Article Processing Charge (APC) and Publication Fee Policy

Article Processing Charge

The Dyal Singh Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (DSJHSS) is an open-access scholarly journal published by Government Dyal Singh Graduate College, Lahore, Pakistan.

DSJHSS charges an Article Processing Charge (APC) of PKR 15,000 per accepted article.

There is no fee for manuscript submission, initial editorial screening, or peer review. The APC becomes payable only after the manuscript has successfully completed the editorial and peer-review process, the authors have satisfactorily addressed the reviewers' and editors' comments, and the manuscript has received a final editorial decision of acceptance.

Editorial and Payment Procedure

The publication process is as follows:

  1. The manuscript is submitted to DSJHSS and undergoes initial editorial screening.
  2. Manuscripts considered suitable are sent for double-blind peer review in accordance with the journal's Peer Review and Editorial Decision Policy.
  3. Where revisions are required, the corresponding author is requested to submit a revised manuscript together with the required response to reviewers/editors.
  4. The revised manuscript is evaluated by the editorial team and/or reviewers, as appropriate.
  5. If the manuscript satisfies the journal's scholarly, ethical, technical, and editorial requirements, a formal Acceptance Letter is issued to the corresponding author.
  6. Only after formal editorial acceptance will the corresponding author be requested to pay the Article Processing Charge of PKR 15,000.
  7. Payment will be communicated by the journal with or after the Acceptance Letter.
  8. After making payment, the corresponding author must send proof of payment/payment screenshot to the Editorial Office at editor@dsjhss.gdscl.com.pk.
  9. After verification of payment by the journal/college administration, the accepted manuscript will proceed to final production and publication.

Editorial Independence

Payment of the Article Processing Charge has no influence on editorial screening, peer review, reviewer recommendations, revision requirements, or the decision to accept or reject a manuscript.

A manuscript must first be accepted entirely on academic and editorial grounds before an APC is requested.

Payment of an APC cannot purchase, guarantee, accelerate, or otherwise influence acceptance of a manuscript.

Open Access

Payment of the APC does not restrict reader access. All articles published by DSJHSS remain immediately and freely accessible online under the journal's applicable Creative Commons licence.

Other Charges

DSJHSS does not charge a manuscript submission fee or peer-review fee.

Optional printed copies, where requested by authors, are separate from the Article Processing Charge and are governed by the journal's policy concerning printed copies.

Waivers and Discounts

DSJHSS does not currently operate a general APC waiver or discount programme.

Effective Date

The PKR 15,000 Article Processing Charge applies to manuscripts submitted on or after June 30, 2026.

Manuscripts submitted before this effective date will normally remain subject to the author-fee policy that was publicly disclosed by DSJHSS at the time of submission.

Use of APC Revenue

Revenue received through Article Processing Charges will be used for legitimate journal-related purposes, including journal website hosting and maintenance, digital preservation, DOI and metadata infrastructure, editorial and production activities, technical services, publication management, archiving, dissemination, and other costs associated with the sustainable operation of DSJHSS.

Financial considerations shall remain separate from editorial decision-making.