1,221 news posts in Frontiers updates

Frontiers news

11 Oct 2023

Frontiers institutional partnerships update – autumn 2023

The latest news on our collaborations with research institutions, libraries, consortia, and funders. Welcome from Franck Vazquez, director of partnerships at Frontiers Frontiers is committed to making trusted science openly available to all. Something we believe to be crucial in a world facing unprecedented challenges from climate change to fake news and conflict. However, the full potential of open science remains untapped with 60% of the world’s total annual scientific output still hidden behind paywalls. It is our conviction that science funded by all should be available to all, for the benefit of all. That is why Frontiers is working towards the goal of having all publications covered by institutional agreements within the next five years. We have recently announced Frontiers’ partnership with the University of California (UC), piloting a flat fee agreement under which corresponding authors at any of the UC’s ten campuses can publish in 19 selected Frontiers journals without limit and without charge. Our team will continue to work closely with institutions to co-create new and inclusive partnership models that work with their budget cycles, and which move the financial responsibility away from the author. New partnership announcements Our first consortium partnership in North America is now […]

Frontiers news

06 Oct 2023

Frontiers supports the ITRE Committee’s recommendations to promote freedom of scientific research in the EU

Academic freedom is an ironclad principle in the scholarly world. Yet, we have observed that academic freedom has come under pressure in recent years. On 25 September 2023, the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy (ITRE) published a draft report on the promotion of the freedom of scientific research in the European Union (EU). This sentiment was echoed by Germany’s Minister of Science Bettina Stark-Watzinger in a guest article published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung the same day. Photo credit: Frontiers Days earlier, on 19 September 2023, the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy (ITRE) convened to delve into a critical initiative championing the freedom of scientific research within the European Union (EU). Spearheaded by German rapporteur Christian Ehler, Member of the European Parliament for the European People’s Party, this initiative underscored the pivotal role of safeguarding academic freedom. The discussion resonated with concerns about academic liberties, especially in light of events like the expulsion of “a Hungarian university,” highlighting the paramount importance of upholding the rule of law. Christian Ehler shared insights into a worrying precedent set by the Hungarian university case, where academic freedom faced a disconcerting threat. The name of the university was […]

Frontiers news

29 Sep 2023

Thank you to all the women in science

Author: Leticia Nani Silva How do you say goodbye to your biggest achievement? For three years, Frontiers’ Women in Science blog has been my pride and joy, my biggest accomplishment, my success story. It’s now time to pass it to the next coordinators, who have been here since day one, Carolina Capelo Garcia and Thimedi Hetti. Photo credit: Frontiers The Women in Science blog was born from a spontaneous idea back in 2019, when life was very different, and Zoom was still practically unheard of within our company. As a young, recent graduate woman figuring out my place in the company and in the world of science, I was determined to make a mark and work collaboratively with other like-minded scientists to drive more women into STEM. The idea turned into a long-term project, and in 2021, we produced 18 articles showcasing the work and experiences of these brilliant women and sponsored the HBA Women of the Year Conference. Harnessing the success of the year before, we built on our expertise. In 2022, we grew the team of writers to 16 and set out to encourage more women to join our blog and share their story. We curated our interviews […]

Frontiers news

28 Sep 2023

Frontiers community engagement update – fall 2023

Photo credit: Frontiers We take a moment to reflect on the information, resources, and actions taken over the past several months towards promoting longer, more prosperous lives on a healthier planet. Photo credit: Frontiers Women in Science Our Women in Science blog continues to showcase the diverse stories and achievements of women researchers from various fields. The team behind the blog has had engaging discussions with each of the women, discovering how their work contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Each blog post also reveals the personal journeys of the women, including their key learnings, major challenges, and useful tips for future generations. Over the past several months, readers have learned about artificial intelligence and large-scale resource management (SDG 11), women in academia and equality (SDG 10), and innovation and process optimization (SDG 9). Photo credit: Emily Darley, Elisabeth Horde Frontiers’ Volunteers The volunteering platform Alaya has continued to connect Frontons with meaningful opportunities – near and far. Most recently, our colleagues have shared their experiences tutoring students and mentoring student-athletes in different countries, highlighting the wide range of organizations available for Frontons to get involved with. Copyediting specialist Emily Darley spends her volunteer time tutoring […]

Frontiers news

27 Sep 2023

Frontiers awarded top-tier customer experience accreditation from NPSx℠ by Bain & Company

Frontiers has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first scholarly publisher to receive a top-tier accreditation in customer experience from NPSx℠ by Bain & Company, co-creators of the Net Promoter Score. The accreditation is largely considered the gold standard for measuring customer loyalty and is used by two thirds of Fortune 1000 companies. The accreditation is the result of Frontiers’ commitment to delivering exceptional customer experience for researchers – and the publisher has been officially recognized and accredited by NPSx℠ as ‘very good’. Photo credit: Frontiers and NPSx by Bain & Co Bain & Company have a proven history of expertise in the field of customer experience. The accreditation system serves as a valuable tool for organizations seeking to improve their performance by adopting best practices that focus on enhancing and excelling in customer experience. “Publishing open science is a matter of trust and reputation. At Frontiers, a community driven publisher, we acknowledge this fact and build our strategy around the needs of the researchers. Understanding and improving customer experience through robust business processes is an integral part of our commitment to provide the world’s scientists with the best, fastest, and most efficient publishing experience,” comments Thomas Leber, Frontiers’ […]

Frontiers news

26 Sep 2023

Celebrating 20 years of the Berlin Declaration: Frontiers supports Open Access Days 2023

Open access publisher Frontiers is supporting the Open Access Days 2023 conference taking place in Berlin 27-29 September 2023. The focus of this year’s event, entitled “Shaping Visions,” is on open and free access to research results, scientific literature, and other materials on the internet. Photo credit: Open-Access-Büro Berlin Organized by the Open-Access-Büro Berlin and hosted by the Freie Universität Berlin, Open Access Days 2023 is an annual central conference on open access (OA) in German-speaking countries. It is made up of a diverse program with lectures, workshops, a panel discussion, poster sessions, and a tool marketplace. Together, these will serve as a background for further discussions on topics such as monitoring costs and assessing the ways for an equitable transformation to open access and open science. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, an international statement on open access and access to knowledge. First published in 2003, the Berlin Declaration has become an integral part of scientific practice, defining open access and outlining actions needed to foster the open access paradigm. During the event, three keynote speakers will shed light on the transformation to open […]

Frontiers news

25 Sep 2023

Frontiers’ Volunteers: Growing together oceans apart

Frontiers’ volunteers have always been at the forefront of community and societal responses. Elisabeth Hordé shares her experience mentoring and growing together with student-athletes a continent away. Photo credit: Elisabeth Hordé What is your background and role at Frontiers? “I joined Frontiers in January 2022 as a project manager for our product operations team, which sits under the technology department. Since April 2023, I have also been chair of our Disability and Neurodiversity Employee Resource Group (ERG). “Most of my career has been focused on project management when not deep diving into product or supporting change. I have worked in international organizations, startups, and multinationals. First, I evolved in publishing, then shifted towards fintech, and now I am positioned between publishing and tech thanks to Frontiers!” What does the organization you volunteered for do? “The athLEDA Foundation is a US-based organization that helps young student-athletes from underserved communities by connecting them with selected mentors. The idea is to help them see themselves as more than just athletes. athLEDA arise empowers student-athletes with a program that elevates their professional skills. “The foundation fosters leadership and emotional intelligence while focusing on a STEM approach. Mentees can also find opportunities in all types […]

Frontiers news

21 Sep 2023

Q&A with Tony Rhodes, editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Biomedical Science

As the official journal of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), the British Journal of Biomedical Science (BJBS) is committed to publishing new and innovative research and technology on the diagnosis and management of disease. Professor Tony Rhodes, the journal’s editor-in-chief, takes pride in BJBS’s reputation as the journal of the practicing biomedical scientist. Tony took on the role of editor-in-chief in 2021 when the journal transitioned to open access with Frontiers. Having had a successful career as a biomedical scientist in the NHS in London, Tony moved to academia in 2003 and has held various professorial posts since, both in the UK and in Malaysia. Ahead of IBMS Congress, where there will be the chance to meet Tony, here’s an opportunity to get to know the person behind BJBS. Credit: Frontiers Who inspired you most as a student? Many lecturers inspired me when I was a student, but I greatly admired my PhD supervisor, Prof. Bharat Jasani from the University of Wales College of Medicine, for his scientific understanding, inquisitiveness along with his kind and calm personality. What can you tell us about the first paper you published? My first paper is probably the best one that I’ve published. […]

Frontiers news

14 Sep 2023

Frontiers launches new section in partnership with the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics

Gold open access publisher Frontiers and the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT), a renowned biomedical and educational non-profit organization, have signed a new agreement aimed at advancing brain mapping and therapeutics research.  Credit: Frontiers Building on a shared commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and driving scientific discovery, Frontiers and SBMT are joining forces to create a forum to showcase the work of researchers, clinicians, engineers, policy makers and experts from diverse backgrounds. The collaboration will result in the launch of a new ‘Brain Mapping and Therapeutics’ section within Frontiers in Neurology and Frontiers in Psychiatry. The section will make a significant contribution to the understanding and treatment of brain disorders and, coupled with SBMT’s expertise in translational research and global neurotech policy, has great potential to bring direct benefit to patient care. The Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics fosters interdisciplinary innovation and collaboration through the Neuroscience20 initiative of the G20 summit including the African union. It connects a global network of over two hundred and fifty thousand researchers and clinicians in the promotion of scientific discovery, education, and translational medicine. Its members’ work impacts patient care for Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, several types of brain […]

Frontiers news

11 Sep 2023

Lucia Baldino – One scientist is an island, many scientists make up a flourishing community

Author: Leticia Nani Silva Dr Lucia Baldino is a researcher in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Salerno, Italy. Her work focuses on optimizing production processes and designing innovative methods for the development of nanomaterials applied to pharmaceutical, medical, food, and cosmetic fields. Her contribution to her field has made her stand out amongst her community and this is why we have chosen her to represent United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9, which focuses on innovation, industry, and infrastructure. In this interview, we highlight the importance of working collaboratively with scientists across the world on innovating traditional methods used within science. We discuss how these innovative methods can aid in discovering new models of drug delivery and applications in the medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic fields. We conclude our conversation by highlighting the changes that need to happen within the field of engineering, and how working together as a community will drive us further into a sustainable future. Photo credit: Raffaele Longobardi We start our conversation by discussing Dr Baldino’s work and how it focuses on innovative and sustainable processes assisted by supercritical carbon dioxide to produce several bio-products, such as aerogels, micro- and nanoparticles. Her work also […]

Frontiers news

11 Sep 2023

British Antarctic Survey and British Geological Survey form publishing agreement with Frontiers – JISC national open access deal 

The head office of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and two of its research groups, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the British Geological Survey (BGS), via NERC Library Service, have joined the national open access deal agreed between Jisc Collections and Frontiers.   This landmark deal provides a simplified and streamlined route to open access publishing for researchers in the UK, who publish 7% of the world’s research.  This institutional agreement means that eligible NERC head office employees and BAS and BGS researchers may publish in any Frontiers journal with a simplified process, and at a reduced cost to the centres, as articles may benefit from a 10% membership discount.  The NERC Library Service supports researchers in making their research more widely available. This agreement will further encourage researchers to publish open access, increasing the volume of research openly available to read and reuse, which also benefits the wider research community and the public at large.    For more information on Frontiers’ institutional agreements please visit our institutional memberships page or contact institutions@frontiersin.org to discuss the possibilities for your own organization.   Information for researchers   If you are a researcher, please select British Antarctic Survey (BAS) or British Geological Survey (BGS) in the […]

Frontiers news

04 Sep 2023

Frontiers implements new policy to counter ‘Authorship-for-sale’

Frontiers has today published a new author policy designed to help prevent cases of “authorship-for-sale” among its research publications, a term used throughout the industry which refers to the unethical practice of buying or selling authorship on research papers. “We recognize that there are legitimate reasons for the request of authorship changes after submission. However, to create real impact in reducing authorship-for-sale schemes, publishers must depend on responsible collaboration from our authors to ensure that their author lists are correct at the point of submission,” says Dr Frederick Fenter, chief executive editor of Frontiers. Under the new policy, requests for authorship changes will only be granted under exceptional circumstances and after in-depth assessment by the Frontiers’ research integrity unit. A ledger of requests will be maintained to identify suspicious patterns and trends among these types of requests. As of today, Frontiers has identified and retracted 38 research papers linked to the practice. “The updated policy and decision to retract these papers reflect our commitment to upholding integrity throughout our portfolio and ensuring that authorship is attributed based on genuine contributions to the research process,” says Dr Fenter. “By taking this unambiguous stance, we aim to maintain the trust of readers, […]

Frontiers news

30 Aug 2023

Jaume I University forms publishing agreement with Frontiers

Jaume I University has formed an institutional partnership agreement for open access publishing with Frontiers.  This institutional agreement means that eligible Jaume I University researchers may publish in any Frontiers journal with a simplified process. Articles may benefit from a 10% membership discount. Jaume I University Library Service supports its researchers in making their research more widely available. This agreement will further encourage Jaume I University researchers to publish open access, increasing the volume of research openly available. While this reduces costs for the researcher, it also benefits the wider research community and the public at large.   For more information on Frontiers’ institutional agreements please visit our institutional memberships page or contact institutions@frontiersin.org to discuss the possibilities for your own organization.  Information for researchers  If you are a Jaume I University researcher, please select Jaume I University in the payment information section (“Frontiers institutional partners”) when submitting your article. Frontiers will verify your eligibility with the library and, if confirmed, the 10% discount in the APC will be applied. For information on whether your article is eligible under this agreement, or if you require any further details, please visit Jaume I University open access page or contact openaccess@uji.es.

Frontiers news

24 Aug 2023

Frontiers pilots ‘flat fee’ publishing partnership with the University of California

Gold open access publisher Frontiers has announced its first consortium partnership in North America with the University of California (UC). The one-year agreement will also pilot a novel partnership model: UC will receive unlimited publishing in 20 specified Frontiers journals for a pre-agreed annual flat fee. Credit: Frontiers The eligible journals have been selected by UC from Frontiers’ Humanities and Social Sciences and Sustainability titles as being from underrepresented and under-funded disciplines. The deal will allow corresponding UC authors at any of the University of California’s 10 campuses, including the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), to publish in these journals without limit and without APC. “As a native open access publisher, Frontiers is a natural ally in our efforts to advance a more open, equitable, and transparent publishing landscape,” said Miranda Bennett, director of shared collections at UC’s California Digital Library. “This pilot allows us to collaborate with a major publisher of UC-authored research as we explore new models for partnerships between institutions and native open access publishers.” For Frontiers, the agreement with UC is an important opportunity to develop and refine its ‘flat fee’ partnership models. Kamila Markram, CEO of Frontiers states: “This agreement with the University of California, one of our […]

Frontiers news

17 Aug 2023

Natalia Kucirkova and Loleta Fahad – We all must come together – without one part of the puzzle, there isn’t a full picture

Authors: Rose Gordon-Orr and Carolina Capelo Garcia Natalia Kucirkova is a professor at the University of Stavanger in Norway and The Open University in the UK. She also holds the position of visiting professor at University College London (UCL), UK, and acts as the chair of the International Collective of Children’s Digital Books. Loleta Fahad serves as the head of Career Development in Organizational Development at University College London (UCL), UK. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the management, development, and implementation of resources that facilitate the ongoing growth, advancement, and retention of professional staff at UCL. Natalia and Loleta’s collaboration culminated in their published work, Inspirational Women in Academia: Supporting Careers and Improving Minority Representation (2022). Bringing together their lived experiences working within symbiotic areas of academia, they amplified the voices of academic women, and celebrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reducing inequalities within and among countries, we sat down with them to listen and amplify theirs. Photo credit: Natalia Kucirkova As part of your book, Inspirational Women in Academia; Supporting Careers and Improving Minority Representation you interviewed top-performing female academics about their experiences. How would you summarize your main findings across all the women’s […]