The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), Germany, has announced key editorial changes for the EMBO Journal, an international journal that publishes the latest advances in molecular biology. The planned changes are expected to benefit authors in three ways - more transparency through online publication of editorial communications; increased character limits to encourage citation of primary literature; and greater visibility of insightful research in a new front section.
Publication of research findings is very important to scientists. But scientists tend only to know about how things work at a scientific journal through personal experience and hearsay. By making the evaluation of manuscripts visible to everyone, the EMBO Journal aims to encourage constructive referee and author argumentation. Younger scientists will valuable insight into how to publish their research findings as well as how to deal with critique.
Beginning with manuscripts submitted in 2009, a supplementary process file will be included with the online publication of successful papers. The process file will show all dates relevant to manuscript processing and communications between the author, editors, referees and comments to the decision letter. Readers will learn about why referees find the paper interesting and any gaps they may have identified in the initial research findings and how the gaps were resolved in revision. Referee identities will be anonymous and confidential comments between the referee and editors will remain so. Authors will have the option to decline publication of the editorial process when they submit manuscripts.
Also from 2009, references will not be included in character limits for manuscripts submitted to the EMBO Journal. Authors will be free to cite all primary literature references - benefiting authors of the original papers - and be rewarded with more space to present their research findings. Importantly, references will not be included in author page charges.
A new front section called "Have you seen?" will also be introduced to draw attention to, and discuss, interesting and insightful papers published in each issue of the journal. Editors will invite short commentaries from other scientists for the new section to highlight key articles in the current issue.
