Refund Policy

The Annals of Dermatological Research (ADR) operates under a transparent Article Processing Charge (APC) model to support open access publishing. This Refund Policy outlines conditions under which authors may request refunds, ensuring fairness and accountability in financial transactions.

Once an article has been accepted and published, APCs are generally non-refundable, except in special circumstances described below.

Eligibility for Refunds

Refunds may be considered under the following conditions:

  • Duplicate Payment: If an author accidentally makes more than one payment for the same article.
  • Technical Errors: Payments made in error due to system or transaction failures.
  • Editorial Rejection Post-Payment: If an article is rejected by the editorial board after APC payment but before publication.
  • Early Withdrawal: If an author withdraws the manuscript before peer review begins and has already paid the APC.

Non-Refundable Circumstances

Refunds will not be issued under the following circumstances:

  • After the article has been published online.
  • If an author withdraws the article after acceptance or during peer review.
  • If retraction occurs due to ethical misconduct or plagiarism by the authors.
  • If delays in publication are due to incomplete author revisions or responses.

Refund Procedure

  1. Authors must submit a refund request via email to [email protected].
  2. The request must include:
    • Manuscript ID and title.
    • Proof of payment (transaction ID, receipt).
    • A detailed explanation for the refund request.
  3. The editorial office will review the request within 14 business days.
  4. If approved, the refund will be processed within 30 business days through the original payment method.

Partial Refunds

In cases where editorial or administrative work has already been initiated, ADR may deduct processing fees from the refund amount. The percentage deducted depends on the stage of manuscript processing.

Dispute Resolution

In the event of a dispute, ADR will work with the author to resolve the matter fairly. If disputes cannot be resolved internally, ADR may refer to external arbitration under applicable laws.

Third-Party Payments

Refunds requested for payments made through third parties (such as universities, funding agencies, or sponsors) will be processed in accordance with agreements between ADR and those entities.

Transparency and Accountability

ADR ensures that all APC-related policies are clear and publicly accessible. The refund policy is designed to balance financial accountability with fairness to authors.

FAQs

Can I get a refund if I decide not to publish after acceptance?

No. Refunds are not provided once a manuscript has been accepted and processing has begun.

What happens if my payment fails but is still deducted?

Such cases are treated as technical errors, and refunds will be processed after verification.

Do I need to pay a fee to request a refund?

No. Refund requests are free of charge, but processing fees may be deducted depending on manuscript stage.