Announcements
20 November 2024
Meet Us at the Second World Geography Conference, 22–24 November 2024, Shanghai, China
14 November 2024
Topics Webinar | EO & GEO Series: Tracking Coastal Change with Geospatial Artificial Intelligence Techniques, 21 November 2024
Join us for an engaging webinar! Coastal waterways and the natural systems that surround them are changing at an unprecedented rate due to population growth, the intensification of land use, and climate change. Monitoring the health of coastal waterways as well as natural systems and documenting their pace and pattern of change are both vital for informing coastal management and guiding solutions. In this webinar, Tracking Coastal Change with Geospatial Artificial Intelligence Techniques, we will explore a series of emerging technologies for achieving such coastal monitoring and change assessment tasks. Over the course of a series of short presentations, we will share the scope of the interdisciplinary work being pursued by members of the University of Florida's Center for Coastal Solutions in the rapidly growing space of geospatial AI, in addition to highlighting innovative application examples. These examples will include the exploration of (1) a new deep learning-based method for identifying tidal creeks and wetland features from high-resolution remotely sensed images, (2) an AI-enhanced technique for assessing salt marsh morphology from UAV-derived images, and (3) a neural network classifier that combines remote sensing data with spatiotemporally distributed in situ sample data to monitor blooms of the potentially harmful algae Karenia brevis (or red tide). We will welcome questions to engage and include the audience through the webinar.
Date: 21 November 2024
Time: 4:00 p.m. CET | 10:00 a.m. EDT | 11:00 p.m. CST Asia
Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UtOEEZb4T2eLv8sOBAZdqA
Webinar ID: 842 6788 0032
Webinar Secretariat: [email protected]
Webinar announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-28
Register now for free!
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST/CET (Basel Time) |
Time in EST |
|
Dr. Christine Angelini |
3:00–3:05 p.m. |
10:00–10:05 a.m. |
|
Dr. Christine Angelini |
3:05–3:25 p.m. |
10:05–10:25 a.m. |
|
Ms. Richa Dutt |
3:25–3:45 p.m. |
10:25–10:45 a.m. |
|
Dr. Daniele Pinton |
3:45–5:05 p.m. |
10:45–11:05 a.m. |
|
Dr. Ron Fick |
5:05–5:25 p.m. |
11:05–11:25 a.m. |
|
Dr. Christine Angelini |
5:25–5:30 p.m. |
11:25–11:30 a.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic or institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Feel free to still register; we will inform you when the recording is available.
Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Christine Angelini, Center for Coastal Solution, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, USA;
- Ms. Richa Dutt, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, USA;
- Dr. Daniele Pinton, Civil and Coastal Engineering, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, USA;
- Dr. Ron Fick, Center for Coastal Solutions, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida.
Relevant Topic Information:
“Advances in Earth Observation and Geosciences”
Topic Editors: Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera and Prof. Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez
5 November 2024
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #17 - OA Week, Basel Open Day, Beijing Graphene Forum
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Open Access Week: Forging the Future of Open Access through Global Reach and Collaboration
From 21 to 27 October, we celebrated International Open Access Week (OAW), highlighting the importance of making research accessible to everyone. This campaign reinforced our commitment to advancing open access (OA) and showcased how we are helping research communities worldwide adopt OA as their standard.
“OA publishing is now a cornerstone of global research”
Throughout the week, we featured MDPI’s efforts to support quality open research through blog posts on topics such as how Research Integrity Promotes OA Practices, our Preprints.org platform, and supporting societies with different OA models. These initiatives capture our commitment to making research more inclusive and accessible to all.
OA publishing is now a cornerstone of global research, with more researchers choosing OA over traditional paywalled models, and embracing new, community-driven models.
Benefits of Open Access and Open Research
- Accelerated Discoveries: OA speeds up scientific progress by allowing immediate access to findings, enabling researchers to build on each other’s work faster.
- Community-Led Innovation: Open research empowers communities to manage their own platforms, creating collaboration and shared knowledge.
- Increased Visibility: OA broadens the reach of your research, leading to greater recognition, collaboration, and impact.
- Cross-Disciplinary Connections: By removing financial and geographical barriers, OA unites diverse fields, sparking innovation across disciplines.
MDPI Singapore Celebrates Open Access Week
MDPI Singapore also hosted its first-ever OAW event at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, bringing together academics, researchers, and students to discuss the future of open scholarship. Conversations focused on the potential of new publishing models, alternative funding strategies, and the importance of communicating research to wider audiences.
As OA evolves, MDPI remains a committed partner in advancing open science and creating a transparent, inclusive research environment. For a full recap of the week’s highlights and resources, visit our campaign page.
Impactful Research
MDPI Connection to Nobel-Winning Protein Research
David Baker, an American biochemist, and Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper, two scientists from Google DeepMind, have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking advancements in better understanding the structure of proteins, the molecular engines of life’s processes.
One half of the prize was awarded to Professor David Baker from the University of Washington for his development of revolutionary protein design software enabling the creation of novel proteins for vaccines, nanomaterials, and sensors. Prof. Baker co-authored a 2016 paper in MDPI’s Toxins journal on protein-based therapeutics.
Meanwhile, DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper received recognition for AlphaFold, the AI model that predicts protein structures from amino acid sequences, fulfilling a long-held scientific dream.
“We congratulate this year’s Nobel laureates for their groundbreaking contributions to the study of life”
Nobel Prize Laureates Entrust MDPI with Their Research
As at October 2024, 45 Nobel laureates had contributed to more than 115 articles across
35 MDPI journals. The privilege of hosting the research of such contributors, who significantly influence the open access movement, resonates deeply with our editorial teams.
We are proud to list the names of Pierre Agostini, Hiroshi Amano, Werner Arber, Aaron Ciechanover, Robert H. Grubbs, Oliver Hart, Gerard ‘t Hooft, Michael Houghton, Harald zur Hausen, Katalin Karikó, Jean-Marie Lehn, Gérard Mourou, Ferid Murad, Shuji Nakamura, William Nordhaus, Kostya S. Novoselov, Giorgio Parisi, Charles M. Rice, Alvin E. Roth, Donna Strickland, K. Barry Sharpless, George F. Smoot, Anne L’Huillier, Drew Weissman, Kurt Wüthrich, Ada Yonath, Tomas Lindahl, Thomas C. Südhof, Stanley B. Prusiner, Roger Kornberg, Robert F. Engle, Richard J. Roberts, Ōmura Satoshi, Kenneth J. Arrow, John B. Goodenough, Jennifer Doudna, Hamilton Othanel Smith, Eric R. Kandel, Carlo Rubbia, Bernard Feringa, Barry J. Marshall, Anthony J. Leggett, Andrew Victor Schally, and David Baker.
Notable MRNA Published in Cells
On 7 October 2024, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.
MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function. Some interesting papers about microRNA research are published in the MDPI journal Cells. I invite you browse through the notable papers related to microRNA research in Cells.
Inside MDPI
Basel Open Day
On 21 October, we held the Basel Open Day at our headquarters, welcoming a group of journal Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for a full-day workshop. The event featured presentations and discussions on MDPI’s latest editorial updates, data integrity policies, society collaborations, and local market insights.
The following MDPI journals were represented during the visit: Physics, Journal of Personalized Medicine (JPM), Sci, Remote Sensing, Animals, Cells, Buildings, Histories, Sensors, and International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH).
This was a great opportunity to showcase our new office space while gathering feedback from leading journal stakeholders. To get everyone on the same page, we took 60 minutes for round-table introductions, which helped set a collaborative tone and ground us in MDPI’s mission of disseminating open science.
“This was a great opportunity to gather feedback from leading journal stakeholders”
The general feedback from the day highlighted positive developments around our editorial and ethics policies, as well as areas for improvement, including flexibility regarding reviewer deadlines. There was a genuine appreciation and push for our ongoing efforts to share more about MDPI, including company updates and promoting high-quality research through our blog, announcements, and social media channels, which we have been growing and expanding.
Our Basel Open Day was a positive experience, bringing together key journal stakeholders and gathering insights to guide MDPI’s continued engagement with the academic community. We look forward to hosting future events of this kind and welcoming more scholars to our headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.
Coming Together for Science
ncRNA 2024 Conference in Basel
I am pleased to share that we held Non-coding RNA World 2024: Exploring Mechanisms, Designing Medicines (ICM 2024) in Basel, Switzerland this past 7–9 October.
The three-day event attracted just over 100 attendees, including two Chairs, 10 invited speakers and two keynotes from Prof. Mauro Giacca and Prof. Ling-Ling Chen. Of the presentations on site, there were 35 posters and 44 oral presentations.
The overall feedback was positive, with people enjoying the intimate event and the unique activities offered, including a guided tour around Basel’s Old Town (a must-see for anyone visiting the city) and a memorable conference dinner.
It was cool to see the winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine announced during the conference days. This was exciting for attendees, as the winners discovered a new class of RNA molecules (miRNAs). As one invited speaker put it, “It's exciting to be among fellows when something that important for the field is announced.”
“It's exciting to be among fellows when something that important for the field is announced”
Every attendee receives a conference survey, and I’m always pleased to see a high percentage of ‘Very Satisfied’ responses when asked about ‘treatment from conference personnel’. Kudos to our conference team for meeting our attendees’ needs. These events are a great opportunity for us to reach new audiences, as 92% of the respondents had never been to an MDPI conference, so I am thrilled to see us connecting with a new demographic of your researchers in the RNA field.
A special thank-you to our partnering societies The Epigenetics Society, The French Society of Genetics, LS2 / USGEB (Union of Swiss Societies for Experimental Biology), and The RNA Biology Group, as well as to our sponsors New England Biolabs and Arraystar for their support of the ncRNA 2024 conference. I am also pleased to report that we presented two awards, including the Best Presentation Award and two Best Poster Award, recognizing the contributions of our participants.
Upcoming In-Person Event
27–29 November 2024
Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences Towards a Healthy Life
Location: Barcelona, Spain
The discovery of new molecules, their properties, and actions to enhance human health and quality of life.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
Beijing Graphene Forum 2024
I am pleased to share that we had a successful time at the Beijing Graphene Forum 2024, which drew around 1,000 attendees, including Konstantin Novoselov (2015 Nobel Prize in Physics) and other high-profile scholars in materials science and chemistry. It was a great opportunity to present MDPI on the big stage, with university presidents from institutions such as Peking University also in attendance.
I had the honour of awarding Prof. Zhongfan Liu, Chairman of the Chemical Science Committee, with a medal and presenting certificates to the members of the Chemical Science Committee; this is an important initiative to help expand MDPI’s journals and influence in China. These are highly respected scholars, and we enjoyed connecting with them over lunch as well.
“This is an important initiative to help expand MDPI’s journals and influence in China”
I also had the chance to speak about MDPI and open access, giving a five-minute speech during the opening ceremony and a 20-minute presentation at the close. MDPI hosted a sub-forum where both academic scholars and MDPI members shared insights, and we engaged with attendees at our MDPI booth.
This was a great opportunity to spotlight MDPI as the main publishing partner for the event, and I was proud to represent us on stage. We also met with scholars to discuss topics such as their publishing needs and institutional policies, open access, impact journals, and IOAP.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
31 October 2024
Land Webinar | Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable Land: Soil Quality and Contamination, 15 November 2024
A welcoming message from the webinar’s chair, Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford:
Soil sustainability is the goal of soil management, a useful measure of soil sustainability is the maintenance of soil quality, as this assures the continued provision and regulation of soil ecosystem services, including agricultural productivity, continued forest growth, soil biodiversity, and water supply, among other aspects. One of the challenges that can hinder soil quality continuity is soil contamination. Such contamination can come from the use of agricultural chemicals, the activities of industry, and—as we have seen in a recent submission—the outcome of war.
This Special Issue seeks the submission of research outcomes that outline the challenges that soil quality faces from all forms of contamination. We seek contributions that address soil degradation/contamination from human activity, how human activity affects soil sustainability, and what potential solutions there might be to allow for the maintenance of soil sustainability.
Date: 15 November 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. CET | 6:00 a.m. EST | 7:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: https://sciforum.net/event/Land-5
Webinar Secretariat: [email protected]
Register now for free!
Program:
|
Speaker |
Presentation Title |
Time in CET |
Time in EST |
Time in CST Asia |
|
Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford |
Chair Introduction |
12:00–12:10 p.m. |
6:00–6:10 a.m. |
7:00–7:10 p.m. |
|
Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford |
What Do We Mean by Soil Quality and Soil Ecosystem Services |
12:10–12:30 p.m. |
6:10-6:30 a.m. |
7:10–7:30 p.m. |
|
Dr. Dongxue Zhao |
Sensing Technologies for Characterizing and Monitoring SQ and Soil Functions |
12:30–12:50 p.m. |
6:30–6:50 a.m. |
7:30–7:50 p.m. |
|
Dr. Paolo Grenni |
The Importance of Soil Microbial Communities in SQ, SES and Remediation of Contamination |
12:50–1:10 p.m. |
6:50–7:10 a.m. |
7:50–8:10 p.m. |
|
|
Q&A Session |
1:10–1:25 p.m. |
7:10–7:25 a.m. |
8:10–8:25 p.m. |
|
Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford |
Closing of Webinar |
1:25–1:30 p.m. |
7:25–7:30 a.m. |
8:25–8:30 p.m. |
Registration:
This is a free webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join.
Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Certificates of attendance will be delivered to those who attend the live webinar.
If you’re unable to attend, register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Webinar Chair and Speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford, North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, USA;
- Dr. Paola Grenni, Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR), Italy;
- Dr. Dongxue Zhao, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agricultural and Food Innovation, the University of Queensland, Australia.
Relevant Special Issue:
“Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable Land: Soil Quality and Contamination”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford, Dr. Paola Grenni and Dr. Dongxue Zhao
Deadline for manuscript submission: 30 June 2025
For more information, please see the following website: https://sciforum.net/event/Land-5.
23 October 2024
Interview with Dr. Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva—Winner of the Land 2023 Young Investigator Award
16 October 2024
MDPI's Newly Launched Journals in September 2024
Five new journals covering a diverse range of subjects launched their inaugural issue in September 2024. Like other journals in MDPI’s portfolio, these journals are dedicated to sharing the latest research through open access, reflecting our commitment to making knowledge accessible to all.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Editorial Board Members for their dedication to the launch and development of our new journals. Each journal will ensure its high-quality output via excellent editorial and rigorous peer-review processes so that the published articles achieve significant impact and broad visibility.
We invite you to explore and learn more about these new journals below.
| Journal | Founding Editor-in-Chief | Journal Topics (Selected) |
 |
Prof. Dr. Nejat Düzgüneş, University of the Pacific, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue | biological therapy and stem-cell therapy; drug therapy; chemotherapy; radiation and other nonsurgical therapeutic strategies | view journal scope | submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Magda Tsolaki, Greek Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease, Greece; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece | Editorial | view inaugural issue | surgical/procedural complications; complications; perioperative adverse events; postoperative adverse events | view journal scope | submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Steven R. Fassnacht, Colorado State University, USA; Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue | ice as a mineral; atmospheric ice; sea ice; freshwater ice; ice sheets; ice caps and ice shelves | view journal scope | submit an article |
 |
Dr. Francisco Epelde, Hospital Universitari Parc Tauli, Spain; University Autonoma of Barcelona, Spain | Editorial | view inaugural issue | hospital management; hospital facilities; hospital services; hospital risk management; health law | view journal scope | submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Nicola Ferri, University of Padova, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue | lipids in cells and whole organisms; lipid structure and function; lipid products and processes; dietary lipids and nutrition | view journal scope | submit an article |
We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here or contact the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.
4 October 2024
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #16 - UNGA79 Science Summit, OASPA, Peer Review Week
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI Joins the Science Summit at UNGA79 (23–27 September 2024, New York)
On Friday 27 September, I had the privilege of giving the opening talk at the “Youth at the Science Summit” panel during the Science Summit conference, held in New York at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Together, we discussed the future of science, publishing, innovation, and sustainable development.
It was a great opportunity to learn from our young leaders, whose voices must be included in the conversation as science shapes the future of artificial intelligence, climate mitigation, healthcare, technology, and more. This was also a powerful reminder of how essential global collaboration is in solving the major challenges we face. I left inspired by the dedication of these young researchers to making the world a better place!
Today’s youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow – they are already leading the change today.
Stefan Tochev (second from left) at the UNGA Science Summit 2024: “A great opportunity to learn from our young leaders.”
MDPI Supports the Future Generation of Scientists
This aligns with MDPI’s mission to support the next generation of scientists and early-career researchers by recognizing their achievements through our various MDPI awards, including the Young Investigator Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Travel Awards, and more.
Our presence at this global event showed our commitment to advancing Open Science as a key driver for sustainable development. As a leading Open Access (OA) publisher, MDPI’s role at the summit was to emphasize the critical importance of democratizing scientific knowledge, making it accessible to all, and promoting global collaboration.
Through OA publishing, we aim to address pressing global challenges such as climate change, public health, and inequality, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We aim to address pressing global challenges”
MDPI and the SDGs
In 2020, the SDG Publishers Compact was launched to accelerate implementation of the SDGs by promoting content that informs, develops, and inspires action. MDPI joined this initiative in 2021 and subsequently launched the MDPI SDG Hub in 2022, offering free access to recent research within the scope of each of the 17 SDGs.
During the summit, we highlighted the connection between Open Science and the SDG Publishers Compact, supporting the core objective to “Leave No One Behind” (LNOB). The transformative promise of the SDGs relies heavily on the Open Access model, which serves as a fundamental enabler of Open Science. We advocate for the wider adoption of Open Science practices in order to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
Impactful Research
Presenting at the 1st International Conference of Environmental Medicine
In September, MDPI and our journals IJERPH and Diseases sponsored and participated in the 1st International Conference of Environmental Medicine: Environmental Threats to Human Health: From Genetics to Epigenetics, held in Chieti, Italy.
The conference was organized in collaboration with various societies, including the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA), one of more than 160 societies partnering MDPI journals.
The conference brought together influential figures from the Italian scholarly community, such as Antonio Felice Uricchio (President of the National Agency for University Research Assessment [ANVUR]), Alessandro Miani (President of SIMA), and Liborio Stuppia (Director of ‘Gabriele d’Annunzio’ University of Chieti-Pescara), among others.
MDPI was the sole publishing sponsor of the conference, at which I had the opportunity to present on behalf of the company. I provided an overview of MDPI, covering key facts and figures, the peer-review process, our strong collaboration with the Italian market, and insights into Nobel Prize winners who have published with MDPI, ahead of Sir Richard Roberts’ Nobel lecture.
“As at September 2024, 44 Nobel laureates have contributed to over 115 articles across 35 MDPI journals”
The keynote speaker at the event was Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate and 1993 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, recognized for his discovery of split genes.
Nobel Laureates’ Contributions to MDPI
As at September 2024, 44 Nobel laureates have contributed to over 115 articles across 35 MDPI journals. I’ll share more details on this in the October newsletter.
Hosting such prominent figures in their respective fields, who play a significant role in advancing the OA movement, of which we are leaders in, resonates deeply with our editorial teams.
Sponsoring and supporting academic conferences is something we do on a large scale, and it continues to grow. Attending and speaking about MDPI shows our commitment by taking the time to connect with the scholarly community in person.
MDPI’s Presence in Italy
Italy ranks third globally in total MDPI publications, with nearly 130,000 contributions. We collaborate with about 12,000 Editorial Board Members in Italy, over 6,100 of whom have an H-index of more than 25.
We have 83 Editors-in-Chief and 209 Section Editors-in-Chief from Italy. We also support 20 Italian universities through our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements with major institutions such as Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Milan, and the University of Pisa, among others.
Inside MDPI
Celebrating Peer Review Week, 23–27 September 2024
As we conclude another productive month at MDPI, I am pleased to highlight our participation in this year’s Peer Review Week (PRW), which took place from 23–27 September 2024. This global, community-driven celebration underscores the vital importance of peer review in maintaining the integrity and reliability of academic work. PRW provide a platform for institutions, publishers, and scholars to come together and reflect on the processes that uphold the quality of scholarly communication.
“We remain committed to enhancing the peer review process”
The theme for PRW 2024 was ‘Innovation and Technology in Peer Review.’ At MDPI, we were proud to contribute through various online and in-person events, including webinars from Europe, Asia-Pacific, and a roundtable discussion on innovation and technology in peer review. These events offer an opportunity to explore new tools and technologies that are shaping the future of peer review, particularly the integration of AI. As a company, we remain committed to enhancing the peer review process with innovative solutions while preserving the essential human expertise that makes it effective.
Peer Review Innovation and Technology at MDPI
Our efforts to improve peer review extend beyond the activities of this week. We also released a blog article discussing New Tools for Advancing Research Integrity and Peer Review, where we highlight two tools that MDPI has developed to support research integrity: Eureka – Reviewer Recommender and Online Proofreader. We are continually refining SuSy, our in-house submission system, to provide a seamless experience for authors and reviewers alike.
Listening to MDPI’s Authors and Reviewers
We highly value the time of our reviewers, and so do the authors who contribute to our journals. Our editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of over 6,000 diligent, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform designed to ensure efficient processes.
We make it a point to continually improve the experiences of both our authors and our reviewers throughout the entire editorial process, from submission to publication. This is why we regularly ask for feedback by conducting surveys. Here is what some of our respondents recently had to say about working with MDPI:
Coming Together for Science
ICM 2024 – Advances in Material Innovation
I am pleased to share that we held The 5th International Conference on Materials: Advances in Material Innovation (ICM 2024) in Basel, Switzerland this past 25–27 September.
This intimate event brought together leading scientists, researchers, and industry experts to exchange insights on recent advancements in materials characterization, processing, and manufacturing. Key focus areas included nanotechnology in material sciences and engineering, optical, electrical, and magnetic materials, soft, biological, and biomaterials, fibres, membranes, thin films, sensing materials, as well as materials and devices for energy and solar fuels. In addition, discussions featured the integration of AI and machine learning in materials research.
We received 90 abstract submissions. Over the course of the three-day event, 18 posters were displayed, and 34 talks were delivered, including three plenary speeches, seven invited talks, and 24 selected oral presentations.
A special thank-you to our partnering societies The Polish Membrane Society and The North American Thermal Analysis Society, as well as our sponsor, Nanomegas, for their support of the ICM conference. I am also pleased to share that we presented three awards, including the Best Presentation Award and two Best Poster Awards, recognizing the outstanding contributions of our participants.
Upcoming In-Person Event
7–9 October 2024
Non-coding RNA World 2024: Exploring Mechanisms, Designing Medicines
Location: Basel, Switzerland
ncRNA 2024 will explore the latest advances in the field, covering topics from basic biology to medical and technological applications.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
Reflections from OASPA 2024 Conference in Lisbon (16–18 September)
Amidst my September travels, I also had pleasure of attending the OASPA 2024 Conference in Lisbon from 16–18 September. It’s the first in-person Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA) event in five years, and being in the sunny city of Lisbon made it even better! MDPI has long been a member of OASPA, and attending this conference gave us an opportunity to connect with other key members of the organization to see the latest developments in the OA movement.
“I believe that publishers have a lot to offer in terms of data and insights”
Main Themes from OASPA 2024
The main themes covered were equity and inclusivity, diamond OA, AI and openness, OA books, research integrity, and how OA can address broader societal challenges such as climate change. While it was great to see the latest developments in these areas, it was also clear that certain voices were missing, particularly those of major publishers. Although it’s not easy to incorporate every perspective, I believe that publishers, including MDPI, have a lot to offer in terms of data and insights. During the membership meeting, a few of us raised the point that large-scale publisher input could add value to these discussions.
It’s important to participate in industry conferences such as OASPA in order to be part of the discussions and remain at the forefront of the OA movement.
It’s an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with organizations that share our commitment to OA.
While sponsorship is one way to show our support, it’s clear that being part of the conversation through participating in the OASPA groups and committee is what really makes a difference.
It took the last 20 years for more than 50% of the world's research to be published via open access. This provides a sobering reminder that flipping the remaining 50% will be a big challenge.
An important takeaway for me was that there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution for OA challenges: different regions and different stakeholders need different forms of support, whether it is infrastructure, funding, education, or policy, for example. I also enjoyed Rebecca Ross' presentation on how OA can drive action on climate. A few panellists shared the need for transparency in the peer-review process, advocating for open review reports, which is something we have been offering since 2014.
Speaking of openness, we are excited to celebrate Open Access Week 2024 with the scholarly community from 21–27 October. I look forward to sharing a recap of our activities in the next newsletter.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
29 September 2024
MDPI New Journal Proposal—Invitation to Shape the Future of Open Science Together
27 September 2024
MDPI’s 2023 Travel Awards—Winners Announced
25 September 2024
Topics Webinar | Reframing Strategies for a Low-Carbon Future in Agricultural Systems, 4 October 2024
This webinar, hosted by MDPI journals Agronomy (ISSN: 2073-4395), Climate (ISSN: 2225-1154), Crops (ISSN: 2673-7655), Grasses (ISSN: 2813-3463), Horticulturae (ISSN: 2311-7524), Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), and Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747), is open to all who enjoy conducting research on a variety of innovative strategies, such as precision agriculture, regenerative farming, and sustainable land management practices.
Our distinguished speakers will delve into the pivotal roles that diverse stakeholders play in shaping effective policy frameworks for a low-carbon transition in agriculture. By fostering collaboration among governments, farmers, and researchers, we can unlock pathways to a more sustainable and resilient food system that will serve not only our current needs but also those of future generations.
We encourage you to share any thought-provoking topics or speaker suggestions that could enhance our discussions and drive meaningful change in the agricultural sector.
Keywords: sustainability; climate change; agriculture; innovation; policy
Date: 4 October 2024 at 16:00 CEST | 10:00 EDT | 22:00 CST Asia
Webinar ID: 865 5083 9741
Register now for free!
Program:
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
Time in CST Asia |
|
Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair) |
16:00–16:10 |
22:00–22:10 |
|
Prof. Dr. Matt Bell |
16:10–16:30 |
22:10–22:30 |
|
Dr. Katja Klumpp |
16:30–16:50 |
22:30–22:50 |
|
Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne |
16:50–17:10 |
22:50–23:10 |
|
Q&A Session |
17:10–17:25 |
23:10–23:25 |
|
Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair) |
17:25–17:30 |
23:25–23:30 |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email on how to join this webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to view.
Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair), UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland;
- Prof. Dr. Matt Bell, Department of Animal and Agriculture, Hartpury University, Hartpury, UK;
- Dr. Katja Klumpp, The Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRAE), Clermont-Ferrand, France;
- Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne, UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland.
Relevant Topic:
“Reframing Strategies for a Low Carbon Future in Agricultural Systems”
Topic Editors: Dr. M. Ibrahim Khalil and Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne
Abstract submission deadline: 31 October 2024
Manuscript submission deadline: 31 December 2024
For more information about this webinar, please visit the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/topics-27.
23 September 2024
Meet Us at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2024, 9–13 December 2024, Washington, D.C., USA
23 September 2024
Land | Congratulations to the Editorial Board Member Prof. Dr. Maria Ignatieva for Being Honored with the 2024 IFLA President’s Award
18 September 2024
Land | Aims and Scope Update
12 September 2024
Meet Us at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2024 (BES 2024), 10–13 December 2024, Liverpool, UK
12 September 2024
Meet Us at the 2024 China Geography Conference, 26–28 September 2024, Nanjing, China
11 September 2024
MDPI’s 2023 Best PhD Thesis Awards—Winners Announced
3 September 2024
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #15 - CHORUS, Best Paper Award, August Events
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
I am pleased to share that MDPI is now an Affiliate Member of CHORUS, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring public access to articles reporting on U.S. government-funded research. This partnership highlights our long-standing commitment to advancing Open Access (OA) publishing and meeting funders’ open research requirements.
Read the full announcement here.
With the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) 2022 memorandum calling for immediate public access to all federally funded research by 2026, this partnership positions MDPI to further support academic institutions in adhering to national mandates while providing authors with fully compliant (CC-BY) OA journals.
The CHORUS platform went live in July 2014 and includes NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Science Foundation.
“This partnership positions MDPI to further support academic institutions in adhering to national mandates”
Joining CHORUS perfectly aligns our mission as the leading OA publisher, which is to drive transparency and innovation in scholarly publishing, with that of CHORUS itself, which is to advance Open Access research. It will also support MDPI publications from organizations such as NASA, with 1,200 research papers published by NASA-affiliated authors as at 31 August 2024.
Impactful Research
MDPI’s Best Paper Awards—Award-Winning Papers in 2023 Announced
MDPI is committed to supporting and recognizing the academic community and is proud to announce the recipients of the 2023 Best Paper Awards, which recognize high-quality papers of significant scientific merit and impact. Each year, the editors of our journals carefully select papers that showcase outstanding scientific achievement.
This year, 115 Best Paper Awards were presented, chosen from 346 exceptional papers in a highly competitive selection process. Congratulations to the authors for their remarkable contributions!
To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects, visit the following pages:
- Biology and Life Sciences
- Business and Economics
- Chemistry and Materials Sciences
- Computer Sciences and Mathematics
- Engineering
- Environmental and Earth Sciences
- Medicine and Pharmacology
- Public Health and Healthcare
- Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities
- Physical Sciences
About MDPI Awards
MDPI regularly offers various awards to recognize researchers, particularly young scientists, and to promote communication within the scientific community. These awards exist to inspire and acknowledge talented scientists who have made significant contributions to advancing their fields.
To find out more MDPI awards, please click here.
“Our awards exist to inspire and acknowledge talented scientists”
Inside MDPI
MDPI AI Team Presented at EuroSciPy 2024 in Poland
As part of the CEO Letter, I hold dear this ‘Inside MDPI’ section, where I have an opportunity to highlight various projects, teams and updates within our organization. As such, I’m happy to showcase the following presentations from members of MDPI’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) team, which were recently presented at the EuroSciPy 2024 (16th European Conference on Python in Science). This conference took place in Szczecin, Poland from 26–30 August.
“This event was a great opportunity to reinforce our commitment to innovation and excellence in publishing”
MDPI colleagues Frank Sauerburger (AI Tech Leader) and Daniele Raimondi (Senior Data Scientist) both presented at the conference. Frank discussed MDPI’s AI infrastructure, while Daniele showcased a new methodological approach we have been developing to track the journey of rejected academic manuscripts. This approach combines AI, data science and analytics to improve the identification of manuscripts and authors, enhancing our understanding of publishing dynamics.
This event was a great opportunity to reinforce our commitment to innovation and excellence in publishing. It also allowed us to contribute to the academic discussion on integrating AI and data science into scholarly communication.
From data analysis in Jupyter Notebooks to production applications: AI infrastructure at reasonable scale – Frank Sauerburger
Frank’s presentation on MDPI’s AI infrastructure provided a chance to showcase the advanced technological frameworks that power our operations. Given the technical and academic focus of EuroSciPy, this talk demonstrated how MDPI’s AI capabilities are not only cutting-edge but also central to driving efficiency and innovation in scholarly publishing. Engaging with the EuroSciPy community helps position MDPI as a leader in applying AI within the publishing industry, fostering potential collaborations and attracting interest from top researchers.
A Qdrant and Specter2 framework for tracking resubmissions of rejected manuscripts in academia – Daniele Raimondi
Daniele’s talk on the novel methodological approach that combines AI, Data Science, and Analytics was crucial in highlighting how MDPI is advancing the precision and effectiveness of manuscript and author identification. This approach is pivotal in enhancing our understanding of publishing dynamics and ensuring the quality and integrity of the academic content we manage. By presenting at EuroSciPy, we had the opportunity to engage with an audience deeply involved in scientific computing, gaining feedback and insights that could further refine our methodologies.
Thank you, Frank and Daniele, for representing MDPI so well!
I will share more about MDPI’s AI team and projects in upcoming CEO Letters, as we have a well-rounded AI and Data Team working on an exciting suite of AI products for MDPI and the scholarly community at large.
Coming Together for Science
The 1st International Conference on AI Sensors & The 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science
I am pleased to share the success of our MDPI conference The 1st International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Sensors and the 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science in Singapore this past 1–4 August.
With nearly 400 attendees, the event brought together researchers and industry experts from China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India and other countries to share their findings on the latest developments in sensors, sensing technology, artificial intelligence for sensing applications and AI-enhanced sensing systems.
We accepted a total of 355 abstracts, featuring 772 authors from 28 countries. Over the course of the four-day event, 66 posters were displayed and 296 talks were delivered, including 4 plenary talks, 46 keynote speeches, 122 invited talks, and 124 selected oral presentations. View the event gallery here.
I am pleased to announce the winners of the four awards, including Best Presentation and Best Poster, recognizing the contributions of our participants during the conference.
Looking ahead, the 2nd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers is scheduled to take place from 29 July to 5 August, 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Thank you to our Conference team, including Ionut Spatar, Teodora Nicoleta Cremene, Ang Kai Lin, Benjamin Tay, Leong Jin Yue Esther, Wong Jolin, Judith Wu, Alethea Liu and Flora Li, who were involved in making this event a success. A big thank-you also goes to our local MDPI colleagues for their support: Yu Nwe Soe, Hen Chu Yang, Kwah Zhi En Watcharapong, Zephan Yang, Daphne Neo, Huimin Cheng, Nathan Li and Ting Yin.
Upcoming In-Person Event
25–27 September, 2024
The 5th International Conference on Materials: Advances in Material Innovation
Location: Basel, Switzerland
ICM 2024 will unite experts to share insights on recent advancements in Materials Characterization, Processing and Manufacturing.
7–9 October, 2024
Non-coding RNA World 2024: Exploring Mechanisms, Designing Medicines
Location: Basel, Switzerland
ncRNA 2024 will explore the latest advances in the field, covering topics from basic biology to medical and technological applications.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
The 2nd Sustainable Publishing Forum
In 2022, the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM) outlined three goals to reflect the academic community’s shared aspirations: promoting Open Science, maintaining research integrity and fulfilling social responsibility. Open Science has evolved from the Open Access movement of the early 2000s to become a preferred model in academic publishing. Publishers and academic journals play a crucial role in ensuring research integrity, with efforts to prevent misconduct markedly on the increase now.
As the world faces sustainability challenges, the academic publishing industry is increasingly committed to contributing the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many publishers are implementing strategies to support these objectives, including ours, which you can view here.
The 2nd MDPI Sustainable Publishing Forum provided a platform for global editors and publishers to discuss these themes, aiming to strengthen collaboration and advance the contributions that scientific publishing can make to academia and society.
“Open Science has evolved to become a preferred model in academic publishing”
The 2nd Sustainable Publishing Forum
We hosted MDPI’s 2nd Sustainable Publishing Forum in Beijing, China, on 15–16 August, attracting nearly 120 attendees from local and international publishers, university presses, scientific and technical journal associations, libraries and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The event focused on promoting Open Science, maintaining research integrity, and fulfilling social responsibility.
This was an excellent opportunity for us to share more with conference attendees about the approach of our research integrity team. Our Head of Publishing, Peter Roth, also participated, speaking on how to identify and avoid predatory publishers and about the principles that underpin ethical academic publishing.
I extend my thanks to all of our conference speakers, including Hylke Koers (STM Solutions), who presented on STM Trends 2028 and shared insights on the STM Integrity Hub, of which MDPI is a member.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
19 August 2024
MDPI’s 2023 Young Investigator Awards—Winners Announced
14 August 2024
Topics Webinar | Drones for Rural Development II, 19 September 2024
In recent years, the utilization of drones has increased globally, with fresh applications and uses continually emerging. In remote, rural regions, drones have the potential to perform a wide range of tasks, including surveillance via cameras or other sensors; this enables them to act as mobile gateways and provide connectivity or facilitate the transportation of goods to challenging, remote locations. While many of these applications are closely associated with primary sector activities such as agriculture and livestock, their adaptability extends to various other industries and urban areas.
This webinar will present three referent European projects associated with the development of rural areas, and it will use drones as the main thread. The scope of drone utilization in rural regions is extensive, spanning sectors such as agriculture, forestry, livestock, other industrial domains, environmental monitoring, and the assessment of water quality in rivers and lakes. Drones also play a vital role in firefighting efforts and provide assistance to the population, particularly elderly individuals.
We are privileged to feature recognized industry and academic experts who will share their experiences and insights regarding the effective leveraging of these technologies to achieve enhanced results and elevate the productivity of drones. So, whether you are a researcher, applied scientist, commercial drone user, or simply interested in the development of drones, we invite you to join us for this webinar.
Additionally, CHAMELEON, ICAERUS and SPADE are the organizations working with us for this webinar. Kindly find more information about the organizations below:
- CHAMELEON is a Horizon Europe Project that aims to optimize production and identify potential problems in agriculture, livestock, forestry and rural areas. For more information, kindly visit https://chameleon-heu.eu;
- ICAERUS is an EU-funded project that aspires to advance the use of drones in agricultural production, forestry and rural communities. For more information, kindly visit https://icaerus.eu/;
- SPADE is a project funded by the European Union within the Horizon Europe program, with 21 partners from 10 European countries. For more information, kindly visit https://spade-horizon.eu/.
Date: 19 September 2024 at 02.00 p.m. CEST | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 8:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 892 0367 9034
Webinar Announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-26
Register now for free!
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
Time in EDT |
|
Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera & Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez |
2:00–2:10 p.m. |
8:00–8:10 a.m. |
|
Dr. David Sánchez-Jiménez |
2:10–2:30 p.m. |
8:10–8:30 a.m. |
|
Q&A Session |
2:30–2:35 p.m. |
8:30–8:35 a.m. |
|
Dr. Costas T. Davarakis |
2:35–2:55 p.m. |
8:35–8:55 a.m. |
|
Q&A Session |
2:55–3:00 p.m. |
8:55–9:00 a.m. |
|
Dr. Vasilis Psiroukis & Ms. Esther Vera Moreno |
3:00–3:20 p.m. |
9:00–9:20 a.m. |
|
Q&A Session |
3:20–3:25 p.m. |
9:20–9:25 a.m. |
|
Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera & Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez |
3:25–3:30 p.m. |
9:25–9:30 a.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available.
Webinar Chairs and Keynote Speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera (Chair), Cartographic and Land Engineering Department, Higher Polytechnic School of Avila, University of Salamanca, Hornos Caleros, Avila, Spain;
- Prof. Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez (Chair), Department of Mining Technology, Topography and Structures, University of León, Avda. Astorga, Ponferrada, Spain;
- Dr. David Sánchez-Jiménez, Departamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica y del Terreno, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain;
- Dr. Costas T. Davarakis, Nydor System Technologies AE, Athens, Greece;
- Dr. Vasilis Psiroukis, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece;
- Ms. Esther Vera Moreno, Noumena, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 690, Barcelona, Spain.
Relevant Special Issues:
“Aerial and Drone LiDAR Data for Geomorphological Mapping, Landform Extraction and Landscape Evolution”
Guest Editors: Dr. Dario Gioia, Dr. Nicodemo Abate, Dr. Giuseppe Corrado, Dr. Antonio Minervino Amodio and Prof. Marcello Schiattarella
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2024
“UAV Agricultural Management: Recent Advances and Future Prospects”
Guest Editors: Dr. Hamdi Zurqani and Dr. Alessandro Matese
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2024
“Geographic Information Technologies and the New Challenges of Globalization in a Changing Environment”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Ana Nieto Masot, Prof. Dr. Gema Cárdenas and Dr. José A. Gutiérrez Gallego
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024
“Spatial Information for Improved Living Spaces”
Guest Editors: Dr. Ivana Ivánová, Dr. Yongze Song and Prof. Dr. Sisi Zlatanova
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025
Relevant Papers:
“Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Agro-Terrestrial Surveys Comparison for Generating Digital Elevation Surfaces for Irrigation and Precision Grading”
by Richard A. Pickett, John W. Nowlin, Ahmed A. Hashem, Michele L. Reba, Joseph H. Massey and Scott Alsbrook
Drones 2023, 7(11), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7110649
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/11/649
“Recent Advances in Crop Disease Detection Using UAV and Deep Learning Techniques”
by Tej Bahadur Shahi, Cheng-Yuan Xu, Arjun Neupane and William Guo
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(9), 2450; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092450
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/9/2450
“Review of Remote Sensing Approaches and Soft Computing for Infrastructure Monitoring”
by Aggeliki Kyriou, Vassiliki Mpelogianni, Konstantinos Nikolakopoulos and Peter P. Groumpos
Geomatics 2023, 3(3), 367-392; https://doi.org/10.3390/geomatics3030021
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7418/3/3/21
“Analysis of Landscape Character Assessment and Cultural Ecosystem Services Evaluation Frameworks for Peri-Urban Landscape Planning: A Case Study of Harku Municipality, Estonia”
Fiona Nevzati, Martti Veldi, Mart Külvik and Simon Bell
Land 2023, 12(10), 1825; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101825
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1825
“Assessment of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to LULC Changes Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study in the Merbil Wetland of the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India”
by Durlov Lahon, Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, Jatan Debnath, Nityaranjan Nath, Gowhar Meraj, Pankaj Kumar, Shizuka Hashimoto and Majid Farooq
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2023, 12(4), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12040165
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/12/4/165
7 August 2024
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #14 - New Headquarters, Marketing, Poland
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI Moves to New Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland
I am excited to share that MDPI has moved to a new state-of-the-art office space in Basel, Switzerland. This move consolidates our operations by bringing together our two previously separated Basel offices into one central location.
We are always growing our talent pool and encourage you to view our Careers Page for the positions available in Basel and across our offices.
New Address: Grosspeteranlage 5, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland
Effective Date: 1 July 2024
This new chapter in our company’s journey is designed to continue our mission of positioning MDPI as a leader in Open Access (OA) publishing, highlighting our commitment to making scholarly research accessible to everyone.
Boasting modern amenities, improved meeting and event spaces designed to support our growing needs, the new location provides a more collaborative and efficient working environment for our employees. The location offers convenient accessibility to public transportation and is situated near the Basel SBB railway station, with a variety of nearby services and amenities.
In fact, I can see the trains right outside of my window as I write these lines!
This move marks an exciting milestone in MDPI’s development, and I am confident that the new headquarters will serve as an inspiring and productive space for everyone. We also very much look forward to welcoming visitors here. You can read more about MDPI's history here.
“This new chapter continues our mission of positioning MDPI as a leader in OA publishing”
For Those New to MDPI
A pioneer in scholarly, Open Access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI is leading the transition to Open Science by making a greater proportion of the research conducted worldwide free and accessible to everyone. To date, over 3.5 million researchers have entrusted MDPI with publishing their scientific discoveries. MDPI’s editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of 6,000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform designed to ensure efficient processes within its 440 fully Open Access titles. MDPI supports more than 800 academic institutions worldwide, helping them adhere to national mandates while facilitating authors’ publication in fully compliant (CC BY) Open Access journals.
Impactful Research
New and Emerging MDPI Journals Making an Immediate Impact
Unpacking some of the Impact Factor updates from the June CEO Letter, I wanted to dive a little deeper into the 137 MDPI journals which received Impact Factor for the first time.
Academic authors highly value efficient publishing processes, robust editorial support, and the opportunity to publish in high-impact journals. We are proud that our newly launched journals typically achieve coverage in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) of the Web of Science within just a few years, with a median time of only three years from release to inclusion.
As part of our commitment to advancing academic research and providing high-quality OA publishing, we actively seek new research areas to expand our portfolio of journals. We have a proven track record of successfully establishing new journals.
Our dedicated teams excel in fostering dynamic editorial boards and working closely with Editors-in-Chief (EiC) to define the precise scope and focus of each new journal. Our expertise extends to collaborating with indexing services, ensuring that our journals comply with best practices and are indexed promptly in all relevant databases.
Emerging Titles Ranked for the First Time
Our commitment to excellence is reflected in the annual impact metrics released this past June. The latest edition of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) showcases the integration of journals from the ESCI in the new unified category rankings, providing a simplified and more complete view of all journals within each subject category, including newly established titles.
Out of 137 new and developing MDPI journals ranked in the 2024 release, 79 are in the top half (Q1 or Q2) of their categories. Here is a breakdown of the number of MDPI’s ESCI-indexed journals by quartile in the JCR:
| Quartile | No. of journals |
| Q1 | 17 (12.4%) |
| Q2 | 62 (45.3%) |
| Q3 | 43 (31.4%) |
| Q4 | 15 (10.9%) |
| Not ranked (humanities-related journals) | 2 |
These rankings highlight our success in rapidly establishing high-impact new journals. Among those that made it directly into the top 25% of their category are the International Journal of Neonatal Screening, Journal of Xenobiotics, Polysaccharides, Smart Cities, and thirteen other journals.
You can browse MDPI journals by Indexing. Simply visit our Journals page and select from the list of Indexing bodies in the top left-hand corner.
Inside MDPI
MDPI Corporate Marketing Strategy and Team Meeting 2024
In July, I hosted the annual Corporate Marketing strategy and team-building activity with 15 of our team members.
The aim was to align the Corporate Marketing strategy with MDPI's goal of becoming the world's most trusted OA publisher. While we provide a high-level publishing experience for our authors, as seen from our surveys, we need to keep building on our transparent and open communication to foster trust within the scholarly community and continue enhancing our reputation.
The Corporate Marketing team plays an important role as the mouthpiece for all our major activities within MDPI, especially those that model what it means to be a trusted partner. The purpose of the strategy meeting was to develop a feeling of trust in one another and an understanding of how to inspire trust in the stakeholders with whom we interact.
“We need to keep building on our transparent and open communication to foster trust within the scholarly community”
We conducted a set of activities to facilitate that sense of mutual trust and trustworthiness. Examples of some activities we worked on during this strategy-building event include:
- Exploring what trust means
- ‘Letter to self’
- ‘The brand I most trust’
- Most Trusted Academic Publisher
- ‘The brand I would like MDPI to become’
- ‘The 2029 MDPI Annual Report’
- Voice of Customer and Share of Voice – survey/data update on MDPI Brand Experience and Brand Perception
- Integrate Trust-Based Objective into Marketing Plan
- ‘Becoming the MDPI experience’
- ‘Trusting the next steps’
While two days is not enough to finalize a marketing strategy, it is sufficient to get everyone who attended into the mindset of the direction in which we are working. From here, we will develop a program with next steps on main projects, update communications, and collaborate with team leads to incorporate this approach into our work going forward.
As a marketing team, we can communicate our messages, but trust has to be built at every touchpoint in the stakeholder journey. Just talking about it isn’t enough. We need to be about it. That’s a role each of us plays, from editorial to IT, from marketing to HR. We must build trust from the inside out. It starts with each manager and resonates out via every team member.
As a company, our goal is to give all stakeholders with whom we interact – whether internal or external – the experience of working with an organization it can trust.
Coming Together for Science
MDPI in Poland: Krakow Office
In July, I had the pleasure of visiting our Krakow office, following my recent trip to Warsaw to meet with the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
During these visits, I prioritized meeting with our Office Manager, Editorial Director, Group Leads, and members from various teams, including editorial, production, marketing, and journal relationship specialists, to understand their roles and current challenges. Instead of a formal presentation, I opted for an open discussion, sharing updates from headquarters to engage with colleagues in a more personal way.
Our Krakow office has many things to be proud of, including a large number of PhD colleagues (over a third of its staff holds a PhD degree). Krakow provides an opportunity for expanding beyond the 100 colleagues we currently have, by adding new hires in departments including editorial, production and marketing, among others.
About our Krakow office
- Opened in 2020
- 99 staff members as at 1 August 2024
- Main Departments include Editorial, Production, English Department, JRS, PR
Our Krakow office participates in international conferences, conducts author trainings and scholar visits, and engages in local market outreach. The office is also a member of the Polish Chamber of Commerce for High Technology (IZTECH) and is working on expanding its local engagement.
Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland, with a population of about 800,000. It also has a large student population of around 128,000, with seven universities. This means that roughly one in every eight residents is a student.
Poland and MDPI
Poland is a crucial market for MDPI. From 2020 to June 2024, Poland ranked 7th in submissions and 5th in publications for MDPI research articles. As at 31 July 2024, Poland ranks 7th in total MDPI publications, with approximately 70,000 research papers.
Between 2020 and June 2024, 61,500 authors from Poland published with MDPI. As at 30 June 2024, there are 1,205 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from Poland, with 661 EBMs (55% of the total) having an H-index over 25.
We also have four Editors-in-Chief (EiC) from Poland leading our journals: Coatings, Venereology, Advances in Respiratory Medicine, and Limnological Review, along with six Section EiC.
In 2023, we received approximately 21,000 submissions from Polish-affiliated authors, of which 12,032 were published.
“Poland is a crucial market for MDPI”
Meeting with Ministry of Education
On 22 July, we visited Warsaw to meet with the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
We were pleased to learn that they are strong supporters of the OA publishing model and value MDPI’s approach to the peer-review process, including our high ethical standards for quality control.
In 2023 Polish authors predominantly published their papers in OA, with MDPI holding the largest market share in OA publications within the country.
Our commitment to collaborating with Polish institutions is evident through our 33 Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements with prestigious institutions such as the University of Warsaw, the University of Wroclaw, the Jagiellonian University, and Gdańsk University of Technology. Through IOAP discounts, a healthy waiver rate, and our peer-review voucher system, we provide the Polish scholarly community with significant savings in OA publishing. The Minister greatly appreciated these efforts and our commitment to offsetting some of the APC costs.
We discussed industry concerns about the threat of papermills and presented the preventive measures MDPI has in place to mitigate this risk and uphold high ethical standards. We informed them of our commitment to combating papermills, including our involvement with United2Act and the STM Research Integrity Hub, as well as our efforts to expand our research integrity team and explore proactive measures.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI Thought Leadership Op-ed on Open Access is Now Live on Politico
I am pleased to share that our thought leadership Op-ed piece on Open Access (OA) is now live on Politico. This is a nice push for continued influence and support of OA among policymakers and industry leaders.
Why Politico?
Politico's reputation as a highly credible and influential news platform makes it an important venue to reach key opinion leaders (KOL) from academia, policymakers, and thought leaders from many industries. This visibility helps promote the OA philosophy.
Open Access: A Moral Imperative for Progress
In this piece, I discuss the necessity of making scientific research freely available to all. I argue that publicly funded research should be publicly accessible, highlighting how OA democratizes scientific knowledge, accelerates research availability, and fosters collaboration.
“Open Access is a fundamental right for all citizens”
Democratizing scientific communication
The impulse to democratize scientific communication is nothing new. OA may seem like a recent innovation, but its principles have historical roots traceable to Europe in the 15th century. Just as the printing revolution accelerated the dissemination of new ideas, OA publishing unlocks new scientific insights that would otherwise only be accessible to a few.
Benefits for scholars: amplifying impact through Open Access
Authors publishing in an OA journal can expect more citations of their work, increasing its potential impact. Research findings that are freely available are more likely to be cited than those hidden behind a paywall. Freedom of access greatly increases the potential audience for each paper, fostering a sense of community among researchers worldwide. Heightened visibility can attract prospective collaborators and employers for young scientists. At MDPI, we believe that all these factors can only accelerate the advance of science. Additionally, authors retain copyright in their work instead of signing it away, permitting broader dissemination under Creative Commons licenses and increasing its capacity for impact.
The moral imperative
OA is not just a matter of scientific policy; it is a fundamental right for all citizens and a prerequisite for a brighter, more informed future. Publicly funded research should be a top priority, and I am pleased to see policy moving in this direction. Our capacity to generate transformative scientific insights has to be democratized. The question today is no longer whether we can afford to embrace OA; rather, it is whether we can afford not to.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land Planning and Landscape Architecture” from the First Half of 2024
5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land Systems and Global Change” from the First Half of 2024
5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Landscape Ecology” from the First Half of 2024
5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues” from the First Half of 2024
5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing” from the First Half of 2024
5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Urban Contexts and Urban–Rural Interactions” from the First Half of 2024
5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land Innovations: Data and Machine Learning” from the First Half of 2024
5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Soil–Sediment–Water Systems” from the First Half of 2024
2 August 2024
MDPI Romania Author Training Sessions in May
In May, MDPI Romania held three author training sessions – one endorsing an external event and two stand-alone sessions.
The National Session of Scientific Student Communications took place at Technical University Cluj on 17 and 18 May 2024. MDPI Romania sponsored this event and contributed an author training session on the production of research papers and case study analyses. JRS Norbert Kiss gave a presentation called The World of Open Access to explain different open access publishing models and the benefits of open access publishing. His presentation highlighted the impact of open access publishing on scientific progress and innovation.
On 29 May 2024, MDPI Romania hosted an author training session for Ph.D. students, early career researchers, and professors at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In collaboration with Prof. Andreea Arsene, JRS Ioana Paunescu prepared two presentations: The Steps of the Publishing Process and Elaboration of a Peer Review Report. In her first presentation, she delved into MDPI’s history and mission, MDPI’s editorial process, and MDPI journals of various scopes that are accepting submissions. Her second presentation outlined the types of peer review, the contents of a peer review report by an MDPI reviewer, and the responsibilities of an MDPI reviewer.
MDPI Romania also hosted an author training session at the Iasi University of Life Sciences on 29 May 2024. JRSs Laurentiu Preda and Cosmin Artan gave four presentations: Efficient Writing of an ISI-Indexed Scientific Article, Benefits of Publishing in the Open Access Model, Various Methods of Open Access Publishing, and MDPI Guide for the Article Review Process. The first three presentations offered guidance on how to improve academic writing, the fourth focused on how to write peer review reports. A highly interactive discussion followed the presentations, during which the JRSs provided extensive answers to attendees’ questions.
MDPI is grateful for all the attendees, speakers, and organizers involved in these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.
1 August 2024
Recruiting Early Career Editorial Board Members for Land
19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land – Observation and Monitoring
19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2023 Related to Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing
19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land–Climate Interactions
19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land Systems and Global Change
19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land Planning and Landscape Architecture
19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues
19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2023 Related to Urban Contexts and Urban–Rural Interactions
19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2023 Related to Soil–Sediment–Water Systems
18 July 2024
Meet Us at the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2024), 26–30 August 2024, Tartu, Estonia
17 July 2024
Meet Us at the 5th Academic Forum on Nitrogen Biogeochemical Cycle, 16–18 August 2024, Wuhan, China
16 July 2024
Meet Us at the 31st International Conference on Geoinformatics, 14–16 August 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
15 July 2024
Interview with Dr. Pamela Durán-Díaz—Winner of the Land 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award
We are pleased to announce Dr. Pamela Durán-Díaz as one of the winners of the Land 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award.
Name: Dr. Pamela Durán-Díaz
Affiliation: Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Interests: land/water/urban/environmental governance; WEF systems for food sovereignty; fair transitions; urban and rural development
The following is a short interview with Dr. Pamela Durán-Díaz:
- Could you give us a brief introduction of yourself and the main research content of your current work?
I am Pamela Duran-Diaz, a Mexican citizen of the world and Senior Planning and Governance Specialist at IHS of Erasmus University Rotterdam. I studied architecture in Mexico, and my curiosity brought me to Barcelona, where I pursued an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in urban planning; my thesis was about the role of water bodies in giving structure to all of the systems that converge in any given territory. My research work was the perfect excuse to travel around the world to see how water bodies condition urban dynamics, and it also opened the door to other opportunities: I became a postdoctoral fellow at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya to study the sustainable management of extreme cultural landscapes in China, Mali, and Mexico. I was organizing and facilitating workshops in collaboration with Tsinghua University, China University of Geosciences, and ESIAU in Bamako. What started as an adventure turned into 11 years of living in Spain.
In 2016, I joined the Technical University of Munich in Germany, where I became the coordinator of the Doctoral and Master's programs on Land Management and Geospatial Science (formerly Land Management and Land Tenure). I had to change the scale at which I looked at land, from the urban artefact to the whole territory, and from urban to peri-urban and rural areas. I got my hands deep into land governance on my second postdoc. It was a large capacity building project to strengthen land governance in Africa, which was a great opportunity to learn from the over 500 land professionals and stakeholders from about 30 different African countries that participated in that project! I was working hand in hand with consultants and stakeholders from the World Bank, UN Habitat, NELGA, Kadaster, ALPC, FAO, and more.
I have been involved in several advisory and capacity building projects around the world. That was how I got involved in impactful projects about frugivorous fish in the Amazonian Rainforest, Indigenous land rights in Latin America, women-led farmstays in the Himalayas, food sovereignty in Colombia, urban gardening in Germany and Mexico, water management in Nepal, environmental risk assessment in Mexico, the policy review of the UNESCO Convention, the potential of AI for the energy transition in Ghana, Zambia, DRC, and Argentina, and many more! These experiences inspired me to pursue my Habilitation in “Sustainable Land Governance for Water–Energy–Food Systems”. I am one paper and a public presentation away from achieving it at the Technical University of Munich.
- Can you tell us how you first discovered open access journals and your thoughts on how open access affects authors?
I am a millennial; thus, I grew up in an analogical world transitioning to a digital one. Therefore, during my studies and at the beginning of my professional career, I spent most of my afternoons and free time in the library. I relied on the subscriptions from my university to get access to scientific journals and impactful research. Moreover, because of the historical approach of my doctoral studies, I needed to read discontinued resources that weren’t available at my local library or digitally. Hence, a significant part of my scholarship went to book acquisition on bidding platforms.
I did not really explore open access journals until I was already a postdoctoral researcher. It truly changed my view on equitable access to data, innovation, and research! I used to believe that information was within reach of everyone, until I found a world that was sort of hidden due to the lack of resources. This is still the reality for many of my colleagues in the Global South; many universities and research institutions have little or no resources to invest in subscriptions (which hinders the ability of being updated) and/or to publish research (which obstructs the visibility of outstanding research projects).
Open access aims to change such disparities. Despite the hard work, it is a laudable cause.
- What are the key factors and aspects that you consider that should be taken seriously in the process of reviewing manuscripts?
Reviewing manuscripts is, to a certain degree, like supervising research. The findings and results will be tied to the reviewer, even if done anonymously. The reviewer is—at least partly—responsible for the reliability of the data, the findings, and even the recommendations provided. There is an ethical dimension to peer reviewing: it implies having the knowledge and competence on specific topics; it requires being constantly updated on current trends, flourishing topics/innovations, and pressing challenges. Furthermore, one should have the ability to give constructive feedback that would improve both the scientific outcomes and communication of such outcomes.
As a rule of thumb, the ethical considerations in the process of reviewing manuscripts are updated knowledge/expertise on the topic, detailed constructive feedback, and readability of the results.
- How do you feel about being awarded the Outstanding Reviewer Award, and could you share any insights or recommendations for future reviewers?
I feel truly honored to be awarded the Outstanding Reviewer Award! I have been reading, contributing, and reviewing for Land for many years, so I truly enjoy the acknowledgement from the scientific community.
I would like to recommend my fellow researchers to embark on the review process as well. One should not underestimate how nurturing this process is: it enhances our understanding of global challenges, while making science accessible to all.
- Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
While we cannot foresee many of the challenges ahead of us (for instance, the pandemic took us by surprise), there are several trends that help us make fair estimations or predictions of what may be coming next. We are about to see the effects of climate change that will transform the world as we know it. This means that we are more likely to see an increment in studies on meteorological variability, biodiversity loss, monitoring systems for environmental risks (such as flooding, landslides, droughts, etc.), societal challenges including displaced population, food insecurity, altered land tenure systems, affected land rights of vulnerable populations (including women, the youth, Indigenous peoples, and the urban/rural/peri-urban poor), and struggles over resources.
Still, what I would hope to see is more research on how to tackle such challenges. That is, innovative responses for adaptation and mitigation, ecosystemic-based adaptation, nature-based solutions, and the strengthening of decolonized land governance systems around the world.
12 July 2024
Meet Us at the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024, 27–30 August 2024, London, UK
10 July 2024
Meet Us at the Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America 2024, 4–9 August 2024, Long Beach, USA
10 July 2024
MDPI's Newly Launched Journals in June 2024
Five new journals covering multiple subjects have launched their inaugural issue in June 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.
We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all the Editorial Board Members and each journal will ensure its high-quality output using excellent editorial and rigorous peer review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.
Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.
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Journal |
Founding Editor-in-Chief |
Journal Topics (Selected) |
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Prof. Dr. Marco Ranucci, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy |
anaesthetic medications; blood and fluid management; pain management; critical care; critical illness | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Dr. Giovanni E. Cacciamani, University of Southern California, USA |
surgical/procedural complications; complications; perioperative adverse events; postoperative adverse events | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Gassan Hodaifa, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain |
laboratory management; laboratory safety; protective equipment; laboratory problems and challenges; laboratory Innovation | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Jan S. Suchodolski, Texas A&M University, USA |
companion animals health and disease; veterinary care and nutrition; genetics and genomics; behavior and welfare; human-animal relations | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Pierfrancesco De Paola, University of Naples Federico II, Italy |
real estate appraisal; economic and financial valuation of real estate projects; sustainable real estate; housing and urban economics | view journal scope | submit an article |
We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.
20 June 2024
2023 Impact Factors for MDPI Journals Released
18 June 2024
EGU General Assembly 2024 Closes Successfully in Vienna, Highlighted by MDPI's Booth and Geosciences Award Ceremony
From 14 to 19 April 2024, the EGU General Assembly 2024, a highly anticipated event in the global earth sciences community, was held at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in Austria. The conference not only provided a platform for earth scientists from around the world to exchange the latest research findings and discuss academic frontiers, but also witnessed several thrilling moments. In particular, the Outstanding Reviewer Award and Travel Award ceremony for Geosciences journal (ISSN: 2076-3263) stood out as a significant highlight of the conference.
During the week-long event, MDPI had a dedicated exhibition booth, showcasing its diverse range of journals and unique publishing characteristics. Concurrently, Geosciences journal organized an award ceremony, during which Section Editor-in-Chief (SEiC) Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe presented the Outstanding Reviewer Award to Dr. Simone Bello, who was represented by Prof. Dr. Rita de Nardis in receiving the honor, and Dr. Yuchen Wang, and the Travel Award to Dr. Andrea Maffeis.
Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe, the SEiC of Geosciences journal, served as the guest presenter at the award ceremony. Not only is he a dedicated supporter and contributor to the journal, but he has also achieved remarkable accomplishments in the field of earth sciences. He presented the winners with their certificates and expressed high recognition and praise for their academic achievements.
Prof. Dr. Rita de Nardis; Dr. Andrea Maffeis; Ms. Bojana Mijanovic; Mrs. Oana Irina Karadag; Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe; Dr. Yuchen Wang (From left to the right)
The Outstanding Reviewer Award recognizes reviewers who have demonstrated excellence in their peer-review work for the journal and made significant contributions to the academic quality. These reviewers, with their profound academic knowledge and rigorous reviewing attitude, have provided valuable support for the journal's development. The Travel Award, on the other hand, aims to encourage young scholars to actively participate in international academic exchanges and enhance their research capabilities. The awarded young scholars have demonstrated remarkable research potential and academic pursuit in the field of earth sciences.
During the award ceremony, the winners shared their research insights and academic aspirations. They expressed that receiving recognition and encouragement from Geosciences journal is a great affirmation of their academic achievements and a driving force for them to continue moving forward.
In addition to the award ceremony, our representatives actively participated in various conference activities, engaging in in-depth exchanges and discussions with scholars from around the world. They not only shared the latest research findings and academic progress, but also had lively discussions on cutting-edge issues in the field of earth sciences. These exchanges broadened their academic horizons and provided new ideas and directions for their future research.
Dr. Stefano Luigi Gariano
Dr. Paolo Madonia
Dr. Olga Petrucci
Dr. Doris Folini
Dr. Silvia Kohnova
Dr. Samuele Segoni
Dr. Cheng-Yu Ku
Dr. Annalisa Cappello
Dr. Raffaele Albano
Dr. Linda Lee
Prof. Paolo Reggiani
More MDPI Moments:
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The successful conclusion of the EGU General Assembly 2024 and the triumphant award ceremony for Geosciences journal not only showcased the latest achievements and academic style in the field of earth sciences, but also provided a platform for global scholars to communicate and collaborate. It is believed that in the future, MDPI will continue to uphold its mission of “promoting the development of earth sciences and fostering academic exchanges and cooperation”, contributing significantly to the prosperity and advancement of the earth sciences field.
12 June 2024
Join Us at “MDPI Open Access—An Author Training Program”, 18 June 2024, Hannover, Germany
MDPI is collaborating with Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, to hold an author training session comprising valuable insights about MDPI journals and open access publishing. MDPI has invited two Journal Relations Specialists to speak at this event: Ms. Anna Krakowka from Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) and Dr. Paulina Maziarz from Nanomaterials (ISSN: 2079-4991).
Date: 18 June 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Venue: Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology, Leibniz University Hannover
Registration link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RQXJFLK
Schedule:
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Time |
Program |
Speaker |
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10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m. |
MDPI Introduction How to Write Scientific Papers |
Dr. Paulina Maziarz |
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10:45 a.m.–11:15 a.m. |
Reasons for Desk Rejection and How to Respond to Review Reports |
Ms. Anna Krakowka |
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11:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m. |
Discussion |
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MDPI Speakers:
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Speaker |
Biography |
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Dr. Paulina Maziarz holds a bachelor’s degree (2014) and a master’s degree (2015) in environmental engineering from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland. She completed her Ph.D. (2020) in natural sciences at the same institution, focusing on the synthesis and application of clay mineral-magnetic nanoparticle composites in heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions. She joined MDPI as an Assistant Editor for Nanomaterials in 2021 and became Section Managing Editor a few months later. In December 2022, she was appointed as the Journal Relations Specialist of Nanomaterials. |
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Anna Krakowka holds a master’s degree in materials engineering from Czestochowa University of Technology in Poland. She joined MDPI in January 2021 and became a Special Issue Editor and Section Managing Editor for journal Sections “Materials Science” and “Marine Science”. In 2022, she served as Publishing Manager for the journal Materials; she is now the Journal Relations Specialist for this publication. |
7 June 2024
MDPI Calls for Greater Open Access to Science for Ocean Protection
7 June 2024
Land Receives an Increased CiteScore of 4.9
5 June 2024
MDPI Sets a New Benchmark for Publishing Excellence
4 June 2024
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #12 - First Term as CEO, Tu Youyou Award, Books Report
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Renewed Term as CEO of MDPI
I released the first CEO Letter at the end of June 2023, reflecting on my first month as CEO. Looking back at the first release, I’m pleased to see a marked consistency of content – from talking about open access (OA) and highlighting the great work being done at MDPI, to bringing together the science community with our conferences and building relations with our editorial board members and our industry as a whole.
For example, in the first letter, I highlighted our meeting with Dr. Eric O. Freed, the founding and current Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of our journal Viruses. Meeting with Eric is a pleasure, as he has a strong commitment and clear vision for the journal.
On 21 May, 2024 we met with EiC Prof. Dr. Antonino Carbone, and Section EiC Prof. Dr. Alberto Signore (pictured on the left), of our journal Hemato (tracked for Impact Factor, and indexed in Scopus), showing our continued and active collaboration with our chief editors to develop the visions for the journal. Over the course of the day, we gathered feedback and gained an understanding of the journal's expectations and focus on strategic growth.
Reflections on my first year as CEO: achievements and initiatives
During my first year as CEO, there have been many remarkable moments, including a strong focus on bringing people together, focusing on company communications and performance.
According to a recent study of 3,400 people across 10 countries, “Managers impact employees’ mental health (69%) more than doctors (51%) or therapists (41%) — and even the same as a partner (69%).” This is an important topic for me, and perhaps that’s why I place a high value on management culture due to its tangible impact on people’s lives.
When I joined MDPI, I created a weekly meet-up for the Corporate Marketing department and their team leads. On the final Thursday of every month, we hold a Global Marketing meet-up to present projects, share knowledge, and conduct training. For years, I’ve maintained the tradition of ending each of our monthly global calls with a group photo to boost morale, motivation, and productivity, and to finish on a positive note.
In keeping with this, when I stepped into the role of CEO, I launched a bi-weekly management meeting, chairing over 20 MDPI Management Team meetings in my first year. These sessions provide an opportunity for managers to present their team’s work, focusing on their achievements and the challenges they face, while at the same time creating space for sharing knowledge.
“I firmly believe that OA is the future of publishing”
I co-organized and co-led the 2023 MDPI Strategy Management meeting this past October, from which we established an Executive Task Force that meets monthly to prioritize projects aimed at building MDPI into the world’s most trusted publisher. To achieve our goals, we as managers need to maintain collaborative communication and connect to the bigger picture.
As CEO, I focused on leadership communication by publishing 12 CEO Letters, one for each month of my tenure, to share more about MDPI news and achievements. I also produced ten videos to help further communicate our message.
I was happy to attend eight publishing and conference events, including STM in Frankfurt and Washington, APE, and R2R, and facilitate critical company meetings with Elsevier, Web of Science, ResearchGate, DOAJ, and others. It was a pleasure to meet and have discussions with key organizations and governing bodies such as CAS in China and ANVUR in Italy.
The best part was the opportunity to visit seven MDPI offices across Europe and Asia-Pacific, meeting with local managers and colleagues and supporting them in person. As part of this, I conducted training sessions while continuing to lead the Corporate Marketing department.
Looking ahead
My goal for my second year as CEO is to continue building on the initiatives from the past, including leadership communications, public relations, educational marketing, and company culture, while representing MDPI to the best of my ability. Additionally, I have a few new projects I hope to launch that I believe will be valuable to MDPI and the industry at large.
I firmly believe that OA is the future of publishing, and I am grateful to be in a position to advocate for this belief as part of MDPI, the world's leading open access publisher.
Thank you to our staff and industry friends for your genuine support in this role.
Impactful Research
Nominations Open for the Prestigious Tu Youyou Award 2024
I am pleased to share that MDPI has opened nominations for the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, a prestigious recognition established in honour of Professor Tu Youyou, Nobel Laureate, whose work has significantly transformed the global fight against malaria.
The Tu Youyou Award offers CHF 100,000
In 2015, Professor Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of artemisinin, significantly reducing mortality rates from malaria and shaping global health policies. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are now the standard treatment endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), saving countless lives, especially in regions heavily burdened by malaria.
MDPI Special Issue
To mark Professor Tu’s 80th birthday in 2009, MDPI’s journal Molecules issued a Special Issue focusing on her contributions to medical research. Recognizing her continuous contribution, MDPI created the Tu Youyou Award in 2016 to honour outstanding achievements in natural products and medicinal chemistry.
The deadline for nominations is 31 December 2024
Nominations are open to scientists excelling in natural products and medicinal chemistry. Eligible nominators include academic institutes, universities, and societies. The deadline for nominations is 31 December 2024, with the winners to be announced on 30 April 2025. The Tu Youyou Award offers CHF 100,000, split equally among the winners.
MDPI encourages the academic community to nominate individuals who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in line with Professor Tu’s legacy. This award not only honours individual achievement but also encourages further scientific exploration and discovery in critical areas of medicine.
This award embodies our deep commitment to groundbreaking research that drives societal progress and celebrates the legacy of one of the greatest medical innovators of our time.
Inside MDPI
2023 MDPI Books Report
In past CEO letters, I have highlighted our publishing process and the impactful peer-reviewed articles that represent the core output of scholarly publishing. However, scholarly books are another pillar of publishing that MDPI also services, which our core audience may not be fully aware of. In this section, I highlight the 2023 MDPI Books report, released by our MDPI Books team in May 2024.
Download the 2023 MDPI Books Report
In the report, you will find a summary of MDPI Books’ 10th anniversary, the books indexed in the Web of Science Book Citation Index, our market outreach, and our outlook for 2024.
MDPI Books celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023
MDPI Books published its first OA Reprint, “From the Renaissance to the Modern World,” in 2013. Over the past ten years, MDPI Books has seen a significant increase in both the volume and nature of published Reprints. As of December 2023, our catalogue includes a total of 7,369 Reprints, with 1,811 of them added in 2023 alone. MDPI Books includes monographs, book series, edited books and reprints of special issues and topical collections, among other book types.
We’re also celebrating the 10-year MDPI anniversary of Laura Wagner, Head of MDPI Books.
Laura Wagner (Head of Books Division)
Laura holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art History and History from the University of Basel. After her studies, she started her career at an art gallery in Basel.
Since joining MDPI in 2014, Laura has held several roles within the company. This included editorial work, development of reprint and book services, and the temporary management of the journal Arts.
Currently Laura holds the role of Head of Books Division and is in charge of the development and strategic direction of MDPI Books.
MDPI Books indexed in Web of Science Book Citation Index
Another milestone in 2023 was the indexing of four book titles in the Web of Science Book Citation Index. The indexing of our open access books is crucial for their reach and accessibility, ensuring higher visibility within the open science community.
- Self-Representation in an Expanded Field: From Self-Portraiture to Selfie, Contemporary Art in the Social Media Age by editor Ace Lehner
- Towards Socially Integrative Cities: Perspectives on Urban Sustainability in Europe and China by editors Bernhard Müller, Jian Liu, Jianming Cai, Paulina Schiappacasse, Hans-Martin Neumann, and Baojun Yang
- Transitioning to Gender Equality by editors Christa Binswanger and Andrea Zimmermann
- Under Construction: Performing Critical Identity by editor Marie-Anne Kohl
If you would like to learn more about MDPI Books, please visit: www.mdpi.com/books
If you are thinking of writing or editing a book, you can submit your proposal at www.mdpi.com/books/publish-with-us, or email us at [email protected].
Coming Together for Science
Polymers 2024 – Polymers for a Safe and Sustainable Future
Our conference team successfully managed the Polymers 2024 – Polymers for a Safe and Sustainable Future international conference which took place from 28–31 May 2024 in Athens, Greece. The conference was chaired by Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Bikiaris and Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Triantafyllidis from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and Dr. Ioanna Deligkiozi from AXIA Innovation, Germany. In total, the conference had 259 accepted abstracts and over 300 attendees from 22 different countries.
The conference featured three keynote speakers and 12 invited speakers, including esteemed scholars from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Canada. It included 60 selected talks and 189 posters, chosen by the 24 members of the Scientific Committee along with the three Conference Chairs. The event explored the latest scientific advancements and innovations in polymer science, focusing on creating safe, sustainable, and environmentally friendly materials. Emphasizing green polymer chemistry and the use of bioresources, the conference promoted the synthesis of biobased and biodegradable polymers.
The conference featured esteemed scholars from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Canada
Conference awards
The conference also presented three awards: two sponsored by the journal Polymers – The Best Poster Award (€500) and the Best Oral Presentation Award (€600) – and one sponsored by Ossila, the Best Student Poster Award (€500).
Thank you to our 16 sponsors, three partnering societies (Hellenic Polymer Society, European Polymer Federation, and North American Thermal Analysis Society [NATAS]) and eight media partners.
Upcoming in-person event
1–4 August, 2024
The 1st International Conference on AI Sensors & The 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science
Location: Singapore
The AI Sensors 2024 Conference will unite innovators and experts in the realms of sensors, sensing technology, and artificial intelligence.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
3rd World Forum Principles of Scientific Publications
I’m pleased to share that MDPI sponsored and attended the 3rd World Forum on Principles of Scientific Publications, which took place from 22–24 May in Malaga, Spain. The event brought together academic professionals and leading researchers to discuss critical topics in the realm of publishing and research. Presentation topics included Open Science, AI in Publishing, Predatory Journals, Fake Publications, Challenges for Non-native English Speakers, and more.
“It was great to see strong support from MDPI authors in the audience”
MDPI presentations
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) presenting at the 3rd World Forum Principles of Scientific Publications
I had the privilege of attending and presenting at the event, along with my colleague Dr. Enric Sayas (Business Analyst, MDPI) from our Barcelona office, who explored the ethical concerns and opportunities brought by AI in publishing.
I took the opportunity to present on Open Science, the benefits of Open Access, and MDPI’s performance, operations, and investment in ethics. Special thanks to Evan Escamilla (Project Manager, MDPI Books) and Facundo Santomé (Sr. Marketing Manager, MDPI) who also joined the conference.
It was great to see strong support from MDPI authors in the audience who shared their positive experiences publishing with us. Their story reflects the experience of the vast majority of authors who choose to work with MDPI.
We also encountered some conservative views on OA, which created an opportunity for open discussion aimed at addressing concerns about OA and MDPI. Engaging in such discussions is important, as scepticism sometimes arises from misinformation or from a misunderstanding of who we are and how we operate. When we engage in open and honest discussion, we tend to see people getting a better understanding of MDPI, which helps address any misconceptions they may have had.
Left to right: Dr. Enric Sayas (Business Analyst, MDPI), Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Facundo Santomé (Sr. Marketing Manager, MDPI), and Evan Escamilla (Project Manager, MDPI Books) at 3rd World Forum Principles of Scientific Publications
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
29 May 2024
Meet Us at the 26th IUFRO World Congress, 23–29 June 2024, Stockholm, Sweden
23 May 2024
Transfer Service in MDPI
We are pleased to announce MDPI’s Transfer Service.
This service provides a convenient method of transferring your manuscript file, along with any reviewer comments, to another journal within our publishing portfolio.
We are committed to helping authors find the right home for their research, and we will provide authors with guidance and technical support through all stages of the transfer process. Authors will be able to choose to transfer in the following two situations:
1. Select alternative journals on submission.
2. Authors are encouraged to transfer manuscripts to other MDPI journals.
More details about the Transfer Service can be found at the following link:
17 May 2024
Tu Youyou Award—Open for Nominations
16 May 2024
Meet Us at the 2024 Science and Technology Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, 25–27 May 2024, Wuhan, China
16 May 2024
MDPI Romania Author Training Academic Events in April
MDPI Romania sponsored four events over the month of April, contributing author training sessions to each event.
The NutriSciLabs 2024 conference was held at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy on 12 April 2024. Organized by the Association of Students from the Faculty of Pharmacy Studies, the conference aimed to enhance students’ academic writing and research skills, and bolster their confidence in participating in the academic world. Ioana Paunescu, journal relations specialist for MDPI Romania, led the training session. Paunescu first outlined MDPI’s history and core values, then explained academic writing techniques, ethics, and similarity percentages. The presentation covered the entire editorial process, highlighting the amount of attention paid to details throughout manuscript processing. Paunescu also discussed common errors that authors make while writing, and how to avoid such errors.
On 13 April 2024, the NextGEN 2.0 Student Conference took place at the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. NextGen Healthcare organized this event with the university’s European Students’ Society to discuss European and international current affairs. MDPI Romania contributed an author training session called Steps of the Publication Process. Irina Codruta Zaharia, journal relations specialist, began the session with a general introduction of MDPI before diving into different article types, different layout formats, possible journals to submit to, the MDPI submission checklist, and the MDPI editorial process. By explaining the fundamentals of writing and publishing academic papers, Zaharia imparted valuable industry knowledge to the curious minds present. Participants were eager to engage with Zaharia in the subsequent Q&A session.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the International Conference “Students for Students” has long been a gathering place for undergraduate and postgraduate students of all nationalities to present their work and exchange ideas with each other. This year’s conference was held on 18 April 2024, with MDPI Romania contributing an author training session called The World of Open Access. Key speakers included Dr. Norbert Kiss from MDPI Romania and Prof. Dragos Horvath from Strasbourg University. Dr. Kiss discussed the history of open access, differences between open access publishing and traditional publishing, and implications for open access in the future. Attendees expressed keen interest in the subject, approaching Dr. Kiss with questions about academic publishing as well as his career trajectory.
Most recently, on 26 April 2024, MDPI Romania sponsored the National Symposium of Students from Geology and Geophysics Faculties. The AAPG Students Chapter at the Babes-Bolyai University organized this event as an opportunity for geology students from all Romanian universities to present their work and confer with other researchers. Dr. Kiss gave his lecture The World of Open Access at this event as well.
MDPI is thankful to all the participants, speakers, and organizers who attended these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.
9 May 2024
Meet Us at the Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences, 19–21 May 2024, Florence, Italy
2 May 2024
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #11 - 2023 Annual Report, MDPI Awards, STM
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
2023 Annual Report
This is an exciting time of year at MDPI, as we have just released our annual report 2023, recapping the past year and sharing the progress and changes that took place during it.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
Reflecting on 2023, I can't help but think of the changes that have occurred not only at MDPI but also within our industry as a whole. In light of this, I’m reminded that change is the only constant, and that for a publishing enterprise that has experienced rapid growth, adapting to change becomes not only a necessity but also a catalyst for sustained success.
Looking back on the significant ground we covered in 2023, I am pleased to report that the year was marked by a rise in paper submissions, along with a range of initiatives aimed at improving our internal processes and delivering top services to our scientists.
2023 Top-line MDPI Numbers
An important priority for 2023 was to strengthen our editorial policies. Despite a notable increase in the number of papers submitted from 603,000 to 655,000 (+8.6%), there was a decrease in the number of papers published from 303,000 to 285,000 (-5.9%), consistent with the overall trend in the scholarly publishing market. MDPI’s market share in gold open access articles published reached 17% in 2023 (according to Dimensions data).
2023 Open Access Numbers
For over two decades, MDPI has been at the forefront of reshaping the academic publishing landscape, with OA surpassing subscription-based publishing in 2020. This trajectory is deeply rooted in our history and reflects our unwavering commitment to, and vision for, an open future. This momentum continued in 2023, with 39% of the 4.16 million articles and reviews published as gold full-OA, 15% as gold hybrid-OA, 8% as bronze-OA, and 3% as green-OA, relative to 35% behind a paywall. In terms of gold OA (full or hybrid) articles and reviews published, MDPI leads the way in terms of total articles published in 2023.
MDPI is the trusted and preferred OA publisher for the scholarly community
However, in 2023, we saw a downward trend in publication numbers compared to 2022. This trend was also seen in total OA publications. While the number of submissions increased, the decline in MDPI publications can be attributed to several factors, such as improved scrutiny in our peer-review process, including the evaluation of content scope and higher rejection rates, and a post-pandemic decrease in research related to COVID-19 papers.
Download 2023 MDPI Annual Report.
Access 2023 Digital Report.
Impactful Research
Recognizing Scholars – MDPI Awards
MDPI is committed to empowering young researchers as they embark on their careers. In 2023, our journals hosted a total of 400 awards, receiving 8,839 applications and nominations. The evaluation committees selected 959 winners, with the total budget for these awards amounting to CHF 546,500.
For more information about MDPI awards, applications, and winners, please click here
The following awards recognize scholars and the impact of their research, including Young Investigator Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, and Travel Awards for junior researchers.
MDPI Awards – The following awards require an application or a nomination.
Young Investigator Award (CHF 1000–2000 for each winner)
This award acknowledges the achievements of young investigators in research areas relevant to the journal’s scope. Candidates must have received their PhD no more than 10 years prior to the award announcement date and must be nominated.
Best PhD Thesis Award (CHF 500–800 for each winner)
This award recognizes young scholars who have completed outstanding PhD theses in research areas relevant to the journal’s scope. It aims to encourage them to continue their excellent work and make further contributions to their field.
Travel Award (CHF 500–800 for each winner)
This award encourages junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences relevant to the journal’s scope, thereby increasing their impact.
Distinguished Scholars
Additionally, 220 awards were granted to the most distinguished authors and reviewers in our journals through Best Paper Awards and Outstanding Reviewer Awards. The following awards are selected by the editorial staff of the journal and do not require an application or a nomination. They exemplify the excellent contributions made by our authors, reviewers, and editors.
These awards exemplify the excellent contributions made by our authors, reviewers, and editors
Best Paper Award (CHF 200–500 for each winner)
This award is granted annually to highlight publications of high quality, scientific significance, and extensive influence.
Outstanding Reviewer Award (CHF 500 for partial winners)
This award is given annually to recognize reviewers who generously contribute their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate thoroughness, professionalism, and timeliness in their reviews.
MDPI also offers awards for specific topics in various research fields:
Carbon Neutrality Award (CHF 500–800 for each winner)
Sponsored by MDPI journal Sustainability, this award recognizes applicants who have made exceptional academic or societal contributions to carbon neutrality, either in general or in relation to a specific carbon-neutrality-related issue.
Intelligent Manufacturing Award (CHF 500–800 for each winner)
Administered by MDPI journal Machines, this award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding academic or societal contributions to the field of intelligent manufacturing.
Granted: World Sustainability Awards
Inside MDPI
MDPI Opens Office in Seoul, Korea and Appoints Claude Seo as Office Manager
As CEO of the world’s leading OA publisher, I am pleased to announce the official opening of our Korean branch office. With this addition, MDPI now operates 21 offices in 12 countries worldwide, improving on our position as a truly global publisher. This expansion represents more than just an increase in our physical footprint; it is a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to making scientific knowledge more accessible across the globe.
MDPI now operates 21 offices in 12 countries worldwide, improving on our position as a truly global publisher
Claude Seo (MDPI Korea Office Manager, Seoul)
Claude Seo, who has over 15 years of experience in the academic publishing industry, has been appointed as the Office Manager of the Seoul office. The launch of our Seoul office allows us to better support the Korean scientific community and to further promote the publication of OA journals in the region.
Reflecting on his role, Claude shared that he is:
“Delighted to have been entrusted with this position within MDPI, the no. 1 scholarly OA publisher. As we establish our presence in Korea, we are dedicated to integrating ourselves into the local community and contributing to its vibrant culture. Our commitment goes beyond business growth; it is about creating a more informed and innovative society by embracing and promoting diversity within the scientific community.”
Sungkyunkwan University Joins MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program
Additionally, I am pleased to share that Sungkyunkwan University has joined MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). This program offers free access to MDP’s online submission system for institutions and provides APC discounts to affiliated authors. Thirteen major Korean universities, including Sungkyunkwan University, Kyunghee University, Chung-Ang University, and the Catholic University of Korea, have adopted IOAP in Korea.
Learn more about MDPI’s collaboration in Korea in my previous CEO Letter, in which I recap our visit to Seoul, South Korea.
Coming Together for Science
4th MMCS: Harnessing the Power of New Drug Modalities
Our conference team successfully managed the 4th Molecules Medicinal Chemistry Symposium, held from 24–26 April in Barcelona, Spain. It was chaired by Prof. Dr. Diego Muñoz-Torrero from the Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Spain, and Prof. Dr. Simona Collina from the University of Pavia, Italy. In total, there were 84 accepted abstracts and 102 conference attendees from 22 different countries.
From left to right: Prof. Dr. Rino Ragno (Scientific Committee), Dr. Maria Emilia Sousa (Scientific Committee), Prof. Dr. Claudio Viegas Jr. (Scientific Committee), Prof. Dr. Simona Collina (Chair), Prof. Dr. Diego Muñoz-Torrero (Chair), Alvina Wu (Managing Editor, MDPI), Prof. Dr. Roman Dembinski (Scientific Committee), Prof. Dr. Mariana Spetea (Scientific Committee).
The event comprised 12 Invited Speakers, 35 Selected Talks, 10 Flash Poster Presentations, and 39 Posters. The overarching topic of the conference was the impact of the emergence of new drug modalities on drug discovery, with thematic sessions covering topics such as photoactivatable drugs, candidates targeting RNA and epigenetic targets, covalent modifiers, and the development of new anti-cancer agents, among other medicinal chemistry projects.
We are pleased to have received feedback from attendees highlighting the professional approach of the conference chairs and participants, the high quality of the talks, and the overall outstanding organization on the part of the MDPI conference team.
Thank you to the conference sponsors, Fluorochem and IBUB, and to our partnering societies, The Spanish Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SEBBM), and the Spanish Society of Medicinal Chemistry (SEQT).
Upcoming In-Person Event
28–31 May, 2024
Polymers 2024 – Polymers for a Safe and Sustainable Future
Location: Athens, Greece
Conference Chairs: Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Bikiaris, Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Triantafyllidis, Dr. Ioanna Deligkiozi
We look forward to welcoming experts Prof. Damià Barceló, Prof. Minna Hakkareinen, and Prof. Armando J. D. Silvestre to this event.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Organize Your Event with MDPI’s Sciforum
Sciforum is MDPI’s platform dedicated to the organization of scientific events. In line with our mission to promote science, Sciforum supports scholars, societies, research networks, and universities at all stages of organizing in-person events, virtual events and webinars. Our platforms are efficient, user-friendly, and cost-effective. We handle all steps related to event management. Contact us for details.
Closing Thoughts
A Report from the Future – STM US Annual Conference 2024
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli and Dr. Ioana Craciun from MDPI’s Scientific Office Board.
MDPI has for a long time been a sponsor of the STM Annual Conferences, held yearly in the US and Frankfurt, and is a trusted partner and supporter of the STM organization. While I have attended the Frankfurt conference for the past three years, this was my first time visiting the Washington, DC session, and I am glad I did.
Although it was a brief trip, I greatly appreciated the opportunity to attend in the company of my colleagues Dr. Giulia Stefenelli and Dr. Ioana Craciun from MDPI’s Scientific Office Board. They always help map some of the new industry trends against MDPI’s operational framework and guidelines. It’s a great group for kicking ideas back and forth on what we can apply at MDPI.
In my experience, STM never fails to deliver. It’s always a great conference for reconnecting with fellow publishers, industry friends, and vendors. As usual, STM this year curated a diverse range of speakers and panels, who proferred valuable knowledge and insights from outside our industry, delivering thought-provoking insights into our field. An example of this was the ‘Trust Panel’ session, which included Alan Schiffres (Managing Director, InfoLinx), who shared a number of the learnings about fraud and risk management from his 40 years in financial services, to help address some of the challenges we are currently facing in the area of publishing integrity.
Launch of STM Trends 2028 Panel
I particularly enjoyed the ‘Launch of STM Trends 2028 Panel’, which presented a report focused on the integration of humans and machines in scholarly publishing. The session highlighted themes such as AI, digitization, and the evolving research ecosystem. The report envisions a future where technology blurs the lines between human and machine involvement in research processes, with significant implications for trust, reputation, and equity. While this presents opportunities for connectivity and knowledge dissemination, it also poses challenges such as disinformation, fragmentation, and geopolitical tensions. We must rely on a wise combination of technology and human agency to navigate this complex landscape and will have to carefully examine its potential impacts on communication and scholarly publishing.
MDPI has joined the STM Integrity Hub. Click here to learn more.
While every presenter brought their own knowledge and personal touch, I was particularly pleased to encounter new speakers such as Heather Whitney (Research Assistant Professor, Radiology, University of Chicago) and Igor Grossmann (Professor of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada). Having studied Sociology at the University of Guelph, I have a soft spot for fellow social scientists from Canada, and I was very impressed by Igor’s presentation on ‘The Social Scientist: A View from the Future’ and his participation in the panel session ‘The Future Beyond the Article,’ which was one of my favourites from the conference, given the diversity of perspectives from the panel speakers.
Memorial Park in Washington, DC
On a personal note, this was my first-time visiting Washington, DC, and I’m glad we took an afternoon to visit the Memorial Park, with its incredible monuments to figures ranging from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Abraham Lincoln. The magnitude of the monuments is deeply impressive. I particularly appreciated the Thomas Jefferson memorial and the following quote, which I think speaks to the importance of change and adaptation. It’s something we can apply not only in our industry but also in our personal lives.
"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as a civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."
– Excerpted from a letter to Samuel Kercheval, July 12, 1816.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
30 April 2024
MDPI Opens Office in Seoul, Korea and Appoints Claude Seo as Office Manager
MDPI, the leading Open Access (OA) publisher, announced on Monday that it opened its Korean branch office on 29th April 2024. With this addition, MDPI now operates 21 offices in 12 countries worldwide. Claude Seo, with over 20 years of experience in the academic journal publishing industry, including Nature Publishing Group (NPG), has been appointed as the Office Manager of the Seoul office.
With the establishment of a Seoul office, MDPI aims to actively support Korea scientific communities to further promote the publication of OA journals in the region. As of the end of 2023, Korea ranked sixth worldwide in both submissions and publications of MDPI research papers. MDPI is the number one OA publisher in Korea.
Sungkyunkwan University Joins MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program
In addition, MDPI announced that Sungkyunkwan University joined MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). This program offers free access to MDPI online submission system for the institutions and APC discounts to affiliated authors. Thirteen major Korean universities, including Sungkyunkwan University, Kyung Hee University, Chung-Ang University and Catholic University of Korea, have adopted IOAP in Korea.
OA aims to break down barriers that have traditionally restricted access to science, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of financial situation or institutional affiliations. Authors, academia, and scientific communities are rapidly moving toward OA. MDPI has been at the forefront of reshaping the academic publishing landscape, with OA surpassing subscription-based publishing in 2020.
MDPI CEO Visits Seoul, Korea
In March, Stefan Tochev, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MDPI, visited Korea and met with various stakeholders including government agencies, research and academic institutions, universities. During his visit, Stefan highlighted that MDPI continues to pave the way for a world where science is accessible to all, supporting a global community of inclusive innovation and collaborative solutions.
Stefan expressed excitement about the new venture, stating, "Today marks a significant milestone for MDPI as we celebrate the opening of our new office in Seoul, Korea. This expansion is more than just an increase in our physical footprint, it is a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to making scientific knowledge more accessible, participatory, and inclusive across the globe."
Claude Seo, reflecting on his new role, commented, "I am delighted to have been offered this position of trust within MDPI, the no. 1 scholarly OA publisher. As we establish our presence in Korea, we are dedicated to integrating into the local community and contributing to its vibrant culture. Our commitment goes beyond business growth; it is about creating a more informed and innovative society by embracing and promoting diversity within the scientific community.”
For further inquiries, please contact our Seoul office directly.
About MDPI
A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI is leading the transition to open science by making more research free and accessible to everyone. Over 3.3 million researchers have entrusted MDPI with publishing their scientific discoveries. MDPI’s editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of 6000 diligent, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 430 fully OA titles.
8 April 2024
Meet Us at the 9th Youth Geoscience Forum, 17–20 May 2024, Xiamen, China
2 April 2024
Meet Us at the EGU General Assembly 2024, 14–19 April 2024, Vienna, Austria
MDPI will be attending the EGU General Assembly 2024 in Vienna, Austria, which will take place from 14 to 19 April 2024 at booth #57. The EGU General Assembly 2024 is organized by the European Geosciences Union, and this is the 22nd conference. It brings together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU 2024 aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early-career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience.
The following MDPI journals will be represented:
- Remote Sensing;
- Water;
- Hydrology;
- Meteorology;
- Sustainability;
- Atmosphere;
- Climate;
- Earth;
- Land;
- Minerals;
- Geographies;
- IJGI;
- Resources;
- Gases;
- Forests;
- Oceans;
- Quaternary;
- Geotechnics;
- Mining;
- Geomatics;
- Drones;
- Geosciences;
- Nitrogen;
- Soil Systems.
If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.aag.org/events/aag2024/.
We would also like to congratulate the winners of the Geosciences 2024 Travel Award and the 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award. Professor Olivier Lacombe, Section Editor-in-Chief of Geosciences, will present prizes on-site to Dr. Andrea Maffeis from Università di Torino, Dr. Simone Bello from University G. d’Annunzio, and Dr. Yuchen Wang from Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.
Join us on 16 April 2024 (17:30–17:45 CET) for the award ceremony at booth #57. If you are interested in travel support or learning about other MDPI awards, please visit our booth during the conference where our conference representatives will be available to assist you.
2 April 2024
Meet Us at the 2024 AAG Annual Meeting, 16–20 April 2024, Hawaii, USA
2 April 2024
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #10 - South Korea, IWD, U2A, Japan
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Left to right: Dr. Jisuk Kang (Scientific Officer, MDPI), Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), and Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Chair of Scientific Office Board, MDPI), during media meetings at Prain Agency office in Seoul, South Korea.
Visit to Seoul, South Korea
During my recent visit to South Korea, I had the privilege of meeting various stakeholders, including representatives of government, research institutions, and academia, to understand their needs and communicate MDPI’s commitment to accessible science. Accompanied by my colleagues Dr. Giulia Stefenelli and Dr. Jisuk Kang, I engaged with the Korean scientific community, which is increasingly embracing open access (OA).
As the leading OA publisher in South Korea, MDPI is trusted by local authors and in 2023 enjoyed an approximately 30% share of the OA market. South Korea ranks sixth globally for MDPI in terms of research papers submitted and published.
MDPI and South Korea by Numbers
As at 30 March, over 76,000 MDPI articles have been authored by individuals affiliated with Korean institutions. We have over 1,800 active editorial board members (EBMs) from South Korea, with more than 880 EBMs having an H-index between 26 and 50, including 10 serving as Chief Editors.
“South Korea is the sixth-largest contributor to our total publications”
Over the past five years (2019–2023), nearly 120,000 authors affiliated with South Korean institutes have published with MDPI. Specifically in 2023, we received approximately 25,000 submissions from South Korean authors, publishing close to 13,000 articles, resulting in a rejection rate of 47.4%, which is not far below MDPI’s overall rejection rate of 56.4% in 2023.
Institutional Partnerships with South Korea
I am pleased to share that MDPI has more than 825 institutional partnerships worldwide, with 12 in South Korea, including Kyunghee University, Chung-Ang University, and Inha University, among others.
Left to right: Dr. Jisuk Kang (Scientific Officer, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Chair of Scientific Office Board, MDPI), and Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) fielding media questions at Prain PR Agency office in Seoul, South Korea.
Over the past three years (2021–2023), we have had some of the most prestigious academic universities ranked among the top 10 Korean institutions publishing with MDPI. Seoul National University had the highest number of publications with MDPI during those three years, publishing nearly 6,000 papers. Universities such as Korea University and Yonsei University also rank among the top 10 Korean institutions publishing with MDPI.
MDPI Hosts Seminar for Academia and Media
As the world’s leading OA publisher, MDPI is actively democratizing science. This is reflected in the seminars we hosted on 21 March to address questions about our editorial processes and ethical standards. The visit garnered media coverage, reflecting our mission to providing high-quality services and fostering open dialogue in the community.
“MDPI is actively democratizing science”
MDPI in the News
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) leading a seminar on OA and MDPI at Prain PR Agency office in Seoul, South Korea.
Media coverage generated by our visit to Seoul included the following stories:
“Open access is an unstoppable trend…it will lead the development of the knowledge ecosystem.”
I greatly appreciate the contributions of everyone who took the time to meet with us, share their stories, and hold us accountable for continuing to provide high-quality publishing services while identifying areas for improvement. I am also excited to announce that we have opened an MDPI office in Seoul and will release a press release on MDPI.com, with details, by the end April 2024. The purpose of the office is to establish a local presence to connect with and support the South Korean academic community through institutional partnerships, conferences, author workshops, stakeholder communications, and more.
Impactful Research
Featured Articles on Women’s Leadership and Healthcare
In celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March 2024), MDPI curated a collection of research articles on various topics, including women’s leadership, reproductive health, preventive healthcare, and a selection of articles from our journal Women.
Women’s Leadership
- Women Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development: Bibliometric Analysis and Emerging Research Trends
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9160. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159160 - Refugee Women Business Mentors: New Evidence for Women’s Empowerment
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9154. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159154 - Women and Leadership in Higher Education: A Systematic Review
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12, 555. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12100555 - Understanding Needs and Potentials for Gender-Balanced Empowerment and Leadership in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Africa
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9410. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159410 - Challenges Women Experience in Leadership Careers: An Integrative Review
Merits 2023, 3, 366-389. https://doi.org/10.3390/merits3020021
Women’s Reproductive Health
- Recreational Female Athletes’ Understanding of and Perceived Impact of the Menstrual Cycle on Physical Performance, Mood, and Sleeping Behaviour
Women 2023, 3, 445-456. https://doi.org/10.3390/women3030034 - Difficulties in Adaptation of the Mother and Newborn via Cesarean Section versus Natural Birth—A Narrative Review
Life 2023, 13, 300. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020300 - The Main Theories on the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 4254. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054254
Women’s Preventive Healthcare
- Insulin Metabolism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Secretion, Signaling, and Clearance
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 3140. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043140 - Assessing Barriers Encountered by Women in Cervical Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Care in Urban Bolivia, Cochabamba
Healthcare 2022, 10, 1604. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10091604 - Updates on HPV Vaccination
Diagnostics 2023, 13, 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13020243
Featured Articles in MDPI Journal Women
Below are a few articles from Women, our journal focused on women’s health, the social determinants of health, and the healthcare system that serves women. The aim of Women is to encourage academics to publish their experimental and theoretical results in detail, to aid reproducibility, and in an engaging style, to aid comprehensibility.
- Premenstrual Syndrome and Exercise: A Narrative Review
Women 2023, 3, 348-364. https://doi.org/10.3390/women3020026 - Increasing Awareness of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine for Women 18–45 Years of Age
Women 2023, 3, 365-373. https://doi.org/10.3390/women3030027 - Addressing Women’s Needs with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Enhancing the Visibility of Pharmacists in the Public Health Arena
Women 2022, 2, 346-352. https://doi.org/10.3390/women2040032
Inside MDPI
Championing Women’s Healthcare and Access to Healthcare Information
MDPI colleagues from our offices joined in celebrating #IWD2024. In doing so, we emphasized key missions that encompass:
- Empowering women to assume leadership and decision-making roles in both business and science.
- Helping women and girls make informed decisions about their health.
- Recruiting and developing female talent and fostering inclusive workplace environments.
“We are thrilled to recognize the accomplishments of women scientists”
I am proud to see our colleagues enthusiastically supporting the International Women’s Day call to ‘Inspire Inclusion!’ The heart-hands in the collage below symbolize our appreciation of the achievements of women researchers and the recognition of the trailblazers who have courageously made a mark on societies past and present.
We are thrilled to recognize the accomplishments of women scientists through our many MDPI awards and by highlighting success stories. As inspirational figures, female scientists are paving the way for the next generation of women aspiring to pursue careers in engineering, life sciences, computing, and various other STEM fields.
“I consider myself lucky because I work with incredibly talented women who inspire me every day.”
– Dr. Alessandra Pasut, Winner of MDPI's ‘Biology 2023 Young Investigator Award’
“It’s really important to find a supportive and enabling environment in which to do your science; it would have a big impact on you as a person and on your scientific outputs.”
– Dr. Rhea Longley, Winner of the ‘Pathogens 2023 Young Investigator Award’
Open-access publishing, in particular, allows early-career women researchers to share their work more widely, potentially attracting mentorship opportunities and collaborations. This support is crucial for career development and advancement.
Coming Together for Science
MDPI Joins United2Act in Collective Fight to Stop Paper Mills
In my February 2024 CEO Letter, I highlighted some of our recent initiatives aimed at bolstering our commitment to research integrity, including joining the STM Integrity Hub and expanding our Research Integrity and Publication Ethics team (RIPE). Continuing our efforts in coming together for science, I am pleased to share our participation in the United2Act initiative.
The text below is taken from our official announcement:
United2Act represents an international group of stakeholders in the publishing industry committed to addressing the collective challenge posed to research integrity by paper mills.
Scientists and academic publishers have increasingly noted the alarming proliferation of paper mills, recognized as fraudulent entities seeking to manipulate the publication process for financial profit. These entities engage in fraudulent practices such as falsifying or fabricating data, selling co-authorship of fake papers, manipulating peer review, and including inappropriate citations. These actions pose a significant threat to the integrity of the scholarly record, prompting widespread concern among those involved in the academic community.
MDPI has been actively contributing to combat the undermining of the scientific record. Our editors employ a set of tools to detect potential ethical breaches within a manuscript and to tackle the issue of fake papers.
United2Act’s consensus statement is the outcome of a virtual summit held in May 2023. It involved the participation of research bodies, publishers, researchers/sleuths, universities, and publishing infrastructure from 15 countries and resulted in a Consensus Statement outlining five key areas of action for all stakeholders:
- Education and awareness
- Improve post-publication corrections
- Facilitate and organise research on paper mills
- Enable the development of trust markers
- Facilitate dialogue between stakeholders
MDPI is committed to promoting transparency and integrity in scholarly publishing and is continuing to work closely with the scientific community toward this goal.
Closing Thoughts
Left to right: Ryo Hirayama (Marketing Specialist, MDPI), Takashi Sasabe (Marketing Specialist, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Chair of Scientific Office Board, MDPI), Dr. Izumi Yamamoto (Marketing Manager, MDPI), and Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), at MDPI’s office in Tokyo, Japan.
Visit to Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan
In March, I had the opportunity to visit our Tokyo office and engage with stakeholders in Tokyo and Kyoto. During the visit, I also recorded a video message to welcome Japanese scholars working with MDPI and to highlight our operations in Japan.
We held meetings with Editors-in-Chief, librarians, scholars, and external consultants to gather feedback on our efforts to enhance our reputation and explore additional steps we can take in that direction. Japan's rich cultural heritage, characterized by tradition, respect, and formality, provided valuable insights into meeting the publishing needs specific to Japan.
Japan’s Open Access statistics
Over the years, we have seen a shift from subscription-only to gold OA publishing in Japan, despite the lack of an official mandate. Here are some statistics:
- 2012: 68% of articles were subscription-only, 6% were green Open Access, and 8% were gold Open Access.
- 2016: 55% of articles were subscription-only, 6% were green Open Access, and 20% were gold Open Access.
- 2022: 43% of articles were subscription-only, 7% were green Open Access, and 39% were gold Open Access.
To learn more about the history of OA in Japan as well as about future trends, please read this blog post.
“Japan is the ninth-largest contributor to our total publications”
Left to right: Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Izumi Yamamoto (Marketing Manager, MDPI), and Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Chair of Scientific Office Board, MDPI) visiting Kyoto University in Kyoto, Japan.
MDPI and Japan by Numbers
As at 1 April, over 50,000 MDPI articles have been authored by scholars affiliated with Japanese institutions, making the country the ninth-largest contributor to our total publications. Over the past three years (2020–2023), nearly 90,000 authors affiliated with Japanese institutes have published with MDPI, and we have collaborated with over 4,600 Guest Editors from Japan.
In 2023, we published over 8,200 papers from authors associated with Japanese institutions. MDPI collaborates with 41 institutional partnerships in Japan, including the University of Tokyo, Hokkaido University, and Nagoya University. We have over 2,100 active EBMs from Japan, more than 1,050 EBMs having an H-index between 26 and 50, including 13 serving as Editors-in-Chief.
General Feedback – a side note
A general takeaway from our discussions with stakeholders from around the world is that negative perceptions of MDPI often stem from misinformation, misconceptions, or misunderstandings about MDPI and our practices. While we acknowledge our mistakes and work diligently to address them, maintaining a strong editorial procedure and robust peer-review process, I find that educating stakeholders about our how we do what we do and our ongoing improvements tends to help shift opinions.
That said, we recognize the importance of addressing individual concerns. We take feedback seriously and are continuously working to get better while not compromising the core principles that millions of authors appreciate about MDPI.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
4 March 2024
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #9 - Romania, Research Integrity, Viruses
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Reka Kovacs (Deputy Office Manager, MDPI), Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), and Sandra Ana Spatariu (Office Manager, MDPI) at the MDPI office in Cluj, Romania.
MDPI’s Impact on Romania
In February, I visited our office in Cluj, Romania. I worked closely with our senior office managers and various teams, including the departments of training, marketing and conferences, as well as our journal relationship specialists, reviewing our service to the local scholarly community. During the visit, I also met with representatives from Babes-Bolyai University and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. Our multifunctional Romanian office plays an important role in supporting our collaborations with the local market as well as helping to meet MDPI’s overall business needs.
Feedback and strategy meeting with a group of MDPI’s Journal Relationship Specialists at the MDPI office in Cluj, Romania.
With 22,436 articles, Romania ranks as a top 20 contributing country to MDPI’s total number of papers published as at 28 February 2024. This highlights the importance of our collaboration with Romanian-affiliated authors and the growing opportunity to support their publishing needs. MDPI is one of the few academic publishers with a significant presence in Romania, boasting over 360 colleagues across our offices in Bucharest and Cluj. We are also proud to hire colleagues from local institutions to launch their careers within publishing.
Romania ranks as a top 20 contributing country.
The Numbers: 2019–2023
MDPI has seen a healthy increase in submissions from Romanian authors over the past three years, from 8,439 in 2021 to 11,866 by end of 2023, with most submissions going to journals such as Sustainability, Medicina, Diagnostics, IJMS, Applied Sciences, and JCM. From 2019 to 2023, MDPI published articles from 32,145 authors affiliated with Romanian institutions. Over those years, we have worked with Romanian Guest Editors on nearly 3,000 occasions to support their Special Issue and Topical collections.
With more than 300 Editorial Board Members from Romania, 34 appear on the board of Mathematics, 27 on Materials, 19 on Polymers, 18 on Coatings, and 16 on Molecules, while three serve as Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiC) on our journals Coatings (3.4 IF, 4.6 Citescore), Magnetochemistry (2.7 IF, 3.5 Citescore), and Chemosensors (4.2 IF, 3.9 Citescore).
Institutional Open Access Programs
Our commitment to working with institutions is evident in Romania, where we have established eight Institutional Open Access Programs (IOAP) with esteemed institutions such as the University of Bucharest, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, and most recently the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics.
Our growth and presence in Romania are a true testament.
We also have IOAP agreements with Babes-Bolyai University and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, where I had the opportunity to meet senior stakeholders during my visit. Below are a few photos capturing our meeting with Prof. Radu Silaghi-Dumitrescu (Head of Faculty of Chemistry, Babes-Bolyai University) at the MDPI office in Cluj, Romania, along with a photo from our meeting with Vice Deans Nicoleta Cobarzan, Nicoleta Ilies, and Hoda Gavril, from the faculty of Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Cluj, Romania.
Our growth and presence in Romania are a true testament to the service we provide to the scholarly community and the relationships we foster in that region. We look forward to continuing to support Romanian scholars and institutions by providing a valuable and trusted experience with MDPI, the leader in open access publishing.
Impactful Research
MDPI Joins the STM Integrity Hub
MDPI has long been a supporter and partner of STM, with our involvement ranging from sponsoring and attending events to helping organize event programs. By joining the STM Integrity Hub, we aim to further our commitment to STM initiatives aimed at safeguarding the integrity of science.
“We are pleased to welcome MDPI as the 35th organisation participating in the Hub. This expansion is critical, as every new member enhances our capacity to prevent fraudulent submissions from entering the academic record.”
Joris van Rossum, Director of Research Integrity, STM
MDPI operates in full alignment with STM Integrity Hub's values of shared data and experiences. We strongly believe in collaboration and open exchange for the purposes of creating a holistic approach to support research integrity at MDPI itself and across the entire academic publishing industry. The Integrity Hub is an excellent example of how publishers can come together to jointly address industry-wide challenges related to research integrity, such as manuscripts that breach research integrity standards and paper-mills.
I look forward to our Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team (RIPE) team immersing themselves in this initiative, exchanging information, best practices, and tools for the benefit of the entire scholarly ecosystem. We believe that ethical publishing standards should be implemented across the board, and we aim to be rigorous in our approach, addressing research integrity issues and improving the impact of published research.
Inside MDPI
MDPI Expands Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team (RIPE)
In addition to external collaborations and joint initiatives aimed at further strengthening our commitment to research integrity, we are also enhancing our internal efforts. This includes improving our processes and guidelines and expanding our teams and departments to ensure quality assurance throughout our publishing process.
We are pleased to announce the expansion of our Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team (RIPE) at MDPI. The RIPE team has recently welcomed new colleagues, each bringing unique skills and a personal commitment to prioritize ethical considerations in all our work.
The demand for research integrity and high ethical standards in academic publishing is steadily rising across our industry. Our expanded RIPE team will work to enhance and align our practices with industry best practices, ensuring excellence in research integrity and publication ethics.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) introduces Dr. Tim Tait-Jamieson (Research Integrity Lead, MDPI) for his presentation on MDPI’s Retraction and Approval Process to a group of Journal Relationship Specialists at the MDPI office in Cluj, Romania: “The demand for research integrity and publication ethics is steadily rising across our industry.”
Introducing our Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team
Led by Dr. Tim Tait-Jamieson (Research Integrity Lead), the RIPE team comprises Dr. Ivana Resanovic (Research Integrity Manager), Dr. Lavinia Rogojina (Research Integrity Manager), Ms. Diana Apodaritei (Research Integrity Specialist), Dr. Zoltan Mihaly (Research Integrity Specialist), Mr. Aleksandar Đukić (Research Integrity Specialist), Ms. Ana Stankovic (Research Integrity Specialist), and Ms. Anna Pena (Publication Ethics Assistant).
Please click here to access everything that you need to know about MDPI’s Research and Publication Ethics.
With this span of complementary roles, the RIPE team collaborates directly with journal editorial teams and works closely with various departments, including our Scientific Office Board and our Journal Relationship Specialists. The team’s primary objectives are to help prevent issues regarding research integrity and publication ethics during peer review, uphold MDPI’s ethics policies, adhere to industry standards, and resolve publication ethics and research integrity issues and complaints.
Quality Updates to Special Issues Oversight
At MDPI, we are committed to reviewing policies pertaining to the quality of research. In this blog post, Shaheena Patel (Communications Associate, MDPI), outlines two recent updates to MDPI journal processes. These updates pertain to Special Issue (SI) quality guidelines, in line with criteria provided by COPE and DOAJ. Alongside the SI updates, details regarding the new minor corrections policy introduced in 2024 are provided in the blog.
The two updates we implemented include greater oversight and the verification of Guest Editor credentials. These guidelines require that Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) and Editorial Board Members (EBMs) take responsibility for overseeing SIs.
PS. Thank you, James Butcher, for featuring this up in your 67th issue of the Journalogy newsletter.
Read more:
Coming Together for Science
Viruses 2024 – A World of Viruses
I am pleased to share the success of our MDPI conference Viruses 2024 – A World of Viruses, held 14-16 February, in Barcelona. With 240 registrations, this event brought together top scientists, researchers, and industry experts from 40 countries to share their findings on the latest developments in viral pathogenesis and immune responses.
Attendees gathered for the 5th edition of the Viruses’ conference, where we hosted influential keynote speeches from Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Charles M. Rice and ‘Distinguished Senior Virologist’ Prof. Luis Enjuanes, along with 14 invited speakers, 47 selected speakers, and nine flash poster presenters, to discuss the most significant issues in virology today.
Recap on the #Viruses2024 Conference
Take a look at the key moments from MDPI’s Viruses event and please join us in commemorating a gathering for global knowledge and cooperation. A heartfelt thank-you to all attendees; their passion and engagement played a crucial role in making this event an engaging success!
Below are calls to action from the keynote speakers encouraging collaboration and communication:
“There’s never been a better time than now to really take the power that we have both in terms of basic research and also in biotech and pharma to develop antiviral agents.” - Dr. Charles M. Rice, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
“The collaboration between labs is absolutely essential. Improving initial detection and improving communication is a must for all of us working in science.” - Prof. Dr. Luis Enjuanes, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
Our thanks go to our sponsors and partnering societies, our Viruses journal and editorial team, our Barcelona colleagues, and the social media, conference and other MDPI teams for making this event a memorable occasion. View the event gallery here.
Upcoming In-Person Event
24–26 April, 2024
4th MMCS – Harnessing the Power of New Drug Modalities
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Esteemed speakers at MMCS 2024 include Prof. Arun K. Ghosh, the mind behind the Darunavir molecule, and Prof. Paul Brennan, CSO of Alzheimer's Research UK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Organize Your Event with MDPI’s Sciforum
Sciforum is MDPI’s platform dedicated to the organization of scientific events. In line with our mission to promote science, Sciforum supports scholars, societies, research networks, and universities at all stages of organizing in-person events, virtual events and webinars. Our platforms are efficient, user-friendly, and cost-effective. We handle all steps related to event management. Contact us for details.
Closing Thoughts
Researcher to Reader (R2R) Conference
From 20–21 February 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the Researcher to Reader (R2R) conference in London, which MDPI has proudly sponsored over the years. The conference programme offered a variety of session formats, including workshops, panel discussions, debates, interviews, presentations, and lightning talks, with opportunities to discuss relevant topics.
We take pride in supporting the scientific community, bringing researchers across the world together to network, exchange ideas and share the latest in science and publishing. In 2023, MDPI invested close to 2 million CHF in sponsoring over 2,000 scientific and publishing-related conferences worldwide.
R2R Peer Review Innovations Workshop
I found the R2R conference to be engaging, with the workshops being particularly enjoyable. My colleague Giulia Stefenelli (Chair of Scientific Office Board) and I participated in the “Peer Review Innovations” workshop, which spanned four sessions over the two days. These sessions explored the future of peer review and how we can improve the peer review process for everyone involved. Notably, the large majority of attendees expressed their opinion that peer review, as currently practiced, requires significant improvement. Together, we collaborated on potential immediate and long-term improvements and innovative processes, aiming to create an ecosystem beneficial to all stakeholders by strengthening submission systems with the aim of reducing threats and making authors more responsible for their work. We also discussed the opportunity for academic institutions to better scrutinize the quality of the work produced and submitted to journals.
Our group comprised publishers, software providers, librarians, and more, bringing diverse perspectives to the discussions. These interactions were relevant to MDPI’s ongoing conversations, providing insights to our efforts. The session also made me appreciate that MDPI is doing well, as the group discussions included the subject of various quality checks that we have already embedded in our processes, ensuring that we keep abreast of industry standards.
The need for an optimized system to incentivize the activities of editors and reviewers was also a focus of discussion, as well as the support that reviewers need from publishers via the provision of strong reports through fixed forms, questionnaires and training.
At MDPI, we are currently auditing our reviewer program to improve reviewer recognition, guidelines, and methods for identifying suitable reviewers, while maintaining our commitment to quality and timeliness.
Congratulations to Mark Carden, Conference Director, and the R2R team for organizing a productive and successful event. PS: The break times were greatly appreciated as well!
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
31 January 2024
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #8 - Altmetric and Flat Fee Agreement
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI and Digital Science Meeting
At MDPI, we are committed to providing our authors with the essential tools to publish, promote, and track their research. In line with this commitment, we have established a longstanding collaboration with Digital Science, a company specializing in research data and analytical insights for the research community. Our collaboration integrates their Altmetric tool, offering us and our authors the ability to track a variety of sources that monitor and report attention surrounding publications.
As part of our collaboration, we recently hosted Cathy Holland, Director of Global Publisher Business Development, and Helen Cooke, Managing Director of Publisher Sales, from Digital Science, at our MDPI headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.
Left to right: Facundo Santomé (Senior Marketing Manager, MDPI), Constanze Shelhorn (Indexing Manager, MDPI), Cathy Holland (Director of Global Publisher Business Development, Digital Science), Helen Cooke (Managing Director of Publisher Sales, Digital Science), and Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) in front of MDPI headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.
During our meeting, we discussed MDPI’s publishing philosophy and explored further avenues for collaboration. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Digital Science, aiming to improve our services yet further and meet the needs of our authors more closely than ever.
What is Altmetric?
You will notice that MDPI articles feature an Altmetric score, a colourful doughnut capturing the score in the upper right corner of the article page. This score represents ‘alternative metrics,’ as distinct from traditional metrics such as Impact Factor, CiteScore, and Scimago Journal Rank.
Altmetrics complement traditional citation-based metrics by capturing online discussions related to a specific research topic. By analyzing both sets of data, we can obtain a comprehensive understanding of the attention a particular research output receives and the sources in which it is mentioned.
“Almetric provides visual insights into where research is being discussed”
Sources Tracked by Altmetric
Altmetric badge showing the Altmetric score and colour-coded mention sources.
Altmetric monitors various sources, categorizing them into segments such as policy documents, peer reviews, Wikipedia, news and blogs, and social media, among other sources. Each category is identifiable by a specific colour.
The Altmetric badge provides visual insights into where the research is being discussed. A more colourful badge indicates broader mentions across multiple platforms. Such tracking enables us to gauge the extent of an article’s online dissemination, noting that increased visibility may correlate with higher citation rates.
Read more:
Impactful Research
Ten High-Altmetric Articles Published by MDPI
As at 30 January 2024, Altmetric has tracked 670,500 MDPI research outputs from MDPI, resulting in over 4.3 million mentions. This includes over 71,894 mentions in policy and patents and 294,714 mentions in news and blogs, with some achieving an Altmetric score as high as 28,754.
So, what is a good Altmetric score? There are various ways to put this score into context. You can find out more about the score in context and how to evaluate your work by this means.
Here are ten MDPI papers ranking in the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric.
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“Accuracy in Wrist-Worn, Sensor-Based Measurements of Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure in a Diverse Cohort” J. Pers. Med. 2017, 7(2), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm7020003 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/20477344 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 253 news stories from 209 outlets including Forbes, BBC, and Fox News. |
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“Daylight Saving Time and Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis” J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8(3), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8030404 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/57654628 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 295 news stories from 207 outlets including Forbes, The Atlantic, and New York Times. |
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“The Preliminary Analysis of Cave Lion Cubs Panthera spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) from the Permafrost of Siberia” Quaternary 2021, 4(3), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat4030024 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/111086701 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 182 news stories from 134 outlets including CBC News, CNN, and National Geographic. |
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“Not the Cat’s Meow? The Impact of Posing with Cats on Female Perceptions of Male Dateability” Animals 2020, 10(6), 1007; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10061007 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/83796184 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 124 news stories from 98 outlets including VICE, CNN and The Guardian. |
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“Behaviour and Welfare Impacts of Releasing Elephants from Overnight Tethers: A Zimbabwean Case Study” Animals 2022, 12(15), 1933; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12151933 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/133463915 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 192 news stories from 186 outlets. |
How do I use altmetrics?
Altmetric Explorer provides a detailed step-by-step guide and instruction video for first-time users of the tool. The guide includes useful diagrams that make it easy to get started.
Sharing Research Online
For research to be tracked across different sources, Altmetric needs a research output with a persistent identifier: a DOI, ISBN, PubMed ID, handle ID, etc. When sharing research, it is important to include a link to the original research output.
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“An Update on Eukaryotic Viruses Revived from Ancient Permafrost” Viruses 2023, 15(2), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15020564 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/142929875 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 250 news stories from 180 outlets including CTV, Fox News, and CNN. |
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“The Global Problem of Insufficient Sleep and Its Serious Public Health Implications” Healthcare 2019, 7(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7010001 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/53406248 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 252 news stories from 168 outlets including BBC, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes. |
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“A Detailed Review Study on Potential Effects of Microplastics and Additives of Concern on Human Health” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(4), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041212 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/86529137 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 197 news stories from 150 outlets including BBC, The Tribune, and World Economic Forum. |
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“An Empirical Study of Chronic Diseases in the United States: A Visual Analytics Approach to Public Health” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(3), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030431 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/34714141 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 232 news stories from 149 outlets including Forbes, New York Times, and Harvard Business Review. |
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“Garden Scraps: Agonistic Interactions between Hedgehogs and Sympatric Mammals in Urban Gardens” Animals 2023, 13(4), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040590 Altmetric page: https://mdpi.altmetric.com/details/142934305 Altmetric shows that this article appeared in 172 news stories from 168 outlets including BBC. |
Inside MDPI
MDPI Annual Meeting Celebrations in China
On Thursday 25 January, over 1,300 MDPI colleagues from our two offices in Beijing gathered to kick off MDPI’s traditional ‘Annual Meetings.’ These celebrations take place in MDPI’s offices across China, including Dalian, Tianjin, Wuhan, and Nanjing.
The evenings include performances, informative talks and presentations, awards, and entertainment, providing an ideal platform to recognize our colleagues, celebrate their achievements, and set our sights on the future.
“It is essential that we stay connected and share best practices”
I sent a video congratulating everyone on their work and sharing our vision of building MDPI into the most trusted OA publisher, highlighting the roles each of us has to play in achieving that goal.
Unfortunately I could not join in person, but you may recall my recent trip, when I visited our offices in Beijing and Wuhan, which I look forward to visiting again this year.
Although our headquarters are in Basel, Switzerland, and we are expanding throughout Europe and North America, the majority of MDPI’s workforce is in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including offices in Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and newly opened office in South Korea. It is essential that as a global organization, we stay connected and share best practices in order to grow collectively and continue providing the exceptional service to our authors.
The Annual Meeting is a moment to reflect and enjoy the year’s hard work and dedication.
I extend our best wishes to all for the Chinese New Year (Xīnnián kuàilè)!
Coming Together for Science
MDPI and TU Delft Adopt Flat Fee Model in Extended Partnership
We are excited to announce a renewed three-year partnership with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands. This collaboration introduces a fixed lump-sum fee, covering publishing costs from 2024 to 2026.
“This initiative reflects our dedication to transparent and inclusive publishing”
TU Delft-affiliated authors will enjoy cost-free publishing in any MDPI journal during this period, aligning with our commitment to removing barriers for open access publishing. The agreement supports Plan S compliance and facilitates a seamless publishing process for TU Delft corresponding authors. This initiative reflects our dedication to transparent and inclusive publishing, providing stability and predictability both for authors and for institutions.
For further details on our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP), please contact us.
Benefits to MDPI’s IOAP
At MDPI we have a long tradition of partnerships, including our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). IOAP supports institutions through simplification, access, transparency, APC discounts, and institutional repository deposits. The program simplifies administrative processes, offers central payment, and allows easy opting in and out. Participants gain free access to Susy, MDPI’s online submission system, with extensive article metadata and exportable data. APC discounts and Book Processing Charge discounts are available for affiliated authors. Automated deposits to institutional repositories and streamlined matching of papers to IOAP participants enhance the overall experience.
For further information, see our IOAP FAQ.
Closing Thoughts
Reflections on the 2024 APE Conference
MDPI was proud to co-sponsor the Academic Publishing in Europe (APE) 2024 Conference that took place in Berlin, Germany, from 9–10 January 2024.
The conference theme, ‘Keep the Conversation Going!’, explored the evolving landscape of scholarly communication. APE is one of the key conferences I make a point to attend each year. January offers a valuable opportunity to engage with new contacts, reconnect with familiar faces, and participate in impactful discussions and presentations among professionals, scholars, and practitioners in the field.
“It's fascinating to see how other publishers are leveraging AI”
Highlights
Some of the standout panels for me include: the role of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the publishing industry. It was encouraging to hear the current status quo, though I was eager also to learn about the exciting projects planned for 2024 and beyond. These will allow us to track progress in subsequent years. At MDPI, we remain committed to promoting Open–Access (OA) content on SDGs through scientific articles and books. Furthermore, we extend our commitment to sustainability by financially supporting researchers through initiatives such as the World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, as well as waiving the APC for feature papers on each SDG.
In recent years, discussions on AI have become increasingly prominent at such conferences. It’s fascinating to see how other publishers are leveraging AI to meet the evolving needs of their audiences while at the same time using it to safeguard the scientific process. Other engaging panels that I enjoyed included updates on transformation beyond transformative agreements, the principles of lean change, incentive structures related to research integrity, and the panel on reviewer incentives.
“We can share best practices and lessons learned”
Incorporating MDPI’s Insights into Conferences
I must confess that I sometimes feel overlooked when MDPI is not invited to participate in crucial industry discussions. As the leading open access publisher and the third-largest publisher overall, we possess extensive experience in many of these areas and can offer valuable contributions to these discussions. We can share best practices, lessons learned, and our thinking about future trajectories. For instance, in panels discussing reviewer incentives, at MDPI we offer a discount voucher to reviewers for future submissions, reflecting our commitment to fostering a robust peer review process. In 2022 alone, MDPI collected over 1.4 million peer review reports, informing the decision-making processes of our editors. Given our expertise in these areas, it would be natural to include MDPI in such discussions. I therefore extend an invitation to future conference organizers to consider MDPI for speaking engagements and collaborative opportunities.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
31 January 2024
Land | Selected Special Issue Reprints Published in 2023
We are delighted to share with you 14 reprints of Special Issues published in 2023 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X). They were selected by the Land Editorial Office, each with 10 or more articles published. You can read more reprints of the Special Issues published by Land here.
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“Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services” Edited by Chiara Piccini and Rosa Francaviglia ISBN 978-3-0365-9574-0 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-9575-7 (PDF) Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/8419-soil-management-for-sustainable-agriculture-and-ecosystem-services |
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“Advances in Characterizing and Addressing Land Degradation and Associated Ecosystem Responses” Edited by Jinyan Zhan, Xinqi Zheng, Shaikh Shamim Hasan and Wei Cheng ISBN 978-3-0365-9596-2 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-9597-9 (PDF) Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/8388-advances-in-characterizing-and-addressing-land-degradation-and-associated-ecosystem-responses |
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“Influence of the 2030 Agenda in the Design of Policies to Fight Poverty and Social Exclusion in Rural and Urban Contexts” Edited by Antonio Sianes and Luis A. Fernández-Portillo ISBN 978-3-0365-8508-6 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8509-3 (PDF) Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/8142-influence-of-the-2030-agenda-in-the-design-of-policies-to-fight-poverty-and-social-exclusion-in |
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“Urban Ecosystem Services III” Edited by Alessio Russo and Giuseppe T. Cirella ISBN 978-3-0365-8747-9 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8746-2 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8746-2 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7933-urban-ecosystem-services-iii |
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“Smallholder Farming under External Shocks: New Perspectives and Solutions for Future Crises” Edited by Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin, Gertrud Buchenrieder and Oreoluwa Ola ISBN 978-3-0365-8294-8 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8295-5 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8295-5 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7987-smallholder-farming-under-external-shocks-new-perspectives-and-solutions-for-future-crises |
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“Land, Ageing, Gender and Environment: Problems and Challenges from Different Disciplines” Edited by Vanessa Zorrilla-Muñoz, Maria Silveria Agulló-Tomás, Eduardo Fernandez, Blanca Criado Quesada, Sonia de Lucas Santos and Jesus Cuadrado Rojo ISBN 978-3-0365-8202-3 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8203-0 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8203-0 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7876-land-ageing-gender-and-environment-problems-and-challenges-from-different-disciplines |
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“Climate Change and Current Challenges for Landscapes and Cultural Heritage” Edited by Jan K. Kazak, Katarzyna Hodor and Magdalena Wilkosz-Mamcarczyk ISBN 978-3-0365-8504-8 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8505-5 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8505-5 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7767-climate-change-and-current-challenges-for-landscapes-and-cultural-heritage |
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“Mountains under Pressure” Edited by Rob Marchant and Aida Cuni-Sanchez ISBN 978-3-0365-8174-3 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8175-0 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8175-0 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7730-mountains-under-pressure |
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“National Parks and Protected Areas” Edited by Rui Yang, Yue Cao, Steve Carver and Le Yu ISBN 978-3-0365-8312-9 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8313-6 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8313-6 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7670-national-parks-and-protected-areas |
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“Land Use/Land Cover and Natural Hazards: Interactions, Changes, and Impacts” Edited by Matej Vojtek, Andrea Petroselli and Raffaele Pelorosso ISBN 978-3-0365-6738-9 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-6739-6 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-6739-6 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6906-land-use-land-cover-and-natural-hazards-interactions-changes-and-impacts |
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“Rural Land Management Interaction with Urbanization” Edited by Carmen Delgado-Viñas and María L. Gómez-Moreno ISBN 978-3-0365-6552-1 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-6553-8 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-6553-8 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6899-rural-land-management-interaction-with-urbanization |
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“Soil Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe” Edited by Guido Wyseure, Julián Cuevas González and Jean Poesen ISBN 978-3-0365-6253-7 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-6254-4 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-6254-4 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6660-soil-improving-cropping-systems-for-sustainable-and-profitable-farming-in-europe |
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“Urban-Rural-Partnerships Sustainable and Resilient” Edited by Stephan Bartke and Sigrun Kabisch ISBN 978-3-0365-5141-8 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-5142-5 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-5142-5 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6594-urban-rural-partnerships |
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“Land Use and Land Cover Mapping in a Changing World” Edited by Giuseppe Pulighe ISBN 978-3-0365-6108-0 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-6107-3 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-6107-3 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6552-land-use-and-land-cover-mapping-in-a-changing-world |
29 January 2024
Meet Us at the MDPI World Wetlands Day 2024 Webinar, 2 February 2024
MDPI would like to invite all experts recognized in their fields to attend the MDPI World Wetlands Day 2024 Webinar, which will be held on 2 February 2024. The aim of this webinar is to encourage researchers to join together, take action, and raise awareness as to how the exchange of findings facilitates efforts to stop wetland loss.
We are looking forward to seeing you at the MDPI World Wetlands Day 2024 Webinar.
Title: MDPI World Wetlands Day 2024 Webinar
Date: 02 February 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m. (CET) | 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. (EST)
More Information: https://sciforum.net/event/WWD2024
This is a free webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Register for free:
Program:
| Speaker/Presentation | Time in CET | Time in EST |
| Introduction | 10:00 a.m.–10.10 a.m. | 5:00 p.m.–5:10 p.m. |
| Professor Stephen Tooth “Wetlands in Drylands: ‘Hotspots’ of Ecosystem Services in Marginal Environments” |
10:10 a.m.– 10:40 a.m. | 5:10 p.m.–5:40 p.m. |
| Prof. Dr. Miklas Scholz “Sustainable Treatment Wetland Systems” |
10:40 a.m.– 11:10 a.m. | 5:40 p.m.–6:10 p.m. |
| Dr. Krish Jayachandran “Wetland Soils Health” |
11:10 a.m.–11:40 a.m. | 6:10 p.m.–6:40 p.m. |
| Q&A | 11:40 a.m.–11:55 a.m. | 6:40 p.m.–6:55 p.m. |
| Closing of Webinar | 11:55 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | 6:55 p.m.–7:00 p.m. |
Relevant Special Issues:
Applied Sciences
“River and Lake Catchments: Ecological Challenges, Hydrological Changes, Environmental Problems”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Christian Opp and Dr. Tom Lotz
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2024
Environments
“Monitoring and Assessment of Environmental Quality in Coastal Ecosystems Volume III“
Guest Editor: Dr. Sílvia C. Gonçalves
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024
Hydrobiology
“Ecosystem Disturbance in Small Stream“
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Baik-Ho Kim
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024
Forests
“Research on Vegetation Change in Forest Wetlands“
Guest Editor: Dr. Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2024
Remote Sensing
“Remote Sensing for Mapping and Monitoring Wetlands and Their Ecosystems“
Guest Editor: Dr. Andy Hardy
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024
“Remote Sensing of Forest and Wetland Hydrology“
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Sudhanshu Sekhar Panda
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2024
“Future of the Wetlands in Megacities under Rapid Urbanization: Geospatial Analysis and Modeling of the Land-Use Changes Using Remotely Sensed Data and GIS“
Guest Editors: Dr. Darshana Athukorala and Prof. Dr. Yuji Murayama
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 June 2024
“Remote Sensing for Wetland Restoration“
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Xiyong Hou, Prof. Dr. Weiwei Sun, Prof. Dr. Dehua Mao, Dr. Chao Chen and Dr. Dong Li
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024
Diversity
“Knowledge and Conservation of Peatlands and Their Biodiversity“
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Xabier Pontevedra Pombal and Dr. Martín Souto
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2024
“Ecology, Diversity and Conservation of Aquatic and Helophytic Plants, Plant Communities and Their Environments“
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Jarosław Proćków
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024
“Biodiversity Conservation in Metacommunities“
Guest Editor: Dr. Alessandro Ferrarini
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024
Land
“Ecosystem Services and Coastal Management: Tools to Counteract Sediment Losses“
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Margherita Palmieri, Prof. Marucci Angelo and Prof. Dr. Marcello Di Risio
Deadline: 31 July 2024
“Recent Advances in the Ecological Conservation of Coastal Landscapes“
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Augusto Pérez-Alberti
Deadline: 30 April 2024
“Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and Restoration“
Guest Editors: Dr. Oskars Purmalis and Dr. Marios Drosos
Deadline: 26 April 2024
“Surface Runoff and Soil Erosion in the Mediterranean Region“
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Hanoch Lavee and Dr. Lea Wittenberg
Deadline: 30 April 2024
“Ecological and Cultural Ecosystem Services in Coastal Areas“
Guest Editors: Dr. Mita Drius, Prof. Maria Laura Carranza and Prof. Dr. Robert Philipp Wagensommer
Deadline: 30 April 2024
“Global Change in Mediterranean Regions: Potential Impact of Climate Drift and Land Use on Soil Erosion and Land Degradation“
Guest Editors: Dr. Rossano Ciampalini, Dr. Feliciana Licciardello, Dr. Damien Raclot and Dr. Armand Crabit
Deadline: 26 June 2024
“Effects of Land Use on the Ecohydrology of River Basin in Accordance with Climate Change II“
Guest Editors: Dr. Wiktor Halecki, Dr. Dawid Bedla, Dr. Marek Ryczek and Prof. Dr. Artur Radecki-Pawlik
Deadline: 15 March 2024
“Monitoring and Simulation of Wetland Ecological Processes“
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Zhenguo Niu, Prof. Dr. Bin Zhao, Prof. Dr. Zhaoqing Luan and Dr. Bo Guan
Deadline: 25 June 2024
Water
“ Microbial Transformation and Transport of Organic Pollutants within Paddy-Ditch-Pond Water “
Guest Editors: Dr. Jing Chen and Dr. Xiang Gao
Deadline: 25 May 2024
“Internal Nutrient Cycling in Lakes and Reservoirs“
Guest Editors: Dr. Xiaolong Yao and Dr. Xingyu Jiang
Deadline: 28 February 2024
“Wetland Ecosystems—Functions and Use in a Changing Climate“
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Jianghua Wu
Deadline: 29 February 2024
“Ecohydrological Processes, Environmental Effects, and Integrated Regulation of Wetland Ecosystems, Volume II“
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Junhong Bai, Dr. Tian Xie and Dr. Laibin Huang
Deadline: 31 July 2024
25 January 2024
Acknowledgment of the Reviewers of Land in 2023
16 January 2024
Land | Season’s Greetings from Editorial Board Members
2 January 2024
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #7 - Nobel Laureates Entrust MDPI with Their Research
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Nobel Prize Laureates Entrust MDPI with Their Research
The Nobel Prize stands as a hallmark of distinction, honouring ground-breaking research across disciplines. Annually, the Nobel Prizes are awarded in six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine or Physiology, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences.
Through the years, renowned scholars have entrusted MDPI with their work. As at December 2023, 26 Nobel laureates have contributed to more than 75 articles across 25 MDPI journals, including: Antibiotics, Applied Sciences, Biology, Biomedicines, Cancers, Catalysts, Cells, Crystals, Entropy, Games, IJMS, Life, Materials, Micromachines, Molecules, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceutics, Photonics, Quantum Beam Science, Remote Sensing, Sensors, Solids, Universe, Vaccines, and Viruses.
The best of the best trust us with their work.
Nobel Prize Laureates Who Have Published with MDPI
We are proud to list the names of Pierre Agostini, Hiroshi Amano, Werner Arber, Aaron Ciechanover, Robert H. Grubbs, Oliver Hart, Gerard ‘t Hooft, Michael Houghton, Harald zur Hausen, Katalin Karikó, Jean-Marie Lehn, Gérard Mourou, Ferid Murad, Shuji Nakamura, William Nordhaus, Kostya S. Novoselov, Giorgio Parisi, Charles M. Rice, Alvin E. Roth, Donna Strickland, K. Barry Sharpless, George F. Smoot, Anne L’Huillier, Drew Weissman, Kurt Wüthrich, Ada Yonath.
The privilege of hosting such contributors resonates deeply with our editorial teams. For instance, in this interview, the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of Universe speaks on the significance of publishing a paper by Nobel laureate Gerard ’t Hooft within the journal.
2023 Nobel Prize Winners Published by MDPI
Nobel Prize Winners, 2023: Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman, Anne L’Huillier (Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach)
Three laureates from the 2023 Nobel Prize cohort have trusted MDPI as their publishing platform. Notably, in a 2022 Pharmaceutics paper, molecular biologist Katalin Karikó and her team presented a methodology for evaluating mRNA capping efficiency, pivotal for therapeutic applications. Pharmaceutics had previously dedicated a Special Issue to “mRNA Therapeutics: A Themed Issue in Honor of Professor Katalin Karikó”, spotlighting ten articles from August 2021 to February 2022.
In the journal Vaccines, Professor Drew Weissman, collaborating with scholars from Pennsylvania University and George Mason University, contributed an influential review titled “Nanomaterial Delivery Systems for mRNA Vaccines”. His collaborative efforts spanned five papers across MDPI journals between 2021 and 2023.
Furthermore, Anne L'Huillier of Lund University, only the fifth female recipient of the Physics Prize, co-authored an article in Applied Sciences focusing on "Advanced EUV and X-Ray Optics". Similarly, Pierre Agostini, an Emeritus Professor from Ohio State University, co-authored an article featured in the special issue "Attosecond Science and Technology: Principles and Applications".
We extend heartfelt congratulations to all Nobel Prize laureates and express sincere gratitude for their confidence in MDPI as a platform for their scholarly contributions.
Read more:
Impactful Research
MDPI Journals Newly Indexed in 2023
The aim of indexing is to enhance the quality and credibility of published research, ensuring that researchers access the most credible resources available. While the principle behind citation indexing is straightforward, it remains one of the most dependable methods for tracking an idea's evolution across various scientific disciplines.
Throughout the year, MDPI works to expand the reach of our publications across premier multidisciplinary databases like Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, and ProQuest. This initiative is spearheaded by MDPI's Indexing team, under the leadership of Dr. Constanze Schelhorn.
In 2023, MDPI achieved 54 new acceptances in Scopus, 29 in Web of Science, 52 in EBSCO, and 83 in DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals.
The team prioritizes ensuring that our journals feature in numerous specialized databases, including PMC, PubMed, MEDLINE, Inspec, CAS, and FSTA, among others. Currently, MDPI collaborates with over 65 renowned international databases, consistently enhancing our database affiliations annually.
MDPI’s journals are indexed in all major global databases.
Furthermore, we collaborate with universities and government organizations to list our journals in country-specific ranking lists and relevant institutional repositories. This ensures compliance with requirements often set by funders or institutions for authors to publish in specific journals.
Web of Science Adds 24 MDPI Journals to Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)
Clarivate recently analysed MDPI’s new journals, resulting in 24 journals, mainly established in 2020, being added to the ESCI in November and December 2023. Additionally, five journals passed this assessment earlier in the year. For a complete list of our journals in Web of Science, refer here. Journals in the ESCI meet 24 quality criteria, ensuring editorial rigor. They may be considered for inclusion in broader indices like the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), or the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), based on four impact criteria.
Read more:
Inside MDPI
MDPI Appoints New Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Alistair Freeland returned to MDPI and assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer in November 2023, a position he previously held from 2013 to 2019. He succeeds Dr. Yu Lin, who will remain a member of MDPI’s Board of Directors, overseeing significant financial decisions for the company. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Yu Lin for his service as COO.
Alistair brings extensive experience not only in scholarly publishing but also in technology and business management. Prior to rejoining MDPI, he was associated with SIX Group, the entity responsible for Switzerland's financial market infrastructure. There, he played a pivotal role in developing the blockchain-based platform SDX (SIX Digital Exchange), which has gained traction among major Swiss banks and the Swiss National Bank.
As COO, Alistair will collaborate with the MDPI management team to improve the practices and services we offer to scholarly communities. I am pleased to welcome Alistair back to MDPI and look forward to his contributions going forward.
Coming Together for Science
MDPI’s 2024 In-Person Academic Events Schedule
MDPI's Conference Team is dedicated to organizing and hosting in-person academic events across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America. We recognize conferences as invaluable platforms for scientific collaboration, scholarly exchange, discussions on contemporary topics, networking, and forging collaborations.
Here's a glimpse of the notable events we currently have scheduled for 2024:
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14–16 February, 2024 |
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24–26 April, 2024 |
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28–31 May, 2024 |
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1–4 August, 2024 |
Upcoming events with details to be announced:
- September 2024, Materials 2024 – Basel, Switzerland
- 19–21 September 2024, International Conference on Nanomaterials Sciences 2024 – Beijing, China
- October 2024, ncRNA 2024 – Basel, Switzerland
- November 2024, Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Barcelona, Spain
- 22–26 November 2024, International Conference on Science of Electronics – Wuhan, China
- Stay tuned for more details on the Sustainable Publishing Forum 2024.
Click here for all upcoming MDPI events.
Organize Your Event with MDPI’s Sciforum
Sciforum is MDPI’s platform dedicated to the organization of scientific events. In line with our mission to promote science, Sciforum supports scholars, societies, research networks, and universities at all stages of organizing in-person events, virtual events and webinars. Our platforms are efficient, user-friendly, and cost-effective. We handle all steps related to event management. Contact us for details.
Closing Thoughts
Reflecting on 2023 and Looking Ahead to 2024
As we approach 2024, I reflect on the incredible journey we’ve had together at MDPI this year. The past 12 months have been marked by ambitious projects and initiatives to improve our internal processes, and a commitment to continue delivering top-notch services to our stakeholders. I’d like to thank each and every one of our staff members for contributing to the positive experiences our stakeholders have reported in our surveys. Your dedication to speed, efficiency, and effective communication with our stakeholders is very much recognized and appreciated.
Becoming a stronger organisation
While we have encountered challenges in 2023, it’s important to understand that these are a part of our growth process. Difficulties provide us with opportunities to reflect, address problems at their roots, and ultimately evolve into a stronger organization. Our stakeholders expect us to overcome tough times, and it’s an expectation that we have for ourselves.
I extend my sincere appreciation to every MDPI employee, from our editorial office and IT department to marketing, indexing, IOAP, societies, Scientific Office board, products, production, conferences, finance, operations, admin, and beyond. To our newest team members, a warm welcome; to our longstanding colleagues, your dedication is invaluable.
“I am committed to taking MDPI to a new level of excellence.”
Interacting with many of you during my visits to our offices and representing MDPI at external events has been a personal highlight. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Lin for entrusting me with the role of CEO of MDPI. Looking forward, I am committed to working closely with our management team to lead MDPI and take it to a new level of excellence, aiming to establish it as the most trusted publisher in open access worldwide. This is a collective endeavour, with each of us shaping MDPI’s reputation. I therefore encourage us to take pride in our work, as it represents not only our craft but also MDPI as a whole.
Accountability and communication
As we look forward to 2024, there’s a lot to be excited about. Together, we’ll navigate challenges, seize growth opportunities, and refine our practices. To solidify MDPI’s position as the premier open access publisher globally, we must bolster accountability, improve stakeholder communication, share MDPI’s best practices, champion the open access philosophy, and educate stakeholders about our mission, methodologies, and motivations.
Thank you for engaging with the CEO Letter over the past six months of 2023. I will continue to release this newsletter as a method of sharing the great work being done at MDPI. Please feel free to connect directly with any insights or questions.
Here’s to a joyous and prosperous 2024!
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
28 December 2023
Land | Issue Cover Articles in 2023
The articles below have been selected as 2023 issue cover articles by the Editorial Office of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X). These articles came from multiple fields within the scope of Land, and we hope they can provide insights and references for scholars in related fields.
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1. “Plant Community, Soil and Microclimate Attributes after 70 Years of Natural Recovery of an Abandoned Limestone Quarry”
by Kirsten Stephan and Jason A. Hubbart Land 2023, 12(1), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010117 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/1/117 |
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2. “A Decision Support Tool for Green Infrastructure Planning in the Face of Rapid Urbanization”
by Peta Brom, Kristine Engemann, Christina Breed, Maya Pasgaard, Titilope Onaolapo and Jens-Christian Svenning Land 2023, 12(2), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020415 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/415 |
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3. “Forest Sharing® as an Innovative Facility for Sustainable Forest Management of Fragmented Forest Properties: First Results of Its Implementation”
by Francesca Giannetti, Andrea Laschi, Ilaria Zorzi, Cristiano Foderi, Enrico Cenni, Cristiano Guadagnino, Giacomo Pinzani, Francesco Ermini, Francesca Bottalico, Guido Milazzo et al. Land 2023, 12(3), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030521 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/3/521 |
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4. “A Framework for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Agricultural Land Use”
by Giacomo Ravaioli, Tiago Domingos and Ricardo F. M. Teixeira Land 2023, 12(4), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040756 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/756 |
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5. “Storage and Stability of Soil Organic Carbon in Two Temperate Forests in Northeastern China”
by Dongwei Liu, Shanlong Li, Weixing Zhu, Yongyang Wang, Shasha Zhang and Yunting Fang Land 2023, 12(5), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051019 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1019 |
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6. “Cumulative Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Anthropogenic Impacts in the Protected Area of the Gran Paradiso National Park in the NW Alps, Italy”
by Chiara Richiardi, Maria Rita Minciardi, Consolata Siniscalco and Maria Adamo Land 2023, 12(6), 1124; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061124 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1124 |
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7. “Land Use and Climate Change Effects on Streamflow and Nutrient Loads in a Temperate Catchment: A Simulation Study”
by Gebiaw T. Ayele, Bofu Yu and David P. Hamilton Land 2023, 12(7), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071326 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1326 |
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8. “Evidence Synthesis towards a Holistic Landscape Decision Framework: Insight from the Landscape Decisions Programme”
by Chidiebere Ofoegbu, Heiko Balzter and Martin Phillips Land 2023, 12(8), 1543; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081543 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1543 |
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9. “High-Performance Landscapes: Re-Thinking Design and Management Choices to Enhance Ecological Benefits in Urban Environments”
by J. Amy Belaire, Heather Bass, Heather Venhaus, Keri Barfield, Tim Pannkuk, Katherine Lieberknecht and Shalene Jha Land 2023, 12(9), 1689; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091689 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/9/1689 |
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10. “GIS-Based RUSLE Reservoir Sedimentation Estimates: Temporally Variable C-Factors, Sediment Delivery Ratio, and Adjustment for Stream Channel and Bank Sediment Sources”
by Patrick J. Starks, Daniel N. Moriasi and Ann-Marie Fortuna Land 2023, 12(10), 1913; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101913 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1913 |
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11. “A Data-Driven Farm Typology as a Basis for Agricultural Land Use Decisions”
by Anne Gobin and Ann Van Herzele Land 2023, 12(11), 2032; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112032 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/2032 |
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12. “Clustering Business Models of Heterogeneous Nature-Based Solutions Implementing Innovative Governance and Financing Concepts”
by Simon Stork, Bernd Pölling, Wolf Lorleberg, Rolf Morgenstern and Jan-Henning Feil Land 2023, 12(12), 2116; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122116 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2116 |
18 December 2023
Editorial Board Members from Land Featured among the World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2023
1 December 2023
Editorial Board Members from Land Featured in the 2023 Highly Cited Researchers List Published by Clarivate
Recently, Clarivate™ revealed its 2023 list of Highly Cited Researchers™—individuals at universities, research institutes, and commercial organizations.
The scientists who were selected for this year’s list of Highly Cited Researchers published highly cited papers in the 11-year period from January 2012 to December 2022, with citation frequencies in the top 1% of academic subjects and the same year of publication in the Web of ScienceTM database. This year, 7,125 Highly Cited Researcher 2023 designations were issued to 6,849 individuals, representing just 1 in 1,000 researchers worldwide. This means that these researchers have demonstrated an incredible level of significant and broad influence in their chosen field or fields over the last decade. The list is truly global, spanning 67 countries or regions and spread across a diverse range of research sciences and social sciences.
According to our statistics, 13 members of the Editorial Board of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) were selected for the list of Highly Cited Researchers by ClarivateTM in 2023. They are being recognized for their high-quality scientific research achievements and outstanding contributions to their professional fields. The Land Editorial Office sincerely congratulates all elected editorial members and hopes that they continue to have an academically productive relationship with the journal.
30 November 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #6 - MDPI Spain Summit and ResearchGate
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI Spain Summit
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) gives the opening speech at the MDPI Spain Summit.
On Friday 10 November 2023 I was in Barcelona, Spain, to deliver the opening presentation and participate in a panel at MDPI’s Spain Summit, a two-day event, inspired by our salon events in China.
With 16 Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) and 20 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) in attendance, the event, organized by our conference team and Barcelona office, featured presentations on open access (OA), MDPI, and publishing market trends in Spain.
The event provided a great opportunity to engage with stakeholders from various MDPI journals, including Nutrients, Vaccines, Buildings, IJMS, and others. We were able to gather feedback and have open conversations around manuscript quality, the peer-review process, and journal development, as well as accreditation agencies.
Connecting with Editorial Board Members
Stefan Tochev in conversation with Summit participants: "Our EBMs are passionate about the journals they serve."
Interacting with our EBMs in person provides a valuable opportunity to show how important it is to us to connect with them, hear their perspectives on their journals and learn more about their own experience collaborating with MDPI.
From my conversations, it was clear that our EBMs are passionate about the journals they serve. I know the advice they provide may sometimes involve just small tweaks, but these can lead to important improvements. As the saying goes, small hinges swing open big doors.
As at November 2023, MDPI has over 6,300 EBMs affiliated with Spanish institutions, with more than 30 of them serving as EiCs or section EiCs. Furthermore, over 68,000 Spanish scholars have contributed as reviewers in MDPI journals.
Open Access in Spain
In 2023, Spain implemented legislation mandating immediate OA for all publicly funded research, aligning with the EU’s Plan S initiative to expedite the transition to OA. The Spanish government also approved a four-year, €23.8 million annual budget for the first national OA strategy, aiming to make publicly funded research freely accessible upon publication. This strategy aims to strengthen the quality and transparency of research in Spain, and to help promote movement towards a digital, low-carbon economy.
For further details of Spain's OA policy and the history of government mandates, click here.
Spain has already seen a notable decline in subscription-only articles, decreasing by 62% over a 10-year period, while gold OA increased by 42%. Green OA slightly decreased, suggesting a shift towards publishing in gold OA journals rather than traditional subscription-based ones. Here are some statistics from Scopus.
A big thank-you to the various MDPI teams, including our conference team and the Barcelona office, for organizing this very successful event!
MDPI colleagues from various offices gathered to host and support the first MDPI Spain Summit, in Barcelona, Spain.
I think this type of gathering has the potential to become an annual event in various locations. For example, Manchester could be an option, as we have over 30 EiCs and over 3,000 EBMs in the UK, a top market for MDPI that publishes high-quality research.
Impactful Research
769 Editorial Board Members of MDPI Journals Recognized as Highly Cited Researchers in 2023
Congratulations to our 769 Editorial Board Members from 40 countries/territories who have been awarded Highly Cited Researcher status for 2023 by Clarivate. This recognition is based on their outstanding scientific research contributions and significant influence in various fields, as evidenced by Web of Science data.
Click here to view the full list of 769 Editorial Board Members.
Clarivate's Highly Cited ResearchersTM list identifies individuals with exceptional impact in scientific and social science domains over the past decade. Their papers rank in the top 1% of citations in 21 fields analysed in ‘Essential Science Indicators,’ showcasing their substantial influence.
This year, 7,125 Highly Cited Researcher 2023 designations were issued to 6,849 individuals from 67 countries, representing just 1 in 1,000 researchers worldwide.
These researchers demonstrate exceptional influence, representing a small fraction of contributors pushing the boundaries of knowledge, contributing to global well-being, sustainability, and security.
Congratulations to these scholars for their remarkable achievement: we are honoured to have them on board with our journals!
Inside MDPI
Corporate Marketing and Communications Strategy Session
Members of MDPI’s Corporate Marketing & Communications team.
For the past few years, I have led the Corporate Marketing & Communications department in our annual strategy session.
This typically involves 2–3 days of focused sessions covering key topics including budgeting, hiring targets, campaign reviews, and planning for the upcoming year, department strategy, and structure.
We are constantly exploring ways to optimize the Corporate Marketing & Communications department to support MDPI’s primary objectives and better convey the MDPI story while serving the scholarly community.
The strategy session also serves as a team-building activity, during which the team voted on bowling!
Strategy Session
In this strategy session, we looked at how to align our teams in order to better streamline our content with our campaigns, build a dedicated marketing team to strategically support our core MDPI products, expand our communications teams and functionalities to focus on company-critical campaigns and press releases, align our new brand design system with our marketing initiatives, set up a community and engagement team to support various teams with their outreach and communication efforts, and increase our use of data in the evaluation of campaign performance.
To grow in these areas, we will be hiring for various positions, including those of Public Relations Manager, Communications Manager, Internal Communications Manager, Campaign Manager, Marketing Associate, and Editorial Engagement Manager.
I am grateful for the way our Corporate Marketing & Communications department has grown and gelled over the years, and I look forward to supporting the department teams and their ideas for the future.
Coming Together for Science
ResearchGate and MDPI Partner to Boost the Visibility of Open Access Content through Journal Home
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) and Sören Hofmayer (Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, ResearchGate) meet in Berlin, Germany to take their ongoing discussion further.
When I assumed the role of CEO at MDPI, my primary focus was to initiate the building of essential partnerships and collaborations within our industry. After all, I am a firm believer in achieving our goals by helping others achieve theirs and focusing on co-opetition wherever there is an opportunity. I first touched on the notion of co-opetition in MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #3, particularly when discussing collaborations with Elsevier.
In light of this, Sören Hofmayer (Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at ResearchGate) and I connected recently to continue a discussion that had been ongoing for months. I was quickly brought up to speed and felt there was an opportunity for MDPI journals to pilot the Journal Home service that ResearchGate had launched. This would provide a new way for MDPI to engage with authors and readers and amplify the visibility of our journals.
While I receive many offers and opportunities for discussions with vendors, I am a firm believer that timing is everything, and in this case, the time for us is now. Sören and I met in person during my recent visit to Berlin and decided to proceed with piloting ten MDPI journals with the Journal Home service.
The press release below provides further details.
Press Release: Berlin (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland), 15 November 2023
ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and MDPI, the largest open access publisher in the world and a pioneer in open access publishing, today announced a partnership that will see ten of MDPI’s open access journals benefit from an enhanced presence on ResearchGate through its innovative Journal Home offering.
This new partnership will expand the reach and visibility of MDPI’s participating flagship journals with ResearchGate’s highly relevant community of more than 25 million researchers globally.
Around 210,000 version-of-record articles from these 10 titles will be readily available on ResearchGate, including the full archive material and all new articles as they are published. These journals also benefit from enhanced brand visibility, with dedicated journal profiles, prominent representation on all associated article pages and all relevant touchpoints across the ResearchGate network – keeping the journals top-of-mind with their reader and author audiences. All articles covered by the new partnership will automatically be added to the authors’ publication records in ResearchGate. This not only reduces MDPI authors’ needs for direct management but also offers them valuable insights into the impact of their work, including data about readership and citations.
Closing Thoughts
November is Men’s Health Awareness Month
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) listening to music as he writes at a coffee shop in Basel, Switzerland.
November is dedicated to raising awareness of various men’s health issues. I have been fortunate to have positive male role models in my life, and I strive to share my experiences with others.
I used to take part in Movember, growing my moustache throughout November to raise awareness and funds and to help “change the face of men’s health.” With male family and friends impacted by physical and mental health issues, I have recently become more interested in men’s overall well-being.
Men often face stigma involving the perceived need always to be strong and have things figured out. Recently, I’ve had meaningful conversations with male friends and colleagues about issues we rarely discuss, and it was a positive experience.
Various factors impact men’s health and well-being, all too easily leading to risky health behaviours including a lack of health awareness, poor health education, and negative, culturally induced, behaviour patterns in our work and personal lives. I hope we can break down these barriers in our work environment.
Healthy men help build healthy families and a healthy society
Men are less likely than women to seek help with their physical and mental health struggles. This is a reminder to prioritize your overall well-being. I hope that as men, we will continue to open up to one another, becoming vulnerable in order to share what we are going through. By sharing and by supporting each other, we can learn and grow together. You are not alone, and when you fall, you can still get up and stand tall.
From one broski to another, you are loved and appreciated. I hope this mindset carries into December and beyond.
Mindfulness
Our content team recently released a handful of articles on mindfulness, a practice that I believe provides a good opportunity for stress release and self-reflection:
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
21 November 2023
769 Editorial Board Members of MDPI Journals Achieve Highly Cited Researcher Recognition in 2023
13 November 2023
Meet Us at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2023 (BES 2023), 12–15 December 2023, Belfast, UK
加载中~
9 November 2023
Land Accepted for Coverage in GEOBASE
1 November 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #5 - OA Week, UK, and Strategy
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Open Access Week 2023 – the Global Drive to Open Continues
As the world's largest open-access (OA) publisher, we believe that unrestricted access to research findings is the cornerstone of transparency, efficiency, and quality control across scientific disciplines. At MDPI, we provide free, immediate access to scientific papers, empowering scientists to examine, validate, replicate, and build upon existing results. This minimizes redundancy, optimizes resources, and fosters innovative approaches.
International OA Week, held from 23 to 29 October 2023, provided a unique opportunity to link the global movement toward open sharing and open science with the progress of policy changes at the local level. Our mission, during OA Week and all the year round, is to offer educational resources highlighting the benefits of open-access publishing. The MDPI Blog is a valuable resource for information on open access and open science.
Core principles of OA publishing
Accessibility, transparency, and collaboration are core principles of OA publishing. OA aims to break down barriers that have traditionally restricted research access, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of financial situation or institutional affiliations. Our commitment to diverse pathways for OA publishing worldwide includes discounts for researchers. You can learn more about how MDPI supports scientific communities here.
One of the key strengths of OA publishing is its ability to facilitate interdisciplinary research. By removing paywalls and promoting knowledge-sharing across disciplines, OA encourages collaboration and innovation. Researchers from various fields can access and build upon each others’ work, fostering a holistic approach to addressing complex global challenges.
OA holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change.
Policy driving change
Governments, institutions, and funding agencies have recognized the transformative potential of OA and have implemented policies to promote it. These policies often require publicly funded research to be made openly accessible, accelerating the growth of OA repositories and journals. Check out our spotlights on OA policies in the US, EU and China.
OA publishing is continuously evolving, with community-driven models and technologies shaping its future. Initiatives such as “Plan S” and “cOAlition S” promote OA publishing from the perspective of national funders, requiring grantees to publish their research openly. A new policy announced by the US administration last year mandates that, with effect from January 2026, all US federally funded research should be freely and immediately available after publication.
Additionally, preprint servers such as MDPI's Preprints.org, which allow researchers to share their findings before formal peer review, have gained popularity, enhancing the speed at which new knowledge is disseminated. The rise of blockchain technology is also being explored to ensure transparency and authenticity in scholarly publishing.
For more than two decades, OA publishing has been revolutionizing academic publishing by promoting accessibility, transparency, and collaboration. Its support for interdisciplinary research, evolving policies, and innovative practices all contribute to its growing influence in the global research community. As OA continues to expand, it holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change.
MDPI is proud to lead the transition to open access.
Read more:
Impactful Research
Spotlight on Smart Cities
Smart cities will serve as a cornerstone for future human development. Their implementation will help us tackle many of the significant challenges we are facing – climate change, ageing populations, waste management, public safety, travel, and so on. Recognising the importance of this multifaceted field, MDPI launched the inaugural issue of Smart Cities in 2018 to provide an advanced forum for research into smart technology and society. Here we take a look at how this journal has developed, and its impact in this exciting field.
As at 30 October, 2023, Smart Cities has published 421 papers and has an Impact Factor of 6.4. It also has a CiteScore of 8.5, and more than one quarter of its published papers – 124 – have been cited 10 times or more.
Highly cited papers in Smart Cities
Below are several highly cited papers recently published in Smart Cities. Citation metrics are current as at 31 October 2023.
1. “Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, Resilience and Place Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities”
Authors: Carlos Moreno, Zaheer Allam, Didier Chabaud, Catherine Gall and Florent Pratlong
Smart Cities 2021, 4(1), 93-111; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010006
Citations: Crossref (338), Scopus (366), Web of Science (270), Google Scholar (710)
The paper discusses the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 on cities, including increasing inequalities and rising unemployment. It introduces the concept of the "15-Minute City," a form of "chrono-urbanism," as a response to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
2. “A Review on Electric Vehicles: Technologies and Challenges”
Authors: Julio A. Sanguesa, Vicente Torres-Sanz, Piedad Garrido, Francisco J. Martinez and Johann M. Marquez-Barja
Smart Cities 2021, 4(1), 372-404; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010022
Citations: Crossref (359), Scopus (363), Web of Science (268), Google Scholar (558)
This paper provides an overview of the progress in Electric Vehicles (EVs), focusing on battery technology, charging methods, and emerging research challenges. It also analyzes the global EV market and its future outlook.
3. “IoT in Smart Cities: A Survey of Technologies, Practices and Challenges”
Authors: Abbas Shah Syed, Daniel Sierra-Sosa, Anup Kumar and Adel Elmaghraby
Smart Cities 2021, 4(2), 429-475; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4020024
Citations: Crossref (121), Scopus (151), Web of Science (91), Google Scholar (215)
This paper gives an overview of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the context of Smart Cities, discussing the fundamental components, technologies, architectures, networking technologies, and artificial algorithms that underpin IoT-based Smart City systems.
4. “Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Smart Grid: A Survey”
Authors: Olufemi A. Omitaomu and Haoran Niu
Smart Cities 2021, 4(2), 548-568; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4020029
Citations: Crossref (76), Scopus (94), Web of Science (57), Google Scholar (120)
This survey paper reviews the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in the context of the smart grid. It covers various applications of AI in load forecasting, power grid stability assessment, fault detection, and security issues in the smart grid and power systems.
5. “The Metaverse as a Virtual Form of Smart Cities: Opportunities and Challenges for Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability in Urban Futures”
Authors: Zaheer Allam, Ayyoob Sharifi, Simon Elias Bibri, David Sydney Jones and John Krogstie
Smart Cities 2022, 5(3), 771-801; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5030040
Citations: Crossref (72), Scopus (75), Web of Science (43), Google Scholar (176)
This paper discusses the concept of the Metaverse, a virtual world introduced by Meta (formerly Facebook), and its potential impact on urban life. It explores how emerging technologies such as AI, Big Data, IoT, and Digital Twins could reshape urban design and services in the context of the Metaverse.
Testimonial
“It was indeed a great and pleasant experience with MDPI regarding our recent publication. The submission process was very straightforward and less time-consuming than the norm. The review process was very fast compared to many other open access journals, which is praiseworthy. The support from the Editorial Office during the revision process was highly useful as well. We look forward to publishing with MDPI in the future, and I will most definitely recommend MDPI to my colleagues and collaborators.” – Dr. Luís Rosa, University of Minho
Article in Smart Cities: Mobile Networks and Internet of Things Infrastructures to Characterize Smart Human Mobility
Inside MDPI
MDPI Manchester office, UK Visit
Allie Shi (Editorial Director, MDPI), Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Jamie Anderson (Manchester Office Manager, MDPI), Michael O’Sullivan (Senior Scientific Officer, MDPI), Hushneara Akhtar, and Becky Castellon (IOAP Team Lead, MDPI), dining out in Manchester, UK.
In October, I visited MDPI’s new office in Manchester. During the visit, I connected with our English Editing (EE) managers, Scientific Officer, members of the Editorial team, the Marketing team, and IOAP Team Lead.
Our Manchester office focuses primarily on EE services and provides local support for the UK market. Additionally, we regularly visit Editorial Board members and participate in local conferences.
I would like to thank Jamie Anderson, Manchester Office Manager, and her team, for their deep commitment to our Manchester staff and to MDPI’s impact on the UK market.
The UK by numbers
The UK is a hub for the world’s top universities, making it a key market for MDPI and the publishing world in general. It is home to two of the top-five-ranked universities globally, 11 in the top 100, and 15 in the top 200.
As a result, the UK plays a key role in MDPI’s global market. As at October 2023, it ranks as the seventh-largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI. We have 3,500 Editorial Board members affiliated with UK institutions, including 34 serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs). Our commitment to collaboration with institutions is evident in the UK, where we have successfully established some 60 Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements with esteemed institutions, such as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh, and more.
According to InCites Dataset + ESCI for the period 2018–2022, as at October 2023, nearly 65% of UK papers are now published as OA. Just over 10% of total OA publications are by UK authors. UK papers are known for their high quality, with an average of 11 citations per paper. Furthermore, 2.16% of UK papers are in the top 1% of cited papers, and 14.61% are in the top 10% of cited papers, showcasing their impact.
We are currently hiring EEs in various locations worldwide.
English Editing at MDPI
Our English Editing (EE) department consists of two main branches, Quality Control and Learning and Development, reflecting our priorities. We are continuously enhancing the quality of our English Editing services and have raised the relevant standards, which now extend to company-wide communications. English editors participate in international interviews, conduct English assessments, and provide colleagues with presentations on ways to improve their use of written and spoken English.
While expanding, the EE department has proactively refocused its efforts on the quality of our work and how the English Editing department can benefit the company more broadly. We currently have approximately 140 full-time English Editors based across five offices worldwide, supplemented by over 700 freelance English editors.
Our Manchester office serves as the hub for the EE Department, with EE Managers situated there, except for Kurtis Jackson, who serves as the Head of EE and is located in our Basel office. Manchester EEs play a critical role in establishing and developing EE teams in our other offices, overseeing management and recruitment. The EE department plays a vital role in MDPI’s operations, as it is the department that touches every published paper. If this work interests you, I encourage you to explore our available EE positions, whether you are seeking full-time or freelance opportunities.
Testimonials
“MDPI provides an excellent service compared to any other previously used services. It delivers fast and high-quality results but at an affordable price.” – Ardha Apriyanto, University of Potsdam
“In my role as a professor, I consider that MDPI Author Services offer an excellent quality in the editing of Western academic writing while maintaining the required standards of clarity, precision and rigor. Additionally, delivery times are fast compared to other available services.” – Jesus Insuasti, University of Nariño
Read more:
Coming Together for Science
STM and Frankfurt Book Fair
Attending STM
MDPI has been a proud sponsor of the STM Conference for several years. The STM Conference is a dynamic event featuring interactive sessions, expert panellists, idea-sharing, and ample networking opportunities. On 16 October, the event kicked off with arrival drinks, sponsored by MDPI, followed by a welcoming dinner, providing a great chance to connect and network with industry professionals. The following day was filled with speakers, sessions, and further opportunities to connect. STM exemplifies the collaborative spirit of the scientific community, with session topics including achieving open, visible, and impactful research at scale; maintaining research integrity in a rapidly changing world; and exploring the impact of ever-evolving technology in the scholarly community.
Meeting with Web of Science
On a personal note, one of the highlights of STM was a candid and productive conversation with Nandita Quaderi, Editor-in-Chief and SVP at Web of Science. During our discussion, we talked about MDPI, Web of Science, the IJERPH delisting, and ways of moving forward. This open conversation aimed at fostering better collaboration for the future.
“We discussed ways to improve our communication and collaboration.”
I appreciated our frank discussion and felt that Nandita wholeheartedly supports open access. She also expressed her appreciation for the monthly CEO Letter, which she sees as a way to add personality to the MDPI brand and provide insight into the great work we do at MDPI. While we highlighted the positives, we also discussed ways to improve our communication and collaboration moving forward. This meeting alone made the trip worthwhile, and I hope Nandita doesn’t mind my sharing that she found our chat to be “the most honest and constructive discussion” she’s had with someone from MDPI in recent years.
75th Frankfurt Book Fair
Jelena Milojevic (Book Editor, MDPI), Jovana Dubajic (Book Editor, MDPI), Evan Escamilla (Project Manager, MDPI), Laura Wagner (Head of Books, MDPI), and Jenny Knowles (Commissioning Editor, MDPI), at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
For the 75th time, the Frankfurter Buchmesse opened its doors in October to celebrate exciting stories and their authors. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit the Frankfurt Book Fair, I highly recommend it. It’s the largest book fair in the world, attracting thousands of visitors from around the globe. This is the place to gain valuable industry insights from top-class publishing professionals, connect with publishers directly, and learn about the latest trends in publishing.
MDPI Books
Our Books team was also present at the Frankfurt Book Fair, networking and learning from various panels. Did you know that our MDPI Books department publishes OA Books?
The book publishing program includes monographs, book series, edited books and reprints of special issues and topical collections, among other book types.
If you have a book proposal you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact our Books team to understand the benefits and methods of publishing your next book with the OA model.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI Strategy Meeting
As the newly appointed CEO, this is my first year leading the MDPI Senior Management Strategy session. I saw it as an opportunity to explore what MDPI has the potential to become in the next five years. Guided by the vision of its founder and President, Dr. Shu-kun Lin, the company has accomplished remarkable feats over the past 27 years and currently holds the position as the world’s third-largest academic publisher, following Springer Nature and Elsevier.
Our primary objective is to build upon the milestones of the past decades and consolidate MDPI’s position as well-established publishing brand. The two-day meeting emphasized the importance of communicating MDPI’s values more actively via its brand and adopting a straightforward yet impactful approach to managing MDPI as a mature academic publisher.
“Our primary objective is to consolidate MDPI’s position as well-established publishing brand”
As the world’s number one open-access publisher, MDPI has long been a game-changer in the scholarly community, serving millions of authors. The challenge in being a trailblazer is the need to continuously improve and at the same time explore the next blue-ocean strategy, while also maintaining the smooth operation of the business. Our collection model, featuring guest-curated thematic topics in the form of Special Issues, has disrupted the industry. Other publishers closely study us and attempt to replicate our models. The future of this collection model is something we are actively addressing – while, of course, looking ahead to what comes next!
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
19 October 2023
Open Access Week 2023 – the Global Drive to Open Continues
2 October 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #4 - MDPI Presence in China
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Open Access in China
It is Saturday, 23 September, and I have just returned from an unforgettable 12-day trip to China, visiting our main offices in Beijing and Wuhan. In the wake of a packed and very enjoyable agenda of internal and external meetings, I would like to use this edition of the CEO Letter to showcase how MDPI supports the scholarly community in China.
Coincidentally, Jack McKenna, Communications Associate from MDPI’s corporate content team, has just released a blog article discussing China’s open access (OA) policy. It is a timely read, providing a concise overview of the development of the OA movement in China and reflecting on its future. I shall draw some content from Jack’s piece and use this edition of the CEO Letter to highlight the various ways in which MDPI is involved in this market. And it would be remiss of me not to include some pictures and highlights from my travels!
Open Access Policy in China
As per Jack’s post, in 2020, China became the world’s leading producer of research articles. Today, China is experiencing a “substantial growth rate in OA [Open Access] publication”. This growth is supported by the State’s commitment to research & development and its policy “requiring the promotion of open science”.
Over the past two decades, there have been gradual developments in China’s OA framework, with repositories and platforms being developed in a consistent manner. Currently, key institutions across China – including the National Science Library, the National Science and Technology Library, and the Natural Science Foundation of China – support OA. The State aims to establish consistent policies across government agencies – a framework for a more encompassing embrace of OA across institutions.
In China, the number of subscription-only articles decreased by nearly 30% over the 10-year period of 2011–2021, while gold OA increased by 22%. Between 2017 and 2020 alone, China published 800,921 academic papers in an OA format.
In 2023, as the leading publisher of academic research, China is pursuing “self-reliance”. Therefore, the State will be establishing consistent policies across government agencies, including those related to OA. Additionally, it will want to ensure that Chinese people can access the research that is supported by Chinese funding and produced by Chinese academics. For this reason, “Open Access is a matter of priority in China”.
MDPI Offices in China
While the history of MDPI begins in Basel, Switzerland, the story of MDPI’s founder is very much rooted in China. Dr. Shu-kun Lin, Founder and President of MDPI, graduated with a BSc from Wuhan University in 1982. He also studied physical chemistry at the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (1982–1986; MSc in 1985), and at the University of Louisville, USA (1987–1989). Dr. Lin completed his doctorate in organic chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH-Zürich) in 1992.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) at MDPI’s Wuhan office.
In 2002, MDPI’s Basel headquarters moved to Matthäusstrasse 11, 4052 Basel, and Dr. Lin opened an editorial office in Qingdao, China, which launched the journal Marine Drugs in the following year. Below is a list of MDPI’s current offices in China and their respective dates of inauguration:
- 2008: Beijing (Tongzhou, Haidian)
- 2013: Wuhan (Hankou, Guanggu)
- 2019: Tianjin
- 2021: Dalian
- 2021: Nanjing
Our Strength is in Our People
With over 6,000 MDPI staff, across 20 offices in 11 countries, MDPI is able to offer authors responsive and efficient round-the-clock support, enabling a rapid publication process.
In my experience, stakeholders are genuinely surprised when they realize the extent of our global operations. My response is to reiterate that our people are our strength. This is why we have fast and efficient processes and top-notch responsiveness. Our global presence ensures that your manuscript is constantly attended to, rather than sitting on someone’s desk. We prioritize our authors’ needs and act quickly to move things through the various stages of publication. MDPI is built on speed, convenience, and competence, which I believe are core pillars for success in any industry. We continually strive to improve our systems and processes on the basis of these core strengths. We literally have over 6,000 staff worldwide dedicated to serving your needs. It’s not magic: it’s people; it’s real.
Impactful Research
MDPI Awards
To support the academic community, and especially young researchers, and also to enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals offer various awards in specific fields. We serve the scientific community by funding research to facilitate the development of sustainable global solutions through our annual World Sustainability Award and Emerging Sustainability Leader Award.
In 2022, MDPI made awards totalling over US$1 million in recognition and support of researchers worldwide.
Across our journal catalogue, we have granted over 2,000 awards to recognize and support researchers from all disciplines. Since 2016, these awards have served as a source of recognition, acknowledging the impact of research by heightening the influence of talented individuals. The award types mainly include the Young Investigator Award, the Best PhD Thesis Award, the Best Paper Award, and the Outstanding Reviewer Award.
To learn more about MDPI Awards and to find out which are currently available, please click here.
MDPI Awards to Scholars from China
Since 2021, there have been 23 Best Paper Awards granted to authors affiliated with Chinese institutions, identifying their papers as having high-quality scientific impact. A total of 45 Chinese scholars have received awards such as the Young Investigator Award, the Best PhD Thesis Award, the Outstanding Reviewer Award, and the Tu Youyou Award, among others. Prizes for these awards include MDPI grants for paid publications, totalling over CHF 70,000 for scholars affiliated with Chinese institutions.
MDPI’s Tu Youyou Award
Prof. Tu Youyou (left), Dr. Shu-Kun Lin (President, MDPI).
In 2015, Professor Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.” In order to commemorate Professor Tu’s contributions to human health and to promote the passion and spirit conveyed by her experiences, MDPI in 2016 established the ‘Tu Youyou Award’, which runs biennially to recognize outstanding scholars dedicated to the research of natural products and medicinal chemistry.
The 2022 Tu Youyou Award was granted to Prof. Dr. Xiaoguang Lei of Peking University. Click here to access the interview with the winner.
2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine Awarded to Professor Youyou Tu
Professor Tu’s work was celebrated in a Special Issue from Molecules on the occasion of her 80th birthday. The Special Issue: 'Artemisinin (Qinghaosu): Commemorative Issue in Honor of Professor Youyou Tu on the Occasion of her 80th Anniversary” was created five years before she won the Nobel Prize, highlighting the visibility MDPI provides researchers and their work.
Highly Cited Articles by Chinese Scholars Published in MDPI
Click here to access the most cited MDPI papers published by scholars affiliated with Chinese institutions. This list presents the most influential research from the more than 287,000 MDPI papers published by Chinese scholars. With over 9 million total citations, I encourage you to maximize your visibility and impact by publishing with MDPI, the number one most cited open access publisher.
Read more:
- Tu Youyou Award
- World Sustainability Awards
- Available Awards
Inside MDPI
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) with the Beijing Marketing team.
Marketing Department in China
During my visit to our offices in Beijing and Wuhan, I had the opportunity to meet with, and to present to, our local marketing teams. These teams are responsible for various journal-related and corporate promotional activities, including newsletters, conferences, seminars, author training, journal awards, content creation, digital marketing, and social media.
I was pleased by the ambition and curiosity of our marketing colleagues. They showed a strong desire to collaborate and acquire knowledge and tactics to effectively market and promote MDPI-journal-related activities. I presented some of the principles and objectives that we apply in the Corporate Marketing and Communications department, and used the opportunity to strengthen our collaborative communications across offices.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) with the Wuhan Marketing team.
Coming Together for Science
Collaborations, Scholarships and Meetings
MDPI maintains partnerships with nearly 190 learned societies and over 800 institutions and consortia, helping to facilitate the transition to OA publishing. Our commitment to working with institutions is evident in China, where we have successfully established over 35 Institutional Open Access Programs (IOAP) with esteemed institutions such as the Tsinghua University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Our institutional partnerships, waiver programs, and article processing cost discounts create diverse pathways to OA publishing for researchers worldwide.
Scholarships in China
Since 2021, several MDPI journals (Sensors, Photonics, Coatings, Materials, Energies, and Journal of Fungi) have funded full scholarships for four Master’s and five Ph.D. projects in China. These scholarships align with Tianjin University, Wuhan University of Technology, Central South University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the China University of Petroleum (Beijing).
Meeting with the Society of Chinese University Journals (CUJS)
Prof. Tieming Zhang (President of CUJS, centre) and MDPI colleagues at CUJS office.
I am pleased to have participated in some highly productive meetings during my visit to China, including one with the Society of Chinese University Journals (CUJS). The meeting involved Prof. Tieming Zhang (President of CUJS), Assoc. Prof. Xin Zhang (Vice President and Secretary General), and Dr. Fei Gao (Executive Member of CUJS). Alongside my colleagues Dr. Guoshi Liu, Dr. Giulia Stefenelli, and Anita Sun, I represented MDPI and held an open discussion to address any questions regarding OA and MDPI.
We discussed several methods for collaboration, including a workshop on the future of peer review, MDPI sponsoring a funding grant for early-career researchers, and transitioning journals from diamond to gold OA. I am thankful for the opportunity to have met our colleagues at CUJS in person and feel very confident about our future collaborations in support of OA publishing in China.
MDPI hosts free academic seminars, author training sessions, and academic conferences as part of its commitment to enrich and support the scholarly community. CUJS often stages academic events (e.g., conferences, editor training, and editor competitions), and I believe there are great opportunities for CUJS and MDPI to collaborate accordingly.
Meeting with National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC)
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Chair of Scientific Officers, MDPI), Anita Sun (PR Manager, MDPI) and Dr. Guoshi Liu (Managing Director, MDPI) at the National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
We also visited the NSLC Director, Xiwen Liu, and colleagues Ying Jin, Zhesi Shen, and Sichao Tong. Following our introductions, we gave a presentation on the history and editorial process at MDPI, discussing specific details related to MDPI’s business and data. We highlighted the status of our IOAP collaborations in China and the makeup of our author base, specifically in China, and drew attention to the fact that MDPI has published research by authors from every country in the world. We then discussed the design indicators, calculation methods and implementation purposes of the ‘Early Warning Journal List’ and how we can have open communication to provide any data regarding MDPI journals. I am pleased to report that we reached a consensus on future communications, and am grateful to NSLC for hosting us in their offices.
In-person meetings with stakeholders provide an invaluable opportunity to communicate what MDPI is about and the various ways in which we serve the scholarly community. While digital marketing and online communication are essential, they are no replacement for the understanding and trust that come about through in-person interactions.
The Numbers
As at September 2023, China holds the largest position in MDPI’s global market, ranking as the largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI.
At this point in time, there were more than 847,000 China mainland scholars who have published with MDPI, 51 of whom are Section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC) of MDPI journals, with seven serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) for journals such as Air, Big Data and Cognitive Computing, Blockchains, Future, Nanoenergy Advances, and Targets.
Our growth and presence in China are a true testament to the service we provide to the scholarly community, and to the relationships we foster through collaborative activities. We look forward to continuing to support the growth of the scholarly community in China, providing a valuable and trusted experience with MDPI.
Closing Thoughts
Final Reflections on our MDPI Offices in Beijing and Wuhan
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Constanze Schelhorn (Indexing Manager, MDPI), Jiale Shang (Admin, Tongzhou, MDPI) at Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing.
I spent approximately two weeks visiting some of our offices in China, and the first word that comes to mind when describing my experience is ‘hospitality.’ My colleagues and I were met with enthusiasm and delight at the airport by the Tongzhou Admin team (thank you, Jiale Shang, and thank you, Eric Wang, for keeping us organized on this trip!) and were taken care of with great attention. From hotels to transportation, dinners, and meetings, our stay was catered for perfectly.
Perhaps this is where MDPI’s focus on customers and service originates. At our core, we are a service company that provides a publishing platform for its authors. It’s therefore no surprise that authors consistently rate their experience with MDPI very highly.
95% of submitting authors rate their overall experience with the MDPI publication process as Excellent or Good (Springer Nature report 90%).
91% of submitting authors rate their overall experience with the MDPI peer review process as Excellent or Good.
Speed/Efficiency and Editorial Relationship are two key reasons underlying this high satisfaction score. ‘Editorial Relationship’ can be further explored, but in the past month, the most commonly noted aspects were the professionalism, kindness, availability, communicativeness, and personalized assistance provided by our editorial staff throughout the process. These attributes are at the core of our work across all our offices and continents.
Hospitality and Service
Just as our Chinese colleagues strove to keep us engaged by showing us the city sights (thank you, Thea Pan, and Jason Wu from the Wuhan Marketing team!) and sharing a variety of wonderful meals, our editorial staff are committed to serving our authors throughout their publishing journey. Our aim is to place the author at the centre of everything we do, eager to welcome our ‘guests’ and provide them with a pleasant publishing experience.
I asked my colleague Francis Wu (Senior Publisher, Wuhan office) where this hospitality originates. He responded that it is part of Chinese culture. I reflected long and deep on this answer. China is a vast country, and when visitors arrive, hosts want to ensure they feel welcomed and taken care of in order to maximize their time and visit. I can’t think of a better analogy for how I would want our authors to feel when they visit MDPI for their publishing needs. A company culture that prioritizes service, something that goes beyond products and productivity, and focuses on the overall experience. Over 6,000 people, across all MDPI offices, are ready, willing and able to go the extra mile for their colleagues and their customers. This is something I am truly proud of.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
25 September 2023
Meet Us at the 22nd China Conference on Ecology, 27–30 October 2023, Beijing, China
22 September 2023
2023 ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information Editorial Board Meeting at the ISPRS Geospatial Week (GSW 2023), Held in September 2023, in Cairo, Egypt
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (IJGI, ISSN: 2220-9964) attended the ISPRS 2023 Geospatial Week (GSW 2023) from 2 to 7 September 2023 in Cairo, Egypt, and held the 2023 Editorial Board meeting on 5 September 2023. We greatly appreciate that Editor-in-Chief Prof. Wolfgang Kainz hosted this meeting and that there were four Editorial Board Member (EBM) attendees.
At this Editorial Board meeting, the EBMs had a positive discussion about the peer-review process, communication with Guest Editors, balancing the Associate Editor’s work, and the Associate Editor candidate in the scope area of “Spatial Data Management” and other journal development issues.
Attendees (from left to right): Partsinevelos Panagiotis (EBM), Sisi Zlatanova (Associate Editor), Mahmoud Reza Delavar (EBM), Wolfgang Kainz (Editor-in-Chief), Petar Jeremić (JRS IJGI MDPI), Liliane Auwerter (SOB MDPI) and Maria Brovelli (Associate Editor)
13 September 2023
Meet Us at the AGU Fall Meeting 2023, 11–15 December 2023, Online or On-Site in San Francisco, CA, USA
6 September 2023
Recap of Awards Granted to Scholars in 2022
31 August 2023
Meet Us at the XVIII World Water Congress, 11–15 September 2023, Beijing, China
30 August 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #3 - Sustainability and Co-opetition
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Our Commitment to Sustainability
As a pioneer in academic open access publishing since 1996, MDPI has always been dedicated to facilitating scientific exchange across all disciplines. Our approach to open science is guided by principles such as Open Access (OA), Timeliness and Efficiency, Simplicity, High-Quality Service, Flexibility, and a commitment to Sustainability. This commitment involves preserving published papers for the long term and supporting the future of science through partnerships, sponsorships, and awards.
In this edition of the CEO Letter, I will delve into MDPI’s various sustainability initiatives. As a leader in OA publishing, we are able to provide the public with a significant amount of environment-related content at no cost.
MDPI and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
In 2020, the SDG Publishers Compact was launched to accelerate implementation of the SDGs by promoting content that informs, develops, and inspires action. MDPI joined this initiative in 2021 and subsequently launched the MDPI SDG Hub in 2022, offering free access to recent research within the scope of each of the 17 SDGs. We also support authors from underrepresented communities by waiving publication charges for selected SDG-related papers. Detailed sustainability practices and supported publications are available in the report under each Goal page.
“More than 80% of MDPI articles and reviews published in 2022 relate to the Sustainable Development Goals.” [source: InCites, Accessed on 21.08.2023]
As at August 2023, MDPI boasts 14 journals dedicated to sustainability-related topics. Our first journal in this area, Sustainability, has published over 29,000 articles on the SDGs, accumulating over 240,000 citations (source: InCites, as at 1 January 2023). These journals serve as vital platforms for researchers to share insights and address environmental challenges. In addition:
MDPI journals specializing in sustainability-related topics:
- 2009: Sustainability
- 2012: Resources
- 2013: Climate
- 2014: Environments
- 2016: Recycling
- 2019: Clean Technologies
- 2020: Sustainable Chemistry
- 2021: Wind, Biomass, Conservation, Pollutants, Solar
- 2022: Waste, Microplastics
Read more:
Impactful Research
Highly Cited Articles in Sustainability
In 2022, content published in Sustainability and indexed in Journal Citation Reports (JCR) received nearly 190,000 citations. This highlights the fact that Sustainability publishes highly cited research articles related to environmental sciences and SDG-related topics such as climate action.
We are pleased to share that Sustainability received a 2022 CiteScore of 5.8, marking a 16% increase from the 2021 metric. Specifically, the CiteScore positions Sustainability as follows: Q1 (27 out of 163) in the “Environmental Science (miscellaneous)” category, and Q1 (101 out of 779) in the “Geography Planning and Development” category. For additional journal statistics, please visit here.
“Sustainability received a 2022 CiteScore of 5.8”
While MDPI journals such as Climate and Atmosphere have a distinct focus on atmosphere pollution and its impact on climate processes, journals like Sustainability, Environments, Water, Remote Sensing, and IJERPH publish content related to climate change. These journals have published over 32,300 articles related to SDG 13: Climate Action.
Highly Cited Papers in Sustainability
Below are several highly cited papers published in Sustainability over the past three years. Citation metrics are current as at 15 August 2023.
1. “A Global Assessment: Can Renewable Energy Replace Fossil Fuels by 2050?”Authors: Jerry L. Holechek, Hatim M. E. Geli, Mohammed N. Sawalhah, and Raul Valdez
Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4792; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084792
Citations: Crossref (97), Scopus (91), Web of Science (82), Google Scholar (125)
This paper addresses one of the most significant challenges of climate change – achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050. The meta-analysis suggests that while difficult, this transition is possible through the concerted application of pathways, lifestyle changes, and global cooperation.
2. “Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-Anxiety and Climate Anxiety”Author: Panu Pihkala
Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 7836; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197836
Citations: Crossref (144), Scopus (121), Web of Science (159), Google Scholar (382)
This paper has received substantial media attention, including coverage by The Guardian, BBC, Vice, and CNBC. An interview with Dr. Panu Pihkala, a leading interdisciplinary researcher on the topic, can be found on MDPI’s podcast: Insight Faster, Episode 1.
3. “Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Its Mitigation Strategies: A Review”Authors: Gurdeep Singh Malhi, Manpreet Kaur, and Prashant Kaushik
Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1318; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031318
Citations: Crossref (207), Scopus (221), Web of Science (186), Google Scholar (355)
This paper reviews literature on climate change, addressing its causes, future projections, impact on agriculture, including plant physiology, growth, productivity, pest infestation, and the economic implications of mitigation strategies.
4. “Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Ecosystem Services, Sustainable Development Goals, and Need to Focus on Circular Economy and Policy Interventions”Authors: Rakesh Kumar, Anurag Verma, Arkajyoti Shome, Rama Sinha, Srishti Sinha, Prakash Kumar Jha, Ritesh Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Shubham, Shreyas Das, Prabhakar Sharma, and P. V. Vara Prasad
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9963; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179963
Citations: Crossref (134), Scopus (136), Web of Science (113), Google Scholar (184)
This review aims to assess the adverse effects of plastic pollution on ecosystems, link the management of plastic with the SDGs, and propose policy measures using transdisciplinary approaches. Empowering communities to reduce plastic use is crucial. Addressing global plastic pollution is a priority.
Sustainability is an international, cross-disciplinary, open access journal that explores environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability of human beings. It provides a forward-looking platform for research on sustainability and sustainable development, and is published semi-monthly online by MDPI. Sustainability is affiliated with The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) and The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB).
Read more:
- Testimonials: See what our editors and authors say about Sustainability.
Inside MDPI
President of Ireland Authors Editorial in MDPI Journal Sustainability
It’s a very special occasion when the president of a country takes the initiative to write an editorial for a journal. Michael D. Higgins, President of the Republic of Ireland, has contributed his insights to a forthcoming Special Issue in Sustainability:
This Special Issue, focusing on “making sustainable development happen” at grassroots levels, allows for perspectives from, and on, the major world faiths, exploring how challenges have been conceptualised and addressed, in addition to case studies of faith-based sustainability initiatives in practice.
The experience of faith institutions and communities in translating theological and moral commitments to sustainable development into action is now a topic we must examine with urgency; one on which I am so glad this Special Issue focuses.
As President of Ireland, I very much support this Special Issue of Sustainability. It is my great hope that the contents of the papers contained herein will assist in making sustainable development happen at grassroots levels across the world so that we can cooperate together, people of faith and of none, to ensure a just, inclusive and sustainable future for all on our fragile planet.
Read the completed editorial here:
Special Issue “Faith and Sustainable Development: Exploring Practice, Progress and Challenges among Faith Communities and Institutions”: Foreword by the President of Ireland
Author: Michael D. Higgins
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9683; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129683
Coming Together for Science
The World Sustainability Forum 2023
The World Sustainability Forum (WSF) is a biennial MDPI event focused on sustainability. WSF 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the conference series, taking place on 14 September. For the first time, the event will be hosted as a 24-hour conference across three locations – Singapore, Basel in Switzerland, and Toronto in Canada – alongside virtual streaming.
This unique format allows us to span three time zones, providing live coverage of critical sustainability-related topics throughout the day:
- The Singapore Hub, chaired by Professor Horn Mun Cheah and Associate Professor Renee Tan, will explore “Sustainability for Social and Community Impact”.
- The Basel Hub, chaired by Prof. Dr. Anet Režek Jambrak and Dr. Lela Mélon, will delve into “Sustainability in the industry, and at university and corporate settings”.
- The Toronto Hub, led by Dr. Umberto Berardi, will discuss “The Sustainable Built Environment”.
MDPI Sustainability Foundation: Recognizing Excellence in Sustainability Research
The MDPI Sustainability Foundation supports researchers through two sustainability-focused awards:
- The World Sustainability Award, amounting to USD 100,000, is given to senior researchers.
- The Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, valued at USD 20,000, sponsored by the journal Sustainability, is presented to early-career researchers.
The winners of the Sustainability Foundation will be formally awarded during the WSF2023 on 14 September. Interviews with the award winners and finalists are available below.
2023 World Sustainability Award Winners
Interviews with 2023 Emerging Sustainability Leader Award Finalists
- Dr. Bahareh Kamranzad
- Dr. Youjin Kim
- Dr. Julia Lohmann
As a hybrid event, WSF23 provides scholars with the option to attend in person at one of the conference sites or, for a more sustainable approach, virtually. All sessions will be recorded and archived for future access. Registration is open until 3 September 2023, with in-person and virtual tickets available here.
Read more:
Closing Thoughts
“Co-opetition”: Collaboration Plus Healthy Competition – A Visit to Elsevier
I firmly believe in fostering collaboration and at the same time promoting healthy competition within the academic publishing industry. The market offers ample room for publishers and related companies to provide valuable services and products that enrich the academic community. While MDPI is recognized for its efficient and streamlined processes –thanks to our over 6,000 colleagues, in-house tools, and initiatives that support the author journey – our ethos has always involved learning from and collaborating with other organizations.
MDPI’s Interaction with Elsevier
In January 2023, I had a brief conversation with Judy Verses, President of Global Academic and Government Markets at Elsevier, following her participation in a panel discussion at the Academic Publishers Europe event in Berlin. One of the highlights for me was Judy’s insight into the impact of research, particularly her emphasis on the role of collaboration, including policy and showing the impact of research to influence on funding decisions.
“Such collaborations drive forward-looking strategies to elevate our support for the scholarly community”
Judy and I resumed our discussion in August, when I visited Elsevier's office to review current projects, such as our recent agreement with Science Direct and the continued indexing of MDPI journals in Scopus (indexing database owned by Elsevier). We also explored possible opportunities for the future, including a potential collaboration to expand MDPI’s Scilit data infrastructure. This endeavour aims to aggregate and provide access to scholarly metadata encompassing journal articles, conference papers, books, preprints, and more. While these discussions are ongoing, the underlying principle remains that such collaborations drive forward-looking strategies to elevate our services and support for the scholarly community.
It was great that Judy and I acknowledged the merits of 'co-opetition,' a concept based of the belief that fostering cooperation alongside healthy competition can lead to shared advancements for both individual companies and the industry at large.
‘Fully OA’ Organizations Dedicated to Open Access
MDPI proudly aligns with the ‘Fully OA’ group, a collaborative initiative comprising nine organizations dedicated to Open Access. Our monthly meetings, including an OASPA representative, serve as platforms to share non-confidential information, resources, and projects. These gatherings also facilitate discussions on topics relevant to fully OA organizations. Occasionally, joint actions spring from these interactions, such as collaborative blog posts on pertinent subjects and joint statements, such as a recent response to the House Appropriations Committee.
This display of cooperation among competing entities forms a strategic alliance focused on nurturing the best interests of the OA publishing model.
As I wrap up this third edition of the CEO Letter, I encourage you to seize opportunities for collaboration and contribute to advancing our shared academic culture. As the African proverb has it, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
28 August 2023
Meet Us at the ISPRS 2023 Geospatial Week (GSW 2023), 2–7 September 2023, Cairo, Egypt
23 August 2023
Meet Us at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Geographical Society of China—Commission on Urban Geography, 15–18 September 2023, Wuhan, China
15 August 2023
Meet Us at the 14th National Conference on Biodiversity—1st International Conference on Mediterranean Biodiversity, 13–15 September 2023, Lecce, Italy
31 July 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards in Environmental and Earth Sciences—Winners Announced
31 July 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Best Paper Awards in Environmental and Earth Sciences—Winners Announced
31 July 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Young Investigator Awards in Environmental and Earth Sciences—Winners Announced
31 July 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in Environmental and Earth Sciences—Winners Announced
31 July 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in Environmental and Earth Sciences—Winners Announced
27 July 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #2 - Open Peer-Review and IJERPH
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Open Peer Review Reports
Continuing the topic of openness from my inaugural monthly CEO letter, in these Opening Thoughts, I highlight the growth and importance of open peer-review reports at MDPI. Open peer reports align with the principles of open science, making the publishing process more transparent and facilitating rigorous peer review.
MDPI journals operate an open peer-review option by default, allowing authors to publish review reports and author responses (often referred to as open reports) together with the published paper. Publishing the reviewer reports and author responses together with the article provides greater transparency and trust for readers, as this allows them to track the editorial decision-making process. Open peer-review also encourages reviewers and editors to provide high-quality comments, as these will be made public if the article is accepted for publication.
Start and Growth of Open Peer Review at MDPI
The MDPI journal Life was a pioneer in offering this opportunity to its authors in 2014. The first MDPI article with peer-review reports openly published was a review by the Nobel Laureate Werner Arber, in which the review reports were published as supplementary material. By 2018, open peer-review was available across all MDPI journals. As such, MDPI authors have embraced the open peer-review model, providing a steady increase in the number of MDPI articles. As of 2023, approximately one-third (34.0%) of MDPI articles were published with open review reports.
As at July 2023, the percentage of MDPI articles published with open peer review has increased to 36.2% of the total papers published in 2023 so far, indicating ongoing growth in adoption.
Open peer review continues to play a critical role in the assessment of the peer-review process in Life. For further insights, please see the recent editorial by Dr. Pabulo Henrique Rampelotto, the former Editor-in-Chief of Life, who spearheaded the implementation of the open peer-review process.
Benefits of Open Peer Review
The benefits of open peer review include increased transparency, trust and constructive feedback. To promote open communication further and increase the robustness of the peer-review process, we encourage reviewers to sign their reports so that their name appears on the review report (this process is referred to as open identity). The default option is for reviewers to remain anonymous; however, by signing the reports, reviewers receive direct credit for their contribution to the peer-review process and show their commitment towards open science.
As the leading open access publisher, MDPI remains committed to promoting open peer-review and encourages authors to choose this approach. Our goal is to provide a rigorous and transparent peer-review process that benefits the scientific community, and we believe that open peer-review is a vital step in fostering openness and collaboration in scientific communication.
Impactful Research
MDPI Papers Cited in the News – IJERPH edition
Every month, our corporate marketing team compiles data from Altmetrics to create a list of MDPI papers that have been cited in the news. This list continues to grow as renowned news outlets regularly reference research published by MDPI in their articles.
During 2022, a total of 111,965 MDPI research papers were mentioned in prominent news outlets such as National Geographic, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Guardian, the BBC, CNN, Time, and Harvard Business Review.
Highly Cited Journal Publications
IJERPH, known for publishing impactful research, received the most news mentions among all MDPI journals in 2022, based on Altmetrics data:
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: 3509 mentions
- Nutrients: 2698 mentions
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences: 1701 mentions
- Journal of Clinical Medicine: 1131 mentions
- Viruses: 1111 mentions
These numbers show the recognition and impact of the articles published in IJERPH. For a more detailed view of the journal’s most cited and viewed papers, you can visit here. In total, IJERPH has garnered over 28,000 mentions in prominent news outlets, and as at July 2023, an impressive count of over 17,000 papers cited 10 times or more. These figures highlight the impactful contribution of IJERPH publications to the scientific community.
Example of Recent Mentions
During May and June 2023, a noteworthy selection of articles from IJERPH was cited in news articles, including:
The Washington Post: “Bringing nature inside can improve your health. Here’s how to do it.”
IJERPH paper: “Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments”
Harvard Business Review: “How to Take Better Breaks at Work, According to Research”
IJERPH paper: “Canine-Assisted Therapy Improves Well-Being in Nurses”
National Geographic: “Lyme disease is spreading fast—but a vaccine may be on the way”
IJERPH paper: “Range Expansion of Tick Disease Vectors in North America: Implications for Spread of Tick-Borne Disease”
Inside MDPI
MDPI Develops an Artificial Intelligence Tool to Enhance the Peer-Review Process
At MDPI, we believe that rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing. We are grateful to the scholars who generously dedicate their time to peer-review articles submitted to MDPI journals. Their contributions are invaluable to the advancement of science.
Peer-review is a critical part of the publication process, ensuring that MDPI upholds the highest quality standards for the papers we publish. Every manuscript submitted to our journals undergoes a comprehensive peer-review process conducted by subject-matter experts.
To further enhance our peer-review process, our Data Analytics team has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool designed to support the selection of reviewers. This proprietary tool utilizes Natural Language Processing (NLP), a specially designed AI language model, to extract information from the title and abstract of submitted papers. It then searches our database for similar manuscripts and suggests potential reviewers based on this analysis. Integrated with MDPI's submission system (SuSy), the AI tool cross-references the suggested candidates with our reviewer database to verify their invitation status and availability.
The goal of this tool is to provide better targeted peer-review invitations, reducing the number of emails sent for each paper and increasing the efficiency of our editorial staff.
In the near future, our Data Analytics team plans to deploy similar AI projects to improve other critical aspects of our services, offering an enhanced experience to our authors and readers.
Click here to learn about MDPI’s review process, including procedures, responsibilities, and benefits.
Read more:
Coming Together for Science
The Future of IJERPH
On 5 July 2023, Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou, the founding Editor-in-Chief of IJERPH, along with five Section Editors in Chief (Prof. Dr. Germán Vicente-Rodríguez, Prof. Dr. Karl Goodkin, Prof. Dr. William A. Toscano, Prof. Dr. Jimmy T. Efird, and Prof. Dr. William Douglas Evans), gathered in Basel to discuss the future of the journal. The meeting provided an opportunity to address the recent decision by The Web of Science to delist IJERPH due to the journal failing the Content Relevance criterion, and propose best strategies that will ensure high scientific rigor as well as a clear scope and aim of IJERPH, going forward.
While the delisting is disappointing for IJERPH, as well as for our authors, academic editors, and the entire scientific community supporting our journal, we see it as an opportunity to reflect and prepare for the future direction of the journal.
Since its launch in 2004, IJERPH’s vision and mission have evolved to be more complete and comprehensive in engaging scientific communities. In light of this, we will refresh the journal’s aims and scope, ensuring they align with the organic expansion of IJERPH. Additionally, we will restructure the journal sections into broader categories, encouraging collaborative research and transdisciplinary approaches for authors. This is designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among diverse fields, contributing to a holistic understanding of health promotion and disease prevention. We are confident that these next steps will enhance the scientific strength and societal impact of our journal.
Journal Achievements
In addition to the productive discussions, we took the time to celebrate some of the remarkable achievements of IJERPH, which I highlight below:
- Founded by Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou in 2004
- Indexed in PubMed in 2008
- Received its first Impact Factor in 2012
- Published its 5000th paper in 2017
- Over 60,000 papers published as at June 30, 2023
- 131,628,173 paper views in 2018–2022
- Over 28,000 mentions in prominent news outlets
- 17,000 papers cited 10 times or more as at June 30, 2023
- No.1 journal in the 2022 Google Scholar Metrics in the category of Public Health
- Awarded several editions of Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards since 2018.
These achievements showcase the journal’s significant contributions to the field and its impact on global health. We are proud of the exceptional work accomplished by the IJERPH team and look forward to building upon this success in the years to come.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI’s Impact in Spain
During the past month, I had the opportunity to visit our new office building in Barcelona, where I met with our local colleagues to discuss the ways we serve the scholarly community, particularly in Spain. The multi-functional office plays a vital role in supporting various business needs, including editorial, design, conference management, data analytics, journal relationship management, publishing partnerships, and collaborations with societies.
Spain holds a significant position in MDPI’s global market, ranking as the fourth-largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI as at July 2023, ranking next to Italy, the USA, and China, with Germany completing the top five.
The Numbers
Out of the 1,680,000 total MDPI articles published as at 25 July, almost 80,000 articles are contributed by Spanish authors, representing nearly 40,000 unique authors affiliated with Spanish institutions. Remarkably, over 6,300 of these authors hold editorial board member (EBM) positions within MDPI journals, with 30 of them serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs).
Our commitment to working with institutions is very evident in Spain, where we have successfully established over 40 Institutional Open Access Programs (IOAP) with esteemed institutions such as the University of Barcelona, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Pompeu Fabra University, the University of Navarre, and Complutense University of Madrid.
Over the past five years, we have successfully organized eight in-person conferences in Barcelona, attracting over 1,150 registrations, with two forthcoming events scheduled for 2024. Barcelona's excellent connectivity to international airports makes it easily accessible to participants from around the world. Its welcoming atmosphere provides us with the perfect environment for knowledge-sharing, networking, and contributing to the local economy.
Our growth and presence in Spain are a true testament to the incredible service we provide to the scholarly community and the relationships we foster through responsive and collaborative communication. We look forward to continuing to support Spanish scholars, providing them a valuable and trusted experience with MDPI, the leader in open access publishing.
Testimonials
I close this letter as I did in the first edition, by sharing testimonials from our stakeholders. Here are a few IJERPH testimonials from a Spanish guest editor and an author:
Guest Editor
“I want to thank the kindness, attention and professionalism of the MDPI team throughout the editorial process of the Special Issue. I believe that it is a very professional and quality editorial process.”
- Professor Víctor Arufe-Giráldez, University of A Coruña
Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Physical Activity in Childhood and Adolescence
Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Physical Education: Present and Future
__
Author
“I want to thank the rigor of the revisions made to the manuscripts to improve their quality, the support to the authors for the editor assignment system they have and the follow-up they carry out, for the speed in answering and in carrying out the entire process of the revision, and for doing all this at an affordable price.”
- Dr. María Paz García-Caro, University of Granada
Article in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Factors Associated with Suicide Attempts and Suicides in the General Population of Andalusia (Spain)
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
27 July 2023
Land | Highly Viewed Papers in 2022
12 July 2023
Land | Top 10 Most Cited Papers in 2022
11 July 2023
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in June 2023
With the first issue released in June 2023, five new MDPI journals disseminating multi-disciplinary science are due to launch, which will cover the subjects of medicine & pharmacology, biology and physical sciences.
The newly launched journals will be overseen by professional Editorial Board Members and Editors to ensure an accurate and rapid publication, rigorous peer review and broad visibility.
Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.
| Journal | Founding Editor-in-Chief | Journal topics (selected) |
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Prof. Dr. Jun Ma, Peking University, China| Editorial | view inaugural issue | growth and development; diet and nutrients; school health promotion policies and practices; child health and care; adolescent health and wellbeing | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Bernd Rehm, Griffith University, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue | DNA and gene synthesis; synthetic transcription factors; protein engineering; viral engineering; metabolic engineering | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Varsha Gandhi, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue | lymphatics; cancers associated with lymphocytes and lymphoblasts; lymphatic tissues; lymphoma; lymphoid leukemia | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Dr. Bradley Turner, University of Melbourne, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue | multiple sclerosis; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; primary lateral sclerosis; atherosclerosis; systemic sclerosis | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Clemens Burda, Case Western Reserve University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue | Gamma ray, X-ray, and UV–Vis spectroscopies; NIR/mid-infrared/Raman spectroscopy; microwave and THz spectroscopy; high-resolution gas-phase atomic, molecular, and cluster spectroscopy; MS, NMR, and EPR spectroscopy | view journal scope | submit an article |
We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to submit an application to the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.
4 July 2023
Land Receives an Updated Impact Factor of 3.9 and an Improved Category Ranking
4 July 2023
Meet Us at the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society 20th Annual Meeting (AOGS 2023), 30 July–4 August 2023, Suntec, Singapore
3 July 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #1 - Open Access and Impactful Research
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
The Future is Open, and MDPI is Leading the Way
I strongly believe in a future that embraces openness, where open source, open information, and open access (OA) take center stage. This belief that led me to join MDPI in 2020, and I am honored to have recently been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In this capacity, and operating in close liaison with Dr. Lin and MDPI’s senior management, I shall work to build on Dr. Lin’s achievements of the past quarter-century. In this role, I will focus on communication initiatives to promote MDPI's remarkable work and continue to build our company as a trusted leader in OA publishing. For over two decades, MDPI has been at the forefront of reshaping the academic publishing landscape, with OA surpassing subscription-based publishing in 2020. This trajectory is deeply rooted in our history and reflects our unwavering commitment and vision for an open future.
1 Million Published Articles
2023 began with a remarkable achievement for MDPI, as we became the first OA publisher to reach the milestone of 1 million published articles. This represents 2.7 million unique authors who have trusted us with their work, or about a third of all researchers worldwide. As the world's most cited OA publisher, we are proud in sharing these significant milestones.
Our mission remains unchanged: to make science open and accessible to all. We understand the importance of knowledge access, empowering researchers to stay at the forefront of a rapidly changing world. Our diverse range of journals covers a wide spectrum of disciplines, offering cutting-edge insights, trusted tools, and crucial knowledge to address global challenges.
Liberating Science
As the world’s leading OA publisher, MDPI is actively liberating science. We are committed to eliminating the frustrations researchers and the general public face when accessing information, ensuring it is not locked behind paywalls. We firmly believe that everyone has a right to information, and our commitment to open access publishing drives our work.
In this inaugural edition of Insights: The CEO's Letter, I draw inspiration from the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access. Its stated mission reminds us that true impact is achieved when knowledge is widely and readily available to society:
"Our mission of disseminating knowledge is only half complete if the information is not made widely and readily available to society”
Impactful Research
MDPI Publishes Impactful Research: Recognized by Leading Indexing Databases
MDPI journals are indexed in every single top database in the world.
As of June 2023, we have 214 journals indexed within Web of Science, 223 indexed within Scopus, 87 indexed within PubMed and PMC, and 17 indexed within MEDLINE, and these numbers increase every month. We constantly strive to expand the coverage of our journals within leading multi-disciplinary and scope-specific databases, resulting in an incredibly broad range of journals that are indexed within a variety of databases. MDPI has active relationships with approximately 65 well-known databases around the world, and we continue to expand our portfolio every year so that your work can be found, cited, and referenced with ease.
Continued Growth of MDPI Journals
The 2022 Scopus and Web of Science journal citation metrics were officially released in June, and I am pleased to report that 31 MDPI journals received their first CiteScore, taking the total number of journals with a CiteScore to 216. The number of MDPI journals receiving an Impact Factor (IF) also continues to grow with 111 receiving their first, by being covered in the ESCI, bringing our total number of journals with an IF to 208 of which 41 journals received an IF above 4.0. Looking at 2022 CiteScores in the Scopus database, 80% of MDPI journals have a score that ranks them in Q1 or Q2 in at least one subject category.
Publishing impactful science would not be possible without all of our authors, editors and reviewers. Thank you for your contribution and continued support! Together we share the latest scientific insights faster and ensure that your work is accessible to all.
Read more
Inside MDPI
Preprints.org: Clarivate adds the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science
At MDPI, we are dedicated to driving the advancement of science. Through our initiative, Preprints.org, researchers can publish their work and gain valuable feedback from the broader research community, ensuring rapid progress in their respective fields. This is particularly crucial during times of health and climate challenges, where timely dissemination of findings is essential.
Increased Visibility for Preprints
I am pleased to share that Clarivate recognizes the significance of preprints and has taken a crucial step to enhance their visibility. Clarivate has added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science, encompassing preprints published not only on Preprints.org but also on other reputable repositories.
Looking ahead, the future of preprints appears promising, bolstered by the recent indexing announcement from the Web of Science. As a result, preprints will receive increased visibility, serving as a valuable resource for staying informed about the latest research developments.
Read more
What are Preprints?
The Pros and Cons of Preprints
Preprints and COVID-19
Preprints—The Future of Open Access Publishing?
Coming Together for Science
The First International Conference on Antioxidants: Sources, Methods, Health Benefits and Industrial Applications
In this edition of ‘Coming Together for Science,’ I am pleased to highlight the First International Conference on Antioxidants organized by our conference team in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain. The conference attracted over 130 attendees, who engaged in 42 talks, and 89 poster presentations spread across several sessions.
Working Together
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Alessandra Napolitano (Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Naples, Italy) and Prof. Dr. Rosa M. Lamuela Raventos (Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, University of Barcelona, Spain) as chairs, and supported by the committee members, 10 invited keynote speakers, poster presenters, and all the attendees, this dedicated group of academics came together to discuss the natural sources, methodologies, health benefits, and industrial applications of antioxidants.
Especially noteworthy is the positive feedback received from attendees, with 94% rating the overall organization of the conference as good or excellent. I particularly love the picture above, capturing the gathering of some of the participants. You can browse through more photos in the event gallery located here.
Managing Events With Sciforum
If you are considering hosting your own academic event, I highly recommend checking out Sciforum, MDPI's event management platform. Sciforum simplifies the entire process, making it easy to host your own event by allowing you to focus on what really matters: Science!
Read more
Closing Thoughts
Stefan Tochev, Dr. Shu-Kun Lin, Dr. Eric O. Freed, Peter Roth, Wynne Wang, Allison Yang
Viruses and Editorial Quality: Acknowledging the Dedication of our Viruses Journal Team
During a June meeting with Dr. Eric O. Freed, the founding and current Editor-in-Chief of our journal Viruses, I was reminded of the exceptional dedication of our editorial board. Meeting with Eric is a pleasure, as he has a strong commitment and clear vision for the journal. Over the course of two days, we gained a deep understanding of the journal’s expectations and focus on strategic growth, editorial board representation, and engagement.
I am pleased to share that Viruses holds a CiteScore of 7.1 (an increase of 7.57% versus the 2021 metric) and an Impact Factor of 4.7. You can view the journal statistics here. Viruses publishes highly cited papers, and is indexed in renowned databases such as Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubMed, and others, and maintains affiliations with prestigious societies. Moreover, the Viruses team has recently announced an exciting upcoming event titled ‘Viruses 2024 – A World of Viruses,’ scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain, from 14–16 February 2024.
Testimonials
If you notice my enthusiasm regarding our editorial service, it’s because the surveys and testimonials we receive speak volumes about the experiences of our authors, reviewers, and guest editors who collaborate with MDPI. The purpose of these letters is to highlight the exceptional work that we do and the experiences we create for the scholars – thus, let me end with this testimonial from an author:
“It was a great pleasure to publish in Viruses Special Issue [Emerging Viruses in Aquaculture]. The submission process was easy. Guest editors were very helpful and provided all the guidance and support as needed. The handling of the manuscript by the Editorial Team was very fast, efficient, and professional. The reviewer’s comments were insightful, and the publication processes were remarkably rapid.”
– Ms. Magdalena Stachnik, Państwowy Instytut Weterynaryjny | PIWet
Article in Viruses: Emerging Viral Pathogens in Sturgeon Aquaculture in Poland: Focus on Herpesviruses and Mimivirus Detection
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
29 June 2023
Interview with Prof. Dr. Adrienne Grêt-Regamey—Winner of the Land 2022 Influential Female Research in Land System Science Award
28 June 2023
2022 Impact Factors for MDPI Journals
The 2022 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:
We are thrilled to announce that 90% of our ranked MDPI journals, specifically 86 out of 96 (captured in the table below), are performing above average in Q1 or Q2. This year, Clarivate has expanded its Impact Factor (IF) awards to include journals in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), providing greater transparency for the full set of journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. As a result, 111 of MDPI journals have received their first IF in 2023, with 37 journals surpassing an IF of 3.0. In total, 208 MDPI journals have been honored with an IF.
Clarivate explains that by "expanding the coverage but holding to highly selective standards, the [Impact Factor] is now a reliable indicator of trustworthiness, as well as a measure of scholarly impact, at the journal level."
Please visit our blog post where we discuss the release of the latest citation metrics with our Indexing Manager, Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, to find out what's different this time around and how to make use of different metrics available.
| Journal | Impact Factor | Rank Quartile | Category |
| Vaccines | 7.8 | Q1 | Immunology |
| Medicine, Research & Experimental | |||
| Antioxidants | 7.0 | Q1 | Food Science & Technology |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | |||
| Chemistry, Medicinal | |||
| Cells | 6.0 | Q2 | Cell Biology |
| Nutrients | 5.9 | Q1 | Nutrition & Dietetics |
| International Journal of Molecular Sciences | 5.6 | Q1 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research | 5.6 | Q2 | Business |
| Biomolecules | 5.5 | Q1 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Biosensors | 5.4 | Q1 | Chemistry, Analytical |
| Instruments & Instrumentation | |||
| Q2 | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | ||
| Fractal and Fractional | 5.4 | Q1 | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications |
| Marine Drugs | 5.4 | Q1 | Chemistry, Medicinal |
| Pharmacology & Pharmacy | |||
| Pharmaceutics | 5.4 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
| Nanomaterials | 5.3 | Q1 | Physics, Applied |
| Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | |||
| Cancers | 5.2 | Q2 | Oncology |
| Foods | 5.2 | Q1 | Food Science & Technology |
| Polymers | 5.0 | Q1 | Polymer Science |
| Remote Sensing | 5.0 | Q1 | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary |
| Q2 | Remote Sensing | ||
| Imaging Science & Photographic Technology | |||
| Environmental Sciences | |||
| Antibiotics | 4.8 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
| Q2 | Infectious Diseases | ||
| Drones | 4.8 | Q2 | Remote Sensing |
| Journal of Functional Biomaterials | 4.8 | Q2 | Engineering, Biomedical |
| Materials Science, Biomaterials | |||
| Biomedicines | 4.7 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
| Q2 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | ||
| Medicine, Research & Experimental | |||
| Journal of Fungi | 4.7 | Q2 | Mycology |
| Microbiology | |||
| Viruses | 4.7 | Q2 | Virology |
| Bioengineering | 4.6 | Q2 | Engineering, Biomedical |
| Gels | 4.6 | Q1 | Polymer Science |
| Molecules | 4.6 | Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | |||
| Pharmaceuticals | 4.6 | Q2 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
| Chemistry, Medicinal | |||
| Toxics | 4.6 | Q1 | Toxicology |
| Q2 | Environmental Sciences | ||
| Biomimetics | 4.5 | Q1 | Engineering, Multidisciplinary |
| Q2 | Materials Science, Biomaterials | ||
| Microorganisms | 4.5 | Q2 | Microbiology |
| Plants | 4.5 | Q1 | Plant Sciences |
| Biology | 4.2 | Q2 | Biology |
| Chemosensors | 4.2 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
| Chemistry, Analytical | |||
| Electrochemistry | |||
| Membranes | 4.2 | Q2 | Engineering, Chemical |
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Chemistry, Physical | |||
| Polymer Science | |||
| Toxins | 4.2 | Q1 | Toxicology |
| Q2 | Food Science & Technology | ||
| Metabolites | 4.2 | Q2 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Batteries | 4.0 | Q2 | Electrochemistry |
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Q3 | Energy & Fuels | ||
| Catalysts | 3.9 | Q2 | Chemistry, Physical |
| Journal of Clinical Medicine | 3.9 | Q2 | Medicine, General & Internal |
| Land | 3.9 | Q2 | Environmental Studies |
| Sensors | 3.9 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
| Chemistry, Analytical | |||
| Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | |||
| Sustainability | 3.9 | Q2 | Environmental Sciences (SCIE) |
| Environmental Studies (SSCI) | |||
| Q3 | Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SCIE) | ||
| Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SSCI) | |||
| Buildings | 3.8 | Q2 | Construction & Building Technology |
| Engineering, Civil | |||
| Agronomy | 3.7 | Q1 | Agronomy |
| Q2 | Plant Sciences | ||
| Fermentation | 3.7 | Q2 | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology |
| Pathogens | 3.7 | Q2 | Microbiology |
| Agriculture | 3.6 | Q1 | Agronomy |
| Diagnostics | 3.6 | Q2 | Medicine, General & Internal |
| Genes | 3.5 | Q2 | Genetics & Heredity |
| Journal of Intelligence | 3.5 | Q2 | Psychology, Multidisciplinary |
| Lubricants | 3.5 | Q2 | Engineering, Mechanical |
| Processes | 3.5 | Q2 | Engineering, Chemical |
| Coatings | 3.4 | Q2 | Materials Science, Coatings & Films |
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
| ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information | 3.4 | Q2 | Geography, Physical |
| Q3 | Computer Science, Information Systems | ||
| Remote Sensing | |||
| Materials | 3.4 | Q2 | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Physics, Condensed Matter | |||
| Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Chemistry, Physical | |||
| Micromachines | 3.4 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Chemistry, Analytical | |||
| Q3 | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | ||
| Water | 3.4 | Q2 | Water Resources |
| Environmental Sciences | |||
| Brain Sciences | 3.3 | Q3 | Neurosciences |
| Energies | 3.2 | Q3 | Energy & Fuels |
| Fire | 3.2 | Q1 | Forestry |
| Q2 | Ecology | ||
| Life | 3.2 | Q2 | Biology |
| Current Issues in Molecular Biology | 3.1 | Q3 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Horticulturae | 3.1 | Q1 | Horticulture |
| Animals | 3.0 | Q1 | Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science |
| Veterinary Sciences | |||
| Insects | 3.0 | Q1 | Entomology |
| Atmosphere | 2.9 | Q3 | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
| Environmental Sciences | |||
| Electronics | 2.9 | Q2 | Engineering, Electrical & Electronic |
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Q3 | Computer Science, Information Systems | ||
| Forests | 2.9 | Q1 | Forestry |
| Inorganics | 2.9 | Q2 | Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear |
| Journal of Marine Science and Engineering | 2.9 | Q1 | Engineering, Marine |
| Q2 | Oceanography | ||
| Engineering, Ocean | |||
| Metals | 2.9 | Q2 | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
| Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease | 2.9 | Q2 | Tropical Medicine |
| Parasitology | |||
| Q3 | Infectious Diseases | ||
| Universe | 2.9 | Q2 | Astronomy & Astrophysics |
| Physics, Particles & Fields | |||
| Healthcare | 2.8 | Q2 | Health Policy & Services (SSCI) |
| Q3 | Health Care Sciences & Services (SCIE) | ||
| Applied Sciences | 2.7 | Q2 | Engineering, Multidisciplinary |
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Q3 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Crystals | 2.7 | Q2 | Crystallography |
| Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Entropy | 2.7 | Q2 | Physics, Multidisciplinary |
| Magnetochemistry | 2.7 | Q2 | Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear |
| Q3 | Chemistry, Physical | ||
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Symmetry | 2.7 | Q2 | Multidisciplinary Sciences |
| Actuators | 2.6 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
| Engineering, Mechanical | |||
| Aerospace | 2.6 | Q1 | Engineering, Aerospace |
| Behavioral Sciences | 2.6 | Q2 | Psychology, Multidisciplinary |
| Current Oncology | 2.6 | Q3 | Oncology |
| Machines | 2.6 | Q2 | Engineering, Mechanical |
| Q3 | Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | ||
| Medicina | 2.6 | Q3 | Medicine, General & Internal |
| Separations | 2.6 | Q3 | Chemistry, Analytical |
| Minerals | 2.5 | Q2 | Mining & Mineral Processing |
| Mineralogy | |||
| Geochemistry & Geophysics | |||
| Children | 2.4 | Q2 | Pediatrics |
| Diversity | 2.4 | Q2 | Biodiversity Conservation |
| Q3 | Ecology | ||
| Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease | 2.4 | Q3 | Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems |
| Mathematics | 2.4 | Q1 | Mathematics |
| Photonics | 2.4 | Q3 | Optics |
| Veterinary Sciences | 2.4 | Q1 | Veterinary Sciences |
| Fishes | 2.3 | Q2 | Marine & Freshwater Biology |
| Fisheries | |||
| Axioms | 2.0 | Q2 | Mathematics, Applied |
| Systems | 1.9 | Q2 | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary |
| Tomography | 1.9 | Q3 | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging |
Note: The Journal of Personalized Medicine's Impact Factor was omitted in the original release and will be assigned separately. Please find the data on the journal webpage in due course.
Source: 2022 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports TM (Clarivate, 2023)
28 June 2023
Recruiting Reviewer Board Members for Land
21 June 2023
Recruiting Editorial Board Members for Land
13 June 2023
Land Receives an Increased CiteScore of 3.7
8 June 2023
Topics Webinar | EO&GEO Series: UAV Remote Sensing for LULC, Landscape, Citizen Sciences, 13 July 2023
A message from Prof. Rui Alexandre Castanho, the webinar chair:
Throughout the webinar, we will have the opportunity to hear from leading experts in their fields, engage in productive discussions, and participate in hands-on workshops and activities. We aim to foster new partnerships through collaboration and innovation, providing a platform where a range of ideas can be shared.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have revolutionized remote sensing for land use and land cover (LULC) mapping and landscape analysis. The ability to capture high-resolution aerial imagery and create 3D landscape models has allowed for more accurate and detailed mapping of LULC patterns, changes, and trends over time.
Furthermore, using UAVs for citizen science initiatives has enabled communities to participate in monitoring and managing their local environments. This approach allows for a more collaborative and inclusive approach to environmental management and can help to build community awareness and engagement in environmental issues.
UAVs have also been used for mapping vegetation, soil erosion, and water quality monitoring. These applications have provided researchers and managers with new tools to better understand and manage natural resources. UAVs can collect data quickly and at a high resolution, allowing for more detailed analysis of small-scale features such as vegetation canopy cover, plant height, and soil erosion patterns.
Using UAVs for remote sensing and citizen science initiatives has opened up new opportunities for more efficient and effective environmental monitoring and management. As technology continues to improve, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of UAVs in environmental research and management.
At this webinar, we hope you will gain new insights, make valuable connections, and leave feeling inspired and motivated to drive positive change in your respective fields.
Date: 13 July 2023 at 5:00 p.m. CEST | 11:00 a.m. EDT | 11:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 870 9667 3555
Register now for free!
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
Time in EDT |
|
Prof. Rui Alexandre Castanho |
5:00–5:10 p.m. |
11:00–11:10 a.m. |
|
Dr. Ana Hernando |
5:10–5:50 p.m. |
11:10–11:50 a.m. |
|
Dr. Luís Quinta-Nova |
5:50–6:30 p.m. |
11:50 a.m.–12:30 p.m. |
|
Q&A Session |
6:30–6:55 p.m. |
12:30–12:55 p.m. |
|
Prof. Rui Alexandre Castanho |
6:55–7:00 p.m. |
12:55–01:00 p.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register as normal to be notified when the recording is available to watch.
Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers
- Rui Alexandre Castanho, Department of Management, WSB University, Dabrowa Górnicza, Poland;
- Ana Hernando, Departamento de Ingeniería y Gestión Forestal y Ambiental Department of Forestry and Environmental Engineering and Management, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain;
- Luís Quinta-Nova, Agrarian Higher School, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
Relevant Topic:
“Advances in Earth Observation and Geosciences”
Edited by: Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera and Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez
Abstract submission deadline: 31 December 2023
Relevant Special Issues:
"Land-Use Planning in Borderlands and Ultra-Peripheral Regions"
Edited by: Dr. Rui Alexandre Castanho, Dr. José Manuel Naranjo Gómez, Prof. Dr. José Martín Gallardo, Dr. José Cabezas Fernández and Prof. Dr. Luís Quinta-Nova
"Planning Peripheral and Ultra-Peripheral Infrastructures"
Edited by: Prof. Dr. Rui Alexandre Castanho, Prof. Dr. Ana Vulevic, Prof. Dr. Gualter Couto and Prof. Dr. José Manuel Naranjo Gómez
"Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories"
Edited by: Prof. Dr. Rui Alexandre Castanho and Prof. Dr. Gualter Couto
"Remote Sensing Applications in Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)"
Edited by: Dr. Ali Nadir Arslan, Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Dabrowska-Zielinska and Dr. Jose Manuel Álvarez-Martínez
"Resilient UAV Autonomy and Remote Sensing"
Edited by: Dr. Chi Chen, Dr. San Jiang, Dr. Xijiang Chen, Dr. Mao Tian, Dr. Jianping Li and Dr. Jian Zhou
"Advances on Land Cover/Land Use Ontologies for Innovative Production/Utilization of Land Information"
Edited by: Dr. Antonio Di Gregorio, Dr. Matieu Henry, Chris T. Hill, Prof. John Latham, Prof. Dr. Mohammed Abed Hossain, Dr. Khalid Mahmood and Dr. Foster Mensah
Relevant feature paper:
“The Land Use Mapping Techniques (Including the Areas Used by Pedestrians) Based on Low-Level Aerial Imagery”
by Maciej Smaczyński, Beata Medyńska-Gulij and Łukasz Halik
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(12), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9120754
31 May 2023
Interview with Prof. Dr. Harini Nagendra—Winner of the Land 2022 Influential Female Research in Land System Science Award
We are pleased to announce the winner of the Land 2022 Influential Female Research in Land System Science Award—Prof. Dr. Harini Nagendra.
Name: Prof. Dr. Harini Nagendra
Affiliation: Azim Premji University, India
Research interests: urban ecology and sustainability; land change science; remote sensing for ecology and conservation
We acknowledge that scientific progress is a collaborative and inclusive effort that necessitates gender equality and equity in access to publishing across the Global North and South. This award aims to encourage female scholars to continue to advance the field of land science, and we will continue to reward those female scholars who have made noteworthy contributions to it. We wish them every success in their careers.
We hope you enjoy the interview.
1. Can you provide a brief summary of your current research activities?
I'm the director of the Research Centre at the Azim Premji University in Bangalore in India, which is equivalent to a dean or coordinator of research activities at the university. And I also directly lead the Center for Climate Change and Sustainability at the university, which means that we are a larger center looking at issues of climate change and sustainability that are largely affecting India, but also affecting the world.
As part of this, my own research is on cities in environmental change and land change in cities, and how India should adapt to the climate crisis. My teaching also revolves around these areas. I teach and have created courses on GIS, remote sensing, land change science, sustainability and planetary boundaries; of course, land change is one of the very important planetary boundaries that we're dealing with.
I also do a lot of work on biodiversity and the interconnection between land cover change, landscape ecology and biodiversity.
2. What sparked your initial interest in land science and which aspects of research do you find most satisfying?
I started with my undergraduate degree in microbiology, chemistry and zoology, and my master's degree was in biological sciences, but largely molecular biology. I came into land change science relatively late, during my master’s, just prior to my Ph.D. That is because I did not find molecular biology very appealing, but I loved looking at landscapes and the spatial connections that influence ecology, people and sustainability.
I did my Ph.D. at the Center for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, and my focus was on understanding ecological patterns at a large scale in the Western Ghats (India), and for that you need to understand how these landscapes related to each other in terms of spatial pattern and movements between them. So I started using remote sensing satellite image data—that was my introduction to the world of land change science.
What I find most fascinating is understanding the pattern, process and interplay between patterns of land change and the human processes that drive these changes. It's a feedback process. People influence landscapes—and landscapes influence, in turn, the way people think and behave, shaping landscapes again. I find these feedback loops very interesting to understand, especially to compare cases to see how people in different parts of the world interact with landscapes differently. In India you might have a different way of interacting with landscapes; in mountain areas people think differently from the coast, and in cities people think and behave differently with landscapes as compared to people in rural areas. That kind of comparison is something that fascinates me.
3. As a woman working in the field of land science, how do you perceive your role and what were the main challenges you faced?
I didn't realize it when I started working in the field of landscape ecology and land change science in 1993, but I was actually one of the first few people to use digital and computer methods for land change science in India. Later I realized that I was one of the few women globally too who was doing this at that time. In 1993, there weren't too many women in this field. There were many researchers doing this, but they were mostly men.
I didn't come in with that understanding, I just came in as somebody who liked this and started work.
So, I would say I've been fortunate not to have faced too many obstacles for being a woman in the field myself. But a lot of my Ph.D. students, and master’s and undergraduate students have been women who do a great deal of fieldwork. While it depends on the landscape you select, safety is always a preoccupation. When you go into the field and do field research, whether I do it myself or plan for my students, it's something we must be very aware of and plan very carefully.
But I would say that there is also quite a bit of unstated bias that women have to fight, especially the presumption that women can't do well at certain kinds of things, such as computer processing, digital processing, the kinds of mathematical or engineering understanding of the big data challenges.
Then again, I've been very pleased to always work with women, younger women and to mentor them. So I would also say that while I witness how challenging it is for them in multiple ways, I am also deeply satisfied to see how much the field has advanced. Now you find as many women in the field of land change science as men, even in leadership positions. If you look at the cutting-edge research in land change science, a lot of it is being done by women. So, I would say that this aspect really feels satisfying to me, looking back at the last 30 years in the field.
4. What are the current opportunities and challenges facing women in science, and what message would you like to convey to young women pursuing a career in this field?
I think the world is open like never before. It's not equal yet, but we're much closer to an equal footing than we were before. So, my one message would be to embrace the opportunity.
I think what happens is that women are sometimes very sensitive to unspoken societal expectations. If society, or their lab environment, or their home environment is disapproving, not all women, but some women do tend to give in to that pressure and agree to select another field of work, or even quit science altogether.
My message to women would be to just push ahead and persist, because at some point the boundaries will give way. Take the support from as many women mentors as you can find, whether in your direct area or an allied area, and find supportive male mentors and colleagues as well. But do always look for supportive women mentorship. If you don't find it at your place of work, you can find it elsewhere. I've had a lot of women reach out to me from different parts of the world, and with the increasing inter-connectedness of the world, you can now be connected to mentors and find collaborations online, which can also be of great help.
So, I would say push ahead, find your mentors, find your tribe and keep working as a community.
5. What is your aspiration for gender equality in science in the future?
My aspiration would be for a world where the unspoken bias in school environments—where young women are often told to stay away from STEM subjects and move towards social science subjects—changes across the world.
A time when women can be encouraged to take up professional careers in mathematics and science as often as they are in biology and social science, where essentially, they can do what they want to do without feeling that these are subjects suited for women, and those are subjects more suited for men. Unfortunately, you still find areas like engineering, physics and mathematics that are really male-dominated. I would like to see those societal barriers dissolve and break down. That has to be done, like I said, at an earlier level, at the high school and undergraduate levels, which is when many girls and young women drop out of STEM subjects.
6. Can you share your thoughts on the development of open access in the publishing industry?
Speaking as a researcher from the Global South, open access has many benefits, but it also has a lot of potential disadvantages. I'd like to speak of both. The big benefit for us is that open access allows people from the Global South who may not have money to access the publications of journals that you otherwise might not have because they're behind a paywall, and that kind of access to data is really important.
The challenge is the publication costs. Because at most open access journals you pay for publication, and the costs are steep and that sets up another disparity—some people have grants to support these publications, and benefit from them, others lack grants to support this research, especially academics in the Global South. Even if journals offer discounts, the amount to be paid remains very high. I see many young early career researchers who want to publish in an open access journal putting their own money into paying the Article Processing Charges. Sometimes, this could be as much as their salary for a year, because the salary disparities in the Global South are so high. So this is something that I really wonder about, because if you can't afford to publish in the open access journals, where does that leave you as a young scholar? I can also see it from the journals’ point of view, that each journal must sustain its finances. I don't really know what the solution is. But we must find a way to support more scholars from the Global South, especially young scholars, with complete waivers.
Overall, open access is both a blessing and a challenge, especially since it is setting up a different kind of inequity—and we have to find ways to deal with that.
7. What are your long-term research goals?
I want to start a systematic study of cities across the world. The world is going to see a huge growth in cities—people who live in cities are supposed to increase from 50% to about 80% in the next 30 years or so. This means that a lot of the future urban areas of the world are yet to be built. How can we build them more sustainably? And how are they being built now? I’m especially interested in the pattern-process linkage that I was talking about earlier. What are the spatial patterns of these cities that will be built? How will those patterns of urban growth impact water, biodiversity, other kinds of land change parameters, and how can we use this knowledge to design future cities in a better way? That's something that I really want to study in the next few years, looking specifically for insights that can hopefully drive policy.
8. Do you have any recommendations for the Land journal?
I think it is important to have a greater focus on promoting participation from the Global South on an equal footing, encouraging ways in which people can contribute without these payments. It would be especially useful to have a specific program for early career researchers, which could include possibilities for full waivers for their papers. Those kinds of grants would be very helpful for academics at the early stages of their career, especially for Ph.D. students and postdocs, because that's the stage at which they need to really publish and also the stage at which they often face strong financial constraints of different kinds. An expansion of grants and fee waivers for these researchers would be especially important and useful.
In terms of areas to focus on, I think studies of urbanization in the Global South would be something that Land could emphasize, as it remains a knowledge gap.
9 May 2023
Meet Us at the Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2023 (JpGU 2023), 21–26 May 2023, Chiba, Japan
21 April 2023
Topics Webinar | EO&GEO Series: Remote Sensing for Flood Risk and Hazard Management, Held on 11 May 2023
11 April 2023
Topics Webinar | EO&GEO Series: New Milestones in Drones—From New Drones Designs to Real-Time and Artificial Intelligence Applications, Held on 25 April 2023
11 April 2023
Meet Us at the 2023 Science and Technology Annual Meeting of Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, 22–23 April 2023, Nanchang, China
23 March 2023
Join Us at the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference (IWFC), 16–19 May 2023, Porto, Portugal
21 March 2023
2023 International Day of Forests
We hope you will join us in celebrating and further protecting the planet’s forests this International Day of Forests, which takes place on the 21st of March. The theme for the 2023 International Day of Forests is "Forests and Health”. Forests give so much to our health, they purify the water, clean the air, capture carbon to fight climate change, provide food and life-saving medicines, and improve our well-being. It is up to us to safeguard these precious natural resources. At MDPI, our open access journals are primarily available online, reducing the company’s impact on deforestation and helping to protect the world’s forests.
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| Location: Nalati Grassland, Xinjiang, China Photo by Carolyn Chen, Sydney University |
Location: Jiangshan, Zhejiang, China Photo by Pengcheng Ye, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science |
Location: Qinling, Shanxi, China Photo by Yuan Li, Shaanxi Normal University |
To access more content about Nature Photography Campaign and other related series activities, please click here.
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- “Facilitating Prescribed Fire in Northern California through Indigenous Governance and Interagency Partnerships”
Fire 2021, 4, 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire4030037 - “Capitalization and Capital Return in Boreal Carbon Forestry”
Earth 2022, 3, 204-227; https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3010014 - “A Knowledge Review on Integrated Landscape Approaches”
Forests 2022, 13, 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020312 - “National Implementation of the Forest Europe Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management”
Forests 2022, 13, 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020191 - “Carbon Footprint and Feedstock Quality of a Real Biomass Power Plant Fed with Forestry and Agricultural Residues”
Resources 2022, 11, 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources11020007 - “The Necrobiome of Deadwood: The Life after Death”
Ecologies 2023, 4, 20-38; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4010003
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Special Issue: “Plant Communities: Identification, Monitoring and Evaluation of Temporal Dynamics”
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Special Issue: “The Use of Fire in Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Management”
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Special Issue: “Forest Therapy and Health”
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Special Issue: “Forest, Trees, Human Health and Wellbeing”
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International Day of Forests Webinar 2023 21 March 2023, 09:00 (CET) Free to register for the two sessions. Recordings will be available on Sciforum shortly afterward. |
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13 March 2023
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in December 2022
As a leading open access publisher, MDPI provides scholars with a high-quality and rich academic exchange platform by continuously expanding into new and exciting research areas.
In December 2022, MDPI launched five new journals, covering multiple subjects such as life sciences, biology, medicine and pharmacology, social sciences and humanities. These new journals are being edited by established scholars across the world.
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Journal |
Founding Editor-in-Chief |
Journal Topics (Selected) |
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Prof. Dr. Fabio Gresta, University of Messina, Italy| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
grass/forage/turf production; grassland management; pasture monitoring; grazing and livestock; grass agro-ecosystems| view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Christos G. Athanassiou, University of Thessaly, Greece| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
pesticides; fungicides; herbicides; fertilizers; soil conditioners| view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Stephen H. Safe, Texas A&M University, USA| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
receptor structure; receptor function; receptor signaling; receptor expression and regulation; receptor interactions with drugs| view journal scope | submit an article |
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Dr. Jean Jacques Vanden Eynde, University of Mons-UMONS, Belgium| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
drug discovery; medicinal chemistry; preclinical and clinical research; marketed drugs; intellectual property and regulatory affairs| view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Heather Kanuka, University of Alberta, Canada| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
higher education; tertiary education; policy and practice in higher education; educational leadership in higher education; educational administration and management in higher education| view journal scope | submit an article |
If you are interested in creating more open access journals with us to publish cutting-edge research, please send your journal proposal application to [email protected].
8 March 2023
Land | Congratulations to the Advisory Board Member Prof. Dr. Hualou Long on the Appointment as an AcSS Fellow
We would like to congratulate Prof. Dr. Hualou Long, Advisory Board Member of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), who has been elected to the prestigious Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences for his achievements in the fields of human geography focusing on land-use transition and rural restructuring. This is an award granted by the Academy of Social Sciences to leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners of the social sciences. New fellows are elected each year by the Academy of Social Sciences from among outstanding scholars in the UK and international humanities and social sciences.
Full AcSS press release and Spring 2023 fellow list can be found at the following link: https://acss.org.uk/news/academy-of-social-sciences-confers-fellowship-to-fifty-six-leading-social-sciences/.
7 March 2023
Displaying Co-Authors’ Email Addresses on the Webpage of Published Papers
22 February 2023
Meet Us at the 2023 AAG Annual Meeting, 23–27 March 2023, Denver, USA
16 February 2023
Increasing Visibility for Preprints.org – Clarivate adds the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science
1 February 2023
Land | Special Issue Reprints Published in 2022
We are delighted to share with you 13 reprints of Special Issues published in 2022 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X). They were selected by the Land Editorial Office, each with 10 or more articles published. You can read more reprints of the Special Issues published by Land here. If you are interested in editing a Special Issue, you are welcome to check out our new initiative—the Special Issue Mentor Program.
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“Celebrating 25 Years of World Wetlands Day” |
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“Wildlife Protection and Habitat Management: Practice and Perspectives” |
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“Land Use Change from Non-urban to Urban Areas: Problems, Challenges and Opportunities” |
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“Recent Progress in Urbanisation Dynamics Research” |
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“Rural Space Modeling” |
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“Multiple Roles for Landscape Ecology in Future Farming Systems” |
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“Land Use Conflict Detection and Multi-Objective Optimization Based on the Productivity, Sustainability, and Livability Perspective” |
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“Socio-Economic Impacts of Carbon Sequestration on Livelihoods and Future Climate” |
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“Land Perspectives: People, Tenure, Planning, Tools, Space, and Health” |
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“Land Surface Monitoring Based on Satellite Imagery” |
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“Sustainable Land Management and Ecosystem Services in Agroforestry Systems” |
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“Effects of Land Use on the Ecohydrology of River Basin in Accordance with Climate Change” |
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“Landslide Hazard and Environment Risk Assessment” |
19 January 2023
Land | Issue Cover Articles in 2022
The articles below have been selected as 2022 Issue Cover Articles by the Editorial Office of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X). These articles came from multiple fields within the scope of Land and we hope they can provide insights and references for scholars in related fields.
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1. “Using the Ecosystem Services Concept to Assess Transformation of Agricultural Landscapes in the European Alps” |
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2. “A Review of Crop Husbandry and Soil Management Practices Using Meta-Analysis Studies: Towards Soil-Improving Cropping Systems” |
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3. “Multisource and Multilevel Investigations on a Historical Landslide: The 1907 Servigliano Earth Flow in Montemurro (Basilicata, Southern Italy)” |
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4. “An Overview of Fractal Geometry Applied to Urban Planning” |
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5. “Geomatic Techniques Applied to the Dynamic Study (2001–2019) of the Rock Glacier in the Veleta Cirque (Sierra Nevada, Spain)” |
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6. “Herd It in the Gobi: Deserting Pastoralism?” |
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7. “High-Mountain Landscape Classification to Analyze Patterns of Land Use and Potential Natural Vegetation” |
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8. “Updating Distribution, Ecology and Hotspots for Three Amphibian Species to Set Conservation Priorities in a European Glacial Refugium” |
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9. “Evaluation of MODIS, Climate Change Initiative and CORINE Land Cover Products Based on a Ground Truth Dataset in a Mediterranean Landscape” |
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10. “Digital Tools for Quantifying the Natural Capital Benefits of Agroforestry: A Review” |
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11. “Review of Urban Land Management Based on Bibliometrics” |
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12. “Are Wildfires in the Wildland-Urban Interface Increasing Temperatures? A Land Surface Temperature Assessment in a Semi-Arid Mexican City” |
31 December 2022
Land | Season’s Greetings from Editorial Board Members
22 December 2022
Special Issue Mentor Program
14 December 2022
"Thanks a Million!" – One Million Articles Published in MDPI Journals
MDPI has just become the first open access (OA) publisher to reach the milestone of one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon! We are proud to share this special moment with the global scientific community.
This landmark has been reached thanks to the immeasurable support of more than 600,000 expert reviewers, 66,000 editorial board members and 6700 hard-working colleagues across MDPI’s global offices.
Within more than 25 years of publishing, our journals received 2.1 million manuscripts and generated 4.6 million peer review reports to get to one million papers published.
Reaching the milestone of one million articles published reinforces our mission to remove any existing barriers and to make scientific research accessible to all. Since its inception, MDPI’s goal has been to create reliable processes to make science open. This is a path towards facilitating the dissemination of novel insights in scientific communities.
Regular feedback from authors and reviewers shows that our service is greatly appreciated and needed. At the same time, the feedback helps us identify areas for further improvement.
As it stands, a significant share of published research findings remain closed access. More than half of the content published with the most well-known legacy publishers stays behind a paywall, and that is not including articles published in hybrid OA journals, or made available months or years after publication.
A new policy announced by the US administration in August 2022 requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made freely and immediately available after publication. While the new policy does not mandate articles be published under an open access license, it is aligned with the open access movement in removing all barriers to research. Similarly, some of the most advanced research institutions in the world intend to have all funded research articles published in open access by 2025.
MDPI is proud to be the leading agent of the transition to open access.
"Thanks a Million" to all the contributors!
8 December 2022
MDPI Sustainability Foundation: New Look and Nominations for the 2023 Sustainability Awards Now Open
We are pleased to announce that the website of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation has been revamped! For the past couple of months, our UX UI team and front-end developers have been working hard to launch the website in time for the opening of the Sustainability Awards nominations.
The website is not the only thing that has had a remodeling. Indeed, the format of the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA) has been updated. ESLA is now a competition open to individual researchers or start-ups founded by researchers under the age of 35. Nominee applications will go through 2 rounds of selection until the final 3 are decided. The finalists will then be invited to give pitch presentations during the Award Ceremony to win either first place (10,000 USD) or runner-up (2 x 5000 USD).
The World Sustainability Award, on the other hand, remains the same: a total prize money of 100,000 USD is up for grabs by senior individual researchers or groups of researchers from the international research community.
Nominations for both the World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader award are now open! Check out our new website for more information on how to nominate.
2 December 2022
Editorial Board Members from Land Featured in the 2022 Highly Cited Researchers List Published by Clarivate
Recently, Clarivate™ revealed its 2022 list of Highly Cited Researchers™—individuals at universities, research institutes and commercial organizations.
The scientists who were selected for this year’s list of Highly Cited Researchers have published highly cited papers in the 11-year period from January 2011 to December 2021, with citation frequency in the top 1% of academic subjects and the same year of publication in the Web of ScienceTM database. Based on the Web of Science Citation data, 6,938 researchers from across the globe who have demonstrated a disproportionate level of significant and broad influence in their chosen field or fields over the last decade have been awarded Highly Cited Researcher 2022 designations. The list is truly global, spanning 69 countries or regions and spread across a diverse range of research sciences and social sciences.
According to statistics, 13 Editorial Board Members of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) have been featured on the list of Highly Cited Researchers of Clarivate in 2022. They are being recognized for their high-quality scientific research achievements and outstanding contributions to professional fields. The Land journal office sincerely congratulates all elected Editorial Board Members and hopes that they continue to have an academically productive relationship with the journal.
11 November 2022
Land Accepted for Coverage in ANVUR
7 November 2022
Meet Us at the 2022 BES Annual Meeting, 18–21 December 2022, Edinburgh, UK
7 November 2022
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles in 2020–2021 in the Section “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues”
4 November 2022
Recruiting Volunteer Reviewers for Land
3 November 2022
Recruiting Editorial Board Members for Land
3 November 2022
Recruiting Section Editors-in-Chief for Land
3 November 2022
Editorial Board Members from Land Featured in Stanford’s List of the World’s Top 2% Scientists
1 November 2022
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles in 2020–2021 in the Section “Land Systems and Global Change”
28 October 2022
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles in 2020–2021 in the Section “Landscape Ecology”
25 October 2022
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles in 2020–2021 in the Section “Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions”
4 October 2022
Welcoming New Editorial Board Members of Land
28 September 2022
Peer Review Week 2022 – Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research
23 September 2022
Meet Us at the AGU Fall Meeting 2022 (AGU22), 12–16 December 2022, Online or On-Site in Chicago, IL, USA
28 June 2022
2021 Impact Factors - Released
The 2021 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:
| Journal | Impact Factor | Rank | Category |
| Antioxidants | 7.675 | Q1 | Food Science & Technology |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | |||
| Chemistry, Medicinal | |||
| Cells | 7.666 | Q2 | Cell Biology |
| Nutrients | 6.706 | Q1 | Nutrition & Dietetics |
| Cancers | 6.575 | Q1 | Oncology |
| Pharmaceutics | 6.525 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
| International Journal of Molecular Sciences | 6.208 | Q1 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Marine Drugs | 6.085 | Q1 | Chemistry, Medicinal |
| Pharmacology & Pharmacy | |||
| Biomolecules | 6.064 | Q2 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Batteries * | 5.938 | Q2 | Electrochemistry |
| Energy & Fuels | |||
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Viruses | 5.818 | Q2 | Virology |
| Biosensors | 5.743 | Q1 | Chemistry, Analytical |
| Instruments & Instrumentation | |||
| Q2 | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | ||
| Journal of Fungi | 5.724 | Q1 | Mycology |
| Q2 | Microbiology | ||
| Nanomaterials | 5.719 | Q1 | Physics, Applied |
| Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | |||
| Metabolites | 5.581 | Q2 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Foods | 5.561 | Q1 | Food Science & Technology |
| Drones * | 5.532 | Q2 | Remote Sensing |
| Remote Sensing | 5.349 | Q1 | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary |
| Imaging Science & Photographic Technology | |||
| Q2 | Remote Sensing | ||
| Environmental Sciences | |||
| Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research | 5.318 | Q2 | Business |
| Antibiotics | 5.222 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
| Q2 | Infectious Diseases | ||
| Pharmaceuticals | 5.215 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
| Q2 | Chemistry, Medicinal | ||
| Biology | 5.168 | Q1 | Biology |
| Fermentation | 5.123 | Q2 | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology |
| Toxins | 5.075 | Q1 | Toxicology |
| Q2 | Food Science & Technology | ||
| Bioengineering * | 5.046 | Q2 | Engineering, Biomedical |
| Polymers | 4.967 | Q1 | Polymer Science |
| Journal of Clinical Medicine | 4.964 | Q2 | Medicine, General & Internal |
| Vaccines | 4.961 | Q2 | Immunology |
| Medicine, Research & Experimental | |||
| Molecules | 4.927 | Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | |||
| Microorganisms | 4.926 | Q2 | Microbiology |
| Journal of Functional Biomaterials * | 4.901 | Q2 | Engineering, Biomedical |
| Materials Science, Biomaterials | |||
| Biomedicines | 4.757 | Q2 | Medicine, Research & Experimental |
| Pharmacology & Pharmacy | |||
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | |||
| Plants | 4.658 | Q1 | Plant Sciences |
| International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | 4.614 | Q1 | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health (SSCI) |
| Q2 | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health (SCIE) | ||
| Environmental Sciences (SCIE) | |||
| Membranes | 4.562 | Q1 | Polymer Science |
| Q2 | Engineering, Chemical | ||
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Chemistry, Physical | |||
| Pathogens | 4.531 | Q2 | Microbiology |
| Catalysts | 4.501 | Q2 | Chemistry, Physical |
| Toxics | 4.472 | Q2 | Toxicology |
| Environmental Sciences | |||
| Gels | 4.432 | Q1 | Polymer Science |
| Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease | 4.415 | Q2 | Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems |
| Chemosensors | 4.229 | Q1 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
| Q2 | Chemistry, Analytical | ||
| Q3 | Electrochemistry | ||
| Genes | 4.141 | Q2 | Genetics & Heredity |
| Diagnostics | 3.992 | Q2 | Medicine, General & Internal |
| Agronomy | 3.949 | Q1 | Agronomy |
| Plant Sciences | |||
| Land | 3.905 | Q2 | Environmental Studies |
| Sustainability | 3.889 | Q2 | Environmental Sciences (SCIE) |
| Environmental Studies (SSCI) | |||
| Q3 | Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SCIE) | ||
| Q4 | Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SSCI) | ||
| Sensors | 3.847 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
| Chemistry, Analytical | |||
| Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | |||
| Materials | 3.748 | Q1 | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
| Q2 | Physics, Applied | ||
| Physics, Condensed Matter | |||
| Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Chemistry, Physical | |||
| Biomimetics * | 3.743 | Q2 | Engineering, Multidisciplinary |
| Q3 | Materials Science, Biomaterials | ||
| Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease * | 3.711 | Q1 | Tropical Medicine |
| Q2 | Parasitology | ||
| Q3 | Infectious Diseases | ||
| Lubricants * | 3.584 | Q2 | Engineering, Mechanical |
| Fractal and Fractional | 3.577 | Q1 | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications |
| Water | 3.530 | Q2 | Water Resources |
| Q3 | Environmental Sciences | ||
| Micromachines | 3.523 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Chemistry, Analytical | |||
| Q3 | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | ||
| Journal of Personalized Medicine | 3.508 | Q2 | Medicine, General & Internal |
| Health Care Sciences & Services | |||
| Agriculture | 3.408 | Q1 | Agronomy |
| Processes | 3.352 | Q2 | Engineering, Chemical |
| Separations | 3.344 | Q2 | Chemistry, Analytical |
| Magnetochemistry | 3.336 | Q2 | Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear |
| Q3 | Chemistry, Physical | ||
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Brain Sciences | 3.333 | Q3 | Neurosciences |
| Buildings | 3.324 | Q2 | Construction & Building Technology |
| Engineering, Civil | |||
| Forests | 3.282 | Q1 | Forestry |
| Energies | 3.252 | Q3 | Energy & Fuels |
| Life | 3.251 | Q2 | Biology |
| Coatings | 3.236 | Q2 | Materials Science, Coatings & Films |
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Animals | 3.231 | Q1 | Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science |
| Veterinary Sciences | |||
| Journal of Intelligence * | 3.176 | Q2 | Psychology, Multidisciplinary |
| Fishes | 3.170 | Q1 | Marine & Freshwater Biology |
| Q2 | Fisheries | ||
| Healthcare | 3.160 | Q2 | Health Policy & Services (SSCI) |
| Health Care Sciences & Services (SCIE) | |||
| Inorganics * | 3.149 | Q2 | Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear |
| Insects | 3.139 | Q1 | Entomology |
| Atmosphere | 3.110 | Q3 | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
| Environmental Sciences | |||
| Current Oncology | 3.109 | Q3 | Oncology |
| ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information | 3.099 | Q2 | Geography, Physical |
| Q3 | Computer Science, Information Systems | ||
| Remote Sensing | |||
| Diversity | 3.029 | Q2 | Biodiversity Conservation |
| Ecology | |||
| Tomography | 3.000 | Q3 | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging |
| Current Issues in Molecular Biology | 2.976 | Q3 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Medicina | 2.948 | Q3 | Medicine, General & Internal |
| Symmetry | 2.940 | Q2 | Multidisciplinary Sciences |
| Horticulturae | 2.923 | Q1 | Horticulture |
| Machines | 2.899 | Q2 | Engineering, Mechanical |
| Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | |||
| Systems * | 2.895 | Q2 | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary |
| Applied Sciences | 2.838 | Q2 | Engineering, Multidisciplinary |
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Q3 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
| Children | 2.835 | Q2 | Pediatrics |
| Minerals | 2.818 | Q2 | Mining & Mineral Processing |
| Mineralogy | |||
| Geochemistry & Geophysics | |||
| Universe | 2.813 | Q2 | Astronomy & Astrophysics |
| Q3 | Physics, Particles & Fields | ||
| Journal of Marine Science and Engineering | 2.744 | Q1 | Engineering, Marine |
| Q2 | Oceanography | ||
| Engineering, Ocean | |||
| Entropy | 2.738 | Q2 | Physics, Multidisciplinary |
| Fire * | 2.726 | Q2 | Forestry |
| Q3 | Ecology | ||
| Metals | 2.695 | Q2 | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
| Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Electronics | 2.690 | Q3 | Engineering, Electrical & Electronic |
| Computer Science, Information Systems | |||
| Physics, Applied | |||
| Crystals | 2.670 | Q2 | Crystallography |
| Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
| Aerospace | 2.660 | Q1 | Engineering, Aerospace |
| Mathematics | 2.592 | Q1 | Mathematics |
| Photonics | 2.536 | Q3 | Optics |
| Actuators | 2.523 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
| Q3 | Engineering, Mechanical | ||
| Veterinary Sciences | 2.518 | Q2 | Veterinary Sciences |
| Behavioral Sciences * | 2.286 | Q3 | Psychology, Multidisciplinary |
| Axioms * | 1.824 | Q2 | Mathematics, Applied |
For more information on Impact Factors and what it means to index academic journals, please visit our related blog posts.
* Journals given their first Impact Factor in 2022
Source: 2021 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports TM (Clarivate, 2022)
13 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Young Investigator Awards in “Environmental & Earth Sciences”—Winners Announced
13 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in “Environmental & Earth Sciences”—Winners Announced
13 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in “Environmental & Earth Sciences”—Winners Announced
13 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Best Paper Awards in “Environmental & Earth Sciences”—Winners Announced
9 June 2022
2021 CiteScores - Released
12 April 2022
Prof. Dr. Benjamin Burkhard Appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Landscape Ecology” in Land
18 March 2022
Recruiting Editorial Board Members for the Section “Land Innovations—Data and Machine Learning” of Land
18 March 2022
Dr. Francesca Cigna Appointed Editor-in-Chief of the New Section “Landscape Archaeology” in Land
18 March 2022
Urban Land Institute (ULI) Is Now an Affiliated Society Member of Land
In February 2022, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) chose Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) as its preferred journal and became an affiliated society member. As part of this collaboration, all members of ULI will benefit a discount on the article processing charge (APC) when submitting articles to Land.
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ULI is the oldest and largest network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts in the world. ULI is its members. Through our members’ dedication to the mission and their shared expertise, the institute has been able to set standards of excellence in development practice. The mission of the Urban Land Institute: Shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. |
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The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a professional organization whose functions are highly relevant to the scope of Land.
We look forward to collaborating with ULI and publishing state-of-the-art research from its members in this field.
3 March 2022
Recruiting Section Editors-in-Chief for Land
3 March 2022
Recruiting Editorial Board Members for Land
23 February 2022
Land | Recruiting Editorial Board Members for Section “Landscape Archaeology”
22 February 2022
Recruiting Topical Advisory Panel Members for Land
18 February 2022
Land | Recruiting Editorial Board Members for New Section “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing”
23 December 2021
Dr. Sean Sloan Appointed Editor-in-Chief of the New Section “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing” in Land
14 December 2021
Prof. Dr. Chuanrong Zhang Appointed Editor-in-Chief of the New Section “Land Innovations – Data and Machine Learning” in Land
9 December 2021
Land Receives Updated Impact Factor of 3.398
At the end of October 2021, the citation metrics of Journal Citation Reports (JCR, https://jcr.help.clarivate.com/Content/data-updates.htm) were updated, in order to fix the problems associated with missing material, as well as to fix other small errors. Based on the new metrics, Land received a new IF of 3.398, which is a slight increase from the previous IF of 3.395.
The newest journal ranking in the corresponding categories is shown below.
For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/stats.
22 November 2021
722 MDPI Editorial Board Members Receiving "2021 Highly Cited Researchers" Distinction
19 November 2021
Join Us for the Landscape Institute Awards 2021 Online Ceremony, 25 November 2021
16 November 2021
Topical Advisory Panel Established to Support Editorial Board
25 October 2021
Open Access Week 2021 | It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity, 25–31 October
Founded in 1996, MDPI was one of the first fully Open Access publisher. Over 25 years MDPI has grown to become the largest Open Access publisher globally, publishing over 160,000 articles across more than 350 journals in 2020. At the core, MDPI was founded in response to a pressing need of fast publication and inclusion. The scholar was set at the centre of the publication process for the first time. Acting as a service provider, rather than a product provider, MDPI exists to help scientists achive their objective to disseminate research results. At MDPI, we believe scientists deserve a better service from the publishing world.
The International Open Access Week (Open Access Week), founded by the SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) Alliance and student partners in 2008, has been successfully running for 13 years. As an advocate and pioneer of open access publishing, MDPI actively responds to the call of International Open Access Week. This year’s theme of “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity” highlights the Recommendation’s call for equitable participation from all authors and readers.
For the last 25 years, MDPI has been committed to disseminating open research. Here is a video showing MDPI’s Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for More than 25 Years.
International Open Access Week is an important opportunity to catalyze new conversations, create connections across and between communities that can facilitate this co-design, and advance progress in the building of more equitable foundations for opening knowledge—discussions and actions that need to be continued, year in and year out. MDPI has always aimed to provide professional and efficient publishing services to scholars around the world.
Our mission is to make scientific research accessible to everyone; this year, we interview and hold discussions with open science ambassadors on how to build an equal and inclusive environment for open science. Academic editors help us collaborate with more institutions to advocate for open access ideas.
Besides this, our scientific community is a key driver of our success and MDPI’s remarkable growth. Despite the pandemic, we have prepared online conferences and workshops to gather scholars from different communities.
The Basel Sustainable Publishing online forum provides an equal opportunity for stakeholders and researchers from multi-cultural environments to exchange ideas and eliminate barriers to participation.
Conference date: 25 October 2021, online
Conference website: https://bspf2021.sciforum.net/
Main topics: MDPI discusses the current dilemma of open access science from various perspectives such as governments, libraries, and publishers, and related measures on how to change the status quo of discrimination from a global perspective.
We aim to support equality, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications. We collaborate with universities and key laboratories and have scholarly communications with researchers, teachers, and students on open access workshops.
- 25 October 2021
Energies journal and Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 28 October 2021
Machines journal and State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University
- 29 October 2021
Processes journal and Beijing Institute of Technology
- 29 October 2021
Coatings journal and Wuhan University of Technology
MDPI is committed to providing open access and high-quality publishing services for scholars and promoting rapid dissemination of academic achievements. We hope to promote the practices and policies of open access publishing and diversify the dissemination of academic achievements.
23 September 2021
2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award—Winners Announced
22 September 2021
MDPI Joins SDG Publishers Compact
UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In 2020 the SDG Publishers Compact was launched, aimed to inspire publishers and accelerate progress to achieve the 17 goals by 2030. Members of the programme are committed to support the publication of materials that will promote and inspire actions towards SDGs.
MDPI is an eager advocate of SDGs and has already been supporting the programme by creating Special Issues and publishing a series of books on SDGs prior to joining the Compact in 2021. MDPI's Sustainability Foundation initiated the World Sustainability Awards in 2016. We fully support UN's goals to promote sustainable actions that make the world a better place for all and, as part of its commitment, we will focus our actions on SDG10: Reduced Inequalities whilst promoting all 17 SDGs. For more details, please visit the programme’s website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-publishers-compact/.
Joining this initiative was a unanimous decision. MDPI has in its core values the dissemination of science for all, breaking the wall between research access and under-represented members of the scientific community and the general population. To support this initiative further and continue to support under-represented scientists, MDPI will take a series of actions that will be announced once ready.
The first action MDPI takes is to nominate Dr. Liliane Auwerter as the coordinator of the programme. Dr. Auwerter studied Environmental Process Technology (UTFPR, Brazil), obtained her MSc degree in Water and Environmental Engineering (University of Surrey, UK) and in 2020 completed her PhD in self-healing low-friction materials for water transport (Imperial College London, UK), always focusing on diverse scientific projects that would potentially bring sustainability to industrial processes. As a student in Brazil, she engaged in volunteering activities focused on environmental education and took part in the Millennial Development Goals meetings held at the university.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Liliane Auwerter
Scientific Officer
[email protected]
16 September 2021
Prof. Dr. Christine Fürst Appointed Editor-in-Chief of Land
We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Christine Fürst has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Land (ISSN 2073-445X, IF 3.395, CiteScore 3.0).
Prof. Dr. Christine Fürst is by training a forest scientist (LMU Munich, 1998) and obtained her Ph.D. as Dr. rer. silv. at TU Dresden in 2010. Since 2005, she has specialized in social–ecological systems research and since 2007, in an interdisciplinary process, she has developed an integrated land use change modeling and impact assessment software platform, GISCAME. In 2013, she passed her habilitation at the University of Bonn with venia legendi in natural resource management. In 2015, she moved to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research; and then, in 2016, moved, first as interim, and later as full professor for Sustainable Landscape Development, to Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Christine funded the European Land-Use Institute in 2011 and established the European Nodal Office of GLP in 2012. She is currently engaged in the scientific board of the Ecosystem Service Partnership and she is the lead author of the IPBES regional assessments, ECA region for chapters 5 and 6. From 2015 to 2019, she was president of the International Association of Landscape Ecology and is now past-president until 2023. Christine served in the context of Future Earth and in the development team of the Food–Energy–Water Nexus Knowledge Action Network. Her main research interests currently lie in integrative landscape modeling and impact assessment by means of a system of systems and in participatory decision processes in urban and regional spatial planning. Her regional research focus lies beyond Europe, in West Africa and Latin America.
The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Christine Fürst:
- What do you like about being the Editor-in-Chief of Land? How would you like to develop Land?
It is an opportunity to accompany the community of land system scientists and develop a platform for publications in this field. I have a passion for co-developing the philosophy and concepts of publications so that emerging inter- and transdisciplinary publication trends can find better reflection through innovative publication formats. It is also a good chance to cooperate with all the colleagues, the section editors, and manifold members of the editorial board to exchange and enhance our understanding of the key challenges and future thematic areas where land system sciences can contribute to solving societal and environmental challenges.
- Is Open Access popular among land scientists? What might your response be to Open Access skeptics?
I think Open Access has become more and more the publication model, particularly since the research funders require the accessibility of the publications, which is not given in no-open access models. Accessibility also increases awareness and, thus, the impact of published research, which makes it more rewarding. Additionally, it contributes to fairness toward scientists in developing countries who otherwise would not have access to recent knowledge. As long as publication fees are reasonable for all the publisher's work at the back-end and, if needed, support is provided to young scholars or scholars from developing countries, it is the best model to share knowledge globally.
We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Christine Fürst as our Editor-in-Chief and look forward to her valuable input for the continued success of Land.
Land Editorial Office
3 August 2021
Announcement on Japanese Consumption Tax (JCT)
15 July 2021
Recruiting Editorial Board Members for the Section “Landscape Architecture” of Land
13 July 2021
Landscape Institute (LI) Is Now an Affiliated Society Member of Land
In June 2021, Landscape Institute (LI) chose Land as its preferred journal and became an affiliated society member. As part of this collaboration, all members of LI will enjoy a discount on the article processing charge (APC) when submitting articles to Land.
Landscape Institute (LI) is a professional organization whose functions are highly relevant to the scope of Land. We look forward to collaborating with LI and publishing state-of-the-art research from its members in this field.
30 June 2021
2020 Impact Factors - Released
28 April 2021
Book Builder—Compile a Customized E-Book from Your Favorite MDPI Open Access Content
MDPI Books recently released Book Builder, a new online tool to conveniently arrange, design and produce an eBook from any content published in MDPI journals. Book Builder offers two functions: on the one hand (1) Selections, available to every registered user of MDPI; on the other hand (2) Special Issue Reprints, which can be used exclusively by Guest Editors of Special Issues.
Selections
In just a matter of a few clicks, all users are now able to assemble books from MDPI articles and receive instantaneous feedback in the form of a fully produced and compiled book (PDF), which can be downloaded or ordered as print copy. Selections can include any paper published with MDPI, picking and combining content from different journals and special issues.
This way, the user may for example choose to compile an ebook focusing around a particular topic, or assemble articles from a group of others.
We invite you to make yourself familiar with the new tool! The Book Builder can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book_builder.
Special Issue Reprints
The Book Builder allows Guest Editors of MDPI journals to create a reprint from a successfully completed Special Issue or Topical Collection in book format. If you are a Guest Editor for an MDPI journal, you can use the new tool to create an PDF document which includes all articles published in the Special Issue as well as a book cover and table of contents.
For Special Issues containing a minimum of 5 articles, the Guest Editor can request its publication on the MDPI Book platform. Published reprints are assigned an ISBN and DOI.
In addition to the PDF copy of the Reprint Book, as a token of our gratitude, MDPI offers every Guest Editor one (1) complimentary print copy (via print-on-demand). All contributors benefit from a discount on orders of any additional print copies, to share with colleagues or libraries or others.
Why choose MDPI Books?
In line with our organization's values, MDPI Books publishes all content in open access, promoting the exchange of ideas and knowledge in a globalized world. MDPI Books encompasses all the benefits of open access—high availability and visibility, as well as wide and rapid dissemination. MDPI Books are distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License, meaning as an author you retain the copyright for your work. In addition, with MDPI Books you can complement the digital version of your work with a high-quality printed counterpart.
If you are interested in editing a book volume or series, or have a monograph manuscript to be considered for publication, please submit your proposal online and look at our Information for Authors.
Contact: Laura Wagner, MDPI Books Manager (email)
15 April 2021
MDPI Celebrates Company Milestone With 25th Anniversary Page
"We exist to help scientists achieve their own objectives"
10 March 2021
Journal Selector: Helping to Find the Right MDPI Journal for Your Article
28 December 2020
Recruiting Reviewer Board Members for Land
15 December 2020
MDPI adopts C4DISC principles to improve diversity and inclusion in scholarly communications
MDPI is proud to adopt the principles of the Coalition for Diversity & Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) to support building equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications.
The C4DISC represents organizations and individuals working in scholarly communications and is focused on addressing issues of diversity and inclusion within the publishing industry.
MDPI’s Managing Editors encourage the Editors-in-Chief and Associate Editors to appoint diverse expert Editorial Boards. This is also reflective in our multi-national and inclusive workplace. We are proud to create equal opportunities without regard to gender, ethnicity, geographic location, sexual orientation, age, disability, political beliefs, religion, or socio-economic status. There is no place for discrimination in our workplace and editors of MDPI journals are to uphold these principles in high regard.
Representatives from C4DISC meet monthly, and have started to implement initiatives to shed light and improve on the lack of diversity in scholarly communications. Some of the initiatives include developing a joint statement of principles; conducting market research; providing training resources, best practices, toolkits, and documentation for our collective memberships; and establishing outreach programs, curricula, events, and publications.
The Coalition is committed to:
- eliminating barriers to participation, extending equitable opportunities across all stakeholders, and ensuring that our practices and policies promote equitable treatment and do not allow, condone, or result in discrimination;
- creating and maintaining an environment that respects diverse traditions, heritages, and experiences;
- promoting diversity in all staff, volunteers, and audiences, including full participation in programs, policy formulation, and decision-making;
- raising awareness about career opportunities in our industries to groups who are currently underrepresented in the workforce;
- supporting our members in achieving diversity and inclusion within their organizations.
14 December 2020
Article Layout and Templates Revised for Future Volumes
At MDPI we have slightly revised the layout for articles to be published in the 2021 Volume, starting at the end of December 2020. As of today, the article templates available for download on ‘Instructions for Authors’ pages have been updated.
The most noticeable change can be found on the first page of the article, where a left-hand column has been created to include the following front matter elements: (i) the recommended citation style for the article, (ii) the publishing history, (iii) as well as the Creative Commons Attribution license used (iv) a standard note regarding affiliations. At the same time, the extra spacing on the left means the authors’ affiliations are now more clearly set apart than before. Other front matter key elements such as journal logo, article type, article title, authors, abstract and keywords remain unchanged.
The blank column on the left runs through all pages in an article; as a result, the main text is slightly more condensed, which improve reader friendliness for smaller screens. Small figures/tables are aligned on the left with standard indenture, while large figures/tables are centered and covering the full width of the page. The revised layout was applied in the article pictured below, to serve as an example:
1) Information is displayed in the left information bar.
2) In the main text, there is a blank column on the left.
3) Small tables/figures are aligned on the left, large tables/figures are centered.
11 December 2020
2020 "Highly Cited Researchers" on MDPI Journal's Editorial Boards
29 July 2020
Call for Special Issue Proposal
9 July 2020
Open Access Agreement Between Jisc Collections and MDPI
We are delighted to announce the establishment of our Open Access agreement with Jisc Collections, which will allow UK institutions to benefit from access to article processing charge (APC) discounts and streamlined payment workflows.
All institutions participating in the agreement will also gain access to the MDPI online submission system where they can find full article metadata and pricing information for easy identification and additional transparency.
Eligible authors affiliated with the participating institutions are prompted to choose the corresponding Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) when they submit an article via our online submission system.
About Jisc
Jisc's vision is for the UK to be the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world. At its heart is the super-fast national research and education network, Janet, with built-in cyber security protection. Jisc also provides technology solutions for its members (colleges, universities and research centres) and customers (public sector bodies), helps members save time and money by negotiating sector-wide deals and provides advice and practical assistance on digital technology. Jisc is funded by the UK higher and further education and research funding bodies and member institutions.
For more information, contact [email protected].
About MDPI
MDPI is a publisher of fully peer-reviewed, Open Access journals with a focus on thorough and rapid editorial processing. Its aim is to ensure that high-quality research is verified and made available to the research community as quickly as possible. MDPI stands at the forefront of the Open Access movement, having launched its first online journal Molecules in 1996. Today, MDPI is a leader in Open Access publishing with over 250 journals across all research disciplines, and all content published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
For any questions about this agreement, please contact the MDPI IOAP team at [email protected].
29 June 2020
Updated Impact Factors Released in the Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate)
The updated citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), published by Clarivate. The recent release of the JCR includes seventy-one MDPI titles. Out of these, 18 titles are newcomers, receiving a first Journal Impact Factor which is based on citation activity in 2019: Actuators, Agriculture, Biology, Biomedicines, Biosensors, Chemosensors, Children, Healthcare, Journal of Fungi, Journal of Personalized Medicine (JPM), Land, Life, Magnetochemistry, Membranes, Pharmaceuticals, Photonics, Separations and Toxics.
- Out of the previously listed journals, a total of 72 percent boast an increased Impact Factor.
- 25 journals are ranked among the top 25% of journals in at least one of the categories they are ranked for.
- Articles published in 2019 in MDPI journals account for approximately 17 percent of of articles published in gold Open Access journals covered in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).
First Impact Factors
| Journal | Impact Factor | Rank | Category | Details |
| Actuators | 1.957 | 31/64 (Q2) | • Instruments & Instrumentation | Link |
| Agriculture | 2.072 | 25/91 (Q2) | • Agronomy | Link |
| Biology | 3.796 | 19/93 (Q1) | • Biology | Link |
| Biomedicines | 4.717 | 30/138 (Q1) 36/270 (Q1) |
• Medicine, Research & Experimental • Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
Link |
| Biosensors | 3.240 | 24/86 (Q2) | • Chemistry, Analytical | Link |
| Chemosensors | 3.108 | 16/64 (Q1) 27/86 (Q2) 13/27 (Q2) |
• Instruments & Instrumentation • Chemistry, Analytical • Electrochemistry |
Link |
| Children | 2.078 | 50/128 (Q2) | • Pediatrics | Link |
| Healthcare | 1.916 | 62/102 (Q3) 45/87 (Q3) |
• Health Care Sciences & Services (SCIE) • Health Policy & Services (SSCI) |
Link |
| Journal of Fungi | 4.621 | 5/29 (Q1) 31/135 (Q1) |
• Mycology • Microbiology |
Link |
| Journal of Personalized Medicine | 4.433 | 24/165 (Q1) 10/102 (Q1) |
• Medicine, General & Internal • Health Care Sciences & Services |
Link |
| Land | 2.429 | 58/123 (Q2) | • Environmental Studies (SSCI) | Link |
| Life | 2.991 | 26/93 (Q2) 109/267 (Q2) |
• Biology • Microbiology |
Link |
| Magnetochemistry | 1.947 | 22/45 (Q2) 109/159 (Q3) 201/314 (Q3) |
• Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear • Chemistry, Physical • Materials Science, Multidisciplinary |
Link |
| Membranes | 3.094 | 53/143 (Q2) 129/314 (Q2) 23/89 (Q2) |
• Engineering, Chemical • Materials Science, Multidisciplinary • Polymer Science |
Link |
| Pharmaceuticals | 4.286 | 49/270 (Q1) | • Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Link |
| Photonics | 2.140 | 48/97 (Q2) | • Optics | Link |
| Separations | 1.900 | 53/86 (Q3) | • Chemistry, Analytical | Link |
| Toxics | 3.271 | 32/92 (Q2) 92/265 (Q2) |
• Toxicology • Environmental Sciences |
Link |
Updated Impact Factors
| Journal | Impact Factor | Rank | Category | Details |
| Agronomy | 2.603 | 18/91 (Q1) 65/234 (Q2) |
• Agronomy • Plant Sciences |
Link |
| Animals | 2.323 | 10/63 (Q1) 14/142 (Q1) |
• Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science • Veterinary Sciences |
Link |
| Antibiotics | 3.893 | 23/93 (Q1) 64/270 (Q1) |
• Infectious Diseases • Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
Link |
| Antioxidants | 5.014 | 10/139 (Q1) 56/297 (Q1) 7/61 (Q1) |
• Food Science & Technology • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology • Chemistry, Medicinal |
Link |
| Applied Sciences | 2.474 | 161/314 (Q3) 32/91 (Q2) 88/177 (Q2) 62/154 (Q2) |
• Materials Science, Multidisciplinary • Engineering, Multidisciplinary • Chemistry, Multidisciplinary • Physics, Applied |
Link |
| Atmosphere | 2.397 | 48/93 (Q3) | • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Link |
| Biomolecules | 4.082 | 98/297 (Q2) | • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Link |
| Brain Sciences | 3.332 | 113/271 (Q2) | • Neurosciences | Link |
| Cancers | 6.126 | 37/244 (Q1) | • Oncology | Link |
| Catalysts | 3.520 | 65/159 (Q2) | • Chemistry, Physical | Link |
| Cells | 4.366 | 70/195 (Q2) | • Cell Biology | Link |
| Coatings | 2.436 | 10/21 (Q2) | • Materials Science, Coatings & Films | Link |
| Crystals | 2.404 | 10/26 (Q2) 165/314 (Q3) |
• Crystallography • Materials Science, Multidisciplinary |
Link |
| Diagnostics | 3.110 | 39/165 (Q1) | • Medicine, General & Internal | Link |
| Diversity | 1.402 | 119/168 (Q3) | • Ecology | Link |
| Electronics | 2.412 | 125/266 (Q2) | • Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | Link |
| Energies | 2.702 | 63/112 (Q3) | • Energy & Fuels | Link |
| Entropy | 2.494 | 33/85 (Q2) | • Physics, Multidisciplinary | Link |
| Foods | 4.092 | 27/139 (Q1) | • Food Science & Technology | Link |
| Forests | 2.221 | 17/68 (Q1) | • Forestry | Link |
| Genes | 3.759 | 53/177 (Q2) | • Genetics & Heredity | Link |
| Insects | 2.220 | 18/101 (Q1) | • Entomology | Link |
| International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) | 2.849 | 58/193 (Q2) 32/170 (Q1) 105/265 (Q2) |
• Public, Environmental & Occupational Health (SCIE) • Public, Environmental & Occupational Health (SSCI) • Environmental Sciences (SCIE) |
Link |
| International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) | 4.556 | 74/297 (Q1) 48/177 (Q2) |
• Biochemistry & Molecular Biology • Chemistry, Multidisciplinary |
Link |
| ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (IJGI) | 2.239 | 31/50 (Q3) 18/30 (Q3) |
• Geography, Physical • Remote Sensing |
Link |
| Journal of Clinical Medicine | 3.303 | 36/165 (Q1) | • Medicine, General & Internal | Link |
| Journal of Marine Science and Engineering | 2.033 | 31/66 (Q2) | • Oceanography | Link |
| Marine Drugs | 4.073 | 16/61 (Q2) | • Chemistry, Medicinal | Link |
| Materials | 3.057 | 132/314 (Q2) | • Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Link |
| Mathematics | 1.747 | 28/324 (Q1) | • Mathematics | Link |
| Medicina | 1.205 | 107/165 (Q3) | • Medicine, General & Internal | Link |
| Metabolites | 4.097 | 95/297 (Q2) | • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Link |
| Metals | 2.117 | 18/79 (Q1) 185/314 (Q3) |
• Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering • Materials Science, Multidisciplinary |
Link |
| Micromachines | 2.523 | 56/92 (Q3) 23/64 (Q2) |
• Nanoscience & Nanotechnology • Instruments & Instrumentation |
Link |
| Microorganisms | 4.152 | 37/135 (Q2) | • Microbiology | Link |
| Minerals | 2.380 | 6/21 (Q2) 11/30 (Q2) |
• Mining & Mineral Processing • Mineralogy |
Link |
| Molecules | 3.267 | 70/177 (Q2) 141/297 (Q2) |
• Chemistry, Multidisciplinary • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
Link |
| Nanomaterials | 4.324 | 89/314 (Q2) 42/103 (Q2) |
• Materials Science, Multidisciplinary • Nanoscience & Nanotechnology |
Link |
| Nutrients | 4.546 | 17/89 (Q1) | • Nutrition & Dietetics | Link |
| Pathogens | 3.018 | 65/135 (Q2) | • Microbiology | Link |
| Pharmaceutics | 4.421 | 44/270 (Q1) | • Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Link |
| Plants | 2.762 | 58/234 (Q1) | • Plant Sciences | Link |
| Polymers | 3.426 | 16/89 (Q1) | • Polymer Science | Link |
| Processes | 2.753 | 59/143 (Q2) | • Engineering, Chemical | Link |
| Remote Sensing | 4.509 | 9/30 (Q2) | • Remote Sensing | Link |
| Sensors | 3.275 | 22/86 (Q2) 77/266 (Q2) 15/64 (Q1) |
• Chemistry, Analytical • Engineering, Electrical & Electronic • Instruments & Instrumentation |
Link |
| Sustainability | 2.576 | 120/265 (Q2) 26/41 (Q3) 53/123 (Q2) 6/8 (Q3) |
• Environmental Sciences (SCIE) • Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SCIE) • Environmental Studies (SSCI) • Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SSCI) |
Link |
| Symmetry | 2.645 | 29/71 (Q2) | • Multidisciplinary Sciences | Link |
| Toxins | 3.531 | 21/92 (Q1) 34/139 (Q1) |
• Toxicology • Food Science & Technology |
Link |
| Universe | 1.752 | 18/29 (Q3) 42/68 (Q3) |
• Physics, Particles & Fields • Astronomy & Astrophysics |
Link |
| Vaccines | 4.086 | 57/158 (Q2) 50/138 (Q2) |
• Immunology • Medicine, Research & Experimental |
Link |
| Viruses | 3.816 | 12/37 (Q2) | • Virology | Link |
| Water | 2.544 | 31/94 (Q2) | • Water Resources | Link |
Source: Clarivate 2020, InCites Journal Citation Reports®.
29 June 2020
Land Receives First Journal Impact Factor of 2.429
13 May 2020
COVID-19 Academic Resources Center
15 April 2020
Call for Review for Land
9 April 2020
Free Open Platforms to Support Academics During the COVID-19 Pandemic
25 March 2020
MDPI Comment on the COVID-19 Virus
18 March 2020
MDPI Co-Signed Position Statement on Transformative Agreements
16 March 2020
Encyclopedia Outstanding Contributor Awards 2020 - Open for Application
We are pleased to announce that Encyclopedia will be awarding five Outstanding Contributor Awards for researchers in 2020. The nominations and applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Encyclopedia Editorial Board.
Prize for Winners
- An official certificate;
- A cash award of 500 CHF or an MDPI discount voucher of 800 CHF.
Application Deadline
31 December, 2020 (Please send your application email with a list of all entries you contributed to our office before the deadline: [email protected])
Candidate Requirements
- Have a Ph.D. degree;
- Have more than three qualified entries published in Encyclopedia in 2020.
Evaluation Standards
- Number of entries published in Encyclopedia in 2020;
- Quality of entries online (including length, figure quality, and novelty);
- Impact of entries (including the number of likes, discussion contents, views, and downloads).
If you are a researcher and have not yet contribute entries to Encyclopedia, please do not miss this chance to highlight your research results.
9 March 2020
Meet Us at European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2020 in Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May
21 January 2020
Meet Us at the 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS 2020) in Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA, 19–24 July, 2020
21 January 2020
Meet Us at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers in Denver, USA
25 November 2019
Recruiting Editors for Land
11 October 2019
Introducing SciProfiles, an Academic Social Network
MDPI is pleased to announce the release of SciProfiles, its social network platform for researchers and scholars.
The purpose of SciProfiles is aligned with MDPI’s broad mission to accelerate discovery and innovation by facilitating immediate access to research results and to serve scholars and communities by providing opportunities for academic networking.
SciProfiles also ambitions to serve as a sustainable, transparent and community-driven research evaluation system aligned with the DORA principles (https://sfdora.org/). Through their scientific profiles, academics can highlight their contribution to research communities, and measure their impact on their field, beyond publication numbers and impact factors. SciProfiles is currently a beta version and will enrich to give researchers the possibility to highlight all of their contributions to science and their scientific communities as authors, reviewers, editors, conference organizers, conference panelists, conference keynote speakers, or even as lecturers or student mentors at their University.
The classic components of popular community social networks, including follower/following, classical metrics, endorsements and recommendations (https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/1690), comments (https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/1397) are or will be very soon highlighted in SciProfiles as open science contributions.
To help increase the impact and visibility of articles and their authors to an appropriate audience, the platform offers a NewsFeed that includes recommendations of relevant content based on interests, publication history, saved searches or colleagues’ recommendations.
SciProfiles’ avatars are now being integrated on several MDPI platforms, meaning that you will directly access researchers’ profiles from any of the MDPI platforms:
MDPI's journal publishing website: www.mdpi.com
MDPI's conference hosting and management website: www.sciforum.net
MDPI's pre-print website : www.preprints.org
MDPI's knowledge sharing website : www.encyclopedia.pub
MDPI's books store: www.mdpi.com/books
MDPI's literature database : www.scilit.net
SciProfiles aims to serve scientific communities at large. It can be embedded into third-party websites and also welcomes integration of data from third-parties.
Dr. Shu-Kun Lin: https://sciprofiles.com/profile/2
Dr. Franck Vazquez: https://sciprofiles.com/profile/FranckVazquez
Dr. Martyn Rittman: https://sciprofiles.com/profile/martynrittman
2 October 2019
Winners of the 2019 MDPI Writing Prize
We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2019 MDPI Writing Prize. Entrants were asked to write on the theme "Judging research: How should research and researchers be evaluated and rewarded?" We received a large number of excellent essays from PhD students and postdocs, and the process of shortlisting and choosing winners was not an easy one. The winners demonstrated excellent writing skills alongside interesting and thought-provoking ideas.
As last year, we will begin the process of collating all entries into a book that will be available in open access format. Alongside promoting good writing skills, we see the prize as a way to promote the voices of early career researchers within broader debates and policy discussions.
Congratulations to all of the participants and especially the winners. The winners are:
1st Prize (500 CHF):
Albin Nilsson (National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, Poland)
[Read here]
2nd Prize (250 CHF):
Qi Zhang (Shandong University, Jinan, China)
[Read here]
Igor Ogashawara (Indiana University, Indianapolis, US)
[Read here]
3rd Prize (100 CHF):
Margaret Sivapragasam (Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Perak, Malaysia)
[Read here]
Arvind Sharma (The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia)
[Read here]
Jose Flores-Guerrero (University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands)
[Read here]
The MDPI Writing Prize is an annual award supported by MDPI Author Services, which provides services including language editing, reformatting, plagiarism checks, and image editing.
20 September 2019
MDPI Now Gives Scholars the Possibility to Endorse and Recommend Articles
MDPI is pleased to announce the release of a new functionality giving the possibility for researchers and scholars to endorse, and formally recommend articles to their colleagues.
MDPI was an early signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (https://sfdora.org/read/) which calls for improvement in how quality and impact of scholarly research outputs are evaluated, especially in moving beyond journal-based citation metrics (journal Impact Factor, Scopus Citescore, etc.).
MDPI supports the establishment of article-level impact metrics, including citations, views, downloads, and Altmetric scores. These measures serve as an impact indicator for research articles on a case–by-case basis, assessing paper on its own merit. However, these metrics are also subjective and can give a biased picture of the article impact: they do not directly reflect the quality or the intrinsic scientific value of the article.
In our view, community engagement with publications based on community-driven metrics can help to overcome this limitation. We have therefore launched an option for scholars to endorse articles, indicating their own assessment of its content and making a recommendation to their community. This follows our implementation of the open source Hypothesis commenting tool, which has been available for all articles published by MDPI for over a year (https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/1397). Both endorsement and commenting are available for all previously published and forthcoming MDPI articles.
In addition to potentially serving as a sustainable solution to article assessment, endorsements will help scientific communities to identify the most relevant articles, independently of the journal in which it was published.
The code for the endorsing functionality, which relies on DOIs and ORCIDs, will be made available on GitHub with an open source license.
Dr. Shu-Kun Lin, President and Founder
Dr. Franck Vazquez, Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Martyn Rittman, Publishing Director
11 September 2019
Create an Entry in Encyclopedia to Get a 100 CHF Voucher in Publishing in MDPI Journals
Encyclopedia is a free online reference created and curated by active scholars. It aims to highlight the latest research results as well as provide a comprehensive record of scientific development. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact us via [email protected].
6 August 2019
Preprints Reaches 10,000 Posted Articles Milestone
We are pleased to announce that Preprints has passed the milestone of 10,000 posted preprints. We are delighted to have reached this after just over three years of operation. Our congratulations and thanks go to our authors and advisory board who have supported growth of the platform and been crucial to its operation.
You can find further details at https://www.preprints.org/announcement/show/37.
2 August 2019
DeepGreen Partnering with Publishers and Universities in Distributing Open Access Content to Institutional Repositories
Last week, the DeepGreen initiative in Germany started into an advanced test phase with the publishing partners S. Karger AG, SAGE Publishing, MDPI, Frontiers and De Gruyter, as well as 27 universities from all over Germany, from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences to University of Konstanz.
DeepGreen aims at lowering the barriers for open access publishing by automatically delivering metadata and full text publications from participating publishers to authorized repositories at German universities.
In preparation for a later live operation, the advanced test phase serves to gain experience with extensive data deliveries from publishers and also handling different repository software (including OPUS4, DSpace, EPrints, MyCoRe). DeepGreen thereby acts as a sophisticated platform, receiving articles published by authors affiliated with German universities and depositing these articles to respective university repositories, based on the affiliation metadata. For more information about DeepGreen: https://deepgreen.kobv.de
Karger AG has been a close cooperation partner of the DeepGreen consortium since 2016. S. Karger has more than 80 subscription-based and around 20 open access journals covering a wide spectrum in health science. DeepGreen will assign S. Karger articles to authorized institutions on the legal basis of German alliance and national licenses.
SAGE Publishing was founded by Sara Miller McCune in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE publishes more than 1,000 journals and over 600 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. Our growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company’s continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. SAGE Publishing has been a close cooperation partner of DeepGreen since 2016.
MDPI is a scientific open access publisher and has been a partner of DeepGreen since 2017. MDPI comprises 205 peer-reviewed journals of various disciplines. All articles are published under a CC-BY license and are freely available without embargo period.
Frontiers is a scientific open access publisher with 61 journals of over 600 academic disciplines. All articles are peer-reviewed and published freely available under CC-BY license.
De Gruyter is an academic publisher with more than 700 subscription-based and open access journals of 29 disciplines. Articles provided by De Gruyter will be assigned to institutions with German alliance and national licenses.
There is promising communication with other publishers.
DeepGreen is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the consortium comprises six institutions: the Cooperative Library Network Berlin-Brandenburg, Bavarian State Library, Bavarian Library Network, University Library of the Technische Universität Berlin, University Library of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Helmholtz Open Science Coordination Office at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.
If you would like to know in more detail which institutions take part in the advanced test phase of DeepGreen, you can find more information here.
17 July 2019
First Basel Sustainable Publishing Forum
The University of Basel and the MDPI Sustainability Foundation are organizing the First Basel Sustainable Publishing Forum on 9th September 2019.
The aim of this event is to provide background and perspectives on Plan S to Learned Societies, which have to make well-informed decisions to transition their journals to Open Access (OA).
The BSPF will bring together several representatives of Learned societies, Plan S architects as well as representatives from various publishers and publishing platforms. After getting the big picture from cOAlition S, panel discussions will allow to better understand the diverse challenges that Learned societies are facing to transition their journals to OA as well as to identify sustainable, implementable and scalable solutions for successful Open Access transition.
For program details and registration, please follow the link below:
https://sciforum.net/conference/SustainableSolutionsToOpenAccess
4 April 2019
Meet Us at IGARSS 2019 in Yokohama, Japan, 28 July – 2 August 2019
20 March 2019
Fostering Open Access Publishing Worldwide: New IOAP Participants in February and March 2019
We are pleased to welcome more universities from Poland, Italy, Germany, Brazil and other parts of the world to MDPI's Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). A warm welcome to the institutions listed below, who have joined the Program in February and March this year.
Authors affiliated with these institutions can now enjoy a discount on the APC for papers accepted for publication in any MDPI journal. If you would like to learn more about our program, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/about/ioap or email us at [email protected].
5 March 2019
MDPI Joins Jisc’s Publications Router Service
1 February 2019
2018 MDPI Top Reviewer Award—Winners Announced
Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high quality academic publishing. Over 97,000 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2018. We are extremely appreciative of all those who made a contribution to the editorial process in this capacity. At the beginning of every year, journal editorial offices publish a list all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year the “MDPI Top Reviewer Awards” are announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise, dedication, high quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2018 MDPI Top Reviewer Awards:
- Ali Behnood
- Andrea Pezzuolo
- Angela Gorgoglione
- Anna D'Auria
- Antonio D'Andrea
- Azhar Abbas
- Bogdan Zagajewski
- Chunhui Chen
- Dominika Głąbska
- Dominika Guzek
- Dragan Pamucar
- Francisco J. G. Silva
- Frank Li
- Gianluca Serafini
- Gyorgy Szekely
- Haozhi Pan
- Helvi Heinonen-Tanski
- José Manuel Gómez-Soberón
- Kathy Lewis
- Klara Kosova
- Luis N. López De Lacalle
- M. Z. Naser
- Malwina Tytła
- Masoume Amirkhani
- Matteo Ghidelli
- Moretti Laura
- Petra Schneider
- Roberto Cerchione
- Spyros Papaefthymiou
- Ştefan Cristian Gherghina
24 January 2019
JAMS Journals: A Low-Cost Publishing Platform
24 January 2019
Popularity of Preprints Continues to Grow
2018 was a great year for preprints, with increasing numbers of authors looking to make their papers available online before peer review. Along with other preprint servers, our platform Preprints.org saw an increase in the uptake from authors, and more than double the number of announced papers compared to 2017. In fact, we recently passed two important milestones: 8000 preprints online and 30,000 authors.
We believe that the whole research community has the opportunity to benefit from work being available online as early as possible. We thank and congratulate our authors for supporting us to make this goal a reality.
In 2019, we will be looking carefully at how to provide better value for authors, maintain efficiency while growing in size, and make sure we remain well-connected with the research community.
If you want to participate, you can consider screening preprints or joining our advisory board. And, of course, posting your own work.
9 January 2019
Open Access Agreement between the Austrian Academic Library Consortium (KEMÖ), the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), and MDPI
We are delighted to announce the establishment of our national Open Access agreement with the Austrian Academic Library Consortium (KEMÖ) and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). Through this national agreement, the Austrian institutions listed below as well as FWF will cover the Article Processing Charges (APC) of manuscripts published by eligible corresponding or funded authors in MDPI journals as long as central funds are available.
All participating institutions have gained access to the MDPI online submission system where they can find full article metadata and pricing information as well as Funder and Grant ID details for easy identification and additional transparency. At the same time eligible authors are benefited from an APC discount which comes at no cost for the institutions.
Eligible corresponding authors affiliated with the participating institutions are prompted to choose the corresponding Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) when they submit an article via our online submission system. The program will be selected automatically if authors submit their papers using their institutional email address. To claim their discount, FWF funded authors should choose the particular funder and add their Grant ID upon online submission of their manuscript. The institutions will then crosscheck the information and confirm the APC funding.
Eligible authors that have their APC covered by their institution or funder are advised to include the following sentence in their acknowledgments: "Open Access Funding by the [name of the institution/funder]".
The full text of the agreement is openly available online at: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2536007
For any questions about the agreement, please contact the KEMÖ Consortium at [email protected], FWF at [email protected], or the MDPI IOAP team at [email protected].
The Austrian institutions participating in this agreement are:
- Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
- University for Continuing Education Krems
- University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna
- University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
- University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien
- Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria
- MCI Management Center Innsbruck
- University of Graz
- University of Linz
- University of Salzburg
- Graz University of Technology
- TU Wien
- University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
- University of Vienna
This is our first collective agreement with a national library consortium, while the individual institutions around the world participating in our IOAP are now more than 500 - see details here: https://www.mdpi.com/about/ioap. We would be mostly interested in discussing about possible collaborations with other consortia, funders, and institutions in our mutual efforts to accelerate Open Access.
2 January 2019
Encyclopedia—the Scholarly Community Encyclopedia
7 December 2018
Meet Us at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers in Washington, DC, 3–7 April 2019
5 November 2018
Blog │ Funders Push for a Full Transition to Open Access: Plan S
31 October 2018
Meet Us at the BES Annual Meeting 2018 in Birmingham, UK, 16–19 December 2018
30 October 2018
Institutional Open Access Agreement between Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and MDPI
2 October 2018
MDPI Welcomes Plan S
Recently, it was announced that a group of European funders supported 10 principles that will help to expand open access, known as Plan S. MDPI warmly welcomes this move as a step towards achieving more open and accessible communication of research across all disciplines. Some aspects remain to be clarified, however the details given so far match the aims and values that MDPI has held over the past two decades.
We believe that open access publishers should be active participants in discussions around Plan S, particularly regarding potential new business models and practical aspects of implementation. MDPI supports APCs as a transparent unit of payment for article publishing, however we are committed to exploring other measures and recently signed the Jussieu Call. Sustainability is a key value for MDPI, and future funding models should have at their heart the sustainability of knowledge and research dissemination. Plan S provides an opportunity for funders and publishers to directly discuss funding of open access journals in ways that are beneficial to all parties involved.
30 August 2018
MDPI establishes Open Access agreement with Qatar National Library
We are happy to announce the establishment of an Open Access (OA) agreement with Qatar National Library (QNL). QNL is committed to supporting and helping Qatar authors publish OA at no cost. Through this national agreement, QNL will cover the Article Processing Charges (APC) of manuscripts published by Qatar-based corresponding authors in MDPI journals.
Eligible corresponding authors affiliated with Qatar research centers and universities are prompted to choose QNL as part of our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) when they submit an article via our online submission system. The program will be selected automatically if authors submit their papers using their institutional email and/or a computer registered with the institution’s IP range. QNL will then crosscheck the information and confirm the APC funding.
Qatar authors that have their APC covered by QNL are advised to include the following sentence in their acknowledgments: "The publication of this article was funded by Qatar National Library".
For more information, please visit Open Access at QNL or email the QNL Open Access team at [email protected].
19 June 2018
Meet us at the 2018 ASA and CSSA Annual Meeting
1 June 2018
Land 2017 CiteScore™ Announced - 1.44
We are pleased to report theLand received a CiteScore of 1.44 for 2017. The metric reflects citation activity in 2017 in Scopus for papers published in the period 2014‒2016.
For the full details in the current CiteScore release, please see the journal's Source profile. To check the full list of MDPI journals receiving CiteScores, please see here.
31 May 2018
2017 CiteScore™ Metrics Released
2 May 2018
Meet us at the ESA Annual Meeting 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana
30 April 2018
Winners of the First MDPI Writing Prize
23 March 2018
Check for Updates: A New Function in the Article PDF Version
At MDPI, we always want to keep you up to date. Even for already published articles, some corrections or minor changes may occur. To prevent you from missing any updates, from now on you will be able to access the latest version of any manuscript by clicking on the “check for updates” logo that you can find in the PDF file, even if you have saved the file on your computer.
13 March 2018
MDPI Becoming a Member of UKSG
We are proud to announce that MDPI is now a member of UKSG, the UK´s largest scholarly communications community. Through UKSG, different stakeholders share their knowledge and experience in order to improve the knowledge and information environment for researchers. UKSG´s members include universities, publishers, content providers, intermediaries, and other similar organisations. Members participate in discussions and events on issues around scholarly communications.
The UKSG Annual Conference and Exhibition is a flagship initiative from the UKSG and one of the most stimulating events in the scholarly communications calendar. It is held annually and attracts a large number of delegates. More information is available at https://www.uksg.org/events/annualconference
MDPI is delighted to be a part of this active community and we look forward to making our own contribution. We will continue to support organisations and initiatives that boost collaboration and vision within scholarly communication.
More information about UKSG can be found at https://www.uksg.org/. The full membership list is available at: https://www.uksg.org/members.
1 February 2018
MDPI Signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
The DORA initiative addresses the need for advanced approaches in the evaluation and measurement of the quality of scientific research outputs. It is a worldwide initiative covering all scholarly disciplines. MDPI proudly joins a list of more than 400 organizations around the world which support DORA’s recommendations for improving the way the quality of research results is evaluated.
More info can be found at http://www.ascb.org/dora/
29 December 2017
Meet Us at the EGU General Assembly 2018 in Vienna, 8–13 April 2018
28 December 2017
Meet Us at the AAG Annual Meeting 2018 in New Orleans
19 December 2017
Announcing the MDPI English Writing Prize
15 December 2017
UCL Press Adopts the MDPI Editorial Platform JAMS
23 November 2017
New Participants in the Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP)
10 November 2017
Available Journal Awards at MDPI
7 November 2017
MDPI has signed the Jussieu Call for Open Science and Bibliodiversity
The Jussieu Call aims to develop and implement alternative models to meet the aims of open science while promoting bibliodiversity. In particular it wishes to promote new business models for funding open access publication. It was drafted on the Jussieu campus in Paris by a group of French researchers and scientific publishing professionals.
MDPI supports scholarly communities and initiatives that innovate and further promote Open Access publishing. There is a need to explore different frameworks to fund open access in ways that ensure that excessive funds are not diverted from research towards publishing. Many fair funding models already exist, and they can be further developed and extended. These include institutional support, library contributions or subsidies, premium services, participatory funding, etc. For this reason, MDPI has signed up to the Jussieu call and welcomes its aims.
More information can be found at http://jussieucall.org/ (archived here)
6 October 2017
Dr. Franck Vazquez, MDPI CEO, Interviewed by Scholarly Kitchen
29 September 2017
Meet Us at ASA CSSA SSSA Annual Meeting 2017 in Tampa
19 September 2017
A Warm Welcome to the New IOAP Participants
23 June 2017
Congratulations for Publishing the 100,000th Peer-Reviewed Article
6 June 2017
CiteScore™ Metrics Released for Scopus Journals
17 May 2017
Three New Institutional Memberships Established
We are pleased to announce that the Goethe University of Frankfurt, the Technical University of Hamburg (TU Hamburg-Harburg), as well as the Humboldt University of Berlin, in Germany, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
4 May 2017
MDPI Supports the Initiative for Open Citations (I4OC)
2 May 2017
Publons Peer Review Academy Goes Live
24 April 2017
Two New Institutional Memberships Established
We are pleased to announce that the following universities have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, USA and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia. Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
30 March 2017
Credit for Preprints Comments via Publons
Preprints.org is a platform run by MDPI that allows authors to make early versions of manuscripts available before peer review has been completed.
One of the major benefits of putting a preprint online is to get feedback before journal submission. Until now, however, the feedback has been on a voluntary basis. Preprints is delighted to be the first preprint server to collaborate with Publons to acknowledge substantial comments as reviews and give commentators the opportunity to receive credit for their efforts.
When you add a comment to any article, there is a check box to click for it to appear on Publons. If you have already linked your account it will be passed on automatically. If you don't already have a Publons account, you will be contacted soon afterwards with instructions on how to create one.
We appreciate the enthusiasm and cooperation of Publons in this project and expect it to be of great benefit to authors and commenters alike.
20 March 2017
MDPI 2016 Annual Report Released
15 March 2017
Our 100,000th Article Could be Yours!
After the 20th anniversary of MDPI in 2016, we will reach another milestone this year and will publish the 100,000th peer-reviewed article in one of our 170+ open access journals.
We would like you to be part of this great achievement and so are offering to publish the 100,000th accepted paper free of charge.
To be in with a chance, select a journal in one of our 10 scientific subject areas and submit your paper.
Access the live tracker on published articles here.
3 March 2017
1000 Preprints Online
We are delighted that Preprints now has 1000 papers online since its launch on 3 May 2016.
For more information, see the editorial here.
9 February 2017
MDPI is Attending the 2017 AAG Annual Meeting
We are pleased to announce that MDPI will be attending the 2017 AAG Annual Meeting (5-9 April 2017) and representing the following open access journals:
Remote Sensing
Sustainability
Land
Water
Humanities
Agriculture
Geosciences
Agronomy
Social Sciences
Administrative Sciences
Data
Climate
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information
Urban Science
If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (Booth #422) and meet the representative editors.
Conference details:
2017 AAG Annual Meeting
5-9 April 2017
Hynes Convention Center
Boston, MA, USA
http://www.aag.org/annualmeeting
9 February 2017
Minister and State Secretaries Visit MDPI Office at STP, Belgrade, Serbia
Earlier this week the Science Technology Park in Belgrade, Serbia was visited by Swiss Secretary of State Dr. Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, as well as Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Ana Brnabic, State Secretary Dr. Vladimir Popovic and Mayor of Belgrade Mr. Siniša Mali.
During the visit to the STP they had a short presentation from MDPI’s CEO Dr. Franck Vazquez and IT Manager Mr. Miloš Čučulović, and further discussed important issues such as Open Access and Open education. Dr. Dell'Ambrogio said he was impressed with the potential for development and ideas for business.
For more information please see:
http://bit.ly/2kpIu7k and http://bit.ly/2kpUQfz
7 February 2017
The 6th World Sustainability Forum: Final Press Release
Basel, 29 January 2017
The 6th World Sustainability Forum #WSF2017SA: African universities critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
Jeffrey and Sonia Sachs win first World Sustainability Award.
Universities need to take the lead in solving the greatest challenges the world faces today, particularly in Africa. They need to do this not only through education – teaching the next generation to think critically and creatively to find sustainable solutions – but also through research that cuts across a range of disciplines. To ensure these solutions are implemented, they need to partner with the private sector and with government.
This was the key message from the 6th World Sustainability Forum (WSF2017), which took place in Cape Town on 27 and 28 January 2017. Sponsored by MDPI and the journal Sustainability under the patronage of the Universities of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town (UCT), University of Basel and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, the conference was attended by key national and international speakers, including world-leading economist Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, senior United Nations (UN) advisor and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.
The WSF is an annual sustainability conference which addresses research in a range of areas related to sustainable development and sustainability globally. This was the first WSF to take place on the African continent. Discussions at the 2017 conference were driven by the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the UN in September 2015.
Achieving the SDGs “is the moonshot for our generation,” said Sachs. “Like the moonshot [moon landing] of the 1960s, these are tough, bold and achievable objectives.”
“This is a nasty, tough world we live in, and our world agrees on very little. So when 193 governments agree on something, that is important. And when they agree on something as important as sustainable development, that is really something for us to grab hold of – that is a lifeline.”
There was agreement at the WSF that the SDGs are particularly important for Africa, and that African universities in particular have a role to play in achieving them.
Said Professor Tyrone Pretorius, vice-chancellor of UWC: “The quest for sustainable development can only be met through education. Universities today are the oil that fuels the knowledge economy.”
As part of the drive to develop academic capacity to provide the knowledge needed to meet the SDGs, WSF2017 was preceded by the 1st Postgraduate Forum on Sustainability. “A series of workshops for postgraduate education linked to WSF are important, in order to equip postgraduates with the skills necessary to promote sustainability,” said Professor Thandi Mgwebi, director for research at UWC. A second postgraduate forum will take place alongside the WSF2018 in Beijing.
This capacity development is particularly critical to Africa. Said Sachs: “African universities need to do research to find solutions to Africa’s development challenges, because no other university will.”
The UN set a target of achieving the SDGs by 2030: “I regard this as the breakthrough period to end extreme poverty on the continent,” said Sachs, “and for Africa to become one of the most dynamic centres of the world economy.”
It is a critical time for South African universities, said Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, deputy vice-chancellor for research and internationalisation at UCT: “Higher education is at a crossroads, and there is much polarisation. We need to think carefully about how this sustainable development agenda is owned by all so that it is inclusionary.”
There was also strong emphasis on public–private partnerships – for universities, business and government to work together to achieve the goals.
Said Professor Francis Petersen, deputy vice-chancellor at UCT and vice-chancellor designate at the University of the Free State: “Business sustainability has become critical, because there is increasing demand and complexity of demand on business from the natural, social and economic environment. Sustainability cannot be a standalone issue, divorced from business as usual. Sustainability needs to be embedded into business.”
Environmental crises and climate change was also high on the WSF agenda. In his keynote address, Sachs noted the irreversibility of the climate- and environmental-related challenges.
“If we don’t get our act together, we lose the chance of safety,” he said.
Said Professor Mark New, pro vice-chancellor and director of the African Climate and Development Initiative at UCT: “We have a fundamental challenge in responding to climate change, and we must go further than just putting a plaster on a wound. We need to address the deep structural issues, to move from our current model of development into climate-compatible development.”
“This requires researchers to find the evidence for the correct development pathways to take, and then support the ability of policymakers at all levels to enable the shift to climate-compatible development planning.”
Said Dr. Aldo Stroebel, executive director of international relations and cooperation at the NRF, in closing: “We have seen over the past two days an urgency towards the next step of thinking, that critical type of framework that we all must engage with, not only from an academic perspective, but further up into the policy environment and into rural-based environments where one can clearly see the links and effectiveness of the work.”
World Sustainability Awards
The first World Sustainability Award and the first Emerging Sustainability Leader Awards were presented by Prof. Thandi Mgwebi, Director of Research at UWC, and Dr. Franck Vazquez, CEO of MDPI, during the ceremony on 27 January 2017 as part of the gala dinner of the 6th World Sustainability Forum in South Africa.after day one of proceedings of the 2017 World Sustainability Forum South Africa.
Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs and Dr. Sonia Ehrlich Sachs are the joint recipients of the first World Sustainability Award. Jeffrey Sachs is a world-renowned economist and senior United Nations (UN) advisor and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Sonia Sachs is a paediatrician and public health specialist, and director of the Health Centre at the Centre for Sustainable Development, also at Columbia University.
The joint recipients of the first Emerging Sustainability Leader Award are Dr. Esther Ngumbi and Dr. Xiaosong Hu. Esther Ngumbi is a postdoctoral researcher at Auburn University in Alabama USA and serves as a 2015 Clinton Global University Mentor for agriculture. Xiaosong Hu is a professor at the Chongqing University in China and specialises in automotive control systems and mechanical engineering.
The World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader Awards are funded to encourage new initiatives and developments in sustainability with the ultimate aim of fostering the transition to sustainable practices and societies.
The World Sustainability Award is funded by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, and included a monetary prize of USD 100,000 to Jeffrey and Sonia Sachs. The Emerging Sustainability Leader Award is funded by the journal Sustainability, awarded to researchers under 40, and included a monetary prize of USD10,000.
Issued jointly by: UCT Global Strategy and Visibility, Research Office, UWC Communications & Media and MDPI AG
Conference photos are free available at: https://sciforum.net/conference/wsf-6/page/175 Photo credit: Matthias Burkhalter
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Carla Bernardo |
Luthando Tyhalibongo |
Matthias Burkhalter |
31 January 2017
Three New Institutional Memberships Established
We are pleased to announce that the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, the University of Manitoba, Canada and the Technical University of Cartagena, Spain, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
27 January 2017
6th World Sustainability Forum under way in South Africa
The 6th World Sustainability Forum is currently being held at the Cape Sun Hotel until 28 January 2017.
The Forum will showcase the work of internationally renowned researchers and include more than 150 presentations. During the conference dinner, the World Sustainability Award, associated with a US$ 100,000 prize, will be announced, as well as the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, associated with a US$ 10,000 prize. The prizes are sponsored by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and Sustainability, an academic open access journal by MDPI.
Here are some pictures from the forum so far:
To see the full WSF2017 program and schedule, please see here: https://sciforum.net/conference/wsf-6/page/schedule
19 January 2017
Cape Town to Host the 6th World Sustainability Forum
Cape Town will host the 6th World Sustainability Forum at the Cape Sun Hotel on 27 and 28 January 2017. This prominent event, held for the first time in Africa, will include many illustrious South African and international experts, such as Her Excellency Graça Machel (Sustainable Development Advocate for the United Nations, Mozambique), Joyene Isaacs (HoD Agriculture Western Cape Government), Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University, USA), Max Bergman (SRaM, University of Basel), Mark New (Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Town), Frans Swanepoel (FutureAfrica, University of Pretoria) and Francis Petersen (Vice-Chancellor-designate, University of the Free State). The Forum will provide a stage for national and international debates on sustainability in South Africa, the African continent, and about international perspectives on sustainability. It brings together researchers and representatives from government and the business sector to discuss a wide-ranging set of issues associated with sustainability, including food security, water and energy scarcity, mining, poverty reduction, climate change, and urbanisation.
The next few decades will be marked by profound changes in the relationships between global economics, national societies, and the environment. We have entered what some call the Anthropocene, an age in which human activity dominates the climate and the environment. These changes will have numerous consequences on societies around the globe. South Africa and Africa will play a central role, for better or worse, in creating opportunities and risks during these changing times as Africa is profoundly influencing and being influenced by global developments.
The adoption of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015 was accompanied by what insiders considered an optimism they have not experienced in relation to UN resolutions before. The relative efficiency in the drafting, the lack of trenches between East and West, or between North and South, and the unanimity of support of the 193 countries speak volumes. In stark contrast, sustainability seems to go against a changing economic and political tide, where waves of nationalism and protectionism from some of the most powerful countries risk the wellbeing of the rest of the world. The 6th World Sustainability Forum will enable fruitful exchanges, which sensitise South African and international communities to the global urgency and specifics of sustainability.
The Forum will showcase the work of internationally renowned researchers and include more than 150 presentations. During the conference dinner, the World Sustainability Award, associated with a US$ 100 000 prize, will be announced, as well as the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, associated with a US$ 10 000 prize. The prizes are sponsored by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and Sustainability, an academic open access journal by MDPI. The World Sustainability Forum is preceded by the Postgraduate Forum on Sustainability, which will introduce more than 100 young scholars from South Africa and the African continent to sustainability research. Both events are organized and sponsored by the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape, the University of Basel, MDPI, and by the National Research Foundation of South Africa.
Contacts:
Scientific Matters: Prof Manfred Max Bergman, Social Research and Methodology Group (SRaM), University of Basel, Switzerland; Email: [email protected]
Press Accreditation and General Enquiries: Mr Matthias Burkhalter, MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland; Email: [email protected]; Tel. +41 61 683 77 34
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#WSF2017SA
6 January 2017
MDPI Supports the OA2020 Initiative
MDPI is now a proud supporter of the OA2020 Initiative.
Open Access 2020 is an international initiative that aims to induce the swift, smooth and scholarly-oriented transformation of today’s scholarly journals from subscription to open access publishing.
MDPI is participating in the upcoming Berlin13 conference in March 2017, where we are contributing to the initiative by aiding in the design of the roadmap which will make OA the default publishing model.
For more information please see here.
5 January 2017
Three New Institutional Memberships Established
We are pleased to announce that the University of Texas at Arlington, USA, the Harbin Institute of Technology, China and TU Darmstadt, Germany, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
22 December 2016
Happy Festive Season!
Season's greetings from everyone at MDPI!
22 December 2016
Two New Institutional Memberships Established
We are pleased to announce that the Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Germany and the University of California, Berkeley, USA, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
19 December 2016
MDPI and Wellcome Trust Compliance
The Wellcome Trust has, for a number of years, required that the results of its funded projects are published in open access format. Recently it announced criteria that publishers must fulfil for publication fees to be paid by the Trust. MDPI is pleased to have been added to the list of compliant publishers.
Only publishers who have confirmed their compliance by 16 December 2016 will be eligible to receive payment of APCs by the Wellcome Trust as of 1 April 2017. For more information on the criteria and a full list of publishers that meet them, see here.
13 December 2016
Meet MDPI at the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting
MDPI is currently attending the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting (12–16 December, 2016)
If you are also attending the conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (Booth #1147) and meet the representative editors.
Conference details:
2016 AGU Fall Meeting
12–16 December 2016
Moscone Center
747 Howard St
San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
8 December 2016
Three New Institutional Memberships Established
We are pleased to announce that Purdue University, USA, the Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Spain and the Queensland University of Technology, Australia, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
16 November 2016
World Sustainability Award - Final Extension
The deadline for the World Sustainability Award has been extended for one last time! You now have one more month to nominate an individual researcher, group or project! The final deadline for nominations will be December 15, 2016.
For full details, please visit here.
11 November 2016
Three New Institutional Memberships Established
We are pleased to announce that the University of Minnesota, USA, the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
10 November 2016
MDPI is Participating in the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting
We are pleased to announce that MDPI will be attending the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting (12–16 December, 2016) and representing the following open access journals:
Atmosphere
Water
Remote Sensing
Minerals
Sustainability
Climate
Land
Geosciences
Hydrology
Infrastructures
Resources
Entropy
Environments
Aerospace
If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (Booth #1147) and meet the representative editors.
Conference details:
2016 AGU Fall Meeting
12–16 December 2016
Moscone Center
747 Howard St
San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
4 November 2016
MDPI Joins the United Nations Global Compact
MDPI has become a member of the United Nations Global Compact to support corporate sustainability and have committed ourselves to the ten principles associated with the Compact.
Sustainability has always been at the core of MDPI’s values, starting with the collection and preservation of rare chemical samples that started in 1996 and led to the first journal, Molecules. Sustainability has become one of our flagship journals and we have supported and organized several conferences and events based on Sustainability, including the upcoming 6th World Sustainability Forum. As a global enterprise, we see it as our duty to promote responsible practices that will ensure a bright future for our planet. Given this, the choice to join the Global Compact was an easy one and we will do our utmost to fully implement it.
3 November 2016
MDPI Now a Member of SPARC Europe
We are delighted to announce that MDPI has become a member of SPARC Europe, an organization that works for open scholarship in Europe, including support of open access publication.
As one of the few publishers to join SPARC Europe to date, MDPI looks forward to making a contribution that puts open scholarship on a positive and sustainable path. We fully support the goals of open scholarship that allow the largest number of people possible to benefit from work of researchers in all disciplines. We hope that our membership will enable us to work with other stakeholders to find the best possible solution.
2 November 2016
World Sustainability Award Deadline Extension
The deadline for the World Sustainability Award has been extended! You now have until November 15, 2016 to nominate an individual researcher, group or project!
For full details, please visit here.
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26 October 2016
Four New Institutional Memberships Established
We are pleased to announce that the Wuppertal Institut, Germany, the University of Girona, Spain and Central South University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these instititions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
24 October 2016
International Open Access Week 2016
Meet us during International Open Access Week 2016! We will be presenting at various locations in Europe and China.
To get involved and for full details see the complete list of events organised by MDPI here.
18 October 2016
Institutional Membership established with Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain and Aalto University, Finland
We are pleased to announce that the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain and Aalto University, Finland, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
12 October 2016
Institutional Membership Established with Iowa State University and the University of North Texas, USA
We are pleased to announce that the Iowa State University and the University of North Texas, USA, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
7 October 2016
MDPI at Open Access Days in Munich, 10-11 October 2016
Meet MDPI during the Open Access Days held from 10-11 October 2016 at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.
The two-day event will feature experts from the open access sector, scientists from all disciplines, publishing representatives and supporters of scientific research and communication from libraries as well as research institutes and funding institutions. Join us!
For more information about the event and to see the program, visit the event webpage.
7 October 2016
Institutional Membership Established with the University of Sevilla and the University of Alicante, Spain
We are pleased to announce that the University of Sevilla and the University of Alicante, Spain have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
29 September 2016
Institutional Membership Established with the University of Delaware
We are pleased to announce that the University of Delaware, USA, has joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from this university will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
19 September 2016
Peer Review Week 2016
As an open access publisher indebted to the work of our peer reviewers, we are proud to support Peer Review Week 2016. As part of the week's activities and to celebrate this year's theme "Recognition for Review", MDPI will host two webinars that anyone can join.
These webinars will explore the role and value of reviewers and the recognition they receive from a publishers perspective, with examples from MDPI's experience in publishing nearly 80,000 peer reviewed papers, along with evidence from reviewer surveys. It will also touch upon potential changes in how review is carried out and tips for early career researchers who want to be involved in the review process.
Details and links to join can be found below:
Wednesday September 21, 08:00 (CEST)
Friday September 23, 16:00 (CEST)
For more information about all the activites taking place, please visit the Peer Review Week website.
6 September 2016
Institutional Membership established with Kansas State University and Northwestern University, USA
We are pleased to announce that Kansas State University and Northwestern Universty, USE, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
5 September 2016
Institutional Membership Established with University College Cork
We are pleased to announce that University College Cork, Ireland, has joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from this university will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
22 August 2016
MDPI New Office Location
We are pleased to announce that MDPI has now moved to a new permanent address:
MDPI AG
St. Alban Anlage 66
CH-4052 Basel
Postfach, CH-4020 Basel
Switzerland
Telephone and fax numbers remain unchanged.
22 August 2016
New Book: Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present and Future, by our Editorial Board member, Prof. Dr. Harini Nagendra
10 August 2016
Institutional Membership established with the University of Texas at Austin, USA, the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland and the University of Granada and the Compultense University of Madrid, Spain
We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program in August 2016:
- University of Texas at Austin, USA
- Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
- University of Granada, Spain
- Compultense University of Madrid, Spain
Authors affiliated with these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
18 July 2016
Institutional Membership established with Louisiana State University and Florida State University, USA, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, University of Rostock, Germany, AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland and Southeast University, China
We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program in July 2016:
- Louisiana State University, USA
- Florida State University, USA
- Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland
- University of Rostock, Germany
- AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland
- Southeast University, China
Authors affiliated with these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
12 July 2016
MDPI Moving to New Office Location in Basel (Switzerland) in August 2016
As of 20 August 2016, MDPI's new address in Basel will be:
MDPI AG
St. Alban-Anlage 66
CH-4052 Basel
Switzerland
Telephone and fax numbers remain unchanged.
St. Alban-Anlage 66 was built from 1947 to 1948 and initially the home of the "Bühler AG", a book printing business.
For more information about this building, see: https://www.mdpi.com/about/headquarters
21 June 2016
"Behind the Scenes of Academic Publishing—A Publisher's Perspective" - MDPI's Lecture at the University of Basel
From the 15-16 September, 2016, MDPI will run a course on Academic Publishing at the University of Basel.
In this two day workshop, MDPI will look in detail at the role performed by academic journal publishers and how they interact with academics. Ethical dimensions, what happens when problems occur and how the publisher coordinates all aspects of the submission process will also be covered.
For more detailed information about the program, trainers and registration please visit the course webpage.
14 June 2016
2015 Impact Factors Released
26 May 2016
Institutional Membership established with University of Bremen, Germany, Koç University, Turkey, IIASA, Austria and Jilin University and Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, China
We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program in May 2016:
- Unversity of Bremen, Germany
- Koç University, Turkey
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria
- Jilin University, China
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Authors affiliated with these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
23 May 2016
Institutional Membership Established with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden and the South China University of Technology, Beijing University of Technology and Southern Medical University, China
We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program in April and May 2016:
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- South China University of Technology, China
- Beijing University of Technology, China
- Southern Medical University, China
Authors affiliated with these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
26 April 2016
New Section on www.mdpi.com - Latest Books
You may have noticed a new section that is now visible on our home page. This section is called "Latest Books" and showcases recent publications from MDPI Books, our book publishing service.
By clicking on the hyperlink "More Books" you will be taken to the MDPI Books Home Page. There you will find more information about the service, as well as the "Recent Publications" list.
Clicking on any of the book images in this list will take you to detailed information about that book (shown below). Here you can also download a PDF version of the book, or order a hardcover printed copy.
For further information about the MDPI Books service, please visit the webpage or contact [email protected].
31 March 2016
Axioms, Behavioral Sciences, Photonics, Separations and Toxics added to the Emerging Sources Citation Index in Web of Science
We are pleased to announce that the journals Axioms, Behavioral Sciences, Photonics, Separations and Toxics were recently accepted for inclusion in the newly launched Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) in Web of Science.
ESCI serves to highlight promising journals which are still under consideration for the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).
The Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index
(SSCI), and Web of Science™ (WoS) are Thomson Reuters products.
30 March 2016
Institutional Membership established with the University of Winchester, UK, Silesian University of Technology, Poland and Beijing Jiaotong University and Zhejiang University, China
We are pleased to announce that the University of Winchester, UK, the Silesian University of Technology, Poland and Beijing Jiaotong University and Zhejiang University, China, have joined our Institutional Membership program. Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
24 March 2016
New Editorial Office in Barcelona, Spain
We are excited to announce the opening of our new editorial office in Barcelona, Spain. The launch team is led by a Senior Editor and comprises further staff holding doctoral degrees with several years of research experience. The new editorial team will help us to get closer to European research communities and progress Sciforum, the platform to support the scientific community via conference hosting and other functions. They will also help spread the word about Open Access and meet academics at scientific events.
We are in the process of hiring more doctoral and masters graduates to join the editorial team and welcome applications via [email protected]. For contact details about the office, see our contact page.
22 February 2016
Membership Established with the Max Planck Society
We are pleased to announce that the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) has signed an agreement with MDPI to support authors associated with the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft). As of 22 February 2016, corresponding authors will receive full funding from the MPDL for articles published in MDPI journals, with a 10% discount applied to the Article Processing Charges. Additional details can be found at our institutional membership page.
Founded in 1948, The Max Planck Society is one of Germany’s leading research organizations, and is currently made up of 83 institutes conducting basic research in natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences and humanities. 18 Nobel laureates have emerged from its ranks of scientists and the society has more than 15,000 publications in scientific journals each year.
5 February 2016
Institutional Membership Extension: Wageningen University, CSIC, University of Zürich, ETH Zürich, University of Tübingen and Osnabrück University
We are pleased to announce that Wageningen University, the Netherlands, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain, the University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Switzerland, and the University of Tübingen and Osnabrück University, Germany, have not only renewed their institutional memberships with MDPI after two years of successful cooperation, but have also increased the reduction of the article processing charges (APCs) for affiliated authors to 25%.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
5 February 2016
Institutional Membership established with Brock University, Canada and the University of Pisa, Italy
We are pleased to announce that Brock University, Cananda, and the University of Pisa, Italy, have joined MDPI's institutional membership program: Primary authors from these universities will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 01 February 2016.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
25 January 2016
MDPI Sponsors diss:kurs with the University of Basel
MDPI is pleased to announce its newly established sponsorship of diss:kurs, an event coordinated by the University of Basel to support their doctorate program. For more information about the event and how to register, please visit the diss:kurs webpage.
7 January 2016
New Institutional Memberships Established with Tsinghua University, the Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology, Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Ulm
We are pleased to announce that the following institutions have joined MDPI's institutional membership program as of 1 January 2016:
- Tsinghua University, China
- Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology (CSMNT)
- Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
- University of Ulm, Germany
Authors affiliated with these institutions will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
5 January 2016
Safety, Fermentation, C-Journal of Carbon Research, Magnetochemistry, Batteries and Horticulturae Released Their First Issue in December 2015
We are pleased to announce that MDPI's open access journals Safety, Journal of Imaging, Fermentation, C-Journal of Carbon Research, Magnetochemistry, Batteries and Horticulturae released their first issue at the end of December 2015.
23 December 2015
Happy Festive Season!
Season's greetings from everyone at MDPI!
21 December 2015
Land added to the Emerging Sources Citation Index in Web of Science
We are pleased to announce that the journal Land was recently accepted for inclusion in the newly launched Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) in Web of Science.
ESCI serves to highlight promising journals which are still under consideration for the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).
The Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index
(SSCI), and Web of Science™ (WoS) are Thomson Reuters products.
17 December 2015
Institutional Membership Extension: University of Bern, Switzerland
We are pleased to announce that the University of Bern, Switzerland has not only renewed their institutional membership with MDPI after two years of successful cooperation, but also increased the reduction of the article processing charges (APCs) for affiliated authors to 25%.
17 December 2015
Institutional Membership with the University of Ulm and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich
We are pleased to announce that University of Ulm, Germany and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Germany has joined MDPI's institutional membership program:
Primary authors from the University of Ulm and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 January 2016. Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
9 December 2015
Membership Established with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
We are pleased to announce that Virginia Tech has joined MDPI's institutional membership program. Authors from Virginia Tech will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 December 2015. Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
1 December 2015
Membership Established with the Technical University of Denmark and the University of North Florida
We are pleased to announce that the following universities have joined MDPI's institutional membership program:
- Technical University of Denmark (as of 1 November 2015)
- University of North Florida, USA (as of 15 November 2015)
Primary authors from the Technical University of Denmark and the University of North Florida will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
2 October 2015
Membership Established with the University of Freiburg and the University of Regensburg
We are pleased to announce that the following universities have joined MDPI's institutional membership program:
University of Freiburg, Germany
University of Regensburg, Germany
Primary authors from the University of Freiburg and the University of Regensburg will benefit from a 10% discount on the article processing charges as of 1 October 2015 and 1 November 2015.
Additional details can be found on our institutional membership page.
