Source of Funding and Fee Details for Authors

1. Source of Funding

The International Journal of Innovative Research (IJIR) operates through a transparent and sustainable funding model designed to support high-quality open-access publishing while safeguarding editorial independence, academic integrity, and research neutrality.

The journal’s principal sources of financial support include:

Article Processing Charges

Article Processing Charges collected from accepted manuscripts help cover the essential costs of the publication process. These costs include editorial assessment, plagiarism screening, peer-review coordination, manuscript formatting, typesetting, proofreading, DOI registration, digital archiving, website maintenance, online hosting, and dissemination of published research.

Payment of an Article Processing Charge does not influence the peer-review process or the editorial decision regarding a manuscript.

Institutional and Administrative Support

IJIR may receive limited administrative, technical, or operational assistance from academic institutions, research organizations, and scholarly bodies associated with the journal’s publication and editorial activities.

Any institutional assistance received by the journal is used solely to support its academic publishing operations and does not provide the supporting organization with control over editorial decisions.

Voluntary Academic Sponsorships

The journal may occasionally receive voluntary support from universities, research institutions, scholarly associations, conference organizers, and other academic partners.

Such support may be used to strengthen the journal’s open-access publishing activities, research dissemination, digital infrastructure, and academic outreach programmes. All sponsorship arrangements must remain consistent with the journal’s publication ethics and editorial independence.

Print Copies and Subscription Revenue

Income generated through optional printed copies or institutional print subscriptions may be used to cover the costs of printing, packaging, handling, and distribution.

The International Journal of Innovative Research does not accept commercial funding, advertising, sponsorship, or financial assistance that could influence editorial decisions, compromise academic integrity, or create a conflict of interest.

2. Fee Details for Authors

IJIR maintains a clear, transparent, and author-friendly fee structure. Authors are informed about all applicable charges before payment is requested.

Article Processing Charge

For Pakistani Authors: PKR 15,000 per accepted manuscript

For International Authors: USD 80 per accepted manuscript

The Article Processing Charge becomes payable only after the manuscript has successfully completed editorial assessment and peer review and has been formally accepted for publication.

The Article Processing Charge covers:

  • Initial editorial assessment;

  • Plagiarism and similarity screening;

  • Peer-review administration and coordination;

  • Manuscript formatting and typesetting;

  • Proofreading and production processing;

  • DOI registration and activation;

  • Online publication and website hosting;

  • Digital archiving and long-term preservation; and

  • Dissemination and maintenance of the published article.

Payment of the Article Processing Charge does not guarantee acceptance. Every manuscript is evaluated according to its originality, academic quality, methodological strength, relevance, ethical compliance, and contribution to the relevant field of study.

Submission Fee

Submission Fee: No Charge

Authors are not required to pay any fee when submitting a manuscript through the journal’s online submission system.

Manuscript submission, preliminary editorial screening, and consideration for peer review are provided free of charge.

Optional Printed Copies

Cost per Printed Copy: PKR 2,000 / USD 10

Authors may request printed copies of the journal after publication. Printed copies are optional and are not included in the standard Article Processing Charge.

Shipping, courier, or international delivery charges may be applied separately depending on the author’s location and the number of copies requested.

Optional Fast-Track Review Service

Fast-Track Review Fee: PKR 10,000 / USD 40

Authors may request an expedited editorial and peer-review process. Under this optional service, the journal aims to provide an initial editorial decision within approximately 7–10 working days, subject to reviewer availability and the nature of the submitted manuscript.

The fast-track review service:

  • Does not guarantee acceptance;

  • Does not bypass independent peer review;

  • Does not reduce the journal’s academic or ethical standards;

  • Does not influence the final editorial decision; and

  • Covers only the additional administrative and review-coordination expenses associated with expedited processing.

3. Waiver and Discount Policy

The International Journal of Innovative Research is committed to supporting equitable access to scholarly publishing. The journal may provide financial assistance to students, early-career researchers, unfunded authors, and researchers facing genuine financial difficulties.

Student Author Discount

Eligible student authors may receive a discount of up to 50% of the applicable Article Processing Charge.

Applicants must provide valid evidence of current academic enrolment, such as a student identification card, enrolment certificate, or official letter from their educational institution.

Waivers for Unfunded Authors

Complete or partial Article Processing Charge waivers may be considered for authors who:

  • Are based in low-income countries or regions;

  • Do not have institutional or project-based research funding;

  • Are independent or early-career researchers;

  • Are experiencing genuine financial hardship; or

  • Have submitted research of significant academic, scientific, or social importance.

Authors requesting a waiver must submit a formal application before making payment. Waiver applications are considered separately from the editorial and peer-review process and do not affect the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript.

Special and Collaborative Discounts

Special discounts may also be offered for:

  • Invited manuscripts;

  • High-quality or high-impact research contributions;

  • Special issues;

  • Conference-related manuscripts;

  • Institutional publication agreements;

  • Academic partnerships; and

  • Approved national or international research collaborations.

All waiver and discount decisions are made according to the journal’s policies and the circumstances of each individual request.

4. Payment Methods

After a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication, the corresponding author will receive an official acceptance notification, invoice, and payment instructions.

Authors may pay publication-related charges through the following approved methods:

  • Bank transfer;

  • Easypaisa or JazzCash for authors based in Pakistan; and

  • PayPal or another approved international payment method for overseas authors.

Authors should not make any payment before receiving an official acceptance letter or invoice from the journal.

An official payment receipt or confirmation will be issued after the payment has been received and verified.

5. Financial Transparency and Editorial Independence

All manuscripts submitted to IJIR are assessed solely on the basis of their academic merit, originality, relevance, methodological quality, ethical compliance, and contribution to knowledge.

The payment status, financial circumstances, institutional affiliation, nationality, or waiver eligibility of an author does not influence the peer-review process or editorial decision.

Editors and reviewers are not involved in decisions concerning fee waivers or discounts. Financial matters are handled independently by the journal’s administrative team.

The International Journal of Innovative Research remains committed to transparent financial practices, independent peer review, ethical scholarly publishing, and equal treatment of all authors.