International Society for Translational Sciences (ISTS) operates its journals as open-access publications. To sustain open access and maintain high editorial and production standards, the Publisher levies APCs on authors whose manuscripts are accepted after peer review.

Please note that the Publisher does not offer APC waivers or discounts for its journals. 

In the context of the Journal, "withdrawal" refers to the removal of any submission—whether newly submitted, under peer review, accepted, or in press—from the online submission system.

Should authors insist on withdrawing a submission for unethical or unjustifiable reasons, a withdrawal fee equivalent to 30% of the applicable APC will be charged.

Accepted papers and articles in press may also be withdrawn prior to formal publication. However, no APC refunds will be issued if a withdrawal results from academic misconduct or ethical violations in research or publication.

➤ APC Refund Policy

The Publisher will refund the full APC if an article cannot be published due to a publisher error, provided that the error is not corrected within 30 days of publication. Should you identify any such error, please notify the editor immediately at Contact@ists.asia.

No refunds will be made if an article is retracted as a result of author error or misconduct.

➤ Unethical and Unjustifiable Grounds for Withdrawal

In cases where authors insist on withdrawal for unethical or unreasonable reasons, a withdrawal fee of 30% of the current APC will apply. The Publisher’s editors generally regard the following as unethical and unjustifiable grounds for withdrawal:

·  Unfamiliarity with or unwillingness to pay the APC after acceptance.
Authors are expected to review the journal’s fee structure before submitting. It is considered unethical to initiate the editorial process without intending to pay the APC upon acceptance.

·  Reluctance to share all relevant research data or findings with the journal.
Prior to submission, authors should verify that the data and findings presented are appropriate for the journal and submission type. While there is no fixed threshold for the amount of data required, the Journal holds that studies in scientific and technological fields should include sufficient data to support robust and accurate interpretation. Authors are therefore strongly encouraged to provide, present, and publish all relevant supporting data.

·  Desire to transfer the manuscript to a journal with a different impact factor.

It is the authors' responsibility to evaluate the journal's scope and standards before submitting. Submitting to the Journal implies that authors consider their work to be aligned with the Journal’s quality and editorial expectations.