The International Mycological Association (IMA) has partnered with open-access publisher and technology provider Pensoft to transition its flagship journal, IMA Fungus, to the ARPHA publishing platform. The move follows the expiration of the journal’s contract with BioMed Central (BMC), part of Springer-Nature, and is expected to streamline publication processes. The first publications under the new platform are anticipated in January 2025, with manuscript submissions already open on the journal's new website.
This transition marks a significant milestone in 2024 for IMA Fungus, coinciding with the appointment of its new Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Marc Stadler of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, who also recently assumed the presidency of the IMA Council. The partnership aims to enhance the journal’s commitment to advancing mycological research and ensuring free access to high-quality, peer-reviewed content.
The ARPHA platform offers an intuitive, integrated workflow designed to simplify the publication process for authors, reviewers, and editors. Its user-friendly interface consolidates submission, peer review, publication, and automated full-text export to scientific databases, resulting in faster review cycles and more efficient communication. In addition to its technological solutions, Pensoft will provide IMA Fungus with support services, including help desk assistance, design, marketing, science communication, and journal development.
Founded in 2010 during the 9th International Mycological Congress in Edinburgh, IMA Fungus was initially published by the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (now Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute) before moving to BMC in 2018. The transfer to Pensoft and ARPHA was publicly announced at the 12th International Mycological Congress in Maastricht this year.
IMA Fungus has earned a strong reputation in the field, boasting a Scopus CiteScore of 11.0 and a Journal Impact Factor of 5.2, ranking 6th in the Mycology category on Web of Science. It remains the only journal mandated to publish formal proposals related to fungal nomenclature under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. The journal’s scope covers a broad range of topics in mycology, from basic research to applied studies, serving the global mycological community.
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