APCs and author fees

Informatica is an open-access journal. All accepted articles are published open access regardless of the processing tier selected. The journal does not charge a mandatory article processing charge (APC) for standard publication.

To support authors with time-sensitive needs, we offer optional expedited handling. Any fees associated with expedited handling cover additional administrative and production processing and do not influence editorial decisions.

No surprise fees. The journal charges only the fees explicitly described on this page. If any optional, author-requested service is available (e.g., language editing), it is offered only with a written quote and the author’s explicit approval in advance. No payments are requested before acceptance.

Processing tiers (time-to-first-decision targets)

Authors may select one of the following processing tiers at submission (targets refer to time to first editorial decision, i.e., round 1):

Review type	Target	Typical median	Fee
N (Normal)	6–12 months	11 months	None
F (Fast Track)	3–6 months	5 months	None
UF (Ultra-Fast — paid service)	~1 month	3 weeks	€1090

How to select a tier. In the submission system, enter N, F, or UF in “Comments for the Editor” at the first step. If you select UF, please also email fast-track-editor@informatica.si after submission with your submission ID to confirm the UF request and enable expedited handling.

What the timelines mean. Targets are measured from the point when the manuscript passes initial editorial screening and the authors confirm the selected tier (N/F/UF) by replying via email (i.e., after the submission is accepted into the review procedure). Timelines depend on scope fit, reviewer availability, and author responsiveness during revisions. UF capacity is limited per issue; if slots are full, the editorial office may offer an alternative tier.

Editorial independence and peer review

All manuscripts are evaluated according to the same editorial standards and peer-review requirements. Selecting a tier (including UF) does not guarantee acceptance and does not affect editorial decisions.

Fast Track (F): community reviewer program (no fee)

Fast Track provides handling priority for manuscripts whose author team opts into a community reviewer program. If selected for Fast Track, the editorial office may invite participating authors to complete up to three peer reviews within one month, subject to conflict-of-interest rules and reviewer expertise/availability. After the Fast Track reviewer commitment is completed, the manuscript is placed in a priority handling queue with a target first decision within ~6 months (timelines depend on reviewer availability and do not guarantee acceptance).

Reviewer participation is administratively separated from the editorial assessment of the author’s own manuscript and has no influence on editorial decisions. Authors may decline participation or be unable to review; in that case the manuscript proceeds in the Normal track with no penalty.

Ultra-Fast (UF): what the paid service includes

UF is an optional expedited service designed for time-sensitive submissions. It includes:

• prioritized handling with a target of first decision within ~1 month (subject to available slots),
• accelerated production handling after acceptance (copyediting/proofreading as applicable),
• and an acceptance letter if the article is accepted.

UF affects handling priority only; peer review requirements and editorial standards are identical across processing tiers.

When the UF fee is charged

For UF, the 1090 EUR service fee is payable via bank transfer and is invoiced only if the paper is accepted. If the paper is rejected, no UF fee is charged. Payment instructions are provided by the editorial office after acceptance.

Discounts (reviewer benefit)

A limited, rules-based discount on the UF service fee may be available to active regular reviewers of Informatica. Eligibility and the discount level are determined by the editorial office based on documented reviewer activity and are communicated at the time of request.

Other charges

Unless explicitly stated on this page, the journal does not charge additional mandatory fees (e.g., submission fees, page charges, or color-figure fees).

Funding and sustainability

The journal is published by the Slovenian Society Informatika and supported through research-publication funding, which helps keep standard publication open access and APC-free for standard handling.

Refunds & cancellations (UF service fee)

• Before payment: If an author withdraws the manuscript or cancels the UF request before the UF invoice is paid, no UF fee is due.

• After payment (general rule): Once the UF invoice is paid, the UF service fee is non-refundable, because it covers expedited editorial and administrative handling already provided during peer review, as well as reserved accelerated post-acceptance production capacity (e.g., copyediting/proof handling) for the accepted manuscript.

• Refunds for journal/publisher error: We will refund the UF fee in cases of duplicate payment, incorrect invoicing, or if the journal is unable to publish the accepted article under the stated open-access/licensing terms due to a journal/publisher error that cannot be corrected within a reasonable period.

• Misconduct/ethics outcomes: If an article is withdrawn/retracted due to author misconduct or serious author-side breaches, fees are not refunded (industry-standard approach).

Indexing/coverage and journal metrics are provided by third parties and may change over time. The journal does not guarantee inclusion in any specific database.