Animal Research Perspectives (ARP) is committed to fairness and transparency in all financial matters. This Refund Policy outlines the terms and conditions under which refunds of Article Processing Charges (APCs) may be considered.

1. General Principle

APC payments are generally non-refundable once a manuscript has entered the editorial or production workflow. This is because the APC covers services—including editorial management, peer review coordination, technical screening, and administrative processing—that are rendered from the moment a manuscript is accepted and enters the publication pipeline. As per COPE and DOAJ best-practice principles, once significant editorial and technical services have been provided, APCs are non-refundable.

2. Refundable Cases

Refunds may be issued only in the following exceptional circumstances:

In all cases, refund requests must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the payment date.

3. Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be issued in the following situations:

· Manuscripts rejected after peer review or editorial assessment has begun

· Manuscripts withdrawn after acceptance or during the production process

· Articles that have been published and assigned a DOI

· Delays caused by the authors' late responses or failure to submit revisions

· Retraction of an article due to author error, research misconduct, or malpractice.

4. Partial Refunds

In specific and justified cases, partial refunds may be granted. Partial refunds typically range between 30–50% of the total APC amount, depending on the stage of the editorial and production process already completed.

Partial refunds may be considered when:

· Manuscript withdrawal occurs after peer review but before final acceptance

· Billing discrepancies or currency conversion errors are identified and documented

· Institutional or funding payment issues arise and are properly documented

The remaining portion of the APC is retained to cover costs already incurred, including editorial office work, peer review coordination, technical checks, and administrative processing.

5. Refund Request Process

To request a refund, please follow these steps:

1. Submit a written refund request via email to the ARP Editorial Office at ArpEditor@iacademic.info.

2. Include the following information in your request:

o Manuscript ID

o Article title

o Invoice number

o Transaction details and proof of payment

o Clear justification for the refund request

3. The editorial office will verify eligibility and respond within 7 business days.

4. Approved refunds will be processed via the original payment method within 15 business days of approval.

6. Banking and Transaction Charges

All refunds are subject to standard transaction fees charged by the payment gateway or bank. Authors are responsible for any currency conversion fees or bank charges incurred during the refund process.

7. Institutional and Sponsored Payments

If the APC was paid by an institution, funding body, or other third party on behalf of the author, refunds will be issued to the same payer account upon proper documentation. No refunds will be made directly to individual authors when payment originated from institutional or sponsor funds.

8. Editorial Discretion

In extraordinary circumstances beyond the journal's control—such as payment gateway disruptions, natural disasters, or other force majeure events—refund decisions may be adjusted at the discretion of the publisher. All refund decisions are final and binding.

9. Contact for Refund Inquiries

For any questions regarding this Refund Policy or to submit a refund request, please contact:

ARP Editorial Office
Animal Research Perspectives
Email: ArpEditor@iacademic.info