Article Processing Charges in General Surgery Journals: Implications for Equitable Publishing Access in Low-Income...

Area of Science:

• Medical Publishing
• Surgical Sciences
• Open Access Models

Background:

• Open access publishing enhances scientific knowledge dissemination but article processing charges (APCs) pose financial barriers, especially for researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Previous studies indicate APCs disproportionately affect LMIC authors, perpetuating academic inequities.
• The financial impact of APCs on general surgery publishing remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify article processing charges (APCs) in general surgery journals.
• To evaluate the equity of APC fee structures for authors from LMICs.
• To assess the relationship between APCs, journal type, country of origin, and impact factor.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional analysis of general surgery journals identified via SCImago Journal & Country Rank.
• Journals were categorized as fully open access (OA) or hybrid.
• Data on APCs, fee reductions for LMIC authors, publishing model, country of origin, and impact factor were extracted and analyzed.

Main Results:

• 90% of analyzed general surgery journals charge APCs, with most being hybrid models.
• Only 42% of journals offering APCs provided reductions for LMIC authors.
• Journals based in LMICs were all fully OA, with lower median APCs and some offering no charges, contrasting with high-income country journals.

Conclusions:

• High APCs in general surgery publishing create significant barriers for LMIC authors, perpetuating inequities.
• While APC reductions are offered by some journals, the fees remain substantial.
• LMIC-based journals demonstrate that fully open access publishing is achievable at minimal or no cost, suggesting a path toward greater equity.