It is common that when a technical paper is accepted for publication by
> a peer reviewed journal, the author's employer usually pays page
> charges. Being retired, I wish to submit a technical paper to a journal.
^^^^^^^^^^ That kills any deduction right there.
If I pay the page charges, would they be deductible? I will get no
> income from that. The journal would be that of an organization devoted
> to disseminating scientific and technical knowledge.
>
> If I were to collaborate with an academic on such a paper, would I be
> able to get a deduction by contributing to the academic's institution
> for the specific purpose of paying the page charges?