By submitting your payment to Explorer Press Ltd., you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to the following terms:

1. Post-Acceptance Payment

I acknowledge that the Article Processing Charge (APC) is being paid only after my manuscript has received formal acceptance from the journal.

2. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently of payments. Acceptance is based solely on academic merit, peer review outcomes, and alignment with the journal’s scope. The Editorial Board is not involved in payment collection or waiver approval processes.

3. No Additional Fees

I understand that the APC is the only fee required. There are no submission fees, page charges, or color fees.

4. Exclusion of Cooling-off Period

This contract involves digital content and publication services that commence immediately upon payment. I acknowledge that:

• Publication services begin immediately after payment
• I have had the opportunity to review all terms before payment

5. Refund Policy

Once paid, the APC is non-refundable, except in cases of duplicate payment, verified system errors, or specific circumstances outlined in our detailed Refund Policy .

6. Accuracy of Information

I confirm that the Article ID, amount, and author details provided are accurate. Explorer Press Ltd. is not responsible for payment processing errors due to incorrect information.

7. Publication Commitment

Payment confirms my commitment to proceed with publication and complete all necessary publication formalities (proof review, copyright agreement, data availability statement, etc.).

8. Ethical Compliance

By paying the APC, I confirm that my manuscript complies with COPE guidelines, including proper attribution, absence of plagiarism, and disclosure of conflicts of interest. Ethical violations may result in retraction without refund.

9. Copyright and Licensing

Upon acceptance, I agree to complete the Copyright Transfer Agreement or select a Creative Commons license (e.g., CC BY 4.0) as required for publication.

10. Waiver Agreement

If applicable, I acknowledge that any waiver or discount applied has been pre-approved by the journal and is reflected in the final amount due.

11. Force Majeure

Explorer Press Ltd. shall not be liable for delays or failures in performance caused by events beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, war, civil unrest, strikes, or government restrictions.

12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.