Membership
Membership
Open Access Pub operates a paid membership program associated with International Marine Science Journal. What it is, what it provides, and what it explicitly does not affect.
Membership is a commercial relationship with the publisher. It is separate from the journal's editorial process, and nothing about it changes how a manuscript is assessed.
First
What membership does not do
Stated before anything else on this page, because the separation matters more than the benefits.
- It does not affect assessment
- Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal. Membership does not affect these criteria or confer an editorial advantage.
- It does not affect handling
- A manuscript from a member is handled in the same order, by the same process and to the same standard as any other manuscript the journal receives.
- It does not affect acceptance
- Membership carries no expectation of publication and no reduction in the standard of review a manuscript must meet.
- It does not confer editorial roles
- Appointment to the editorial board or the reviewer register is made on subject expertise and publication record. It cannot be bought and is not offered as a membership benefit. See the Editorial Board page.
- Fee relief is confirmed, not assumed
- Where a membership includes a reduction on an article processing charge, the reduction applies to that charge and is confirmed in writing by the editorial office before a membership is taken out. The reduction applies to the APC for an accepted manuscript. Rejected manuscripts have no APC; withdrawal terms are separate.
Provision
What membership provides
- Reduction on publication charges
- A percentage reduction on the article processing charge for accepted manuscripts, applied at invoicing. The reduction that applies to a given membership is confirmed in writing by the editorial office.
- Directory listing
- A listing in the member directory, for members who want one.
- Research digest
- A periodic summary of research published across the publisher's marine-science titles.
- Institutional coverage
- An institutional membership extends the publication-charge reduction to authors affiliated with that institution.
- Institutional contact
- A named contact at the publisher for institutions administering a membership across several research groups.
Membership is not required in order to publish in the journal, to review for it, or to be considered for its editorial board. Every article in the Archives is free to read whether or not a reader or author is a member.
Tiers
Tiers and fees
Fees are set by the publisher and are separate from any article processing charge.
| Tier | Who it is for | Fee | Term | APC reduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | An individual researcher | USD 179 | Annual | 15% |
| Institutional | A university, institute or research organization, covering its affiliated authors | USD 899 | Annual | 25% for affiliated authors |
| Lifetime | An individual researcher, for the lifetime of the membership | USD 1,299 | One-time | 30% |
The published membership schedule provides a 15% APC reduction for individual members, 25% for institutional affiliated authors, and 30% for lifetime members. The base APC is USD 1,800 for every accepted article type; membership coverage and the resulting charge are confirmed in writing before payment. See the Article Processing Charges page for how charges work.
Joining
Joining, renewal and cancellation
Write to the editorial office with your name, institutional affiliation and the tier you are considering. The office confirms what the membership includes, the reduction that would apply, and the current publication charge, in writing, before any payment is taken.
Annual memberships cover twelve months from activation. For renewal or cancellation, contact the editorial office; written confirmation records the effective date and any remaining membership coverage. Questions about membership eligibility or billing should be raised before payment.