Society journals: case studies

Society-affiliated journals, whether previously self-published, transferred from a subscription-based arrangement with another publisher, or initiated as an open access journal with BioMed Central, represent the fastest growing segment of our portfolio.

The benefits of open access are already evident for many journals that were started only a few years ago, with no preceding history as a subscription-based publication. For instance: Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, launched in 2006 and supported by a number of European organizations, has achieved an impressive Impact Factor of 5.07, which ranks it near the top in the “Medicine, Research & Experimental” category. Journal of Hematology & Oncology, another society journal, was accepted for tracking soon after its launch in 2008 and is now well established with an Impact Factor of just under 4.

BioMed Central also publish a number of journals on behalf of governmental agencies. Among these are two publications owned by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomiqe in France. Veterinary Research is the world’s highest ranked veterinary journal with an Impact Factor of 4.06. Genetics Selection Evolution has seen a significant increase in its Impact Factor two years after the transfer to BioMed Central, when the calculation is based exclusively on open access articles and will be discussed in a more detailed case study below.

Examples such as these show how the worldwide momentum of the open access movement, the open access citation advantage and the quality of BioMed Central’s technology and services combine to provide journals with a solid basis for rising towards the top of their subject categories.

Our highly successful cluster of nutrition-related journals is a case in point. In the SJR (SCImago Journal Rank) category Nutrition and Dietetics, which covers 47 titles, the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity is one of four BioMed Central journals (in addition to Nutrition & Metabolism, Nutrition Journal, and Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition) appearing in the top third of the ranking.

Genetics Selection Evolution, now in its 44th volume, is one of two journals published on behalf of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomiqe. The journal became open access in 2009, and its growth since then shows the potential gains in ranking and Impact Factor where other factors, including the number of articles the editors accept for publication, remains relatively unchanged.

The graph below shows that the number of accepted articles stayed at around the same level after the conversion to open access. A noticeable increase only occurred in 2009, when a number of papers that had been accepted before but had not found a place in the 2008 print and online issues of the journal could be published in January 2009 when page limitations no longer applied. This being the reason for the one-off increase in published articles, it is safe to assume that quality and selection criteria had remained unaffected. In consequence this means that the doubling of the Impact Factor to 2.89 two years later, when the calculation started to be based solely on articles published by BioMed Central, provides strong evidence of the open access citation advantage.

Case study 2: Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
Rising through the ranks

Like Genetics Selection Evolution, Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica dates back several decades and has equally seen significant growth of its Impact Factor after the transfer to BioMed Central. The Editors of Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, however, also increased the number of articles they accepted for publication. Since its transfer to BioMed Central in 2006, Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica has steadily grown, both the number of publications as well as with regard to its Impact Factor and ranking.

The graph below shows how the journal’s development has been sustained beyond a mere correction of the decline it saw before the move to BioMed Central.

Case study 3: Frontiers in Zoology
A fast rise to the top

Frontiers in Zoology, which is affiliated with the German Zoological Society, was launched with BioMed Central in 2004. The Editors’ focus on quality has paid off; with an Impact Factor of 4.46, the journal is now ranked 3/146 in the SJR Zoology category.

As for many other society-affiliated journals published by BioMed Central, the article processing charge for Frontiers in Zoology includes a surcharge that supports the activities of the Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft.

Please contact us on journalproposal@biomedcentral.com if you wish to propose a new open access journal or discuss the transfer of an already existing title.