Among the various criticisms of traditional journal metrics is that, given the timelines involved in academic research and publishing, metrics based on citations alone cannot capture the attention received by publications in the period immediately after publication, nor the wider impact beyond the academic research community. Other data can help to show which recent publications […]
Category: Journalology
Why we embrace open peer review at BMJ Open
Transparency has been at the heart of BMJ Open for its entire ten year history and a key component has been to operate a fully open peer-review system. We believe that this approach is the most equitable way of making the peer-review process a fair and collaborative endeavour. Concerns about single-blind review, which has […]
Guest blog: Improving peer review using peer-reviewed studies #PeerRevWk16
This week is the second ever “peer review week”. The theme for this year is “Recognition for Review”. Peer review week aims to highlight the importance of peer review, which is a crucial part of the research process. We asked Dr Adrian Barnett, from the Queensland University of Technology, and a member of our editorial board, to survey […]
BMJ Open now publishes cohort profiles
BMJ Open currently publishes articles reporting research results or study protocols. We have now expanded our scope to include cohort profiles, articles that describe major, ongoing research cohorts. What’s the difference between a protocol, a cohort profile and a research paper? Detailed information about cohort profiles is in our instructions for authors. In brief, cohort […]
Bringing old trials to light in BMJ Open
Today we have published the first trial prompted by the Restoring Invisible and Abandoned Trials (RIAT) initiative. Dr Tom Treasure from UCL, with colleagues from University of Sussex and Imperial College, have brought back from obscurity the results of the ‘CEA Second-Look’ trial. The study asked the question: in patients who have undergone a […]
First impact factor announced: 1.583
BMJ Open’s first impact factor has been announced: 1.583. We are delighted to have this further evidence that BMJ Open is considered a journal of credible, valued research. Does a journal’s impact factor matter? In short – yes. When we surveyed our authors earlier this year, we asked what improvements we could make to […]
Using the SPIRIT statement to improve trial protocols
We have updated our instructions for authors to show that we now encourage the use of the SPIRIT statement. SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) is ‘an international initiative that aims to improve the quality of clinical trial protocols by defining an evidence-based set of items to address in a protocol’. Its creation […]
Open roads and closed sessions
A recent report on the next steps for increasing open access to UK research concluded that Green OA infrastructure (i.e. repositories) should be encouraged while an economically sustainable transition to Gold OA is worked through. ‘Heading for the open road: costs and benefits of transitions in scholarly communications’ by CEPA and Mark Ware Consulting, […]