Q: Can a journal ask for publication fee after 5 years of publication of the article?
I was invited to write a research article by a publisher. In response, I sent the manuscript and published it in 2017 . Now the journal is asking about publication fee 519 after 5 years of publication. They intimated me for legal action. They are sending me mails frequently. What to do?
It is a general practice for journals to collect publication fees before publishing research articles. If the invitation you had received had no specific clauses about any monetary bindings, there was no such agreement between both the parties, and no communication regarding the same within these 5 years, then demanding a fee after 5 years of publication of the research article can be considered unethical. However, we would suggest that you revisit any clauses that were laid down in the contract or documentation that was sent at the time of article writing before deciding next steps.
This content belongs to the Journal Selection Stage