Open access science publisher BioMed Central, UK, has announced the launch of several ‘threaded publications’ initiatives to further encourage transparency in research.
‘Threaded publications’ use electronic publishing technology to link content related to a research study or clinical trial and will help scientists, readers and patients find more complete information about a treatment. The initiative is also expected to help reduce the potential for wasteful duplication of research efforts. The concept was first put forward twelve years ago in an article co-written by Prof Doug Altman, Editor-in-Chief of Trials.
From January, BioMed Central authors will find seamless links between their trial registration record – in one of four internationally-recognised databases – and trial protocol published in a BioMed Central journal. Any subsequent article reporting the outcomes of the trial that includes the unique trial identifier in the abstract will also be linked.
To encourage participation BioMed Central is offering financial incentives to authors who support the initiatives. Authors who register a clinical trial in the Current Controlled Trials database and have their study protocol accepted for publication in Trials or a BMC Series medical journal will be entitled to a discount on the article processing charge (APC). Authors will also receive a discount on any subsequent article that reports the results of the same trial.
A number of BioMed Central journals are experimenting with innovative approaches to publishing data-related publications including Trials and BMC Research Notes. The coming months will see the development of other unique titles and projects, which will later form part of this initiative.
