About the Journal

The International Journal of Combinatorial Optimization Problems and Informatics (IJCOPI) provides a forum for the dissemination of research in combinatorial optimisation and informatics. The journal publishes peer-reviewed contributions addressing both theoretical and applied aspects of computational methods, algorithms, and intelligent systems.

IJCOPI supports interdisciplinary research and encourages contributions that address emerging challenges in areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, smart technologies, and complex systems.

Scope and Coverage

The journal welcomes contributions in areas including, but not limited to:

  • Artificial Intelligence and Data Science: machine learning, computational intelligence, computer vision, big data analytics
  • Combinatorial Optimization and Operations Research: optimisation models, heuristics and metaheuristics, computational complexity
  • Smart and Emerging Technologies: smart cities, IoT, digital twins, blockchain, metaverse, smart infrastructure
  • Computing Systems and Engineering: cloud computing, distributed systems, cybersecurity, software engineering
  • Applied Informatics: bioinformatics, health informatics, educational technology, sustainable systems

Open Access and Academic Sustainability Contribution

IJCOPI provides free and immediate access to all published content. Readers do not pay subscription fees or access charges.

For manuscripts accepted for publication in journal issues from 2026 onwards, authors are required to pay an Academic Sustainability Contribution after the manuscript has received a final editorial acceptance decision.

The base publication contribution is USD 50 per accepted manuscript. This is a one-time charge applied to the manuscript as a whole, irrespective of the number of authors, pages, figures, tables or supplementary files.

No payment is requested at submission, during peer review or before the final editorial decision.

Payment of the contribution does not influence editorial decisions, peer-review reports, acceptance criteria, publication priority or the scientific evaluation of the manuscript.

Purpose and allocation of the contribution

The contribution is used exclusively to support the journal’s non-profit scholarly publishing activities. The USD 50 base contribution is allocated approximately as follows:

Editorial or technological service

Approximate allocation

Journal hosting, platform maintenance and technical support

USD 15

DOI registration, metadata management and indexing infrastructure

USD 10

Digital preservation, backups and long-term accessibility

USD 10

Editorial workflow and manuscript-processing tools

USD 8

Similarity-detection and quality-control services

USD 4

Open-access production and administrative support

USD 3

Total base contribution

USD 50

These allocations are indicative and may vary slightly according to operational requirements. No additional editorial or publication charges are applied other than the payment-processing fees expressly stated below.

Payment options

Authors may select one of the following secure PayPal payment options:

  • Payment in Mexican pesos: MXN 1,000.
  • Payment in United States dollars: USD 53.

The USD payment consists of the USD 50 base publication contribution plus USD 3 in payment-processing costs.

The MXN 1,000 payment represents the journal’s fixed peso-denominated payment option and includes the applicable payment-processing costs. Authors are not required to make both payments.

Payments are processed through secure PayPal payment links. Credit and debit cards are accepted, and a PayPal account is not required.

Authors must include the following information in the payment note:

  • Manuscript ID.
  • Corresponding author’s full name.
  • Manuscript title.

Payment instructions are sent only after final editorial acceptance.

Waiver policy

Authors who lack institutional, project-based or personal financial support may request a partial or full waiver.

Waiver requests must be submitted to editor@ijcopi.org within 15 calendar days after receipt of the final acceptance notification and before making any payment.

The request should include:

  • the manuscript ID;
  • the corresponding author’s name and institutional affiliation;
  • a brief explanation of the absence of financial support;
  • the type of waiver requested: partial or full.

Waiver requests are assessed by Editor, independently of the peer-review and editorial decision-making processes.

A decision will be communicated within 15 working days. Requesting a waiver will not affect the acceptance status, scientific evaluation or publication priority of the manuscript.

Effect of non-payment

Payment of the Academic Sustainability Contribution, or approval of a full waiver, is required before the manuscript enters final production.

An accepted manuscript will not be withdrawn solely because the authors submit a waiver request. However, publication may be suspended until the payment or waiver process has been completed.

Payment receipts and fiscal documentation

Authors will receive the automatic electronic receipt or transaction confirmation issued by PayPal when the payment is completed.

The journal does not issue:

  • Mexican CFDI tax invoices;
  • VAT invoices;
  • commercial invoices;
  • purchase-order invoices;
  • supplier-registration documentation;
  • institutional procurement documentation;
  • any other fiscal or tax document.

Authors whose universities, research centres, funding agencies or employers require specific fiscal or procurement documentation must verify those requirements before making the payment.

No additional or retrospective fiscal documentation can be issued after payment.

Refund policy

Payments may be refunded only in the following circumstances:

  • duplicate payment;
  • payment made for an incorrect manuscript;
  • payment made after approval of a full waiver;
  • payment requested or received as a result of an administrative error by the journal.

Refund requests must be submitted to editor@ijcopi.org within 15 calendar days after payment.

Payments are not refundable after the manuscript has entered copy-editing, layout, metadata registration or final production, except where the journal is responsible for a documented administrative error.

Any non-refundable PayPal, banking or currency-conversion fees will be deducted from the reimbursed amount where applicable.

Open-access status

Payment of the Academic Sustainability Contribution does not purchase access to the published article and does not create any commercial rights over the journal’s content.

All published articles remain immediately available under the journal’s declared open-access licence.

Policy applicability

This policy applies to manuscripts accepted for publication in issues corresponding to the year 2026 and subsequent years.

Policy version: 1.0
Effective date: 1 January 2026
Last updated: 1 January 2026
Contact: editor@ijcopi.org