Transfer or start a journal

The experience gained from publishing a diverse and growing portfolio of more than 200 journals makes BioMed Central the ideal partner for journals published on behalf of scientific societies, professional groups, and institutions such as governmental agencies. BioMed Central offers cutting-edge technology, including sophisticated online tools for editors, in combination with a financial model that can be customised to the specific needs of individual societies and their journals.

If you would like to discuss transferring a journal, please contact journalproposal@biomedcentral.com. We would be pleased to provide any information you require before finalizing a formal proposal. If you wish to propose a new journal, further information can be found at the bottom of this page.

Journals affiliated with learned societies or other organizations represent the fastest growing segment of BioMed Central’s portfolio. Recent examples of journal transfers to BioMed Central include Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, the journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance; Genetics Selection Evolution, a journal of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France; and Journal of Biomedical Science, which is sponsored by the National Science Council of Taiwan.

Transferring journals to BioMed Central and converting to open access is cost and hassle free. There is no interruption to the journal’s existing coverage by indexing and bibliometric services, including Impact Factor tracking. High visibility and the citation advantage that comes with open access can give a further boost to a journal's reputation and ranking.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica is a case in point. Following the journal’s move to BioMed Central in 2006, the number and quality of submissions have been going up, coupled with a substantial and steady increase in the journal’s Impact Factor. More details concerning the success story of Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica are available from our society journals case studies page.

Depending on the copyright status, transferring journals have the additional option of making their back content accessible from BioMed Central's website. To further increase the visibility of the journal and its older content we will also submit the back content for inclusion in PubMed Central and PubMed, as well as to other archives and repositories. An example are the 40 volumes preceding the transfer of Genetics Selection Evolution to BioMed Central in 2008.

Transferring journals to BioMed Central does not affect existing coverage by indexing services such as Thomson Reuters (ISI), Medline, or Scopus. Like other major publishers, BioMed Central has signed up to the Transfer Code of Practice.

Our experienced in-house staff work actively with Editors and societies towards securing acceptance by further services. For instance, we regularly submit journals that are not yet covered by Medline or tracked for an Impact Factor by Thomson Reuters for consideration, and we achieve a high success rate by working closely with those bodies to discuss each submission.

To obtain further information, please contact us with your enquiries.

What to include in a journal proposal

Should you wish to discuss starting a new journal, please provide the information on the points as listed below. Feel free to contact journalproposal@biomedcentral.com with any questions you want to discuss before beginning the formal proposal.

For ease of use, the requested information can also be provided in this downloadable Word document.

Names and address details of the person(s) proposing the new journal.

If you are proposing a journal and do not intend to serve as the Editor-in-Chief, please explain what role you intend to take in the running of the journal or, for society journals, your position within the society.

A full Curriculum Vitae, including a publication record, of the proposed Editor(s)-in-Chief.

A brief description of the journal, including:

• Title (please check it does not already exist)
• A 20-word aim for the journal
• A 100-word description of the field
• A list of topics included (and not included, if useful) in the scope of the journal
• Anticipated content, by article type (e.g. reviews, commentaries, research articles). Please check beforehand that these are included in the list of article types currently available in our journals

A minimum 100-word overview of existing journals in the field. Against this background, why is a new journal needed? What is its purpose: is it meant (mainly) to be educational, to encourage debate, and/or to provide a home for the latest research?

A full description of the peer-review process. This should cover the following points:

• Whether peer review will be open or closed
• Whether you will peer review all manuscripts, or screen submissions prior to peer review and reject some manuscripts without formally consulting referees (and hence without providing reports)
• How many reviews will be required before a first decision (reject, revise, accept) is made
• How quickly you will aim to make a first decision
• Whether manuscripts will be routinely sent to a statistician
• What the procedure will be if the reviewers are in disagreement
• Who will make the final decision
• What the procedure will be if an author is unhappy with the decision

Please ensure that you have read the information covering peer review strategy before devising your peer-review policy. Please note that BioMed Central is a member of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), a forum for publishers and editors to discuss and investigate the ethical integrity of work published in or submitted to peer reviewed journals.

A list of 24 manuscripts (representing an average of 2 per month) that you will actively solicit for publication in the new journal during its first year. Please provide the general topic or working title and the prospective author (PI). The articles should be from a range of institutions and must be at a stage that should allow completion and writing-up within the next twelve months.

A minimum 100-word vision of where you see the journal in five years' time.

Any further relevant information
If this is a society journal, please provide a brief description of the aims and history of the society and how many members it currently has. Where this information exists online, please provide the relevant links.

When your proposal is complete, or if you have any questions about starting a new journal, please contact: journalproposal@biomedcentral.com.