Scientometrics Research Journal

Scientometrics Research Journal

Economic Evaluation of Article Processing Charges (APCs) in Iranian and International Journals Indexed in Scopus: A Scientometric Approach to Research Publishing Policy

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ehsan Ehteshamnejad 1
Mehdi Ramezani 2
1 Assistant Professor, Research Department of STI Financing & Economics, NRISP, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD, Research Affairs Expert, Ministry of Research, Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
10.22070/rsci.2025.20931.1853
Abstract
Purpose: The emergence of open access (OA) publishing has significantly impacted the academic publishing industry, with article processing charges (APCs) becoming a major source of revenue for many journals. The wide variation in APCs across journals has raised concerns about their fairness, transparency, and justification. This project primarily aimed to examine the factors influencing APCs in Iranian journals, as well as the role of the Scientific Journals Commission in this context. The present study investigated the status of APCs in Iranian journals indexed in Scopus and compared the total APCs of domestic journals with those of journals worldwide, employing documentary analysis and survey methods.
Methodology: This research was conducted using documentary and content analysis methods. A total of 376 Iranian journals indexed in the Scopus database were extracted and analyzed based on quartile ranking and subject area. The total value, average total value, and average article processing charge were calculated for each category. Additionally, by reviewing key official documents, the role and functioning of the Scientific Journals Commission in this context were examined. This documentary review made it possible to trace how regulatory decisions have shaped APC practices over time.
Findings: The analysis of the documents revealed that factors such as the type of journal, place of publication, peer review process, layout, and printing significantly influence the Article Processing Charge (APC). Additionally, the overall value of a journal is directly dependent on the APC rate and the number of articles published annually. According to 2024 statistics, 376 Iranian journals accounted for 1.28% of the total journals indexed in Scopus; however, they collectively indexed only 17,289 articles, representing 0.49% of the total articles in this database. The number of articles indexed in journals varied according to quartile classification, with 1,983,553, 812,497, 436,445, and 272,219 articles published in journals in the first through fourth quartiles, respectively. In contrast, only 24,278 articles were published in journals without a quartile ranking. On average, 217, 107, 65, and 45 articles were published per journal in the first through fourth quartiles, respectively, indicating a strong preference among researchers to publish in higher-quality journals. This preference also contributes to the higher average article processing charges (APCs) of these journals compared to those in lower quartiles. The total value of Iranian journals was approximately $195 million, representing a very small share of 0.39% compared to the $50 billion value of all indexed journals. The results also indicated that the APC rate—and consequently, the average APC and the average price of all journals in the Iranian medical sciences group—were significantly higher than those of non-medical journals, nearly twice as much. A review of upstream documents in the field of publications revealed that, prior to 2021, charging fees for the review, acceptance, and publication processes of articles was prohibited. The compilation and notification of the regulations on "Determining the Cost of Processing Articles in Open Access Scientific Journals" in May 2022 marked the first official action by the Publications Commission to establish the cost of processing articles in open access journals. The findings of this research showed that the prices set for processing articles in Iranian journals are not proportional to the country's inflation, especially considering that no review has been conducted on this matter since 2022. Taken together, these findings indicate that the pricing of article processing charges in Iranian journals is driven by a combination of journal characteristics and regulatory decisions rather than by a transparent and standardized cost model.
Conclusion: When determining article processing charges (APCs), the Publications Commission should carefully consider key factors such as the type of publication, the indexing level (national or international), the types of articles published, the number of citations the publication has received, its impact factor, and its quartile ranking. Since the scientific review and publication process is conducted within the university, it is recommended to streamline operations by separating these two functions. Specifically, the university should handle the scientific review of articles—including evaluation, peer review, and reviewer appointments—while a reputable external publisher should manage the publishing tasks, such as website maintenance, page layout, and payment of personnel and recurring article-related costs. In other words, each university should collaborate with a dedicated private publisher to which it can delegate its publishing responsibilities. Such reforms would not only improve the transparency and fairness of article processing charges but also enhance the competitiveness and international visibility of Iranian journals.
Keywords
Article Processing Charge (APC)
Total publication value
Publications commission
Journals indexing
Scopus
Iranian indexed journals
Subjects
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Scientometrics Research Journal
Volume 12, Issue 2 - Serial Number 24
(Issue 2, Autumn & Winter)
October 2026
Pages 481-502