A new series of journals called Open Advances will be launching in September, providing an opportunity for globally equitable access to scientific communication. With the goal of eliminating financial barriers to read or publish research, Open Advances aims to foster a collaborative environment where impactful contributions can be made to address the world's most pressing challenges.
Driven by leaders in their respective research communities, these community-led and community-focused journals will serve as invaluable platforms for sharing new ideas and facilitating networks of researchers to tackle critical questions in their fields. The belief is that participation in research communication is crucial, and payment of publication fees should not hinder it. Thus, Open Advances will unlock the potential of Open Access to solve vital global challenges, ensuring that no author will be asked to pay a fee to publish in these journals. Initially, four journals will cover ecology, marine biology, plant science, and zoology.
Guided by globally representative Editorial Boards and led by Editors-in-Chief, each journal will prioritize the peer review of submissions that hold the potential to answer the most pressing questions within their respective communities and address global challenges. The focus will be on evaluating contributions based on their meaningful impact rather than solely relying on authors' reputations or geographical locations.
To empower scholars in addressing pressing global issues, Open Advances is committed to removing barriers to equitable access to scientific communication. From the journals' launch, authors will not be burdened by financial constraints when sharing their ground-breaking research. This transformative endeavor will be supported by PeerJ and gradually transition to sustainable support through Annual Institutional Memberships, culminating in collective action.
Published articles in Open Advances will include comprehensive peer review reports and Impact Statements from both the Editorial Board and the authors. These statements will highlight how the research addresses the journal's key questions or challenges. The journals will create repositories of research focused on each key question or challenge, regularly reviewed and updated by the Editorial Board.
The journals will publish research articles alongside reviews, opinions, and other articles deemed necessary by their respective communities to achieve their goals.
If the vision of Open Advances resonates with researchers, they are encouraged to take part in various ways, including: Apply to join the Editorial Board of one of the initial Open Advances journals or nominate a colleague; Consider submitting their research when the journals open in September and sign up for updates on the launch progress; Propose a journal idea, as the existing journals are just the beginning, and collaboration is welcomed to launch journals in other fields; and Encourage their institutions to sign up for an Annual Institutional Membership, which not only provides unlimited publishing in the journal portfolio for a flat fee but also contributes to the support and development of the Open Advances series and its core principles.
Open Advances aims to revolutionize the landscape of scientific publishing, promoting open access and collaboration to address global challenges.
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