At Zendo Academic Publishing (ZAP), we strive to maintain open access to scholarly research while ensuring the highest standards of publishing quality. To support the peer-review and editorial process, we charge a nominal Processing Fee for accepted manuscripts. Below is the Processing Fee Policy:

1. Amount of Processing Fee:

• The Processing Fee for each accepted manuscript is $35 USD.

2. Payment Procedure:

• Upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication, the corresponding author will be notified and provided with the invoice for the Processing Fee.
• Payment of the Processing Fee should be made within [number of days, e.g., 14 days] from the date of the acceptance notification.
• Payments should be made in USD via the available payment methods specified by Zendo Academic Publishing.

3. Waiver Policy:

• ZAP recognizes the importance of equitable access to academic publishing for researchers worldwide.
• Authors who do not have the means to pay the Processing Fee may request a waiver based on financial hardship or other valid reasons.
• The decision to grant a waiver is at the discretion of the editorial office and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• Authors seeking a waiver should contact the editorial office (contact@zapjournals.com) at the time of manuscript submission, providing a detailed justification for the request.
• The decision to grant a fee waiver is final and not subject to appeal.
• Any disputes regarding the Processing Fee or the waiver decision will be resolved in accordance with the publication's policies and applicable laws.

4. Refund Policy:

• The Processing Fee is non-refundable.

5. Fee Transparency:

• The Processing Fee and any other applicable charges are clearly communicated to authors and well stated on the website.
• No additional fees or hidden costs will be charged beyond the stated Processing Fee.

6. Fee Usage:

• The Processing Fee is used to cover the costs associated with editorial assistance, online hosting, and archiving of accepted manuscripts.

7. Alternative Funding Sources:

• Authors are encouraged to explore funding opportunities available through their institutions, research grants, or other sources to cover the Processing Fee.