APC Fees & Publication Payment Policy
The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ) is committed to equitable and transparent open-access publishing. Article Processing Charges are kept modest, apply only after formal manuscript acceptance, and are structured to support participation by authors across different resource settings.
Eligible active registered TORG members with valid Membership IDs may publish APC-free during active membership.
Non-member APCs are structured according to the journal’s adopted World Bank income classifications.
APC payment is not requested before a manuscript has received formal editorial acceptance.
Waiver requests are considered according to eligibility, editorial approval, and available funding.
TORGJ’s non-member APC tiers are mapped to the current World Bank Group country income classifications, based on 2025 GNI per capita. For FY2027, the thresholds are: Low Income — $1,175 or less; Lower-Middle Income — $1,176–$4,635; Upper-Middle Income — $4,636–$14,375; and High Income — above $14,375. Country classifications are reviewed periodically and may be updated by TORGJ in line with subsequent World Bank classifications. View current World Bank classification ↗
Editorial screening, peer review, revision requirements, and manuscript acceptance are conducted independently of an author’s ability or obligation to pay an APC. Publication charges become applicable only after formal manuscript acceptance.
Who Pays an Article Processing Charge?
TORGJ applies different publication-payment arrangements for eligible active TORG members and non-members, while maintaining the same editorial and peer-review standards for all submissions.
APC-Free Publication
Eligible authors who hold active registered membership of The Operating Room Global and a valid Membership ID may publish in TORGJ without an Article Processing Charge during their active membership period.
Tiered Open-Access APC
Authors who are not eligible for the active-member publishing benefit pay the applicable non-member APC after formal acceptance. The amount is determined according to the journal’s adopted World Bank country-income classification.
The Same Editorial Standards Apply to Every Author
TORG membership does not confer preferential editorial treatment and does not guarantee publication. Manuscripts from members and non-members are evaluated according to the same journal scope, research-integrity, editorial, and peer-review standards.
APC by World Bank Income Group
For non-members, TORGJ applies a four-tier Article Processing Charge based on the current World Bank Group FY2027 income classification. The applicable rate is determined by the relevant country classification in the journal’s current APC schedule.
Low Income
$20World Bank FY2027: GNI per capita of $1,175 or less.
Lower-Middle Income
$50World Bank FY2027: $1,176–$4,635 GNI per capita.
Upper-Middle Income
$75World Bank FY2027: $4,636–$14,375 GNI per capita.
High Income
$100World Bank FY2027: above $14,375 GNI per capita.
Group A — Low-Income Economies
World Bank FY2027 · 25 economies
Group B — Lower-Middle-Income Economies
World Bank FY2027 · 47 economies
Group C — Upper-Middle-Income Economies
World Bank FY2027 · 59 economies
Group D — High-Income Economies
World Bank FY2027 · 87 economies
The country groups above reflect the World Bank Group FY2027 classification. The World Bank updates country income classifications annually, generally on 1 July. TORGJ may update this schedule when a new classification becomes applicable. View the current World Bank Country and Lending Groups ↗
What Does the APC Cover?
The TORGJ Article Processing Charge supports the editorial, technical, production, DOI, and open-access processes required to prepare an accepted manuscript for publication and maintain the published scholarly record.
Editorial Processing
Administrative manuscript handling, editorial coordination, communication, and processing throughout the journal workflow.
Standard Peer Review
Coordination of the journal’s standard independent peer-review process where applicable to the manuscript type.
Standard Formatting
Routine journal formatting and production preparation of the final accepted manuscript.
DOI Assignment
Assignment and registration of a Digital Object Identifier for the final published article.
Open-Access Hosting
Publication and continued online access to the article through the TORGJ journal platform.
Publication Metadata
Preparation and registration of relevant article metadata as part of the journal’s publishing workflow.
No Separate Standard Charges
Authors are not charged separate routine fees for the core stages of manuscript submission, standard peer review, standard production, DOI assignment, or open-access hosting.
Authors should never be asked to pay an Article Processing Charge simply to submit a manuscript or to obtain an editorial or peer-review decision. Where an APC applies, payment is requested only after formal acceptance.
Optional Add-ons
The following services are optional and are not required for manuscript submission, peer review, acceptance, or standard publication in TORGJ.
Supplementary Materials
$15Optional hosting or processing of substantial supplementary content accompanying a published article.
Fast-Track Review
$30An optional expedited editorial-processing pathway with a target editorial decision within 7 working days, subject to manuscript suitability and reviewer availability.
Language Editing
By QuotationAuthors who require additional English-language editing support may request a quotation or use an independent language-editing provider of their choice.
Fast-Track Does Not Mean Preferential Review
The optional fast-track service relates only to expedited manuscript handling. Scientific, ethical, methodological, and editorial standards remain unchanged, and the payment of a fast-track fee does not influence reviewer recommendations or the final editorial decision.
Authors are not required to purchase any additional service to obtain peer review, editorial consideration, DOI assignment, open-access publication, or standard journal production. Choosing not to purchase an optional add-on does not disadvantage a manuscript during editorial assessment.
Questions About Optional Services?
Contact the TORGJ Editorial Office before payment if you require clarification regarding eligibility, availability, or the scope of an optional service.
APC Waiver Policy
TORGJ recognises that publication charges may create financial barriers for some authors. Waiver requests are considered individually, subject to eligibility, editorial approval, and available publication-support funding.
Group A & Group B Authors
Authors from low-income and lower-middle-income settings may be considered for waiver support according to the current TORGJ APC schedule.
Genuine Financial Hardship
Authors who are unable to meet the applicable APC may request consideration based on demonstrated financial need or other relevant circumstances.
Full or Partial Waiver
Depending on eligibility and available support, TORGJ may approve a full waiver, partial waiver, or another appropriate payment arrangement.
How Waiver Requests Are Considered
Waivers are intended to support equitable access to publication while preserving the sustainability of the journal’s open-access publishing model.
When Should a Waiver Be Requested?
Authors seeking APC support should raise the request through the appropriate TORGJ editorial channel as early as practicable and before payment is completed. A waiver request does not need to influence or interrupt the scientific peer-review process.
Information provided in support of a waiver request should be handled only for the purpose of assessing eligibility and payment support. Financial circumstances should not be shared with peer reviewers or used to influence scientific assessment of the manuscript.