is treated confidentially and is used only for the purpose of assessing eligibility for financial assistance.

Waiver information is not normally shared with peer reviewers and does not form part of the scientific evaluation of the manuscript.

A Note on Fairness

IJTRM understands that limited funding should not prevent deserving research from being considered for publication. Every waiver request is reviewed with genuine consideration and with the aim of supporting equitable access to scholarly publishing.

At the same time, the Fee Waiver Program has limited capacity. Therefore, not every request can be approved in full. The journal strives to apply the policy consistently, fairly, and transparently while balancing accessibility with the operational requirements of maintaining a sustainable peer-reviewed open-access publication model.

Policy Updates

IJTRM reserves the right to review and update this Fee Waiver Policy periodically in response to changes in publishing costs, operational requirements, funding availability, or scholarly publishing practices. Any updated version of the policy will be published on the official journal website.