Author Fee

I-MARKED (International Journal of Marketing Studies and Environments of Digital Business) operates as a fully open-access journal. To support the sustainability of its editorial operations, digital infrastructure, publication services, and long-term preservation, the journal applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) to manuscripts that are accepted for publication.

The APC is not a prerequisite for submission or peer review and does not influence editorial or peer-review decisions.

1. Fee Structure and Submission Policy

  • Article Submission Fee: IDR 0 (Free). There is no charge for manuscript submission or participation in the peer-review process.
  • Article Processing Charge (APC): The APC is payable only once and only after a manuscript has been officially accepted for publication following completion of the peer-review and editorial evaluation process.
  • Standard APC: The current publication fee is IDR 250,000 (approximately USD 16) per accepted manuscript.
  • No Payment Before Acceptance: Authors are not required to make any payment before receiving an official acceptance decision.

2. APC Coverage and Resource Allocation

The APC supports the operational and technical costs associated with the publication and dissemination of accepted articles. These may include:

  • Editorial and Technical Operations: Editorial screening, coordination of the double-blind peer-review process, copyediting, typesetting, formatting of tables and figures, proofreading, and publication preparation.
  • Digital Infrastructure and Preservation: Journal website and OJS maintenance, server hosting, metadata management, DOI registration, and digital preservation through appropriate preservation services.
  • Indexing and Dissemination: Management and dissemination of article metadata to relevant scholarly databases, indexing services, and academic information systems, subject to their respective requirements and acceptance policies.

The APC supports publication and dissemination services but does not guarantee indexing, acceptance by any particular database, or any specific indexing status.

3. Payment Procedure and Additional Publication Services

  • Payment Notification: Following acceptance, the Managing Editor will provide the corresponding author with an official payment notification or invoice containing the applicable fee and payment instructions.
  • Payment Deadline: Authors should complete payment within the period specified in the official payment notification. Publication processing may proceed after payment confirmation and completion of the required publication materials.
  • Manuscript Length: The standard manuscript length is 5,000–8,000 words, including the abstract, references, tables, and figures, in accordance with the I-MARKED Author Guidelines.
  • Extended Manuscripts: Authors whose manuscripts exceed the standard word limit due to substantial empirical models, appendices, datasets, or other legitimate scholarly requirements should consult the Managing Editor before final production. Additional fees, if any, will only apply when explicitly communicated and agreed upon in advance.
  • Hard Copy Orders: I-MARKED primarily publishes electronically. Authors who require printed copies of a journal issue may contact the Managing Editor. Printing and shipping costs, where applicable, are separate from the APC.

4. International Author Waiver Policy

To encourage international scholarly collaboration and broaden the geographical diversity of contributions, I-MARKED provides a 100% APC waiver for eligible authors affiliated with institutions outside Indonesia.

  • International Authors: Manuscripts authored or co-authored by researchers affiliated with institutions outside Indonesia are eligible for a full APC waiver. The applicable publication fee is therefore USD 0 / IDR 0.
  • Mixed-Affiliation Manuscripts: Manuscripts involving both Indonesian and international-affiliated authors are eligible for the international waiver when at least one listed author is affiliated with an institution outside Indonesia, subject to the journal's verification requirements.
  • Waiver Application: Eligible authors do not need to submit a separate waiver request unless requested by the editorial office.

5. Need-Based Waiver and Discount Requests

Authors who are not covered by the automatic international waiver and face genuine financial limitations may request an APC reduction or waiver.

Requests should:

  • Be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief;
  • Briefly explain the financial circumstances;
  • Be submitted before or immediately after manuscript submission and, where possible, before acceptance;
  • Not contain requests to influence the editorial or peer-review decision.

Waiver and discount requests are considered independently from the editorial evaluation process. The availability of a waiver or discount does not affect the assessment of a manuscript's academic quality, originality, methodological rigor, or suitability for publication.

6. Transparency and Editorial Independence

I-MARKED is committed to maintaining transparency and fairness in its publication fee policy. The ability or inability of an author to pay an APC does not determine whether a manuscript is accepted for publication.

All manuscripts are evaluated based on their academic quality, originality, methodological rigor, relevance, and compliance with the journal's editorial and ethical standards. Payment of an APC does not guarantee acceptance, publication, or indexing.

The journal reserves the right to review and update its APC rates and waiver policies. Any changes will be communicated transparently through the official I-MARKED journal website.