Dear Authors, Reviewers, and Readers,
The Editorial Board of Rheumatology (Bulgaria) announces an upcoming revision of the journal’s publication and financial model, effective 1 August 2026.
To ensure long-term sustainability, maintain rigorous editorial and double-blind peer-review standards, and support the continuous development of our digital infrastructure, Rheumatology (Bulgaria) will officially transition to a structured Gold Open Access framework. This model allows the journal to guarantee that all published scientific articles remain permanently, immediately, and freely accessible to the global medical community without subscription barriers.
To support the costs associated with editorial management, technical maintenance, DOI registration, indexing, archiving, and online publication, an Article Processing Charge (APC) of EUR 100 will be introduced for accepted manuscripts submitted from 1 August 2026 onward.
Key Implementation Details-
The new policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to the journal on or after August 1, 2026. Manuscripts submitted prior to this date will not be subject to publication fees.
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The mandatory publication fee for accepted papers is EUR 100 (Gross, inclusive of the standard 20% Bulgarian VAT).
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In strict compliance with international transparency standards, the APC is billed only upon official acceptance of the manuscript after peer review. No submission or evaluation fees are charged.
In alignment with our commitment to foster diverse academic dialogue, the journal will maintain full fee exemptions for specific categories of content. The following submissions remain entirely free of charge:
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Editorials by invitation
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Invited Reviews
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Letters to the Editor commissioned by the Editorial Office
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Review articles commissioned by the Editorial Office
Furthermore, the Editor-in-Chief retains the sole discretion to modify or waive the publication fee under exceptional circumstances or for specific institutional agreements.
Next Steps for AuthorsComplete details regarding the updated financial policies, mandatory billing documentation, and explicit bank transfer instructions have been integrated into the Instructions for Authors sections of our website.
We sincerely appreciate your dedication, trust, and continued contributions to Rheumatology (Bulgaria) as we take this necessary step to elevate the journal's international reach and scientific impact.
Best regards,
The Editorial Office
Rheumatology (Bulgaria)