Article Processing Charges Policy

  1. Overview

Arghand Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS) is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal committed to promoting scholarly research in the fields of social sciences, economics, public policy, management, education, and related disciplines. In line with our mission to make high-quality research accessible to all, AJSS does not charge any fee at any stage of the publication process.

 

  1. No Article Processing Charges (APC)

AJSS follows a Diamond Open Access model. This means:

  • No submission fee
  • No article processing or publication fee
  • No peer-review fee
  • No editing/proofreading fee
  • No charges for online hosting or archiving
  • No fees for color figures, supplementary files, or extended manuscripts

All costs associated with the journal are fully covered by Kandahar University through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Research (VCAR) and its internal academic development funds.

 

  1. Commitment to Open Access

AJSS believes that knowledge should be freely accessible without financial barriers. Therefore:

  • All published articles are freely available online immediately upon publication.
  • The journal adheres to open-access licensing (Creative Commons licenses, typically CC BY-NC or CC BY).
  • Authors retain copyright while granting AJSS the right to publish and disseminate their work.

 

  1. Funding and Sustainability

The operational and technical costs of AJSS are supported through:

  • Kandahar University research and publication support
  • Institutional budget allocations
  • Volunteer contributions from the editorial team, reviewers, and academic staff
  • University-provided technical infrastructure for hosting and archiving

No part of these costs is transferred to authors or readers.

 

  1. Independence and Ethical Standards

The exemption of APCs does not compromise academic integrity or editorial independence. AJSS maintains:

  • A rigorous double-blind peer-review process
  • Strict adherence to COPE, OJS, and international publication ethics
  • Transparent editorial workflows
  • High standards of quality, originality, and academic contribution

Manuscripts are evaluated solely on scholarly merit—never on the financial capacity of the authors.

 

  1. Waivers and Discounts

Since AJSS charges zero fees, a waiver system is not required. Authors from all countries and institutions are treated equally.

 

  1. Transparency Statement

AJSS is committed to full transparency. This APC policy is publicly available on the journal’s website and will be updated if or when any changes are made to the publication model.

 

  1. Contact Information

For any enquiries regarding APCs, publication policies, or submission guidelines, authors may contact:

Editorial Office
Arghand Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS)
Vice Chancellor for Academic Research (VCAR)
Kandahar University
Email: vicechancellor@kdru.edu.af or vcresearch@kdru.edu.af