- Article Publication Agreement
The following Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) are applicable to the arrangement for APC Services (defined hereunder) offered by the designated entity of ConductScience Publishing (referred to as the “APC Services Provider”) in relation to the author’s article (“Article”) being published on an open access basis. Successful provision of the APC Services necessitates cooperation from the author, and any failure in providing the necessary cooperation as requested by the APC Services Provider might result in a delay or inability to perform the said services.
For article processing charges (“APC”), the invoicing entity (“customer”) will be determined based on geographical location. If the customer is located in North, Central, or South America, the APC Services Provider will be ConductScience Publishing Customer Service Center LLC. For those in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Oceania, or Australia, it will be ConductScience Publishing Customer Service Center GmbH.
2. Definition of Publishing Services
The APC Services Provider is responsible for providing the customer with APC Services. “APC Services” encompass services included in the standard article processing charge for the relevant journal facilitated by the APC Services Provider. This typically involves a) preparatory publishing services, like overseeing the publication process, offering online resources for editors and authors, handling production and hosting, coordinating with abstracting and indexing services, and providing customer support, all in line with the specific workflows of the journal in question, and b) subject to the author adhering to the publishing license agreement made between them and the journal’s publisher (the “LTP”), ensuring the open access publication of the Article in the respective journal as per the LTP.
3. APC Details
In return for the APC Services, the APC plus any applicable taxes must be paid. The APC Services Provider is responsible for invoicing the APC to the customer. Some journals under ConductScience Publishing may impose an additional administrative fee [for processing invoices] payable alongside the APC, especially if the customer opts out of paying by credit card online while accepting the APC Payment Terms and Conditions. Regardless of the payment method, an electronic PDF invoice will be sent to the designated email address within 3 to 5 business days. The invoice currency is determined by the billing country provided and is non-negotiable to address currency fluctuations. This invoice will include payment instructions. Payment terms are set at thirty (30) days from the invoice date. Non-payment within this period can result in the Article not being published, or in the case of hybrid journals, the removal of its open access status, thereby placing it behind a paywall. Non-compliance may also lead to restrictions on future publications with ConductScience Publishing or associated journals, involvement of debt collection agencies, and/or legal proceedings.
4. Tax Implications
The stated APC and any administrative fees (as outlined in section 3, APC) are exclusive of any applicable taxes, government fees, levies, or other assessments, collectively referred to as “Taxes”. The responsible party must manage the reporting, collection, and remittance of these Taxes to the appropriate tax authority, adhering to the stipulations below.
If Taxes are applicable, they must be paid to the APC Services Provider in addition to the principal amounts at the same time.
The APC pertains only to the APC Services. If applicable laws mandate any withholding taxes, the customer is obligated to pay these taxes in full without deducting them from the principal amounts, and must provide evidence of such tax remittance to the APC Services Provider.
5. Right of Withdrawal
Individual authors as customers have a right of withdrawal. This right does not apply to customers who are not individual authors.
Customers have a 14-day period from the contract’s conclusion date to withdraw without providing a reason.
To withdraw, customers must inform the APC Services Provider (ConductScience Inc) of their decision through a clear statement (e.g., via mail, fax, or email). A provided model withdrawal form may be used, but it’s optional.
Sending the withdrawal notice before the period ends is sufficient to meet the withdrawal deadline.
Effects of Withdrawal
Upon withdrawal, the APC Services Provider will refund all payments received from the customer, including delivery costs (except for additional costs due to a non-standard delivery method chosen by the customer), without undue delay and no later than 14 days from the withdrawal notification. Reimbursement will be done using the same payment method as the initial transaction unless agreed otherwise, ensuring no fees for the customer.
If the customer requested service commencement during the withdrawal period, they must pay a proportionate amount for the services provided until the withdrawal notice, compared to the full scope of APC Services under the contract.
Termination
Either party can terminate these Terms with written notice if the LTP is terminated or the Article is not accepted for publication by the journal’s publisher. Additionally, the APC Services Provider may terminate
