Data

Tools

Indexes

Applications

Experiments

Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

https://github.com/BioinfoNet/LowCostOpenAccess

This is a resource where people can get information on journals where they can publish at waived or subsidised APC.
https://github.com/BioinfoNet/LowCostOpenAccess

low-cost open-access open-science

Last synced: 10 months ago
JSON representation

This is a resource where people can get information on journals where they can publish at waived or subsidised APC.

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          
# Publishing open access at low cost: what are our options?

In most Kenyan Institutions, students are required to publish at least one paper at MSc level. The common question is: where do we publish at low cost? To help students and early career scientists take decisions on where to publish, we create this open resource that can be used to guide students and early career researchers in Africa to publish open access, and at subsidized or waived article processing charge.



We tackled this question during an [OpenScienceKE hackathon](https://github.com/BioinfoNet/OpenScienceKEHackathon) held on 30th and 31st August 2018. The contributors to this project can be found [here](https://github.com/BioinfoNet/Openaccess-Options#team-members). See [this section](https://github.com/BioinfoNet/Openaccess-Options#how-to-contribute) and the [data entry guidelines](https://github.com/BioinfoNet/Openaccess-Options/blob/master/Data-Entry-Guidelines.md) if you'd like to contribute.



Here is a summary of what we found during the hackathon:

- Most Open Access publishers offer waivers or subsidies to authors from developing countries.

- For some, the waiver policy is linked to the corresponding author or the source of research funds.

- Lower Income countries authors receive full waivers, while Lower middle-income countries receive a 50% subsidy.

- Journals also consider waiver requests on a case by case basis

- Kenya is part of developing countries

- Kenya is a Lower-Middle Income country

- No special waiver to students identified so far, but may be part of the case by case waivers



## Low-cost open access table



Publisher Name|Journals|Scope|Waiver Criteria|Other Open Science Practices

---|---|---|---|---

[Academy of Science of South Africa](https://www.assaf.org.za)|
  • [South African Journal of Science](https://sajs.co.za)
|
  • General Science relevant to Africa
|Waiver eligible for:
  • Everybody
 Mode of eligibility:
  • Automatically eligible
 Amount of waiver:
  • 100%
 Application process:
  • not required
 |
  • [Datasets can be placed in open repositories](https://sajs.co.za/guidelines-authors#datasets)


[Hindawi](https://www.hindawi.com/)|
    

  • Advances in Bioinformatics
    • 

  • The Scientific World Journal
    • 

  • BioMed Research International
    • 

  • Genetics Research International
    • 

  • Scientifica
    • 

[see full list](https://www.hindawi.com/journals/) |
    

  • Bioinformatics
    • 

  • Computational Biology
    • 

  • Genomics
    • 

  • Genetics
    • 

  • Infectious Diseases
    • 

  • Molecular Biology
    • 

|Waiver eligible for:
    

  • Low-income economies
    • 

  • Lower-middle-income economies
    • 

 Mode of eligibility:
  • Automatically eligible
 Amount of waiver:
  • Not stated
 Application process:
    

  • Request a waiver before submitting manuscript
    • 

  • Send an email to waivers@hindawi.com
    • 

 [see waiver details](https://www.hindawi.com/waiver/)|None Found

[Public Library of Science(PLOS)](https://www.plos.org/)|
    

  • PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
    • 

  • PLoS Genetics
    • 

  • PLOS Computational Biology
    • 

  • PLOS Pathogens
    • 

  • PLOS Biology
    • 

  • PLOS ONE
    • 

  • PLOS Medicine
    • 

 [see journal list](https://journals.plos.org/)|
    

  • Infectious Diseases
    • 

  • Pharmacology
    • 

  • Molecular Biology
    • 

  • Cancer Research
    • 

  • Genetics
    • 

  • Computational Theory and Mathematics
    • 

[see more details](https://www.plos.org/which-journal-is-right-for-me)|Waiver eligible for:
    

  • low income countries
    • 

  • middle income countries
    • 

  • where 50% or more of the research work is funded from these countries
    • 

 Mode of eligibility:
  • automatically eligible
 Amount of waiver:
    

  • Full waiver for low income countries(includes **Kenya**)
    • 

  • Subsidized: middle income countries pay 500USD
    • 

 Application Process:
  • Apply for waiver during manuscript submission
[see waiver details](https://www.plos.org/fee-assistance)|None Found

[Wiley](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/)|
    

  • Molecular Systems Biology
    • 

  • Advanced Science
    • 

  • Cancer Medicine
    • 

  • Plant Biotechnology journal
    • 

 [see full list](https://authorservices.wiley.com/open-science/open-access/browse-journals.html)|
    

  • Biochemistry
    • 

  • Genetics
    • 

  • Molecular Biology
    • 

  • Cancer Research
    • 

  • Medicine
    • 

 [see more](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/)|Waiver eligible for:
  • Authors in developing countries
 Mode of eligibility:
  • Automatically eligible for waivers and discounts
 Amount of waiver:
    

  • Automatic waiver(full) - includes **Kenya**
    • 

  • 50% Automatic Discount
    • 

  • [see countries in above categories](https://authorservices.wiley.com/open-science/open-access/for-authors/publication-charges/waivers-and-discounts.html)
    • 

 Application Process:
  • submit waiver or discount request during article submission
|
    

  • [Open Data](https://authorservices.wiley.com/open-science/open-data/index.html)
    • 

  • Allows [Pre-prints](https://authorservices.wiley.com/open-science/open-practices/index.html)
    • 



[BioMed Central (BMC)](https://www.biomedcentral.com/)|
    

  • BMC Cancer
    • 

  • BMC Medical Genomics
    • 

  • BMC Genetics
    • 

  • Molecular Cancer
    • 

  • Malaria Journal
    • 

  • BMC Bioinformatics
    • 

  • BMC Genomics
    • 

[see more journals](https://www.biomedcentral.com/journals)|
    

  • Genetics
    • 

  • Genomics
    • 

  • Bioinformatics
    • 

  • Molecular Biology
    • 

  • Biomedicine
    • 

[see more categories](https://www.biomedcentral.com/journals)| Waiver eligible for:
    

  • low-income countries
    • 

  • low-middle income countries
    • 

  • individuals (in case of lack of funds)
    • 

  • authors with a substantial critique of articles published in the same OA journal
    • 

Mode of eligibility:
    

  • Automatic eligibility for low- and middle-income countries
    • 

  • Case-by-case basis for individuals lacking funds
    • 

Amount of waiver:
    

  • Full waiver for low-income countries
    • 

  • 50% APC discount for low-middle income countries
    • 

  • Individuals: Not stated
    • 

[see waiver details](https://www.biomedcentral.com/getpublished/article-processing-charges/open-access-waiver-fund); [More on APCs](https://www.biomedcentral.com/getpublished/article-processing-charges) Application process:
  • Request a waiver or discount during submission
 | 
  • Some journals have [open peer review](https://www.biomedcentral.com/journals)


[Nature Publishing Group](http://www.nature.com/openresearch/)|
    

  • Nature Communications
    • 

  • Human Genome Variation
    • 

  • Blood Cancer Journal
    • 

  • Genetics in Medicine
    • 

  • npj Systems Biology and Applications
    • 

 [see more journal](https://www.nature.com/openresearch/publishing-with-npg/nature-journals/)| 
    

  • Biochemistry
    • 

  • Genetics
    • 

  • Genomics
    • 

  • Immunology
    • 

 | Waiver eligible for:
    

  • low-income countries
    • 

  • lower-middle-income countries
    • 

  • substantial critique of an article previously published in the same fully OA journal
    • 

  • authors in financial need (case-by-case basis)
    • 

 Mode of eligibility:
    

  • Automatic eligibility for low- and middle-income countries
    • 

  • Case-by-case basis for individuals in financial need
    • 

 Amount of waiver:
    

  • Low-income countries: full APC waiver
    • 

  • Lower-middle-income countries: 50% APC discount (**Kenya** included here)
    • 

  • Discretionary waivers: Not stated
    • 

 Application process:
    

  • Request waiver or discount at the point of submission
    • 

  • Apply for discretionary waivers prior to or at the point of manuscript submission
    • 

[waiver for countries](https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-research/policies/journal-policies/apc-waiver-countries); [see more on waivers](https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-research/policies/journal-policies/apc-waiver-countries)| 
  •  Open Data. [Research data policies are provided](https://www.springernature.com/gp/authors/research-data-policy/data-policy-types/12327096)


[MDPI](https://www.mdpi.com/)|
    

  • Epigenomes
    • 

  • Data
    • 

  • Medical Sciences
    • 

  • Non-Coding RNA
    • 

 [see more journals](https://www.mdpi.com/about/apc)|
    

  • Molecular Biology
    • 

  • Genomics
    • 

  • Genetics
    • 

|Waiver or discounts eligible for:
    

  • Authors unable to pay APC
    • 

  •  Authors from low- and middle-income countries
    • 

  • Full APC waiver for all authors (selected journals) in **2020**
    • 

 Mode of eligibility:
    

  • Automatic eligibility for full APC waivered journals
    • 

  • Waivers or discounts at publisher's discretions
    • 

  • Case-by-case basis for authors from low- and middle-income countries
    • 

 Amount of waiver:
    

  • Full waiver for selected journals 
    • 

  • Publisher's discretion in other journals (waivers and discounts start from 15% (of the total APCs in a journal))
    • 

 Application process:
  • Discuss waiver with editorial office during article submission
 [see waiver details](https://www.mdpi.com/about/apc#discounts_apc)| None Found

[PeerJ](https://peerj.com/)|
    

  • PeerJ
    • 

  • PeerJ Computer Science
    • 

|
    

  • Bioinformatics
    • 

  • Computational Biology
    • 

  • Data Mining and Machine Learning
    • 

  • Genetics
    • 

  • Genomics
    • 

 [See more](https://peerj.com/subjects/)|Waiver eligible for:
    

  • Low income countries
    • 

  •  [See list of countries](https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519#Low_income) 
    • 

   Mode of eligibility:
    

  • Automatic eligibility for authors from low income countries for a single publication, one per submitting author, per year
    • 

  • Any co-author who was an undergraduate at the time of the research
    • 

 Amount of waiver:
  • Low income countries: Full waiver
Application process:
  • Indicate desire for a waiver in the "Confidential Notes to Staff" upon submission
 [see details on waiver](https://peerj.com/about/policies-and-procedures/#publishing-plan-policies)|
    

  • Optional post-publication peer review history transparency. [see details](https://peerj.com/benefits/review-history-and-peer-review/)
    • 

  • Supports pre-prints. [see details](https://peerj.com/about/author-preprint-instructions/)
    • 



[Oxford University Press (OUP)](https://academic.oup.com/journals)|
    

  • Bioscience Horizons
    • 

  • Biology Methods and Protocols
    • 

  • Nucleic Acids Research
    • 

  • Database
    • 

  • DNA Research
    • 

  • Genome Biology and Evolution
    • 

  • Journal of Insect Science
    • 

 [see more journals](https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access)|
    

  • Bioinformatics
    • 

  • Computational Biology
    • 

  • Genomics
    • 

  • Genetics
    • 

  • Molecular biology
    • 

|Waiver eligible for:
    

  • Authors from developing countries
    • 

  • Authors in financial hardship
    • 

Mode of eligibility:
    

  • Automatic eligibilty for authors from developing countries
    • 

  • Waiver granted at the discretion of the editor of the journal for authors in financial hardship
    • 

Amount of waiver:
    

  • Full waiver for Free access countries
    • 

  • 50% reduction on open access APCs for authors in reduced access countries and regions (__Kenya__ included in this category) 
    • 

[see developing countries list](https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/librarians/developing_countries/participating_countries)  Application process:
  • Apply for waiver during manuscript submission
 [see more details on waivers](https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/charges)|None Found

[Frontiers](https://www.frontiersin.org/)|
    

  • Frontiers in Genetics
    • 

  • Frontiers in Plant Science
    • 

  • Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
    • 

 [see more journals](https://www.frontiersin.org/about/journals-a-z)|
    

  • Bioinformatics
    • 

  • Computational Biology
    • 

  • Genetics
    • 

  • Genomics
    • 

  • Systems Biology
    • 

|Waiver eligible for:
  • Authors without the means to pay the APCs
 Mode of eligibility:
  • Case-by-case basis at the discretion of the publisher
Amount of waiver:
    

  • Full waiver
    • 

  • Partial waiver
    • 

Application process:
  • Apply for waiver before, or immediately after, the manuscript is submitted
 [see more details](https://www.frontiersin.org/about/publishing-fees#waivers)| 
  • [Collaborative Peer Review](https://www.frontiersin.org/about/review-system)


[eLife](https://elifesciences.org/)|Research categories include:
    

  • Biochemistry and Chemical Biology
    • 

  • Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics
    • 

  • Cell Biology
    • 

  • Computational and Systems Biology
    • 

  • Genetics and Genomics
    • 

  • Evolutionary Biology
    • 

 [see more topics](https://elifesciences.org/subjects) |
    

  • Biochemistry and Chemical Biology
    • 

  • Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics
    • 

  • Cell Biology
    • 

  • Computational and Systems Biology
    • 

  • Genetics and Genomics
    • 

  • Evolutionary Biology
    • 

[see more topics](https://elifesciences.org/subjects)|
  • A $2500 fee is collected for published researchers. Waiver is available for researchers with insufficient funds.
Mode of eligibility:
  •  Case by case basis at the discretion of the publisher
Application process: 
  •  Application for a fee waiver is done once the article submission has been invited for full peer review. 
 [see more details on eLife Publication fees](https://reviewer.elifesciences.org/author-guide/fees#waiver) | None Found



## Preprints



Preprint Name|Description

---|---

[bioRxiv](https://www.biorxiv.org/)|A free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences. Authors use the bioRxiv service to make their manuscripts available as “preprints” before peer review, allowing other scientists to see, discuss, and comment on the findings immediately.

[AfricArXiv](https://osf.io/preprints/africarxiv)|This is specially designed for African scientists to share their research outputs. They accept the following; Case studies, research articles, review papers, data and methods papers, project proposals, technical notes, dataset description papers and negative results. A manuscript can be submitted prior to or post publication. N/B AfricArXiv is not a journal and does not evaluate the scientific quality of a manuscript in all details.

[medRxiv](https://www.medrxiv.org/)|medRxiv accepts preprints of articles covering all aspects of research in the health sciences. Research articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, clinical research design protocols and data articles may be posted. A manuscript may be submitted prior to, or concurrently with, submission to a journal but will not be posted if it has already been accepted for publication, published, or posted elsewhere.

[PeerJPreprints](https://peerj.com/preprints-search/)| An archive of previously published preprints. Focuses on high-quality peer review and fast publishing. Good to note that Computational Biology is their scope.

[BioHackrXiv](https://biohackrxiv.org/discover)|Provides a wide scope of scientific preprint submission. Subjects include, Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Biology, Biochemistry, Nutrition, Neuroscience etc.

[Preprints.org](https://www.preprints.org/)|Available for preprints in all STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Of particular interest to us include Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology among others. Other than life science the server has a wide scope of subjects in Material science, Medicine and Pharmacology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physical Science, Social Science, Arts and Humanity, Engineering, Biology, Behavioral Science, Chemistry and Earth science.

[arXiv](https://arxiv.org/)| an archive for scholarly articles in the fields of physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, statistics, electrical engineering and systems science, and economics. Important to note that arXiv only accept submission of manuscripts from registered authors. A new user may be required to find endorsements from authors who have published a certain number of papers within the subject area.



## Predatory Journals



Leading scholars and publishers from ten countries have recently defined predatory journals and publishers as "entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices"(Grudniewicz et al., 2019). Predatory journals take advantage of the pay-to-publish model used by legitimate open access journals. Therefore, one prominent feature of predatory journals is their readiness to publish any article submitted as long as the author is willing to pay the article processing charges. In this regard, the predatory journals will aggressively solicit the authors to publish in these journals. Predatory journals may also provide false information such as fake impact factors, incorrect addresses, misrepresentations of the editorial board, false claims of indexing or membership of associations and misleading claims about the rigor of peer review. By readily allowing publication of articles without rigorous vetting, predatory publishing undermines legitimate and trustworthy scholarly publishing. To aid authors in identifying predatory journals, lists of possible predatory journals have been created and are regularly updated. These include:



- [List of Predatory Journals](https://predatoryjournals.com/journals/) (Adapted from Beall’s list)

- [Cabell's Blacklist](https://www2.cabells.com/about-blacklist) (Accessed on a subscription basis)

- [Beall's List](https://beallslist.net/)



## How to Contribute

Thank you for your interest in the project. Kindly read the [CONTRIBUTING:data entry guidelines](https://github.com/BioinfoNet/LowCostOpenAccess/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) for creating this resource. Here are some of the ways you can contribute to this resource:

- Review the resource table

- Suggest some of the publishers who provide waivers (Open an issue or send us a pull request)

- Provide suggestions on formatting

- Share this resource



Etherpad link for collaborative note taking: https://public.etherpad-mozilla.org/p/2018-openaccess



## Contributors



1. Caleb Kipkurui (Project Leader)

2. Karega Pauline(Team Leader)

3. Kennedy Wanjau Mwangi

4. Fridah Glelis Kariuki

5. Sebastian Musundi

6. Jennifer Mutisya

7. Cavin Mgawe



## Reference

Grudniewicz, A., Moher, D., Cobey, K. D., Bryson, G. L., Cukier, S., Allen, K., Ardern, C., Balcom, L., Barros, T., Berger, M., Ciro, J. B., Cugusi, L., Donaldson, M. R., Egger, M., Graham, I. D., Hodgkinson, M., Khan, K. M., Mabizela, M., Manca, A., … Lalu, M. M. (2019). Predatory journals: No definition, no defence. _Nature_, 576(7786), 210–212. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-03759-y



## License

All content of this repo is released under the [CC-BY 4.0 license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode)