Three Teachings Studies: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism (TTS) is a peer-reviewed, fully open-access scholarly journal committed to the dissemination of original research on Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and their historical, intellectual, religious, and cultural contexts. To support sustainable scholarly publishing, editorial administration, digital infrastructure, and the continued accessibility of published research, the journal applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) of USD 350 to accepted Research Articles. TTS does not charge manuscript submission or peer review fees. Publication charges are assessed only after formal acceptance, and eligible authors may request partial or full fee waivers in accordance with the provisions below.

APC Schedule and Publication Fee Exemptions

TTS maintains a transparent publication charging policy. The applicable charges depend on the type of scholarly contribution and any approved exemption, reduction, or waiver.

Important: The standard APC applies to accepted Research Articles. The absence of submission and peer review fees applies to all manuscript categories. Authors are not required to make a payment before a scholarly acceptance decision is issued.

What Does the APC Support?

Article Processing Charges contribute to the operational costs associated with maintaining an independent, digitally published, open-access scholarly journal. These charges support the administration, preparation, publication, and continued availability of accepted scholarly work.

Relevant publishing activities include:

• Open-Access Publication: Preparation and online dissemination of accepted scholarly articles without reader subscriptions, paywalls, or embargo periods.
• Editorial Administration: Management of submission records, editorial correspondence, reviewer invitations, decision notifications, revisions, and publication-related administrative procedures.
• Copyediting and Typesetting: Preparation of accepted manuscripts for publication, including language and presentation checks, bibliographic consistency, layout, typesetting, and appropriate quality-control procedures.
• DOI and Publication Metadata: Preparation and maintenance of article-level bibliographic information, DOI registration and management where applicable, and metadata supporting accurate identification and scholarly discovery.
• Digital Publishing Infrastructure: Hosting, technical maintenance, security administration, manuscript processing facilities, and the operation of the journal's online publication environment.
• Scholarly Record Maintenance: Support for maintaining accessible publication records, article metadata, corrections, publication notices, and applicable digital preservation arrangements.

Payment of an APC does not purchase editorial acceptance, favorable peer review, citations, academic impact, or inclusion in any particular abstracting and indexing database. DOI registration, where applicable, identifies a scholarly publication but does not independently establish the quality, impact, or indexing status of the article.

When Is the APC Payable?

APCs are assessed only after formal acceptance for publication. Authors are not required to pay an APC when registering an account, submitting a manuscript, responding to editorial queries, or participating in the peer review process.

Following formal acceptance, the editorial or publishing office will communicate the applicable publication charge and provide the necessary payment instructions. If a waiver, reduction, or exemption has been approved, the amount payable will reflect that decision.

The following payment principles apply:

• No payment is required during manuscript submission or editorial assessment.
• No payment is required to obtain or complete peer review.
• A standard APC is payable only after a Research Article has been formally accepted, unless an applicable exemption, waiver, or reduction has been approved.
• Manuscripts rejected or withdrawn before formal acceptance are not subject to the standard Research Article APC.
• Applicable payment arrangements, including approved adjustments, must be resolved before the article is released for publication.

The editorial office will provide payment information only when it becomes relevant to an accepted contribution. Authors should not assume that an unsolicited payment request constitutes confirmation of editorial acceptance. Any uncertainty concerning publication charges or payment instructions should be referred to the journal's official editorial contact.

APC Waivers and Reductions

TTS recognizes that researchers may have unequal access to institutional funding, publication grants, and other financial resources. To support equitable participation in scholarly communication, the journal may grant partial or full APC waivers to eligible authors following individual consideration.

Waiver or reduction requests may be considered in the following circumstances:

• Unfunded Researchers: Authors without institutional publication support, research grants, departmental resources, or other funding sufficient to cover the applicable charge.
• Early-Career Researchers: Graduate students, doctoral researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and other early-career researchers who lack adequate financial support for publication.
• Researchers from Low- or Middle-Income Countries: Authors based in countries classified within relevant income categories by the World Bank, taking into account the applicant's individual circumstances and access to publication funding.
• Other Significant Financial Constraints: Authors experiencing circumstances that reasonably justify consideration for a partial or full reduction of the publication charge.

Eligibility for consideration does not guarantee approval of a waiver or reduction. Requests are assessed individually according to the information supplied, the author's financial circumstances, and the resources available to the journal.

The journal seeks to apply its waiver policy fairly, consistently, and without discrimination. Financial assistance does not alter the scholarly requirements applied to manuscripts or the standards governing editorial decisions.

How to Request an APC Waiver

Authors seeking a partial or full APC waiver should submit their request after receiving formal acceptance and before completing the applicable publication payment arrangements.

A waiver request should contain the following information:

1. Accepted Manuscript Information: The article title, corresponding author, and relevant submission identification details.
2. Reason for the Request: A brief explanation of the circumstances supporting the application for financial assistance.
3. Funding Availability: Relevant information concerning institutional publication support, research funding, grants, or other resources available to the author.
4. Requested Assistance: An indication of whether the author is requesting a partial reduction or full waiver of the applicable charge.

Waiver applications should be submitted to the editorial office using the official email address provided below. The journal may request reasonable clarification where necessary to evaluate the application. Authors should avoid providing unnecessary sensitive personal or financial documentation unless specifically requested for a legitimate assessment purpose.

Requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Information provided in connection with a waiver application is handled confidentially and is made available only to authorized personnel involved in the relevant administrative process, subject to applicable legal and recordkeeping obligations.

An author whose request is approved will receive confirmation of the applicable waiver or reduced charge. Authors whose requests are not approved may contact the editorial office for clarification of the decision or available payment arrangements.

Editorial Independence and Publication Charges

TTS maintains a clear separation between scholarly editorial decision-making and publication fee administration. Manuscript acceptance or rejection must be based on the quality and originality of the research, the reliability of its evidence, methodological or analytical rigor, relevance to the journal's scope, and compliance with applicable publication ethics requirements.

The payment of an APC does not influence reviewer recommendations, editorial judgments, revision requirements, or acceptance decisions. No manuscript may receive preferential scholarly treatment because its author or institution is able to pay a publication charge.

Conversely, an author's financial circumstances, eligibility for a waiver, or request for fee assistance must not be used as grounds for an unfavorable scholarly evaluation. Reviewers and editors are expected to assess manuscripts independently of fee-related considerations.

The journal's charging policy does not create a guaranteed publication service. Formal acceptance is determined through the appropriate editorial procedures, and any applicable APC is addressed only after that decision has been reached.

Open Access, Copyright, and Licensing

TTS provides immediate open access to published scholarly articles. Readers may access and download available articles without subscription charges, paywalls, or embargo periods.

Authors retain copyright in their original scholarly contributions and grant the journal the non-exclusive rights necessary for publication, dissemination, and preservation.

Published scholarly articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits sharing, redistribution, adaptation, and commercial or noncommercial reuse in accordance with the applicable attribution and other license conditions.

The same open-access and licensing conditions apply regardless of whether an article is published under the standard APC, a reduced APC, or an approved full waiver. Payment status does not create different levels of reader access or alter the scholarly status of an accepted publication.

Open Access Policy: View the Open Access Policy

Copyright and Licensing: View the Copyright & Licensing Policy

Creative Commons License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Frequently Asked Questions About APCs

Do I have to pay when submitting a manuscript?

No. Manuscript submission and peer review are free of charge. The standard Research Article APC is assessed only after formal acceptance.

Will paying an APC increase the likelihood of acceptance?

No. All scholarly editorial decisions are independent of publication charges and are based on academic and ethical criteria.

Are Book Reviews and Forum Contributions subject to an APC?

No. These categories are exempt from the standard publication charge.

Can an author request a full or partial fee waiver?

Yes. Eligible authors may request financial assistance after formal acceptance and before completing publication payment arrangements. Approval is determined individually.

Does an APC waiver affect open-access rights?

No. Articles published under approved waivers or reductions receive the same applicable open-access and licensing treatment as articles published under the standard APC.

Does the APC guarantee indexing or citations?

No. Publication charges do not guarantee inclusion in any particular database, citation performance, or academic recognition. Indexing decisions are made independently by the relevant database providers.

APC Inquiries and Waiver Applications

Authors may contact the editorial office for clarification concerning applicable publication charges, category exemptions, waiver eligibility, payment arrangements, or the administration of an approved reduction.

Three Teachings Studies Editorial Office
Publisher: Panorama Scholarly Group (PSG)
Email: [email protected]
Journal Website: https://journals.panorama-sg.com/tts

Manuscript Submission: All manuscripts and revised files must be submitted through the journal's official online submission system. The editorial email address is intended for APC inquiries, waiver requests, policy clarification, and administrative assistance.

Submission Guidelines: View Submission Requirements

Online Submission System: Access the Journal's Submission System