Open access and APC guides
Open access, APC, and journal-risk guides
Guides for APC trends, open-access fee planning, MDPI and Frontiers risk assessment, and journal-quality checks before submission.
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Guides in this collection
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- ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces APC and Open Access: Current ACS Pricing, Discounts, and Real Options
- ACS Catalysis APC and Open Access: ACS Pricing, Institutional Deals, and Catalysis Journal Alternatives
- ACS Nano APC and Open Access: What ACS Actually Charges and What Authors Really Pay
- Advanced Energy Materials APC and Open Access: Wiley Pricing, DEAL Agreements, and Top-Tier Alternatives
- Advanced Functional Materials APC and Open Access: Current Wiley Fee, Agreement Coverage, and the Real Submission Question
- Advanced Materials APC and Open Access: What Wiley Charges for One of Materials Science's Top Journals
- Agriculture Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Agronomy Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Analytical Chemistry APC and Open Access: Current ACS Pricing, Green Routes, and When It Is Worth Paying
- Angewandte Chemie APC and Open Access: Wiley's Flagship Chemistry Journal and the DEAL Effect
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition APC and Open Access: Pricing, Waivers, Transformative Agreements (2026)
- Animals MDPI Submission Guide: Welfare-First Process (2026)
- Annals of Oncology APC and Open Access: Current ESMO Pricing, Agreement Rules, and When Gold OA Is Worth It
- Antioxidants Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Applied Catalysis B APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Pricing, Acceptance Reality, and When Gold OA Is Worth It
- Applied Energy APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Pricing, Timing, and Agreement Coverage
- Applied Physics Letters APC and Open Access: AIP Publishing Fees, Hybrid Options, and Alternatives
- Applied Sciences APC and Open Access: MDPI Pricing, Volume, and How It Stacks Up
- Applied Surface Science APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing and Institutional Coverage
- Astronomy & Astrophysics APC and Open Access: ESO Funding, Page Charges, and How A&A Keeps Costs Low
- Astrophysical Journal APC and Open Access: AAS Pricing, Page Charges, and the Gold OA Transition
- Bioinformatics APC and Open Access: Current OUP Charges, Fully OA Shift, and What Authors Actually Pay
- Biomedicines Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Biomolecules Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Bioresource Technology APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Fee, Timing, and the Submission Decision That Matters More
- Blood APC and Open Access: Page Charges, OA Fees, and Why Every Author Pays Something
- BMC Medicine APC and Open Access: Pricing, Waivers, Transformative Agreements (2026)
- BMJ APC and Open Access: Two Journals, Transparent Pricing, and Strong Institutional Coverage
- BMJ Open APC and Open Access: The Clinical Megajournal With Published Peer Reviews
- Buildings Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Cancer Cell APC and Open Access: Current Cell Press Pricing, Agreement Reality, and When It Is Worth Paying
- Cancer Research APC and Open Access: AACR Pricing Logic, Page Charges, and When Gold OA Is Worth It
- Cancers Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Carbohydrate Polymers APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing, Institutional Deals, and Lower-Cost Alternatives
- Catalysts Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Cell APC and Open Access: The $11,400 Fee, Elsevier Agreements, and Your Real Options
- Cell Host & Microbe APC and Open Access: Current Cell Press Pricing, Agreement Coverage, and Real Tradeoffs
- Cell Metabolism APC and Open Access: Current Price, Hybrid Economics, and When the Cost Makes Sense
- Cell Reports APC and Open Access: Current Price, GPOA Discounts, and What Authors Should Budget
- Cells Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Ceramics International APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing, Institutional Deals, and Alternatives
- Chemical Communications APC and Open Access: Short Papers, Modest Fees, and How RSC Stacks Up
- Chemical Engineering Journal APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Pricing, 24-Month Green OA, and CEJ Route Tradeoffs
- Chemical Reviews APC and Open Access: Current ACS Pricing, Invitation Reality, and the Cheaper Compliance Routes
- Chemical Society Reviews APC and Open Access: RSC Pricing, Invited Reviews, and How It Compares to Chemical Reviews
- Circulation APC and Open Access: Current AHA Hybrid Pricing, Coverage, and When to Pay
- Clinical Cancer Research APC and Open Access: AACR's Translational Bridge at Moderate Cost
- Clinical Infectious Diseases APC and Open Access: Current OUP Pricing, Page Charges, and When Gold OA Is Worth It
- Coatings Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Communications Biology vs Scientific Reports: Which Open-Access Journal?
- Construction and Building Materials APC and Open Access: Elsevier's Premium Price for a Core Engineering Journal
- Crystals Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Diabetes Care APC and Open Access: ADA Pricing Logic, Page-Charge Tradeoffs, and When Gold OA Is Worth It
- Diagnostics Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- eLife APC and Open Access: Current Fee, Reviewed Preprints, and the Real Cost Decision
- EMBO Journal APC and Open Access: Full Gold OA at $5,450 Through EMBO Press
- Energies Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Energy APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing, Institutional Deals, and Alternatives
- Environmental Science & Technology APC and Open Access: ACS Pricing, Agreements, and the Real Cost Choice
- European Heart Journal APC and Open Access: OUP Pricing, ESC Discounts, and Your Options
- Food Chemistry APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Fee, Timing, and Whether Paying Actually Changes the Submission Decision
- Foods (MDPI) Submission Guide: Sections, Portal, and What Editors Screen For
- Forests Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Frontiers in Immunology APC and Open Access: What the CHF 3,150 Fee Gets You
- Frontiers in Microbiology APC and Open Access: What CHF 2,950 Buys in a Gold OA Megajournal
- Frontiers in Plant Science APC and Open Access: What CHF 2,950 Buys in Plant Biology Publishing
- Fuel APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing, Institutional Coverage, and Journal Alternatives
- Gastroenterology APC and Open Access: Current AGA Pricing, Free Green Route, and When Gold OA Is Worth It
- Genome Biology APC and Open Access: Current Springer Nature Pricing, Fully OA Logic, and What Authors Actually Pay
- Gut APC and Open Access: BMJ's Gastroenterology Flagship at a Reasonable Price
- Hepatology APC and Open Access: Latest Public LWW Fee Schedule, Coverage, and Fit
- IEEE Access APC and Open Access: Current IEEE Pricing, Member Discounts, and What You Get
- IJERPH Submission Guide: MDPI Process and Indexing (2026)
- IJMS APC and Open Access: What MDPI's Largest Journal Costs in 2026
- IJMS MDPI Submission Guide: Requirements, Formatting and What Editors Want
- Immunity APC and Open Access: Cell Press Pricing, Limited Institutional Coverage, and What You'll Actually Pay
- International Journal of Hydrogen Energy APC and Open Access: What Elsevier Charges and How to Get Coverage
- Is Applied Sciences (MDPI) Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is BMC Medicine a Good Journal? The Open-Access General Medicine Option
- Is Frontiers in Immunology Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is Frontiers in Microbiology Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is Frontiers in Plant Science Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is Frontiers Predatory or Legit? A Practical Publisher Verdict
- Is Hindawi Predatory? A Practical Publisher Verdict
- Is IEEE Access Predatory? A Practical Legitimacy Verdict
- Is IJMS Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is Materials (MDPI) Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is MDPI Predatory? A Practical Publisher Verdict
- Is Molecules (MDPI) Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is Nutrients (MDPI) Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is PLOS ONE a Good Journal? Predatory or Legitimate?
- Is PLOS ONE Predatory? No. Here's What It Actually Is.
- Is Remote Sensing Predatory? MDPI Journal Verdict
- Is RSC Advances Predatory? A Practical Journal Verdict
- Is Sensors (MDPI) Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is Sustainability (MDPI) Predatory? A Practical Verdict
- Is Your Paper Ready for Applied Sciences (MDPI)? An Honest Look at the Broadest Open-Access Journal
- Is Your Paper Ready for IJMS? Understanding MDPI's Largest Molecular Sciences Journal
- Is Your Paper Ready for Materials (MDPI)? A Realistic Pre-Submission Checklist
- Is Your Paper Ready for Molecules? MDPI's Broad Chemistry Journal
- Is Your Paper Ready for Nutrients? What MDPI's Volume Machine Actually Rewards
- Is Your Paper Ready for Remote Sensing (MDPI)? An Honest Pre-Submission Checklist
- Is Your Paper Ready for Sensors? MDPI's Cross-Disciplinary Sensing Journal
- Is Your Paper Ready for Sustainability? MDPI's Broad Sustainability Journal
- JACS APC and Open Access: What Chemistry's Top Journal Actually Costs
- JAMA APC and Open Access: Two Journals, Two Price Points, and How to Get Coverage
- JAMA Oncology APC and Open Access: Current AMA Pricing and When the Fee Is Worth It
- JCI Insight APC and Open Access: Pricing, Waivers, Transformative Agreements (2026)
- Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry APC and Open Access: ACS Pricing, R&P Deals, and Alternatives
- Journal of Alloys and Compounds APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing, R&P Deals, and Cost Comparisons
- Journal of Applied Physics APC and Open Access: 2026 AIP Pricing After S2O Ended
- Journal of Biological Chemistry APC and Open Access: Current JBC Pricing, Member Discount, and What Authors Really Pay
- Journal of Chemical Physics APC and Open Access: What AIP Charges and How the Hybrid Model Works
- Journal of Cleaner Production APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Fee, Embargo, and What Authors Should Actually Check
- Journal of Clinical Investigation APC and Open Access: Society Publishing With a Price Tag to Match
- Journal of Clinical Medicine Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) APC and Open Access: What ASCO Actually Charges
- Journal of Colloid and Interface Science APC and Open Access: USD 4,690 and What It Buys
- Journal of Hazardous Materials APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Fee, Coverage, and What Actually Matters
- Journal of Immunology APC and Open Access: Current AAI/OUP Fees and What Authors Actually Pay
- Journal of Materials Chemistry A APC and Open Access: RSC Pricing, Gold OA, and Alternatives
- Journal of Power Sources APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Pricing and Whether OA Is Worth It
- Lancet Oncology APC and Open Access: High IF, High Price, and Limited Institutional Coverage
- Marine Drugs Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- MDPI Journals in 2026: A Quality Assessment by Signal, Not Stereotype
- Membranes (MDPI) Submission Guide: Process (2026)
- Metabolites Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Micromachines Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Molecular Cell APC and Open Access: Current Price, Hybrid Reality, and When the Fee Is Actually Worth It
- Molecules (MDPI) Impact Factor 2026: 5.1
- Nanomaterials Submission Guide: How to Submit to Nanomaterials (MDPI)
- Nature Biotechnology APC and Open Access: Current Nature Portfolio Pricing and Who Actually Pays
- Nature Communications APC and Open Access: Current Pricing, Funding Support, and What the Fee Really Buys
- Nature Communications APC Benchmark: When Is the Cost Worth It?
- Nature Communications APC: fee, funding options, and whether it is worth paying
- Nature Genetics APC and Open Access: Portfolio Pricing, GWAS Data Costs, and Institutional Coverage
- Nature Immunology APC and Open Access: Current Nature Portfolio Pricing and What the Fee Buys
- Nature Medicine APC and Open Access: Current Nature Portfolio Pricing and When the Fee Makes Sense
- Nature Methods APC and Open Access: Current Nature Portfolio Pricing for a Flagship Methods Journal
- Nature Reviews Cancer APC and Open Access: The Invite-Only Journal with a $12,850 Price Tag
- Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology APC and Open Access: The $12,850 Price Tag on Biology's Top Review Journal
- Nature Structural Molecular Biology APC and Open Access: Pricing, Waivers, Transformative Agreements (2026)
- NEJM APC and Open Access: What Authors Pay, What's Covered, and the OA Landscape
- Neuron APC and Open Access: Current Price, Hybrid Model, and What the Fee Actually Buys
- Nucleic Acids Research APC and Open Access: Current OUP Pricing, Agreements, and the Real Value Question
- Nutrients APC and Open Access: MDPI Pricing, Reputation, and How It Compares to Top Nutrition Journals
- Open Access APC Trends in 2026: What Authors Are Actually Paying
- Open Access Mandates in 2026: What Researchers Actually Need to Do
- Pharmaceuticals Submission Guide: How to Submit to the MDPI Medicinal Chemistry Journal
- Pharmaceutics Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Physical Review B APC and Open Access: APS Pricing, SCOAP3, and What Physicists Actually Pay
- Physical Review D APC and Open Access: SCOAP3, APS Pricing, and Why Your HEP Paper Might Be Free
- Physical Review Letters APC and Open Access: APS Pricing, SCOAP3, and What Physicists Actually Pay
- Plants (MDPI) Submission Guide: Process (2026)
- PLOS ONE APC and Open Access: The World's Largest Journal at One of the Lowest Prices
- PNAS APC and Open Access: A Tiered Pricing System That Rewards Planning
- PNAS Nexus APC and Open Access: Pricing, Waivers, Transformative Agreements (2026)
- Polymers Submission Guide: How to Submit to Polymers (MDPI)
- Rejected from Applied Sciences (MDPI)? The 7 Best Journals to Submit Next
- Remote Sensing APC and Open Access: MDPI Pricing, Discounts, and How It Stacks Up
- Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing, R&P Deals, and Cheaper Alternatives
- RSC Advances APC and Open Access: Current 2026 Fee, Discounts, and Whether It Is Worth Paying
- Science (AAAS) APC and Open Access: What Authors Actually Pay and Why It's Complicated
- Science Advances APC and Open Access: The Only AAAS Journal Where You Pay to Publish
- Science of The Total Environment APC and Open Access: Full Cost Breakdown for 2026
- Scientific Reports APC and Open Access: Current Mandatory Fee, Funding, and Real Fit
- Sensors APC and Open Access: CHF 2,600, Discounts, and Whether the Fee Makes Sense
- Small APC and Open Access: What Wiley Charges for Micro/Nanoscience Publication
- Sustainability (MDPI) APC and Open Access: High Volume, Higher Price, and What You're Actually Paying For
- Sustainability (MDPI) Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide
- Sustainability (MDPI) Impact Factor 2026: 4.1
- The Lancet APC and Open Access: Publication Costs, Elsevier Deals, and Funder Compliance
- Toxins Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Trends in Molecular Medicine APC and Open Access: Cell Press Review Journal at $6,000-$7,000
- Vaccines Submission Guide: MDPI Process (2026)
- Water (MDPI) Submission Guide: Scope and Process (2026)
- Water Research APC and Open Access: Current Elsevier Pricing, Agreement Coverage, and Real Tradeoffs