Low-Cost Journal for Students: Exactly What You Pay and What You Get

Most students publishing their first paper have a small budget, often paid from their own pocket or shared between project partners. A low-cost journal is useful only if the price is honest: one fixed fee, stated up front, with no extra charges for the certificate, DOI or extra authors appearing after acceptance.

This page sets out exactly what IJVAST charges, what that fee covers, and when you pay it, so you can compare it fairly with any other journal you are considering.

Fee table

• Indian authors: Rs 1,200 per paper, 18% GST included.
• International authors: USD 25 per paper.
• Submission fee: none.
• Fee for review or rejection: none. You pay only after acceptance.
• Extra charge per author: none. Every listed author receives a certificate.
• Extra charge for DOI or certificate: none.

What the fee covers

The fee pays for editorial handling and peer review coordination, final formatting checks in the IEEE two-column layout, a galley proof for you to approve, Crossref DOI registration under prefix 10.68296, permanent open-access hosting of your HTML page and PDF, and digital certificates of publication you can download from your dashboard at any time. A GST receipt is issued for Indian payments.

How to spot hidden charges elsewhere

• The fee page shows a 'starting from' price with no clear final figure.
• Certificates, DOI or 'indexing' are sold as paid add-ons after acceptance.
• You are charged per author or per page beyond a small limit.
• Payment is demanded before any review has happened.
• There is no GST receipt or written payment confirmation.

What IJVAST is, in plain facts

• Full name: International Journal of Vast Advancements in Science & Technology (IJVAST), published by SkyInnovate Technologies.
• ISSN 2839-5379 (Online), assigned by NIScPR, the ISSN National Centre for India.
• Crossref member with DOI prefix 10.68296. Each published paper gets a DOI in the form 10.68296/<Paper ID>.
• Open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone can read and download your paper free.
• IEEE two-column format. A free Word template is available on the Sample Paper page.
• Editorial review target of 48 hours from submission to first decision.
• Publication fee: Rs 1,200 for Indian authors (18% GST included) or USD 25 for international authors. It is charged only after acceptance.

How to submit, step by step

• Download the IEEE template from the Sample Paper page and place your manuscript in it.
• Check references, figure numbers and author details (names, affiliations, emails).
• Create a free author account and submit through the Submit Paper page.
• Watch your email and author dashboard: the editorial decision normally comes within 48 hours.
• If accepted, make any requested corrections, pay the fee, and approve the galley proof.
• Your paper is published online with its DOI, and you can download your certificate from the dashboard.

What IJVAST does not claim

IJVAST is not listed in UGC-CARE, Scopus or Web of Science and does not have an impact factor. We would rather you know this before you submit than after. If your university, scholarship or promotion rule requires one of those listings specifically, check with your guide or department first. For coursework, project reports, conference-style publication, skill building, placement portfolios and an early publication record, a peer-reviewed open-access journal with an ISSN and Crossref DOIs is often exactly what students need.

Frequently asked questions