FC
Frontiers Communications
Editor
1,343 news posts
Frontiers news
30 Apr 2014
Frontiers 2013 Progress Report
Frontiers 2013 Progress Report Frontiers is pleased to announce the release of the Frontiers 2013 Progress Report, showcasing an incredible year of community-driven growth. The Frontiers Progress Report, published today, details the major milestones and achievements reached in 2013, including a number of “Frontiers in” journals that have become among the largest and most highly cited in their fields. Frontiers in Psychology, launched in 2010, is now the world’s largest psychology journal and Frontiers in Physiology, Frontiers in Plant Science and Frontiers in Microbiology are all the largest open-access journals in their respective fields. Altogether, the “Frontiers in” journals published over 7,300 articles last year and place Frontiers among the top 5 leading open-access publishers worldwide. Other notable highlights from 2013 include: A nearly 50% growth in the number of published articles from 2012, up to 7,389 high-quality, peer reviewed articles in 2013 45 community-driven, open-access journals that publish across 28 scientific, medical and engineering fields, and cover 300 specialty subjects 16 new scientific, medical and engineering Field Journals launched in 2013, with many more planned for 2014 Over 40,000 high profile editors from 140 countries serve on the editorial boards Frontiers Journal Impact Factors maintained a strong performance and two new […]
Frontiers news
14 Apr 2014
Frontiers accounts and the Heartbleed security flaw
We would like to notify our community that Frontiers accounts have not been affected by the Heartbleed security flaw. Our servers do not rely on OpenSSL and are therefore not vulnerable to this security flaw; in addition, since the discovery of Heartbleed, we have conducted a series of checks and patches to even better optimise the security level of our production servers. Even though there is no reason to believe that Frontiers user credentials have been exposed to this security flaw, it is good practice to regularly change passwords. And so as always, those concerned about the protection of an account should change the password.
Frontiers news
11 Apr 2014
Rights of Human Subjects in Scientific Papers
The retracted Recursive Fury paper has created quite a blogger and twitter storm. A sensational storm indeed, with hints to conspiracy theories, claims of legal threats and perceived contradictions. It has been fury – one of the strongest human emotions – that has (perhaps understandably at first sight) guided the discussion around this retraction. Not surprisingly though, the truth is not as sensational and much simpler. The studied subjects were explicitly identified in the paper without their consent. It is well acknowledged and accepted that in order to protect a subject’s rights and avoid a potentially defamatory outcome, one must obtain the subject’s consent if they can be identified in a scientific paper. The mistake was detected after publication, and the authors and Frontiers worked hard together for several months to try to find a solution. In the end, those efforts were not successful. The identity of the subjects could not be protected and the paper had to be retracted. Frontiers then worked closely with the authors on a mutually agreed and measured retraction statement to avoid the retraction itself being misused. From the storm this has created, it would seem we did not succeed. For Frontiers, publishing the identities of human […]
Frontiers news
08 Apr 2014
Frontiers editor Arthur Ragauskas awarded two prestigious prizes
Arthur J. Ragauskas, Associate Editor of Frontiers in Energy Research, wins the TAPPI Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award and the American Chemical Society’s Award for Affordable Green Chemistry The Technical Association of Paper and Pulp Industry (TAPPI) Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award is the highest honor that the association awards. It is given to those “who have made preeminent scientific and engineering achievements of proven applied benefit to the world’s pulp, paper, board, and forest product industries.” The award highlights Dr Ragauska’s role in “training many of the key scientists at work in the industry today while also conducting important research that has advanced our understanding of the science in areas such as his current focus on biofuels and bio-based materials.” The American Chemical Society’s Award for Affordable Green Chemistry is awarded in recognition of “outstanding scientific discoveries that lay the foundation for environmentally-friendly products or manufacturing processes at a cost comparable to or less than that of current technologies, or discoveries that deliver new applications with compelling cost/benefit profiles.” The award recognises Dr Ragauska’s “research studies directed at developing green sustainable chemistry to convert lignocellulosics to biofuels, biopower and bio-based chemicals and materials.” Dr. Arthur Ragauskas is a professor in the School of […]
Frontiers news
04 Apr 2014
Retraction of Recursive Fury: A Statement
(Lausanne, Switzerland) – There has been a series of media reports concerning the recent retraction of the paper Recursive Fury: Conspiracist ideation in the blogosphere in response to research on conspiracist ideation, originally published on 18 March 2013 in Frontiers in Psychology. Until now, our policy has been to handle this matter with discretion out of consideration for all those concerned. But given the extent of the media coverage – largely based on misunderstanding – Frontiers would now like to better clarify the context behind the retraction. As we published in our retraction statement, a small number of complaints were received during the weeks following publication. Some of those complaints were well argued and cogent and, as a responsible publisher, our policy is to take such issues seriously. Frontiers conducted a careful and objective investigation of these complaints. Frontiers did not “cave in to threats”; in fact, Frontiers received no threats. The many months between publication and retraction should highlight the thoroughness and seriousness of the entire process. As a result of its investigation, which was carried out in respect of academic, ethical and legal factors, Frontiers came to the conclusion that it could not continue to carry the paper, which […]
Neuroscience
02 Apr 2014
World Autism Awareness Day 2014
On World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) we present a selection of popular open-access articles on advances and theories into autism spectrum disorders (ASD) The Intense World Theory – a unifying theory of the neurobiology of autism Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (Kamila Markram and Henry Markram (Co-founders of Frontiers and CEO and Editor-in-Chief, respectively)) The Intense World Theory considers autism as the consequence of a supercharged brain that makes the world more intense, which causes people with autism to develop strategies to cope. This review highlights key studies that support this theory and show how it can better explain past findings, and how it could resolve apparently conflicting data and interpretations. Autism: The Micro-Movement Perspective Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience (Elizabeth B Torres, Maria Brincker, Robert W Isenhower, Polina Yanovich, Kimberly A Stigler, John I Nurnberger, Dimitri N Metaxas and Jorge V Jose) A new screening and tracking tool for diagnosing autism is detailed in this study. It measures an autistic person’s random movements and compares these to patterns seen in non-autistic individuals. The method could be used to diagnose autism sooner and allow earlier intervention. Network efficiency in autism spectrum disorder and its relation to brain overgrowth Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (John D Lewis, […]
Frontiers news
27 Mar 2014
Frontiers in Plant Science Celebrates 1000 Published Articles
To celebrate the recent publication of 1000 articles in Frontiers in Plant Science, we took the opportunity to look back at the journal’s growth over the last three years and talk with Rich Jorgensen, Field Chief Editor (FCE), about some of his past highlights and future hopes for the journal. What was it like to be a part of Frontiers in Plant Science (FiPS) at the beginning? Like any new project, getting started was really question of vision and commitment. It wasn’t just about defining what sections should be in the journal; it was a lot of conversations and one-on-one sessions about why there should even be a new plant science journal. The original FCEs, Wolf Frommer and Uwe Sonnewald, did a spectacular job attracting top-notch people as Specialty Chief Editors who really believed that publishing could be better and that active researchers should be playing a key role in making it that way. Those Specialty Chief Editors (SCEs) did a fantastic job in putting together their boards of Associate Editors, who in turn recruited the many Review Editors that the unique Frontiers Interactive Review relies on so heavily. From there, it was the slow task of introducing ourselves to the rest of the research community. While gradual at first, growth really took […]
Frontiers news
27 Mar 2014
Frontiers editor Alberto Diaspro honored with the Emily M. Gray Award
Alberto Diaspro, a Chief Editor of Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, is awarded the important prize of the Biophysical Society. Alberto Diaspro, Director of the Department of Nanophysics at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), wins the Emily M. Gray Award 2014. The prestigious international prize is awarded annually by the Biophysical Society to scientists who particularly stand for their contributions to education in biophysics. Established in 1997, the Emily M. Gray Award is given for significant results obtained globally by researchers with regard to education activities in this field, that may include a distinguished record of excellence in classroom instruction, in mentoring research scientists at any level, in developing novel educational methods or materials, in promoting scientific outreach efforts to the public or to youth, in generating a track record of attracting new students to the field of biophysics, or in otherwise fostering an environment exceptionally conducive to education in biophysics. Alberto Diaspro – who is also Professor of Applied Physics at the Department of Physics of the University of Genova, Italy – has been honored with the Emily M. Gray Award “for dedicating his career to mentoring students and serving as the major force in organizing international biophysics workshops that showcase the talent of […]
Frontiers news
27 Mar 2014
Frontiers launches a new open-access journal: Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
Frontiers – a community driven open-access publisher and research networking platform – is pleased to announce the launch of a new open-access journal: Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences is the latest addition to the “Frontiers in” journal series and will cover research involving biochemistry, bimolecular mathematics, biophysics, structural biology and more. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences will make use of the unique Frontiers platform for open-access publishing and research networking, which provides an equal opportunity to seek, share and create knowledge. “Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences offers a new way to publish compared to most traditional journals,” says Annalisa Pastore, Professor in Molecular Basis of Neurodegeneration, King’s College London and Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. “The Frontiers unique Peer Review is collaborative and transparent and sets it apart from other journals. It will ensure that Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences will become an attractive and high-quality journal for authors to publish their work.” The mission of Frontiers is to place scholarly publishing back in the hands of working researchers and to promote an interactive, fair, and efficient review process of a range of article types. Articles are rigorously reviewed based on objective criteria in an average time of 84 days, published under the […]
Frontiers news
25 Mar 2014
Winners of the Frontiers in Physics Prize Draw at APS 2014
Announcement of the the winners of the Frontiers in Physics Prize Draw at the American Physical Society meeting in Denver, March 2014! The winners of the draw each won a waiver for submitting their next research article toFrontiers in Physics free of charge: J. D. Burton, University of Nebraska Ivar Martin, Argonne National Laboratory Andrew Konya, Kent State University Frontiers in Physics is a community driven, open-access journal for peer reviewed publications in all Physics areas and offers a myriad of advantages for authors. We welcome you to browse our archive of published articles, apply to join the editorial board or submit your paper. We currently publish articles in the following fields: Atmospheric Science Biomedical Physics Biophysics Computational Physics Condensed Matter Physics High-Energy and Astroparticle Physics Interdisciplinary Physics Mathematical Physics Membrane Physiology and Membrane Biophysics Optics and Photonics Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics Space Physics Plasma Physics (coming soon)Thank you all for stopping by our booth in APS and congratulations to our winners!
Health
24 Mar 2014
World Tuberculosis Day 2014
To mark World Tuberculosis Day (24 March), Frontiers presents a selection of articles on the latest research, concepts and innovations in the field of TB. Resistance in tuberculosis: what do we know and where can we go? Frontiers in Microbiology (Keith D. Green and Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova) Many strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are becoming increasingly drug-resistant. A mini-review covers how different M. tuberculosis strains resist anti-tuberculosis drugs and how these resistance mechanisms can be overcome. Current and Novel Approaches to Vaccine Development Against Tuberculosis Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (Antonio Campos-Neto, Mark Cayabyab and Lilia Macovei) There is currently no vaccine available to protect adults against M. tuberculosis. This review focuses on the current strategies and innovations being explored to create an effective tuberculosis vaccine. The response of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species Frontiers in Microbiology (Iona Bartek, Martin I Voskuil, Gary K. Schoolnik and Kevin Visconti) This paper studies how M. tuberculosis responds to a number of damaging highly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, one of the body’s primary defenses against M. tuberculosis infection. Functional characterization and evolution of the isotuberculosinol operon in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related Mycobacteria Frontiers in Microbiology (Reuben J Peters, Francis M Mann, Meimei Xu and Emily K Davenport) This article attempts to understand the function of two M. […]
Frontiers news
24 Mar 2014
Frontiers launches 2 new medical and surgical open-access journals
Frontiers is pleased to announce the launch of two new community-driven journals: Frontiers in Medicine and Frontiers in Surgery. Both titles will keep in line with Frontiers’ open-access philosophy and make the latest medical and surgical research accessible for free for the benefit of humankind. “Frontiers offers excellent publication opportunities for all clinical scientists,” says Ferdinand Köckerling, Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Surgery, Professor and Chairman, Department of Surgery and Center of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Vivantes Hospital in Berlin, and former President, German Society of Visceral Surgery. The Frontiers Interactive Review enables a fair, fast, collaborative and transparent review that focuses exclusively on objective merits. Authors, reviewers and editors directly engage in a real-time review forum for a collaborative dialogue. Reviewer names are disclosed on accepted articles to enhance transparency and constructiveness. Medical and surgical communities can engage in post-publication review on all articles. Articles can be used without restriction – under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license – to accelerate medical discoveries, surgical innovations and patient care. “In the past, novel treatment methods were sometimes held up by over-conservative reviewers. That is why the Frontiers way of peer review – transparent and collaborative — is of paramount importance. Because the […]
Frontiers news
20 Mar 2014
Frontiers launches a new open-access journal: Frontiers in Nutrition
Frontiers is pleased to announce the launch of a new open-access journal: Frontiers in Nutrition. Frontiers in Nutrition is the latest addition to the “Frontiers in” journal series and will publish scientific investigations and research of the highest quality relevant to eating behavior, clinical nutrition, food science technology and more. “In a world where malnutrition, hunger and obesity continue to rise at the same time, Frontiers in Nutrition will generate an integrated platform for the exchange of science, concepts and ideas taking into account the perspectives from academic research labs, private sector science and non governmental organisations,” says Dr. Johannes Le Coutre, Nestlé Research Center, Switzerland and Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition. “Frontiers’ unique Interactive Peer Review will enable authors, editors and reviewers to work together to generate a sound knowledge base in the field of nutrition that will have an impact on the problems we face.” The mission of Frontiers is to place scholarly publishing back in the hands of working researchers and to promote an interactive, fair, and efficient review process of a range of article types. Articles are rigorously reviewed based on objective criteria in an average time of 84 days, published under the Creative Commons […]
Frontiers news
20 Feb 2014
Frontiers launches Frontiers in Materials
Frontiers – a community driven open-access publisher and research networking platform – is pleased to announce the launch of a new open-access journal: Frontiers in Materials. Frontiers in Materials is the latest addition to the “Frontiers in” journal series and will cover a broad spectrum of basic and interdisciplinary research in nanotechnology, polymer research, biomaterials and translational material science and more. Frontiers in Materials will make use of the unique Frontiers platform for open-access publishing and research networking, which provides an equal opportunity to seek, share and create knowledge. “The field of Materials Science is evolving, and everyone involved shares the same objective: to keep pace with the multiple challenges and opportunities we face,” says Professor Lorenzo Pavesi, Chief Editor of the section Optics and Photonics and Professor of Nanoscience at the University of Trento, Italy. “With Frontiers in Materials, we hope to build a community of scientists interested in constructive and fair criticism, for it is the positive feedback on our work that drives the success of it all.” The mission of Frontiers is to place publishing back in the hands of working researchers and to promote an interactive, fair, and efficient review process of a range of article types. Articles are rigorously reviewed based on objective criteria in an […]
Frontiers news
12 Feb 2014
Frontiers launches a new open-access journal: Frontiers in Marine Science
Frontiers – a community driven open-access publisher and research networking platform — is pleased to announce the launch of a new open-access journal: Frontiers in Marine Science. Frontiers in Marine Science is the latest addition to the “Frontiers in” journal series and will cover research in marine biogeochemistry, physical oceanography, paleoceanography, marine systematics and taxonomy, marine policy, ocean engineering, conservation, biodiversity and marine ecosystem ecology. “The increased use of oceans via traditional and modern activities makes it necessary to develop a deeper knowledge of ecosystem functioning and processes, so as to achieve a more sustainable use of resources,” says Dr. Angel Borja, Specialty Chief Editor of the section Marine Ecosystem Ecology and Principal Inversitagor at AZTI-Tecnalia, Spain. “Marine Ecosystem Ecology is devoted to key findings in marine ecology, including all components of biodiversity. Our aim is to foster research that integrates knowledge across different ecosystem components, linking physical, chemical, biological and socio-economic aspects.” Current specialty sections open for submissions to Frontiers in Marine Science include the following: Aquatic Microbiology (Specialty Chief Editor: Jonathan P. Zehr) Aquatic Physiology (Specialty Chief Editor: David H. Evans) Marine Affairs and Policy (Specialty Chief Editor: Alex David Rogers) Marine Biogeochemistry (Specialty Chief Editor: Eric Achterberg) Marine Biotechnology (Specialty Chief Editor: Antonio Trincone) Marine Ecosystem Ecology (Specialty Chief Editor: Angel Borja) Marine Molecular Biology and […]