Effective Date: 1 January 2026
Announcement Date: 12 July 2025
History Studies is committed to conducting its publishing activities in accordance with international ethical standards, principles of transparency, and institutional sustainability. Accordingly, effective January 1, 2026, the following new policies will be implemented:
1. Introduction of an Article Processing Charge (APC)
To address the increasing technical, editorial, and administrative demands of the publication process, History Studies will implement an Article Processing Charge (APC) effective 1 January, 2026. This fee will apply exclusively to manuscripts that successfully pass the initial editorial screening for scope and formatting and are formally admitted into the peer-review process.
The APC is not contingent upon the final editorial decision—whether acceptance or rejection—and is levied solely to support the processing and evaluation of submissions during the scientific review stage. The amount of the fee may be subject to adjustment in accordance with the discount policy outlined below.
The exact Article Processing Charge (APC) will be determined in the coming months and will be announced separately.
2. Income-Based Discount Policy
History Studies is committed to an inclusive publishing policy that promotes equality of opportunity. In this context, authors affiliated with institutions in countries classified by the World Bank's annual income data will be eligible for the following discounts:
• Low-Income Economies: 50% discount
• Lower-Middle-Income Economies: 25% discount
3. Transition to a Continuous Publication Model
As of 2026, History Studies will transition from a traditional periodic publishing system to a continuous publication model. Key features of this model include:
• Manuscripts that have completed the peer-review and editorial process will be published online immediately with their final volume and issue assignment, without being delayed for the completion of a full issue.
• These articles, published in an "early view" or "publish-ahead-of-print" format, will be fully citable and indexed with their permanent Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
• This model significantly reduces the time for scientific findings to enter circulation and aligns the journal with contemporary standards in international academic publishing.
4. Compliance with the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and Ethical Standards
History Studies operates in full compliance with the principles and guidelines set forth by the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) concerning national academic promotions. As explicitly stated in the official YÖK guidelines (FAQ Document, Sept. 2021, Q. 44), processing fees collected during the submission stage, irrespective of the acceptance/rejection outcome, are ethically permissible and recognized as valid for declaration in associate professorship applications in Türkiye.
Relevant Source: YÖK Associate Professorship Application FAQ Document – September 2021 Period, Question 43. https://www.uak.gov.tr/Documents/docentlik/2021-eylul-donemi/2021E_SikcaSorulanSorularveCevaplari_15092021.pdf
*World Bank annual income classification: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/world-bank-country-classifications-by-income-level-for-2024-2025