Copyright and Licensing CC BY 4.0

Authors retain copyright over their work. Upon acceptance, authors grant PCIJ the right to publish and disseminate their article.
All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

This license permits copying, distribution, adaptation, and commercial reuse, provided the original authors and the journal are properly cited.
License information and the CC BY 4.0 icon are displayed on each article’s web page and PDF.

License link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Article Processing Charges (APC) and Waiver Policy Fees

The Pathophysiology of Cell Injury Journal (PCIJ) applies an Article Processing Charge (APC)
only after an article is accepted for publication. The APC covers costs related to editorial management,
peer-review administration, professional copyediting, production, online hosting, indexing submission, long-term archiving,
and platform maintenance.

No other fees are charged.

PCIJ does not charge submission fees, page charges, or fees for color figures.

APC Schedule (USD)

APC Waivers and Discounts

PCIJ is committed to equitable open access publishing. Authors who face genuine financial barriers may request an APC
waiver or discount. Waiver decisions are made fairly and transparently and do not influence editorial
decisions. Requests are handled confidentially.

Eligibility (non-exhaustive):

• Authors based in low-income or lower-middle-income countries, where institutional funding is limited.
• Students, early-career researchers, or unfunded independent researchers with demonstrated need.
• Invited papers where the Editorial Office confirms eligibility for a waiver/discount in advance.
• Exceptional circumstances (e.g., humanitarian crises, institutional disruption), assessed case-by-case.

PCIJ supports equitable open access and ensures that the ability to pay does not influence editorial decisions.

Automatic waivers are applied according to the author’s country classification by Research4Life:

• 100% waiver for authors affiliated with institutions in Group A countries

• 50% waiver for authors from Group B countries

How to request:

1. Submit your manuscript through the journal submission system.
2. After acceptance (or when requested by the Editorial Office), email the editorial office with “APC Waiver Request” in the subject line.
3. Include: manuscript title, corresponding author, article type, and a brief justification of need (no sensitive personal details required).

Archiving and Preservation Preservation

PCIJ is committed to ensuring the long-term preservation, accessibility, and integrity of its published content.
To achieve this, the journal implements the following measures:

• DOI registration: All published articles are registered with Crossref and assigned a persistent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to ensure permanent discoverability and reliable citation (Crossref)
• Long-term digital preservation: PCIJ participates in the Portico digital preservation service, which ensures secure archiving and continued access if the journal website becomes unavailable (Portico)
• Repository policy (self-archiving): PCIJ permits authors to deposit the published version of their articles in institutional, disciplinary, or other repositories of their choice, consistent with the CC BY 4.0 license.

Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests COI

All authors are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest related to the publication of the manuscript.
This includes relationships with institutions, organizations, or products mentioned in the manuscript, as well as any factors that could influence
the interpretation or outcome of the study.

Conflicts may include, but are not limited to: financial relationships, personal relationships, and academic/intellectual conflicts.
Disclosures must be provided in a dedicated section titled “Conflict of Interest Statement.”

If no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly state:

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may result in rejection or retraction in accordance with ethical guidance from COPE.

Ethics and Misconduct Ethics

PCIJ adheres to the COPE Core Practices and the ICMJE Recommendations in all aspects of publication ethics. Authors must confirm that their work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal.

For research involving humans or animals, appropriate ethics committee approval and adherence to relevant guidelines are required.
Informed consent is mandatory for identifiable patient information, including images. All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and funding sources.

Suspected cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, redundant publication, or other forms of misconduct are investigated following COPE procedures.
Sanctions may include rejection, retraction, or notification of institutions.

Data falsification / fabrication

The fabrication, falsification, or deliberate manipulation of research data is considered a serious form of publication misconduct and a violation of accepted standards of scholarly integrity.
Authors confirm that all data are accurate and honestly represent the work performed. Authors must retain all original (raw) data and provide them to the journal upon reasonable request.

If data falsification or fabrication is identified after publication, PCIJ will take appropriate action—including corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions—consistent with COPE guidance.

Confidentiality and data protection

PCIJ maintains confidentiality throughout peer review and editorial decision-making. Personal data are processed responsibly and in compliance with applicable data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU Regulation 2016/679) where relevant.

Duplicate submission / publication

Authors must declare that the manuscript is not under consideration by, nor has it been published in, another journal.
Duplicate submission or duplicate publication is regarded as a serious breach of publication ethics, including publication of substantially similar content in another language without disclosure.

Acceptable secondary publication (e.g., authorized translations) must comply with ICMJE recommendations and requires disclosure, permissions where needed, and clear citation of the original work.

Corrections, Retractions and Withdrawals Record

PCIJ is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Where necessary, PCIJ will take corrective actions in accordance with recognized publishing standards and COPE guidance:

• Corrections (Errata): Issued to address minor errors that do not affect the validity, interpretation, or overall conclusions of the work.
• Retractions: Issued when published findings are unreliable due to major errors, unethical research practices, or confirmed cases of misconduct.
• Expressions of Concern: Published when there is credible reason to question integrity while an investigation is ongoing.

All notices remain permanently accessible and are clearly linked to the original article to ensure transparency and traceability.
Manuscript withdrawal is permitted only prior to formal publication and is considered on a case-by-case basis.

Plagiarism Screening

PCIJ maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. Using others’ ideas, words, or work without proper acknowledgment is strictly prohibited.
Submissions containing plagiarism, in whole or in part, will be rejected. This includes duplicate or redundant publication and self-plagiarism.

Posting a manuscript on a preprint server is not considered duplicate publication. All manuscripts are screened using professional plagiarism-detection software.
The corresponding author remains responsible for the manuscript throughout the evaluation and publication process. PCIJ follows COPE guidance in handling plagiarism cases. (COPE Guidance)

Complaints and Appeals Process

Authors, reviewers, or readers may raise concerns regarding editorial decisions, journal policies, ethical issues, or delays.
Complaints should be submitted via email to the editorial office.

An acknowledgement is normally provided within 7–14 days. Complaints and appeals are reviewed by senior editorial staff and, when appropriate,
by independent editorial board members, consistent with COPE guidance.

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PCIJ does not accept advertisements from third parties.

Contact Details Contact

Publisher

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