The Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology is committed to providing a fair, transparent, and ethical refund policy for its authors. While the Article Processing Charge (APC) is essential for supporting the operational, editorial, and production processes of the journal, we recognize that there may be circumstances in which a refund is appropriate. This policy outlines the specific conditions under which authors may request a refund of the APC and the steps involved in the refund process.

1. Manuscript Rejection Before Acceptance

The APC is only applicable once a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication. If a manuscript is rejected during the editorial or peer-review stages, no APC will be charged. This ensures that authors do not bear any financial obligation for the initial submission and evaluation of their work.

• No Fee for Rejected Manuscripts: Authors whose manuscripts are rejected after editorial screening or peer review will not incur any APC. The journal covers the cost of managing submissions, reviewing manuscripts, and coordinating the peer review process without passing those costs on to authors for rejected papers.

2. Withdrawal of Manuscripts After Acceptance

If an author wishes to withdraw their manuscript after it has been accepted for publication but before the production process has begun, a partial refund of the APC may be considered. However, once the manuscript has entered the production stage, refunds are no longer applicable.

• Partial Refunds for Withdrawn Manuscripts: In cases where authors choose to withdraw their manuscript after acceptance but before production, the journal will deduct a portion of the APC to cover editorial and peer-review management costs. The remaining balance may be refunded to the author. The exact refund amount will depend on the stage of the manuscript at the time of withdrawal.
• Stage of Manuscript at Withdrawal: If the manuscript has not yet entered the copyediting, formatting, or typesetting stages, a partial refund can be processed. However, the journal reserves the right to retain a portion of the APC for the work already completed in the editorial and peer-review process.
• No Refunds After Production Starts: Once a manuscript enters the production phase, no refunds will be issued. This includes:
  • Copyediting and proofreading
  • Typesetting and design
  • Formatting for final publication
  • DOI assignment and metadata preparation
  • Web hosting and archiving preparations

3. Exceptional Circumstances

The journal recognizes that in some situations, exceptional circumstances may arise where a full or partial refund is warranted. The journal will assess these cases individually, and refunds may be granted at the discretion of the editorial team under the following scenarios:

• Technical Issues and Delays: If technical errors or significant delays occur during the journal’s internal processes that affect the publication timeline or quality of the final article, a partial or full refund may be considered.
  • Examples of technical issues include website downtime that prevents access to published articles, prolonged delays in peer review that are not communicated to the authors, or formatting errors that significantly affect the quality of the published article.
• Errors in Publication: If an error is made by the journal that impacts the integrity or presentation of the manuscript, and the issue cannot be resolved to the author’s satisfaction, the journal may offer a partial or full refund. Such errors may include:
  • Incorrect formatting or typesetting
  • Publishing an incorrect version of the manuscript
  • Errors in metadata or citation information
• Retraction Due to Journal Error: If a manuscript is retracted as a result of an error or oversight on the part of the journal (e.g., an ethical issue overlooked during the editorial process), the journal may consider a refund of the APC.
  • In cases where the journal retracts an article due to internal errors, the journal may either offer a full refund or a credit towards future publications.
• Author’s Personal Circumstances: In rare cases, an author may experience unforeseen personal or professional challenges (e.g., a medical emergency or financial hardship) that prevent the completion of the manuscript or publication process. The editorial team will evaluate these situations on a case-by-case basis, and partial refunds may be considered based on the circumstances.

4. Requesting a Refund

To request a refund, authors must submit a formal request to the journal’s editorial office. The request should include a detailed explanation of the reason for the refund, along with any relevant supporting documentation.

• Formal Refund Request: Authors must send a written refund request via email to the editorial office. The request must include:
  • The manuscript ID or submission number
  • The title of the manuscript
  • A clear explanation of the reason for the refund request
  • Any supporting documentation (e.g., proof of payment, evidence of delays, or technical issues)
• Evaluation of Requests: All refund requests are carefully reviewed by the editorial team. Decisions are made based on the specific circumstances of each case, and the journal will aim to provide a decision within 30 business days of receiving the request.
  • In some cases, the editorial team may seek further clarification or additional information from the author before reaching a final decision.

5. Processing Refunds

Once a refund request has been approved, the journal will process the refund in a timely manner. The journal will aim to process refunds within 30 business days, depending on the complexity of the request and the availability of financial institutions.

• Refund Method: Refunds will be processed using the same payment method originally used to pay the APC, unless otherwise specified by the author. For example, if the APC was paid via credit card, the refund will be issued to the same credit card.
  • Credit Card Payments: Refunds for credit card payments will typically be processed back to the card within 5–10 business days after the refund is approved.
  • Bank Transfers: Refunds issued via bank transfer may take up to 30 business days, depending on the bank’s processing time and international transfer regulations.
• Finality of Refunds: Once a refund decision is made and the refund is processed, the decision is considered final. Authors will receive a confirmation email once the refund has been processed, and no further adjustments will be made unless a clear administrative error has occurred.

6. Finality of Refund Decisions

The decision regarding a refund request is final. Once a decision has been communicated to the author, it will be considered binding, and the journal will not entertain additional requests or appeals unless new information is provided that was not previously considered.

• Appeals: If an author believes that their refund request was denied due to a misunderstanding or lack of information, they may appeal the decision. Appeals must include additional details or documentation that were not included in the initial request.

7. No Refunds for Third-Party Payments

The journal does not offer refunds for payments made by third parties on behalf of the author (e.g., payments made by an institution or research funder). If the APC was paid through a third party, the refund will be issued directly to the party who made the payment, and the journal is not responsible for any subsequent arrangements between the author and the third party.

8. Transparency and Accountability

The Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology is committed to maintaining transparency and accountability in its financial processes. The refund policy is designed to ensure fairness for authors while supporting the sustainability of the journal’s operations.