Announcements

6 December 2024
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #18 - MDPI UK, Basel Job Fair, CETEF'24

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’s First UK Summit Held in Manchester

On 29 November, we hosted our first annual MDPI UK Summit, bringing together over 30 Chief Editors and Editorial Board Members (EBMs) to discuss MDPI’s mission, achievements, and collaborations in the UK.

Throughout the day we had talks from several members of MDPI, roundtable discussions on the peer-review process and upholding research integrity, and an engaging presentation from the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of MDPI journal Mathematics, Francisco Chiclana, about his involvement with the Research Excellence Framework.

“This was a great first summit for MDPI UK and received excellent feedback”

 In the following I highlight some of the sessions and the discussion topics covered in each session.

Session 1: Opening Speech and Introduction to MDPI

I shared an overview of MDPI’s mission, achievements, and commitment to quality. The Q&A touched on key topics such as perception and reputation management, expanding our arts and humanities portfolio, and funding challenges for open access (OA) in the UK.

A takeaway from this session was that in 2025, we will circulate a mini annual report to all editors, helping them understand MDPI’s mission and achievements beyond the context of their specific journals.

Session 2: MDPI and the Research Excellence Framework (REF)
Prof. Francisco Chiclana (EiC of Mathematics) highlighted MDPI’s role in REF, its purpose, and future directions.

Session 3: Editorial Process, Ethics, and Research Integrity
Dr. Giulia Stefenelli presented on the various editorial roles and responsibilities, quality metrics, and procedures for dealing with misconduct. The Q&A centred on AI in publishing, institutional roles in research integrity, and better data management practices.

Session 4: Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP)
Becky Castellon presented on IOAP benefits, including MDPI’s partnership with JISC, which includes more than 60 UK institutions, and highlighted the advantages of pure OA over transformative agreements.

Session 5: Round Table Discussion
Colleagues from our MDPI Manchester office Jaime Anderson and Dr. Michael O’Sullivan, along with colleagues from our Basel office Damaris Critchlow and Giulia Stefenelli, discussed innovations in peer review, challenges in maintaining scientific integrity, and future solutions.

Session 6: MDPI PR and the Voice of the Customer
I recapped our customer satisfaction drivers, including speed and editorial support. I also spoke about tackling misinformation about OA and MDPI in general, and outlined a way forward for us all to participate in advocating for open science.

This was a great first summit for MDPI UK and received excellent feedback from our EiCs, SEiCs, and EBMs. A BIG thank-you to our Manchester team (pictured below) and everyone else involved in organizing this event. Their hard work and dedication are much appreciated!

Impactful Research

MDPI and UK Publications

The UK is an important market for MDPI, ranking ninth in total submissions to MDPI and eighth in total MDPI publications, with over 72,200 publications to date. As at October 2024, there were more than 3,600 EBMs from the UK, 48% of whom have an H-index above 26. We also have 46 EiCs, and 63 SEiCs in the UK, some of whom joined us in Manchester for the UK Summit.

The UK is a strong advocate of OA publishing, with nearly three quarters of all articles in 2023 published on open access platforms. The country enjoys a large academic market, producing high-quality papers, and is home to some of the world’s top universities. Among MDPI’s 825 IOAP agreements, over 60 of these are in the UK, facilitated through our partnership with JISC.

“The UK is a strong advocate of OA publishing”

 Visit to MDPI’s Manchester Office

Last week, I visited our Manchester office to see the expanding office space, connect with our staff, and present at the MDPI UK Summit held in Manchester.

Throughout the day, I met with various teams to better understand their work and discuss their future development plans in greater depth. Hearing from group leads about the progress we have made and the challenges we face offered many valuable insights. I also had the chance to connect personally with members of the content team. It’s great to see how this young and ambitious team is coming together.

I also took the opportunity to address the entire office about the role of MDPI UK within the wider company. During this session, I answered questions about growth and public relations initiatives. Giulia Stefenelli joined us to address questions about the role of AI in MDPI’s future.

Jaime Anderson (Office Manager) and the Manchester team have done a great job of growing the office since its establishment in 2019. Today, it has around 150 staff members across various departments, including English editing, editorial services, marketing and communications, and IOAP. The team is highly active in local marketing initiatives, such as author training sessions, scholar visits, and conferences.

For more information and updates on our Manchester office, follow MDPI UK on LinkedIn.

Inside MDPI

Basel Job Fair

In November, the HR team from our Basel office connected with over 300 young professionals at the Basel Job Fair 2024. This is my biased opinion, of course, but we had the best branded booth and merchandise, which drew a lot of attention from young talent wanting to learn about current and future job opportunities at MDPI.

Our HR team also helped review CVs on the spot, providing advice on how to improve them and making a positive impression on the future workforce in Basel.

This is a reminder that MDPI is not only focused on supporting young researchers but that we also recruit and develop young talent. We have seen MDPI HR do this really well throughout all of our offices, from Asia Pacific to Europe and North America.

HR plays an important role in our growing company, helping us meet our recruitment targets as well as providing support for local teams, guidance on management and best practices, a safe space for employees, and brand recognition for MDPI, among many other things.

“MDPI is not only focused on supporting young researchers: we also recruit and develop young talent”

This is a quick appreciation post to all HR staff working to support MDPI and our colleagues, cultivating talent and supporting careers at every stage. Thanks HR staff, keep up the great work!

Coming Together for Science

Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences Towards a Healthy Life (The 20th Anniversary)

I am pleased to share that the Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences Towards a Healthy Life took place from 27 to 29 November 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. It was chaired by Prof. Dr. Amelia Pilar Rauter from the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; Dr. Alfredo Berzal Herranz from Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN) CSIC, Spain; and Prof. Dr. Mary Jane Meegan from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

The conference took place in Casa Convalescència, a part of the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site. The three-day event included three plenary sessions and eight invited speakers, from eight countries, and 29 selected talks. Of the presentations on site, there were 32 posters and 29 oral presentations.

The main goal of the ‘Pharmaceuticals 2024’ international conference was to cover the newest technologies and research areas including medicinal chemistry, natural products, organic synthesis, radiopharmaceuticals, pharmacology, toxicology, and biomolecular and glycosciences, in a meeting that brought together experts to present their latest findings on combatting infection, inflammation, pain, and neurodegeneration, to mention just a few of the topics that were discussed.

“The main goal of ‘Pharmaceuticals 2024’ was to cover the newest technologies and research areas”

20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals

The year 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Pharmaceuticals – a journal dedicated to medicinal chemistry and related drug sciences, which is published monthly online by MDPI. To honour this milestone, we are reflecting on our past accomplishments and embarking on an exciting new chapter. This celebration is also one of the reasons why we organized the conference Pharmaceuticals 2024. With an Impact Factor of 4.3 and a CiteScore of 6.1, the journal is covered in Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubMed, PMC, Embase, CAPlus/SciFinder, and other databases. Pharmaceuticals has published over 6,000 papers from more than 37,000 authors. More than 10,000 reviewers have reviewed for it at least once.

20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals: The Video

This video captures the experiences of the conference chairs, honorary guests and committee members of the conference.

 

Thank you to our partnering societies

A special thank-you is due to our partnering societies the Spanish Society Of Medicinal Chemistry (SEQT) and the Spanish Society For Biochemistry And Molecular Biology (SEBBM) for their support of the Pharmaceuticals 2024 conference. I am also pleased to report that we presented two awards, sponsored by the journal Pharmaceuticals, including the Best Presentation Award and the Best Oral Presentation Award, recognizing the contributions of our participants.

Closing Thoughts

Presenting at the 4th Central European Technology Forum

I visited Krakow, Poland in November to participate in the 4th Central European Technology Forum (CETEF’24), which took place on 18 and 19 November.

CETEF is an international conference that has been jointly organized since 2014 by the Polish Chamber of Commerce for Advanced Technologies (IZTECH) and the Polish Federation of Engineering Associations, with the support of the European Parliament and the European Commission, in cooperation with universities, research institutes and the high-tech industry. The 2024 event focused on presentation to advance the European science and technology agenda for 2025–2030.

MDPI participated as a key publishing sponsor. We had an exhibition booth and held two key presentations during the conference. On Monday, I presented MDPI’s vision, purpose, and achievements.

On Tuesday, Dr. Giulia Stefenelli shared how MDPI supports advancements in high technology and energy transition, highlighting our portfolio, services, tools and initiatives for promoting progress and interdisciplinary collaboration.

We received positive feedback from scientists and government representatives in attendance.

A big thank-you goes to our colleagues from the Krakow office for their support in organizing our participation and managing the MDPI booth.

Special thanks are owing to Weronika Gorka-Kumik, Igor Matic, Vincent Di, Agnieszka Rydz, Ksenia Shubenkova, Anna Krakowka and Klaudia Kasprowicz.

Below is a photo with the President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce conference (centre), along with MDPI colleagues Giulia Stefenelli, Weronika Gorka-Kumik, and Igor Matic (left to right).

“This year’s event focused on ideas and proposals to advance the European science and technology agenda for 2025–2030”

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

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.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

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.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

29 September 2024
MDPI New Journal Proposal—Invitation to Shape the Future of Open Science Together


As a leader in open access publishing, MDPI is eager to explore new collaboration opportunities, including the launch of new journals and the transfer of existing ones. At present, MDPI publishes over 400 journals, more than 160 of which have established partnerships with academic organizations. Additionally, we publish 19 association journals.

In order to enhance exchange and cooperation with scientific researchers and share the results of open science, MDPI invites experts and scholars from various fields to submit proposals for new journal collaboration opportunities. If your proposal is approved, you could take on the role of Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, or Editorial Board Member of the journal. This position allows you to manage the manuscript review process alongside our editorial department, participate in calls for papers, strengthen your network with scholars in the field, expand scientific research cooperation, enhance your personal and academic influence internationally, and play a leading role in academia.

Once the new journal is online, MDPI will provide a variety of promotional channels to market the journal internationally.

MDPI will offer various promotional channels to enhance its visibility and promote it internationally.

How can you determine the theme of a new journal?

  • Assess research hotspots/academic frontiers;
  • Assess pioneers in the field/key research directions of universities;
  • Determine whether MDPI has already established a journal in the field.

You can browse MDPI’s existing journals at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.

Advantages of collaborating with MDPI:

  • MDPI is a global leader in open-access publishing with extensive academic resources.
  • MDPI offers a professional publishing team that provides comprehensive support throughout the publishing process.
  • MDPI’s diverse promotional platforms and channels help journals quickly increase their international visibility and influence.

We invite you to submit new journal proposal here, and contribute to academic development! In addition, if your institution (university, institute, college, national key laboratory, society, etc.) intends to establish a journal, you can also submit a draft to MDPI on its behalf.

27 September 2024
MDPI’s 2023 Travel Awards—Winners Announced


MDPI journals frequently grant travel awards to empower junior researchers to showcase their latest research at academic conferences, thereby amplifying their impact within their research fields.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 103 recipients of MDPI's 2023 Travel Awards from different countries and territories for their exceptional presentations. These outstanding individuals were selected by the journal editors based on the strength of their research proposals and the anticipated impact of their presentations at academic conferences. We commend their exceptional contributions and wish them continued success in their academic endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about the list of awardees, please visit the following pages:

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

11 September 2024
MDPI’s 2023 Best PhD Thesis Awards—Winners Announced


MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are granted to promising young scholars whose PhD theses are deemed exceptional within their respective research fields. These awards aim to encourage young scholars to continue their outstanding accomplishments and further contribute to their field.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 54 winners of the 2023 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success with their future research endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

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:

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.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

19 August 2024
MDPI’s 2023 Young Investigator Awards—Winners Announced


MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising early career scientists, acknowledge their contributions, and foster collaboration within the scientific community. We are proud to announce the recipients for 2023, who were carefully selected by the journals’ esteemed Award Evaluation Committee.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 79 winners of MDPI’s 2023 Young Investigator Awards for their excellent contributions in their research field. We look forward to seeing these rising stars continue to contribute to the advancement of science.

MDPI will continue to support and recognize the academic community. To explore details about the awardees by field, please visit the individual pages listed below:

Congratulations to all the winners for their exceptional contributions and dedication to advancing scientific research.

About MDPI Awards:
To support the academic community, particularly young researchers, and to enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help to elevate the profiles of talented individuals who have made outstanding achievements and are making significant contributions to advancements in their respective fields.

To find out more about MDPI awards, please click here.

16 August 2024
MDPI’s Neurosciences Journals Cluster

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field dedicated to understanding the complex and intricate workings of the nervous system. This field encompasses the study of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, investigating their structure, function, development, and abnormalities. Neuroscientists integrate knowledge from biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, and computer science with the aim of understanding fundamental mechanisms underlying neural activities and how the brain processes information, regulates behavior, and enables cognitive functions such as memory, emotion, and decision-making.

MDPI’s cluster of neurosciences journals have a mission to publish recent advances in this field that have profound implications for understanding the nervous system, treating neurological disorders and overall improving mental health. These journals will collaborate to offer the scientific community the most up-to-date research and discoveries within the field of neuroscience.

The eight participating journals include:

  • Brain Sciences—focuses on cutting-edge research across the entire field of brain sciences, involving all branches of neuroscience. Brain Sciences is led by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Stephen D. Meriney (Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, USA);
  • Neurology International—focuses on the causes, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases, mainly in clinical neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, affective neuroscience, neuroanatomy, and neurogenetics. Neurology International is led by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Junji Yamauchi (Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Japan);
  • NeuroSci—focuses on molecular neuroscience, cellular neuroscience, cognitive repair, and brain functions, primarily in the branches of cellular neuroscience, molecular neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience. NeuroSci is led by Editor-in-Chief Dr. François Ichas (Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, CNRS et Université de Bordeaux, France);
  • Clinical and Translational Neuroscience—translates or develops basic neuroscience research into novel clinical neuroscience applications and therapies, primarily in clinical neuroscience. Clinical and Translational Neuroscience is led by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Claudio Bassetti (Department of Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital of Bern, Bern, Switzerland);
  • Neuroglia—focuses on research related to the numerous roles of glial cells in maintaining and repairing nervous system function, primarily in molecular neuroscience and clinical neuroscience. Neuroglia is led by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jessica Filosa (Department of Physiology, Augusta University, USA);
  • Psychiatry International—focuses on clinical psychiatry and biological psychiatry research with a focus on affective neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology. Psychiatry International is led by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Paolo Girardi (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy);
  • Clocks & Sleep—publishes original research covering all aspects of biological rhythms and sleep in all organisms and focuses on genetic, molecular, biochemical, neurological, neuroendocrine, behavioral, physiological, cognitive, and epidemiological factors and brain imaging, dreams, modeling, shiftwork, and clinical approaches and/or topics. Clocks & Sleep is led by Editors-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Christian Cajochen (Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Centre for Chronobiology, Switzerland) and Prof. Dr. Paul Franken (Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Switzerland);
  • Journal of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease—focuses on all types of dementia, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease and studies on memory. Biological studies that focus on molecular and cellular aspects of disease onset and progression as well as clinical studies are welcome. Journal of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Magda Tsolaki (1st Department of Neurology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece).

 

Launch Year

Impact Factor (2023)

CiteScore (2023)

First Decision (median)

Acceptance to Publication (median)

APC

2011

2.7

4.8

12.9 days

2.5 days

CHF 2200

2009

3.2

3.7

22.1 days

3.6 days

CHF 1600

2020

1.6

/

22.8 days

5.3 days

CHF 1000

2017

/

/

36.7 days

4 days

CHF 1000

2018

/

/

24.6 days

6 days

CHF 1000

2020

1.2

1.9

34 days

5.8 days

CHF 1000

2019

2.1

4.4

27.3 days

4.6 days

CHF 1600

2023

/

/

16 days

5.8 days

CHF 1000

MDPI’s Mission and Values
As a pioneer of academic open access publishing, MDPI has been serving the scientific community since 1996. Our aim is to foster scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. MDPI's guidelines for disseminating open science are based on the following values and guiding principles:

  • Open Access—All of our content is published in open access and distributed under a Creative Commons License, providing free access to science and the latest research, allowing articles to be freely shared and content to be re-used with proper attribution;
  • Timeliness and Efficiency—Publishing the latest research through thorough editorial work, ensuring a first decision is provided to authors in under 32 days and papers are published within 7–10 days upon acceptance;
  • Simplicity—Offering user-friendly tools and services in one place to enhance the efficiency of our editorial process;
  • High-Quality Service—Supporting scholars and their work by providing a range of options such as journal publication at mdpi.com, early publication at preprints.org, and conferences on sciforum.net to make a positive impact on research;
  • Flexibility—Adapting and developing new tools and services to meet the changing needs of the research community, driven by feedback from authors, editors, and readers;
  • Rooted in Sustainability—Ensuring long-term preservation of published papers and supporting the future of science through partnerships, sponsorships, and awards.

By adhering to these values and principles, MDPI remains committed to advancing scientific knowledge and promoting open science practices.

Selected Topics:

Selected Articles:
Brain Sciences
Artificial Intelligence Frameworks to Detect and Investigate the Pathophysiology of Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS)

Neurology International
Long COVID, the Brain, Nerves, and Cognitive Function

NeuroSci
The Probable Infectious Origin of Multiple Sclerosis

Clinical and Translational Neuroscience
The Psychoneurobiology of Insomnia: Hyperarousal and REM Sleep Instability

Neuroglia
Glucose Transporter-2 Regulation of Male versus Female Hypothalamic Astrocyte MAPK Expression and Activation: Impact of Glucose

Psychiatry International
Mental Health Risk Factors Related to COVID-19 among Canadian Public Safety Professionals

Clocks & Sleep 
Relationship between the Biological Clock and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Journal of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
Aging, Age-Related Diseases, and the Zebrafish Model

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.

For quick reference, as at 31 July 2024:

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.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

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.

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.

Journal

Founding Editor-in-Chief

Journal Topics (Selected)

Anesthesia Research Logo

Prof. Dr. Marco Ranucci, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy
| Editorial | view inaugural issue

anaesthetic medications; blood and fluid management; pain management; critical care; critical illness | view journal scope | submit an article

Complications Logo

Dr. Giovanni E. Cacciamani, University of Southern California, USA
| Editorial | view inaugural issue

surgical/procedural complications; complications; perioperative adverse events; postoperative adverse events | view journal scope | submit an article

Laboratories Logo

Prof. Dr.  Gassan Hodaifa, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain
| Editorial | view inaugural issue

laboratory management; laboratory safety; protective equipment; laboratory problems and challenges; laboratory Innovation | view journal scope | submit an article

Pets Logo

Prof. Dr. Jan S. Suchodolski, Texas A&M University, USA
| Editorial | view inaugural issue

companion animals health and disease; veterinary care and nutrition; genetics and genomics; behavior and welfare; human-animal relations | view journal scope | submit an article

Real Estate Logo

Prof. Dr. Pierfrancesco De Paola, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
| Editorial | view inaugural issue

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


MDPI is pleased to announce the inclusion of 237 journals in the 2024 release of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and share the key results (see above).

This year, journals covered in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) received category ranks together with journals in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Overall, 139 MDPI journals indexed in ESCI are included in the new unified rankings for the first time.

Enhanced Comparability of Data

According to Clarivate, "the creation of unified category rankings [provides] a simpler and more complete category view for the evaluation of journal performance. [...] The category-first approach simplifies journal performance assessment with a holistic view of all journals in each subject category."

We are thrilled to announce that 72% of our ranked MDPI journals (171 of 237) are above average, in Q1 or Q2. Twenty-nine of our journals received their first Impact Factor this year, accounting for more than 5% of the journals accepted into the Web of Science last year.

MDPI Journals Ranked in JCR

The following data includes all MDPI journals indexed in SCIE, SSCI, ESCI and AHCI.

Journal

Impact Factor

Rank Quartile

Category

Acoustics

1.3

Q3

Acoustics

Actuators

2.2

Q2

Engineering, Mechanical

Q2

Instruments & Instrumentation

Administrative Sciences

3.0

Q2

Management

Advances in Respiratory Medicine

1.8

Q3

Respiratory System

Aerospace

2.1

Q2

Engineering, Aerospace

Agriculture

3.3

Q1

Agronomy

Agriengineering

3.0

Q2

Agricultural Engineering

Agronomy

3.3

Q1

Agronomy

Q1

Plant Sciences

AI

3.1

Q2

Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence

Q2

Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications

Algorithms

1.8

Q3

Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence

Q2

Computer Science, Theory & Methods

Animals

2.7

Q1

Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science

Q1

Veterinary Sciences

Antibiotics

4.3

Q1

Infectious Diseases

Q1

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Antibodies

3.0

Q3

Immunology

Antioxidants

6.0

Q1

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Q1

Chemistry, Medicinal

Q1

Food Science & Technology

Applied Sciences

2.5

Q2

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

Q1

Engineering, Multidisciplinary

Q3

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Physics, Applied

Applied System Innovation

3.8

Q2

Computer Science, Information Systems

Q2

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Q2

Telecommunications

Arts

0.3

N/A

Humanities, Multidisciplinary

Atmosphere

2.5

Q3

Environmental Sciences

Q3

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Atoms

1.7

Q3

Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical

Audiology Research

2.1

Q1

Audiology & Speech-language Pathology

Axioms

1.9

Q1

Mathematics, Applied

Batteries

4.6

Q2

Electrochemistry

Q2

Energy & Fuels

Q2

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Behavioral Sciences

2.5

Q2

Psychology, Multidisciplinary

Beverages

3.0

Q2

Food Science & Technology

Big Data and Cognitive Computing

3.7

Q2

Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence

Q2

Computer Science, Information Systems

Q1

Computer Science, Theory & Methods

Bioengineering

3.8

Q2

Engineering, Biomedical

Biology

3.6

Q1

Biology

Biomedicines

3.9

Q2

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Q2

Medicine, Research & Experimental

Q1

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Biomimetics

3.4

Q1

Engineering, Multidisciplinary

Q3

Materials Science, Biomaterials

Biomolecules

4.8

Q1

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Biosensors

4.9

Q1

Chemistry, Analytical

Q1

Instruments & Instrumentation

Q2

Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

Biotech

2.7

Q3

Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology

Birds

1.5

Q1

Ornithology

Brain Sciences

2.7

Q3

Neurosciences

Buildings

3.1

Q2

Construction & Building Technology

Q2

Engineering, Civil

C-Journal of Carbon Research

3.9

Q2

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Cancers

4.5

Q1

Oncology

Cardiogenetics

0.5

Q4

Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems

Catalysts

3.8

Q2

Chemistry, Physical

Cells

5.1

Q2

Cell Biology

Ceramics

2.7

Q1

Materials Science, Ceramics

Q3

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Chemengineering

2.8

Q2

Engineering, Chemical

Chemistry

2.4

Q3

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

Chemosensors

3.7

Q2

Chemistry, Analytical

Q2

Electrochemistry

Q1

Instruments & Instrumentation

Children

2.0

Q2

Pediatrics

Clean Technologies

4.0

Q2

Engineering, Environmental

Q2

Environmental Sciences

Q3

Green & Sustainable Science & Technology

Climate

3.0

Q2

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Clinics and Practice

1.7

Q2

Medicine, General & Internal

Clocks & Sleep

2.1

Q3

Clinical Neurology

Q3

Neurosciences

Coatings

2.9

Q2

Materials Science, Coatings & Films

Q3

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Physics, Applied

Colloids and Interfaces

2.5

Q3

Chemistry, Physical

Computation

1.9

Q2

Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications

Computers

2.6

Q2

Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications

Condensed Matter

1.9

Q3

Physics, Condensed Matter

Cosmetics

3.4

Q2

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Q2

Dermatology

Cryptography

1.8

Q3

Computer Science, Information Systems

Q2

Computer Science, Theory & Methods

Crystals

2.4

Q2

Crystallography

Q3

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Current Issues in Molecular Biology

2.8

Q3

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Current Oncology

2.8

Q2

Oncology

Data

2.2

Q3

Computer Science, Information Systems

Q2

Multidisciplinary Sciences

Dentistry Journal

2.5

Q2

Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine

Dermatopathology

1.6

Q3

Dermatology

Diabetology

2.4

Q3

Endocrinology & Metabolism

Diagnostics

3.0

Q1

Medicine, General & Internal

Diseases

2.9

Q2

Medicine, Research & Experimental

Diversity

2.1

Q2

Biodiversity Conservation

Q3

Ecology

Drones

4.4

Q1

Remote Sensing

Earth

2.1

Q3

Environmental Sciences

Q3

Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Ecologies

1.7

Q3

Ecology

Econometrics

1.1

Q3

Economics

Economies

2.1

Q2

Economics

Education Sciences

2.5

Q1

Education & Educational Research

Electronics

2.6

Q2

Computer Science, Information Systems

Q2

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Q2

Physics, Applied

Energies

3.0

Q3

Energy & Fuels

Entropy

2.1

Q2

Physics, Multidisciplinary

Environments

3.5

Q2

Environmental Sciences

Epigenomes

2.5

Q3

Genetics & Heredity

European Burn Journal

1.0

Q4

Critical Care Medicine

Q4

Dermatology

European Journal of Investigation in Health Psychology and Education

3.0

Q1

Psychology, Clinical

Fermentation

3.3

Q2

Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology

Fibers

4.0

Q2

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Fire

3.0

Q2

Ecology

Q1

Forestry

Fishes

2.1

Q2

Fisheries

Q2

Marine & Freshwater Biology

Fluids

1.8

Q3

Mechanics

Q3

Physics, Fluids & Plasmas

Foods

4.7

Q1

Food Science & Technology

Forecasting

2.3

Q2

Multidisciplinary Sciences

Forests

2.4

Q1

Forestry

Fractal and Fractional

3.6

Q1

Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications

Fuels

2.7

Q3

Energy & Fuels

Q3

Engineering, Chemical

Future Internet

2.8

Q2

Computer Science, Information Systems

Galaxies

3.2

Q2

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Games

0.6

Q4

Economics

Q4

Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications

Q4

Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods

Gastroenterology Insights

1.5

Q3

Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Gastrointestinal Disorders

0.9

Q4

Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Gels

5.0

Q1

Polymer Science

Genealogy

0.8

Q3

Ethnic Studies

Q4

Family Studies

Q3

Sociology

Genes

2.8

Q2

Genetics & Heredity

Geosciences

2.4

Q2

Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Geriatrics

2.1

Q3

Geriatrics & Gerontology

Healthcare

2.4

Q2

Health Care Sciences & Services

Q2

Health Policy & Services

Hemato

0.9

Q4

Hematology

Hematology Reports

1.1

Q4

Hematology

Heritage

2.0

N/A

Humanities, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Multidisciplinary Sciences

Horticulturae

3.1

Q1

Horticulture

Humanities

0.3

N/A

Humanities, Multidisciplinary

Hydrology

3.1

Q2

Water Resources

Immuno

2.1

Q4

Immunology

Infectious Disease Reports

3.4

Q2

Infectious Diseases

Informatics

3.4

Q2

Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications

Information

2.4

Q3

Computer Science, Information Systems

Infrastructures

2.7

Q2

Construction & Building Technology

Q2

Engineering, Civil

Q2

Transportation Science & Technology

Inorganics

3.1

Q2

Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear

Insects

2.7

Q1

Entomology

International Journal of Financial Studies

2.1

Q2

Business, Finance

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

4.9

Q1

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Q2

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

International Journal of Neonatal Screening

4.0

Q1

Genetics & Heredity

Q1

Pediatrics

International Journal of Turbomachinery Propulsion and Power

1.3

Q2

Engineering, Aerospace

Q3

Engineering, Mechanical

Inventions

2.1

Q2

Engineering, Multidisciplinary

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information

2.8

Q2

Computer Science, Information Systems

Q2

Geography, Physical

Q2

Remote Sensing

Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease

2.4

Q2

Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems

Journal of Clinical Medicine

3.0

Q1

Medicine, General & Internal

Journal of Composites Science

3.0

Q2

Materials Science, Composites

Journal of Developmental Biology

2.2

Q3

Developmental Biology

Journal of Functional Biomaterials

5.0

Q1

Engineering, Biomedical

Q2

Materials Science, Biomaterials

Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology

2.6

Q1

Sport Sciences

Journal of Fungi

4.2

Q2

Microbiology

Q1

Mycology

Journal of Imaging

2.7

Q3

Imaging Science & Photographic Technology

Journal of Intelligence

2.8

Q1

Psychology, Multidisciplinary

Journal of Low Power Electronics and Applications

1.6

Q3

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing

3.3

Q2

Engineering, Manufacturing

Q1

Engineering, Mechanical

Q2

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

2.7

Q1

Engineering, Marine

Q2

Engineering, Ocean

Q2

Oceanography

Journal of Personalized Medicine

3.0

Q2

Health Care Sciences & Services

Q1

Medicine, General & Internal

Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks

3.3

Q2

Computer Science, Information Systems

Q2

Telecommunications

Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research

5.1

Q1

Business

Journal of Xenobiotics

6.8

Q1

Toxicology

Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens

2.1

Q2

Biodiversity Conservation

Journalism and Media

2.0

Q2

Communication

Land

3.2

Q2

Environmental Studies

Languages

0.9

N/A

Language & Linguistics

Q2

Linguistics

Laws

1.3

Q1

Law

Life

3.2

Q1

Biology

Logistics

3.6

Q2

Management

Q2

Operations Research & Management Science

Lubricants

3.1

Q2

Engineering, Mechanical

Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction

4.0

Q2

Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence

Q2

Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications

Q2

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Machines

2.1

Q3

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Q2

Engineering, Mechanical

Magnetochemistry

2.6

Q2

Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear

Q3

Chemistry, Physical

Q3

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Marine Drugs

4.9

Q1

Chemistry, Medicinal

Q1

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Materials

3.1

Q3

Chemistry, Physical

Q2

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Q1

Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering

Q2

Physics, Applied

Q2

Physics, Condensed Matter

Mathematical and Computational Applications

1.9

Q2

Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications

Mathematics

2.3

Q1

Mathematics

Medicina

2.4

Q1

Medicine, General & Internal

Membranes

3.3

Q2

Chemistry, Physical

Q2

Engineering, Chemical

Q2

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Polymer Science

Metabolites

3.4

Q2

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Metals

2.6

Q3

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering

Methods and Protocols

2.3

Q3

Biochemical Research Methods

Microbiology Research

2.1

Q3

Microbiology

Micromachines

3.0

Q2

Chemistry, Analytical

Q2

Instruments & Instrumentation

Q3

Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

Q2

Physics, Applied

Microorganisms

4.1

Q2

Microbiology

Minerals

2.2

Q2

Geochemistry & Geophysics

Q2

Mineralogy

Q2

Mining & Mineral Processing

Modelling

1.3

Q3

Engineering, Multidisciplinary

Molbank

0.6

Q4

Chemistry, Organic

Molecules

4.2

Q2

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Q2

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

Multimodal Technologies and Interaction

2.4

Q3

Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence

Q2

Computer Science, Cybernetics

Q3

Computer Science, Information Systems

Nanomaterials

4.4

Q2

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

Q2

Physics, Applied

Neurology International

3.2

Q2

Clinical Neurology

Neurosci

1.6

Q3

Clinical Neurology

Q4

Neurosciences

Nitrogen

1.6

Q4

Environmental Sciences

Non-Coding RNA

3.6

Q2

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Q2

Genetics & Heredity

Nursing Reports

2.4

Q1

Nursing

Nutrients

4.8

Q1

Nutrition & Dietetics

Oceans

1.5

Q3

Marine & Freshwater Biology

Q3

Oceanography

Optics

1.1

Q4

Optics

Organics

1.4

Q3

Chemistry, Organic

Particles

1.7

Q3

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Q2

Physics, Nuclear

Q3

Physics, Particles & Fields

Pathogens

3.3

Q2

Microbiology

Pathophysiology

2.7

Q2

Pathology

Pediatric Reports

1.4

Q3

Pediatrics

Pharmaceuticals

4.3

Q2

Chemistry, Medicinal

Q1

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Pharmaceutics

4.9

Q1

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Pharmacy

2.0

Q3

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Philosophies

0.6

Q2

History & Philosophy of Science

N/A

Philosophy

Photonics

2.1

Q2

Optics

Physics

1.5

Q2

Physics, Multidisciplinary

Plants

4.0

Q1

Plant Sciences

Plasma

1.9

Q3

Physics, Fluids & Plasmas

Polymers

4.7

Q1

Polymer Science

Polysaccharides

4.7

Q1

Polymer Science

Processes

2.8

Q2

Engineering, Chemical

Prosthesis

2.8

Q4

Materials Science, Biomaterials

Proteomes

4.0

Q2

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Psychiatry International

1.2

Q4

Psychiatry

Publications

4.6

Q1

Information Science & Library Science

Quantum Beam Science

1.3

Q3

Instruments & Instrumentation

Q3

Materials Science, Characterization & Testing

Q4

Quantum Science & Technology

Quaternary

2.3

Q2

Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Reactions

2.2

Q3

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

Recycling

4.6

Q2

Green & Sustainable Science & Technology

Religions

0.7

N/A

Religion

Remote Sensing

4.2

Q2

Environmental Sciences

Q1

Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Imaging Science & Photographic Technology

Q2

Remote Sensing

Reports

0.8

Q3

Medicine, General & Internal

Reproductive Medicine

1.1

Q4

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Q4

Reproductive Biology

Resources

3.6

Q2

Environmental Sciences

Q3

Green & Sustainable Science & Technology

Risks

2.0

Q2

Business, Finance

Robotics

2.9

Q2

Robotics

Safety

1.8

Q3

Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Scientia Pharmaceutica

2.3

Q3

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Sensors

3.4

Q2

Chemistry, Analytical

Q2

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Q2

Instruments & Instrumentation

Separations

2.5

Q3

Chemistry, Analytical

Sexes

1.2

Q2

Medicine, General & Internal

Q3

Psychology, Multidisciplinary

Q2

Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary

Q2

Womens Studies

Smart Cities

7.0

Q1

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Q1

Urban Studies

Social Sciences

1.7

Q2

Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary

Societies

1.7

Q2

Sociology

Soil Systems

2.9

Q2

Soil Science

Solids

2.4

Q3

Chemistry, Physical

Q3

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Sports

2.2

Q2

Sport Sciences

Stats

0.9

Q4

Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications

Q3

Statistics & Probability

Surfaces

2.3

Q3

Chemistry, Physical

Q3

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

Surgical Techniques Development

0.1

Q4

Surgery

Sustainability

3.3

Q2

Environmental Sciences

Q2

Environmental Studies

Q3

Green & Sustainable Science & Technology

Symmetry

2.2

Q2

Multidisciplinary Sciences

Systems

2.3

Q1

Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary

Technologies

4.2

Q1

Engineering, Multidisciplinary

Telecom

2.1

Q3

Telecommunications

Thalassemia Reports

0.6

Q4

Hematology

Tomography

2.2

Q2

Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging

Toxics

3.9

Q2

Environmental Sciences

Q1

Toxicology

Toxins

3.9

Q2

Food Science & Technology

Q1

Toxicology

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease

2.8

Q2

Infectious Diseases

Q2

Parasitology

Q1

Tropical Medicine

Universe

2.5

Q2

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Q2

Physics, Particles & Fields

Urban Science

2.1

Q3

Environmental Sciences

Q3

Environmental Studies

Q2

Geography

Q3

Regional & Urban Planning

Q2

Urban Studies

Vaccines

5.2

Q1

Immunology

Q1

Medicine, Research & Experimental

Vehicles

2.4

Q2

Engineering, Mechanical

Q2

Transportation Science & Technology

Veterinary Sciences

2.0

Q2

Veterinary Sciences

Vibration

1.9

Q3

Engineering, Mechanical

Q3

Mechanics

Viruses

3.8

Q2

Virology

Water

3.0

Q2

Environmental Sciences

Q2

Water Resources

World

2.0

Q2

Economics

Q2

Political Science

Q1

Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary

World Electric Vehicle Journal

2.6

Q2

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Q2

Transportation Science & Technology

Source: 2023 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports TM (Clarivate, 2024)


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 3.5 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 6000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 440 fully open access titles.

7 June 2024
MDPI Calls for Greater Open Access to Science for Ocean Protection

On UNESCO’s 2024 Oceans Day, MDPI encourages the scientific community to increase the accessibility of ocean research to accelerate ocean conservation.

Basel, Switzerland, June 7, 2024: MDPI, a leading open access (OA) publisher, is proud to announce its active support for World Oceans Day 2024, celebrated under UNESCO’s Ocean Decade framework. MDPI’s CEO, Stefan Tochev hopes that “the latest ocean research can be made freely accessible to help empower scientists and communities at large to save our oceans,” under UNESCO’s Ocean Decade until 2030.

Open Access: A Catalyst for Ocean Action

MDPI’s presence at the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference 2024 highlights our unwavering commitment to using OA to advance ocean science, support research communities, and promote sustainable ocean management.

"Our involvement in the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference underscores MDPI's commitment to the underfunded Ocean SDG. By promoting OA to scientific articles and books on SDGs, we aim to inspire critical actions," said Tochev. "Our initiatives, like the World Sustainability Award and Emerging Sustainability Award, further demonstrate our dedication to advancing sustainability.”

Showcasing MDPI’s Contributions to Ocean Research

Over the past three years, MDPI has published 30,000 papers focused on ocean research and related topics. Key MDPI journals contributing to this body of work include:

  • Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (4.9k papers)
  • Remote Sensing (2.6k papers)
  • Sustainability (2k papers)
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) (1.7k papers)
  • Marine Drugs (1.5k papers)
  • Water (1.5k papers)

These publications highlight MDPI’s contributions to ocean science, reinforcing our role in the broader sustainability agenda by promoting blue innovation and economy.

Additionally, MDPI has launched Oceans, an international, peer-reviewed forum specifically aimed at publishing studies related to all branches of oceanography with an emphasis on the functioning of the ocean and the sustainable use of its resources and ecosystem services.

Affirming MDPI’s Commitment to Ocean Science

MDPI’s commitment to OA is pivotal in addressing critical global challenges, from climate change to ocean sustainability. Our efforts resonate with Outcome 4 of the UNESCO Ocean Decade action roadmap: an accessible ocean with open and equitable access to data, information, technology, and innovation. By aligning with UNESCO’s goals, MDPI continues to contribute to shaping a sustainable future for our oceans, reinforcing our position as a forward-thinking publisher dedicated to environmental stewardship and scientific excellence.


For more information, contact Rui Duarte at [email protected] or +41764313242.


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 3.5 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 over 6000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 430 fully open access titles.

 

5 June 2024
MDPI Sets a New Benchmark for Publishing Excellence


95% of authors rate MDPI’s publication process as excellent or good, setting a new benchmark in scientific publishing – reveals 2023 Annual Report. 

Basel, Switzerland, June 4, 2024: MDPI, the leading open access (OA) publisher, proudly announces the release of its 2023 Annual Report, detailing remarkable achievements and reaffirming its leadership in advancing OA publishing. In 2023, MDPI received 655,065 submissions, of which 285,244 articles were published. The company now commands a 17% market share in gold open access articles, with a median publication time of six weeks.

Stefan Tochev, MDPI's CEO, stated, "As a pioneer in open access publishing, MDPI has long been a game-changer in the scholarly community, serving millions of authors around the world to ensure the latest research is freely available. Reflecting on our incredible journey at MDPI, 2023 has been marked by growth in paper submissions, ambitious projects and initiatives aimed at improving our internal processes and delivering top-notch services to our scientists."

MDPI's 2023 Annual Report highlights several key achievements:

  • 17% market share in gold open access articles across all disciplines.
  • Record satisfaction rates: 95% of authors, 82% of reviewers, and 85% of guest editors.
  • Enhanced editorial standards and feedback processes.
  • Increased reach and impact with 54 new MDPI journal inclusions in Scopus, 29 in Web of Science, and 77 in DOAJ.

MDPI’s unwavering commitment to advancing OA has transformed the landscape of scholarly publishing, making high-quality research freely accessible to the global scientific community. The continuous improvement in our editorial standards and feedback processes underscores MDPI’s dedication to ensuring academic integrity and excellence.

Global Reach and Collaboration

MDPI’s global footprint continues to expand, with authors from diverse regions: 37% from Asia/Pacific, 36% from Europe, 15% from the Americas, and 12% from other parts of the world. The company’s fully OA platform attracted nearly 14 million monthly visitors in 2023, reflecting its widespread influence in the scientific community.

Commitment to Partnerships

With over 800 institutional partners, MDPI continues to demonstrate its dedication to providing reliable and collaborative publishing services. The introduction of a transparent flat-fee model highlights MDPI's ongoing efforts to enhance affordability and support to the academic community. For more details read our 2023 Annual Report.

For more information, contact Rui Duarte at [email protected] or +41764313242.


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 3.5 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 over 6000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 430 fully open access titles.

 

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.

  1. Self-Representation in an Expanded Field: From Self-Portraiture to Selfie, Contemporary Art in the Social Media Age by editor Ace Lehner
  2. 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
  3. Transitioning to Gender Equality by editors Christa Binswanger and Andrea Zimmermann
  4. 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

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

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:

https://www.mdpi.com/authors/transfer-service

17 May 2024
Tu Youyou Award—Open for Nominations

In acknowledgment of the groundbreaking achievements of Professor Tu Youyou, the Nobel laureate credited with the discovery of artemisinin, MDPI is proud to announce the Tu Youyou Award. This award, inaugurated in 2016, seeks to honor scholars who excel in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Prize:

  • CHF 100,000 in total (If there is more than one winner, the prize will be divided equally amongst the winners);
  • An award medal for each winner.

Who should be nominated?

  • Scientists with outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Who can submit a nomination?

  • Academic research institutes
  • Universities
  • Academic societies

Any personal nominations are not accepted.

How do I submit a nomination?
Candidates’ institutional affiliations need to submit their nominations for final candidates to the Tu Youyou Award Team directly by email after internal screening, and each institution can only nominate a maximum of two candidates for each edition of the Tu Youyou Award. Please note that the nominations cannot be modified once they are submitted and confirmed by the Tu Youyou Award Team.

Required nomination materials:
Nomination Form (Download)

Schedule:
Nomination deadline: 31 December 2024;
Winner announcement: 30 April 2025.

Contact:
Tu Youyou Award Team ([email protected])

More information can be found on the Tu Youyou Award official website. For any inquiries, do not hesitate to contact the Tu Youyou Award Team.

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.

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.

Stefan Tochev
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.

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.”

“Papers that the public needs, anyone can use quickly… low-quality publishing is a misunderstanding.”

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’s Reproductive Health

Women’s Preventive Healthcare

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.

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.

Stefan Tochev
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!

Stefan Tochev
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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

22 January 2024
Acknowledgment of the Reviewers of Clocks & Sleep in 2023

In recognizing the exceptional efforts of our reviewers in 2023, we express our sincere gratitude for upholding the high standards of Clocks & Sleep. Their commitment ensured the rigorous peer review that is integral to quality academic publishing.

In 2023, Clocks & Sleep received 200 review reports, from 180 reviewers. This past year, we worked with reviewers from 39 countries and regions, reflecting the diversity in our collaboration with research communities. Their dedication shapes scholarly discourse and advances global research. The editorial team expresses gratitude for the vital role played by each reviewer in the Clocks & Sleep family throughout 2023, and we look forward to their continued support in 2024.

The following are the reviewers who have consented to show their names:

András Molnár Jos Rohling
Ankona Banerjee Kunihiro Futenma
Atul Pandey Lidija Todorovic
Aymen Alian Marco Fabbri
Carmen Concerto Mariusz Siemiński
Chenghao Chen Marta Jackowska
Christian Tamantini Martin Popevic
Corina Vasile Marzia Segù
Cristina Manuela Dragoi Mieszko Wieckiewicz
Dae-Wui Yoon Miha Moškon
Daniel Ruivo Marques Mirja Tenhunen
David A. Mejia Musheer A. Aljaberi
David Areshidze Osmar Antonio Jaramillo-Morales
Dushyant Damania Paolo Meneguzzo
Fabian Fernandez Patrick Pageat
George Aphamis Qing-Wei Chen
Gerard Kennedy Remington L. Nevin
Gian Mario Migliaccio Robin Tucker
Hallie Thomas Senthil Kumaran Satyanarayanan
Hasnaa Jalou Tommaso Ercoli
Isac Sebastian Veera Venkat Shivaji Rama Rao Edupuganti
Itay Barnea Vincenzo Natale
Jaime Devine Vivek Kumar
Jennifer Dubose Yana Korneeva
Joonhong Park

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, PharmaceuticsPhotonics, 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:

14–16 February, 2024
Viruses 2024 – A World of Viruses
Location: Barcelona, Spain
We are honoured to feature Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Charles M. Rice and ‘Distinguished Senior Virologist’ Prof. Luis Enjuanes as keynote speakers for this 5th edition.
Event details

24–26 April, 2024
4th MMCS – Harnessing the Power of New Drug Modalities 
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Esteemed speakers 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.
Event details

28–31 May, 2024
Polymers 2024 – Polymers for a Safe and Sustainable Future
Location:
Athens, Greece
We look forward to welcoming renowned experts like Prof. Damià Barceló, Prof. Minna Hakkareinen, and Prof. Armando J. D. Silvestre to this event.
Event details

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.
Event details

Upcoming events with details to be announced:

  • September 2024, Materials 2024 – Basel, Switzerland
  • 1921 September 2024, International Conference on Nanomaterials Sciences 2024 – Beijing, China
  • October 2024, ncRNA 2024 – Basel, Switzerland
  • November 2024, Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Barcelona, Spain
  • 2226 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!

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

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.

The main objective of this Summit was to bring together Editors representing MDPI journals across various disciplines within Spanish universities and research centers, primarily from the Barcelona area. The aim was to facilitate an open and fruitful discussion regarding the development of their journals, the future of OA in Spain, and to provide meaningful interactions and networking opportunities.

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:

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

21 November 2023
769 Editorial Board Members of MDPI Journals Achieve Highly Cited Researcher Recognition in 2023


We extend our sincere congratulations to the 769 Editorial Board Members of our journals – from 40 different countries/territories – who have been recognized as Highly Cited Researchers for the year 2023 by Clarivate. They are being recognized for their high-quality scientific research achievements and outstanding contributions to their professional fields, as indicated by Web of Science data.

Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited ResearchersTM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade who stand out for their significant and broad influence in various scientific and social science domains. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 21 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.

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.

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. They represent a small fraction of the researcher population whose contributions disproportionately push the boundaries of knowledge, enhancing global well-being, sustainability, and security.

Congratulations to the scholars for their noteworthy achievement – we are honored to have them on board with our journals!


Abate, Antonio
Aguilera, Ruth V.
Ahmed, Warish
Ahn, Myung-Ju
An, Qiaoshi
Anasori, Babak
Andersson, Dan I.
Angeletti, Silvia
Annabi, Nasim
Antinori, Spinello
Ariga, Katsuhiko
Asa, Sylvia L.
Astruc, Didier
Atala, Anthony
Atanasov, Atanas G.
Balsamo, Gianpaolo
Bandodkar, Amay J.
Banks, William A.
Bao, Yan-Ping
Barba, Francisco J.
Barnes, Peter J.
Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill S.
Barrow, Colin J.
Bashir, Ali Kashif
Basit, Abdul W.
Bassetti, Matteo
Batley, Jacqueline
Battino, Maurizio
Behnood, Ali
Benediktsson, Jon Atli
Biondi, Antonio
Bjarnsholt, Thomas
Blaschke, Thomas
Blay, Jean-Yves
Blumwald, Eduardo
Blunt, John W.
Boczkaj, Grzegorz
Bogers, Marcel
Bonomo, Robert A.
Boyd, Robert W.
Boyer, Cyrille
Braeckmans, Kevin
Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi
Bu, Wenbo
Bursać Kovačević, Danijela
Bush, Ashley I.
Byrd, John C.
Cabeza, Luisa F.
Cai, Xingjuan
Cambria, Erik
Cao, Guozhong
Cao, Xingzhong
Capasso, Raffaele
Carvalho, Andre F.
Casper, Jonathan
Castellanos-Gomez, Andres
Cavalli, Giacomo
Chai, Siang-Piao
Chan, Jasper Fuk-Woo
Chan, Timothy A.
Chang, Chih-Hao
Chang, Guoqing
Chao, Dongliang
Chen, Bo
Chen, Chaoji
Chen, Fahu
Chen, Gang
Chen, Jianmin
Chen, Jun
Chen, Jun
Chen, Jun
Chen, Lidong
Chen, Lingxin
Chen, Min
Chen, Mou
Chen, Peng
Chen, Qian
Chen, Qianwang
Chen, Shaowei
Chen, Shuangming
Chen, Wei
Chen, Xiaobo
Chen, Yimin
Chen, Yu
Chen, Yulin
Chen, Zhong
Chen, Zonghai
Cheng, Gong
Cheng, Huanyu
Cheng, Laifei
Cheng, Qiang
Chew, Kit Wayne
Chiclana, Francisco
Choi, Wonyong
Choi, Young Hae
Chowdhary, Anuradha
Cichocki, Andrzej
Clevers, Hans
Coops, Nicholas C.
Cortes, Javier
Cortes, Jorge
Costanza, Robert
Creutzig, Felix
Crommie, Michael F.
Cuadrado, Antonio
Cui, Haiying
Cui, Yi
Curigliano, Giuseppe
Dai, Sheng
Dai, Shifeng
Daiber, Andreas
Davies, Michael J.
Davis, Thomas P.
Dawson, Ted M.
de la Fuente-Nunez, Cesar
Delord, Jean-Pierre
Demaria, Marco
Deng, Xiangzheng
Desneux, Nicolas
Dikic, Ivan
Dimopoulos, Meletios-Athanasios
Ding, Aijun
Ding, Jianxun
Dokmeci, Mehmet Remzi
Dolgui, Alexandre
Dong, Chung-Li
Dou, Shi Xue
Dragicevic, Tomislav
Du, Bo
Du, Qian
Du, Yonghua
Duan, Xidong
Dufresne, Alain
Dummer, Reinhard
Edwards, David
Elaissari, Abdelhamid
ElMasry, Gamal
Enjuanes, Luis
Fabbro, Doriano
Facchetti, Antonio
Fan, Junliang
Fan, Kelong
Fan, Xiulin
Fan, Zhanxi
Fang, Baizeng
Fang, Chuanglin
Fang, Yongjin
Fasano, Alessio
Feng, Liangzhu
Feng, Xuning
Fensholt, Rasmus
Ferdinandy, Péter
Fernandez-Lafuente, Roberto
Filippi, Massimo
Flavian, Carlos
Fortino, Giancarlo
Fowler, Michael
Franceschi, Claudio
Frattini, Federico
Friston, Karl J.
Fu, Gengtao
Gai, Francesco
Gaisford, Simon
Galanakis, Charis M.
Galluzzi, Lorenzo
Galvano, Fabio
Gan, Ren-You
Gao, Feng
Gao, Huijun
Gao, Huile
Gao, Peng
Gao, Wei
Garbe, Claus
Garg, Abhishek D.
Gasbarrini, Antonio
Gastaldelli, Amalia
Gautier, Emmanuel L.
Genevet, Patrice
Geng, Yong
Gerdts, Gunnar
Geschwind, Daniel H.
Ghaffari, Roozbeh
Ghamisi, Pedram
Giacobbe, Daniele Roberto
Giampieri, Francesca
Gillies, Robert J.
Godos, Justyna
Gogotsi, Yury
Golding, Nick
Gong, Jinlong
Gong, Peng
Gong, Yongji
Govindan, Kannan
Gozal, David
Grancini, Giulia
Grant, William B.
Graus, Francesc
Green, Douglas R.
Grosso, Giuseppe
Gu, Meng
Gu, Zhanjun
Guan, Cao
Gueimonde, Miguel
Gui, Guan
Guigo, Roderic
Guo, Hengyu
Guo, Jianping
Guo, Lin
Guo, Song
Guo, Yan
Guo, Zaiping
Gupta, Rangan
Gutzmer, Ralf
Haase, Dagmar
Hagger, Martin S.
Hall, C. Michael
Han, Fudong
Han, Heesup
Hanes, Justin
Hartung, Hans-Peter
He, Bao-Jie  
He, Debiao
He, Hongwen
He, Jiaqing
He, Jie
He, Jr-Hau
He, Qiong
He, Xiangming
He, Xijun
He, Zhili
Heneka, Michael T.
Herrera, Francisco
Herrera-Estrella, Luis
Herrera-Viedma, Enrique
Hetz, Claudio
Holick, Michael F.
Hong, Danfeng
Hong, Xuechuan
Hsueh, Po-Ren
Hu, Bin
Hu, Enyuan
Hu, Jin-Song
Hu, Weida
Hu, Wenbin
Hu, Xiaosong
Huang, Baibiao
Huang, Hongwei
Huang, Jianliang
Huang, Jianping
Huang, Peng
Huang, Xin
Hubacek, Klaus
Hussain, Saddam
Italiano, Antoine
Iwata, Hiroji
Jaeschke, Hartmut
Jain, Atul

Jaiswal, Amit K.
Jankovic, Joseph
Janssens, Ivan A.
Jelezko, Fedor
Jeon, Byong-Hun
Ji, Guangbin
Ji, Qiang
Ji, Wei
Ji, Xiaobo
Ji, Xiaoyuan
Jiang, Bin
Jiang, Hong
Jiang, Junjun
Jiang, Lianzhou
Jiang, Qing
Jiang, Shibo
Jiang, Yuyan
Jiang, Zhongyi
Jiao, Licheng
Jin, Shi
Jin, Zhong
Kalantar-zadeh, Kourosh
Kamal, Mohammad Amjad
Kaner, Richard B.
Kaneti, Yusuf Valentino
Kang, Zhenhui
Karagiannidis, George K.
Karniadakis, George Em
Karp, Peter D.
Kataoka, Kazunori
Katritch, Vsevolod
Kawi, Sibudjing
Kepp, Oliver
Khademhosseini, Ali
Khan, Nafees A.
Kiessling, Fabian
Kildishev, Alexander V.
Kim, Haegyeom
Kim, Jeonghun
Kim, Jin-Hoi
Kim, Jong Seung
Kim, Ki-Hyun
Kirkwood, John M.
Kivshar, Yuri
Klenk, Hans-Peter
Ko, Wen-Chien
Kong, Baohua
Kontoyiannis, Dimitrios P.
Koonin, Eugene V.
Kroemer, Guido
Kuang, Dai-Bin
Kudo, Masatoshi
Kuhn, Jens H.
Kumar, Prashant
Kumar, Sudhir
Kurths, Juergen
Kurzrock, Razelle
Kuzyakov, Yakov
Kyrpides, Nikos C.
La Vecchia, Carlo
Lai, Yuekun
Lan, Ke
Lancellotti, Patrizio
Landi, Francesco
Lavie, Carl J.
Laxminarayan, Ramanan
Lee, Chengkuo
Lee, Jechan
Lee, Jin-Wook
Lee, Pooi See
Lee, Sang Soo
Lehmann, Johannes
Lei, Yaguo
Li, Bin
Li, Chunzhong
Li, Dongsheng
Li, Feng
Li, Hai
Li, Heng
Li, Hongyi
Li, Hui
Li, Jinghong
Li, Jun
Li, Li
Li, Linlin
Li, Neng
Li, Ning
Li, Shuai
Li, Shutao
Li, Wei
Li, Wentao
Li, Xiang
Li, Xuecao
Li, Xuelong
Li, Yat
Li, Yurui
Li, Zhijun
Liang, Chao
Liang, Shuquan
Liaw, Peter K.
Lin, Jun
Lin, Yuehe
Lippi, Giuseppe
Lister, Ryan
Liu, Chengmei
Liu, Gang
Liu, Hong
Liu, Hui
Liu, Jian
Liu, Jinyan
Liu, Jun
Liu, Meilin
Liu, Pan
Liu, Wei
Liu, Xianhu
Liu, Xiaoping
Liu, Xuejun
Liu, Yang
Liu, Yu
Liu, Yuan
Lonardo, Amedeo
Long, Hualou
Long, Ying
Lu, Bingan
Lu, Junling
Lu, Lu
Lu, Nanshu
Lu, Rongxing
Lucey, Brian
Lucieer, Arko
Lugato, Emanuele
Lund, Henrik
Luo, Yangchao
Luo, Yi
Luo, Zisheng
Lv, Wei
Lyons, Timothy W.
Ma, Haile
Ma, Jianmin
Ma, Jun
Ma, Tianyi
Ma, Wei
Ma, Yanming
Madabhushi, Anant
Mahmoudi, Morteza
Mai, Liqiang
Mai, Wenjie
Makridakis, Spyros
Mandala, Mario
Mantovani, Alberto
Mao, Jianfeng
Mao, Like
Mardani, Abbas
Mathivanan, Suresh
Matyjaszewski, Krzysztof
McCabe, Matthew F.
McCauley, Darren
McClements, David Julian
Mei, Lin
Melenhorst, Jan Joseph
Melero, Ignacio
Meyerholz, David K.
Van Mierlo, Joeri
Miroshnichenko, Andrey E.
Mittler, Ron
Mu, Shichun
Mubarak, Mohammad S.
Mueller, Lukas A.
Muhammad, Khan
Mumtaz, Shahid
Munekata, Paulo Eduardo Sichetti
Nakagawa, Shinichi
Nauen, Ralf
Newman, David J.
Niaura, Raymond S.
Nidheesh, P. V.
Niu, Ben
Nussinov, Ruth
O'Connor, David
Odintsov, Sergei D.
Omri, Anis
Orsini, Nicola
Ostrikov, Kostya (Ken)
Oswald, Isabelle P.
Oudard, Stephane
Ouyang, Minggao
Ozcan, Aydogan
Pan, Anlian
Pan, Anqiang
Pan, Caofeng
Pan, Genxing
Pan, Likun
Pan, Quan-Ke
Pan, Xiaoqing
Pandolfi, Pier Paolo
Parati, Gianfranco
Pateiro, Mirian
Peng, Qiang
Peng, Qing
Peng, Shushi
Perc, Matjaz
Perlin, David S.
Perlman, Stanley
Petruzzelli, Antonio Messeni
Pitt, Bertram
Pöhlmann, Stefan
Polasky, Stephen
Pommier, Yves
Poor, H. Vincent
Potenza, Marc N.
Preat, Veronique
Prinsep, Michele R.
Pu, Kanyi
Putnik, Predrag
Qin, Yuanwei
Qiu, Jieshan
Qu, Xiaogang
Ragauskas, Arthur J.
Ramakrishna, Seeram
Ramkissoon, Haywantee
Ran, Jingrun
Rao, Zhonghao
Recio, Isidra
Ren, Jinsong
Rengel, Zed
Rho, Junsuk
Riahi, Keywan
Ribeiro-Soriano, Domingo
Richardson, Paul G.
Robert, Caroline
Rocca, Maria A.
Rodriguez-Manas, Leocadio
Rojas, Orlando J.
Rojo, Teofilo
Roubaud, David
Saad, Fred
Saad, Walid
Sadorsky, Perry
Saliba, Michael
Sander, Chris
Sangaiah, Arun Kumar
Santamouris, Mattheos
Santoro, Gabriele
Scaldaferri, Franco
Schatzberg, Alan F.
Schwab, Matthias
Schweizer, Frank
Scolyer, Richard A.
Scott, Daniel
Serruys, Patrick W.
Setzer, William N.
Shahzad, Babar
Shao, Shuai
Shao, Zongping
Shen, Guozhen
Shen, Liyin

Shen, Zexiang
Shi, Peng
Shi, Yi
Siano, Pierluigi
Simões, Manuel
Sing, Swee Leong
Singh, Vijay P.
Smagghe, Guy
Smith, Lee
Soffietti, Riccardo
Song, Houbing
Song, Jibin
Song, Yu
Sood, Anil K.
Souto, Eliana B.
Stadler, Marc
Stanley, H. Eugene
Stephanopoulos, Gregory
Sternberg, Cora N.
Stoumpos, Constantinos C.
Stunnenberg, Hendrik G.
Su, Shiliang
Sun, Baoguo
Sun, Cuixia
Sun, Fengchun
Sun, Hongqi
Sun, Jie
Sun, Lijun
Sun, Litao
Sun, Runcang
Sun, Yanjuan
Sun, Zaicheng
Sun, Zhipei
Sureda, Antoni
Svenning, Jens-Christian
Tan, Chaoliang
Tan, Weihong
Tang, Chuan-He
Tang, Chuyang
Tang, Dianping
Tang, Yongbing
Tanzi, Rudolph E.
Terpos, Evangelos
Teschendorff, Andrew E.
Tian, He
Timsit, Jean-Francois
Tiwari, Aviral Kumar
Tohge, Takayuki
Tousoulis, Dimitris
Tran, Lam-Son Phan
Tress, Wolfgang
Trivedi, Pankaj
Tsao, Rong
Tully, Mark A.
Tung, Chen-Ho
Van der Bruggen, Bart
Vandenbroucke, Roosmarijn E.
Vangronsveld, Jaco
Varsani, Arvind
Vatanen, Tommi
Verbeke, Kristin
Vermote, Eric
Verpoorte, Robert
Vieta, Eduard
Vincent, Jean-Louis
Vita, Antonio
Wan, Jiafu
Wan, Shaohua
Wanek, Wolfgang
Wang, Bin
Wang, Bo
Wang, Chao
Wang, Chuanyi
Wang, Chunsheng
Wang, Dan
Wang, Feng
Wang, Gongming
Wang, Guoxiu
Wang, Haihui
Wang, Hao
Wang, Huanqing
Wang, Huanting
Wang, Hui
Wang, Jian
Wang, Jie
Wang, Jing
Wang, John
Wang, Joseph
Wang, Lianzhou
Wang, Lihui
Wang, Meng
Wang, Peng
Wang, Pengfei
Wang, Qi
Wang, Qi
Wang, Qiang
Wang, Qilin
Wang, Qin
Wang, Qing
Wang, Shaojian
Wang, Sibo
Wang, Tao
Wang, Ying
Wang, Yong
Wang, Zhen
Wang, Zhong Lin
Wang, Zhongrui
Wang, Zifa
Wang, Zuankai
Wei, Haotong
Wei, Leyi
Wei, Zhixiang
Wei, Zhongbao
Weissleder, Ralph
Weitschies, Werner
Wen, Guanghui
Wesemael, Bas van
Willerslev, Eske
Witlox, Frank
Wu, Haijun
Wu, Hao Bin
Wu, Hui
Wu, Jun
Wu, Qinglin
Wu, Shuilin
Wu, Xiaojun
Wu, Yongzhen
Wu, Yuping
Wu, Zheng-Guang
Wu, Zhong-Shuai
Xia, Jianguo (Jeff)
Xia, Meimei
Xia, Xinhui
Xia, Yongyao
Xia, Zhiguo
Xiang, Quanjun
Xiao, Fuyuan
Xiao, Jie
Xin, Sen
Xing, Baoshan
Xing, Wei
Xiong, Rui
Xu, Hui
Xu, Li Da
Xu, Ping
Xu, Yi-Jun
Xu, Zhenjiang Zech
Yan, Chong
Yan, He
Yan, Huaicheng
Yan, Kai
Yan, Ruqiang
Yang, Bing
Yang, Chenguang
Yang, Hongshun
Yang, Hui
Yang, Jian
Yang, Jianping
Yang, Jie
Yang, Jun
Yang, Kai
Yang, Shihe
Yang, Xiaofeng
Yang, Xinsong
Yang, Yun-Gui
Yao, Yonggang
Yigitcanlar, Tan
Yin, Shen
Yin, Shou-Wei
Yin, Yulong
Yin, Zongyou
Yokoya, Naoto
Young, Allan H.
Yu, Guihua
Yu, Jun
Yu, Le
Yu, Minghao
Yu, Shu-Hong
Yu, Wei
Yu, Wenwu
Yuan, Qiangqiang
Yuan, Yifei
Yuan, Yuan
Yuen, Chau
Zeadally, Sherali
Zhai, Tianyou
Zhang, Bing
Zhang, Dengsong
Zhang, Fan
Zhang, Fusuo
Zhang, Guangyu
Zhang, Guowen
Zhang, Hengjie
Zhang, Hongjie
Zhang, Hui
Zhang, Lai-Chang
Zhang, Lefei
Zhang, Lei
Zhang, Liangpei
Zhang, Lijun
Zhang, Min
Zhang, Peng
Zhang, Qiang
Zhang, Qiaobao
Zhang, Qichun
Zhang, Shicheng
Zhang, Shujun
Zhang, Tierui
Zhang, Wei
Zhang, Weili
Zhang, Xian-Ming
Zhang, Xiaodong
Zhang, Xiaogang
Zhang, Xiaoling
Zhang, Yang
Zhang, Yaobin
Zhang, Yi
Zhang, Yi-Zhou
Zhang, Yong
Zhang, Yu Shrike
Zhang, Yue-Jun
Zhang, Yuelin
Zhang, Zheng
Zhang, Zhicheng
Zhang, Zhien
Zhao, Guochun
Zhao, Jie
Zhao, Li-Dong
Zhao, Qing
Zhao, Yi
Zheng, Hao
Zheng, Weitao
Zheng, Yufeng
Zhong, Cheng
Zhou, Jie
Zhou, Jizhong
Zhou, Kun
Zhou, Liang
Zhou, Peng
Zhou, Qi
Zhou, Wei
Zhou, Weiqi
Zhu, Chengzhou
Zhu, Hongwei
Zhu, Junfa
Zhu, Jun-Jie
Zhu, Lei
Zhu, Mingshan
Zhu, Quanxin
Zhu, Yi
Zhu, Yongfa
Zhu, Zhe
Zhuang, Xiaodong
Zou, Quan
Zou, Ruqiang
Zuo, Chao

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 USEU 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!

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

19 October 2023
Open Access Week 2023 – the Global Drive to Open Continues


MDPI has been a strong proponent of the open access publishing model right from the beginning. As one of the pioneering fully open access publishers, we firmly believe that unrestricted access to research findings forms the foundation for better transparency, efficiency, and quality control across all scientific disciplines.

In December 2022, we reached a significant milestone by surpassing one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon!

Offering free and immediate access to scientific papers empowers scientists to examine, validate, replicate, and expand upon existing results. This not only helps prevent redundancy and optimizes how resources are used but also paves the way for innovative new approaches.

The International Open Access Week takes place from 23 to 29 October 2023, providing a unique opportunity to connect the global movement towards open sharing and open science with the progress of policy transformations at the local level.

Our goal, during Open Access Week as well as throughout the year, is to offer resources for educating people about the benefits of open access publishing. The MDPI Blog offers a wealth of information around open access and open science.

Promoting the values of accessibility, transparency, and collaboration

Open access publishing embodies the fundamental values of democratizing knowledge and fostering global accessibility. It aims to break down barriers that have traditionally limited access to scholarly work, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of their financial or institutional affiliations. 

Discounts are part of our commitment to ensuring there are diverse pathways to Open Access publishing for researchers worldwide. MDPI supports scientific communities in several different ways. 

One of the key strengths of open access publishing lies in its ability to facilitate interdisciplinary research. By removing paywalls and promoting the sharing of knowledge across disciplines, OA encourages collaboration and innovation. Researchers from diverse fields can access and build upon each other's work, fostering a holistic approach to addressing complex global challenges. 

Funders' policies are getting aligned with open science

Governments, institutions, and funding agencies have recognized the transformative potential of open access and have implemented policies to promote it. These policies often mandate that publicly funded research should be made openly accessible. Such initiatives have accelerated the growth of open access repositories and journals, reinforcing the commitment to open access principles. Check our spotlights on OA policies in the USEU and China

Open access publishing is continually evolving, with innovative and community-driven models and technologies shaping its future. Initiatives like "Plan S" and "cOAlition S" promote the adoption of OA publishing from the national funders’ perspective by requiring grantees to publish their research openly. A new policy announced by the US administration last year requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made 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 twenty years, open access scholarly publishing has been revolutionizing academia by promoting the values of 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 open access continues to expand, it holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change. 

MDPI is proud to be a leader in the transition to open access.

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:

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.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

6 September 2023
Recap of Awards Granted to Scholars in 2022


MDPI is committed to supporting the academic community, nurturing talent and advancing science. Awards are an important part of the research landscape and play a vital role in helping academics gain recognition, especially young researchers as they embark on new research avenues.

In 2022, our journals presented a total number of 394 Awards, including Travel Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Best Paper Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards, with several winners announced for some of the awards. The total prize sum amounted to just under 580,000 Swiss francs (CHF), or approximately 650,000 US dollars. Overall, more than 720 scholars were awarded.

The majority of the awards were dedicated to young researchers in relatively early stages of their careers. This encompassed 66 of the afore-mentioned Travel Awards, 60 Young Investigator Awards, supporting research projects and conference attendance, as well as 51 Best PhD Thesis Awards. Additionally, 113 Best Paper Awards were given by our journals. The selection committees were entrusted with identifying the most impactful and novel research and review articles published in their journal within a given year.

MDPI will continue its support and recognition for the academic community moving forward, sponsoring new awards across disciplines. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

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:

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:

  1. The World Sustainability Award, amounting to USD 100,000, is given to senior researchers.
  2. 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

  1. Professor Michael R. Templeton
  2. Professor Tom Lyon
  3. Dr Krithi K. Karanth

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.”

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

14 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Young Investigator Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced


MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences. The winners were selected by the journals’ Award Evaluation Committee.

We warmly congratulate the awarded young investigators for their outstanding contributions. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Agriculture:

  • Thomas Hartinger, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria

Agronomy:

  • Leontina Lipan, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Spain

Animals:

  • Daniel Stec, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Brain Sciences:

  • Dibyadeep Datta, Yale Medical School, USA
  • Giacomo Valle, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • Morgan H. James, Rutgers University, USA

Foods:

  • Xiaonan Lu, McGill University, Canada

Genes:

  • Alfredo Iacoangeli, King's College London, UK
  • Elisa De Franco, University of Exeter, UK
  • Riccardo Pecori, German Cancer Research Center, Germany
  • Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal

Horticulturae:

  • Massimiliano Renna, University of Bari Aldo Moro at Bari, Italy

Insects:

  • Adam G. Dolezal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States

Microorganisms:

  • Carla Rodrigues, Institut Pasteur, France
  • Lorena Rodriguez-Rubio, University of Barcelona, Spain
  • Kevin Solomon, University of Delaware, USA

Nutrients:

  • Colleen Deane, University of Southampton, UK

Toxins:

  • Paz Otero Fuertes, University of Vigo, Spain

Pathogens:

  • Marta Giovanetti, National Reference Laboratory of Flavivirus in the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil
  • Carrie M. Long, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), USA

Vaccines:

  • Carina Joe, University of Oxford, UK

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

14 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced


We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in biology and life sciences for their outstanding presentations.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.

The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success in their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Brain Sciences:

  • Liloia Donato, University of Turin, Italy
  • Roberta Bettoni, University of Milano Bicocca, Italy

Diversity:

  • Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal

IJMS:

  • Carlo Matera, University of Milan, Italy
  • Elisabetta Coppi, University of Florence, Italy
  • Ilaria Tonazzini, Nanoscience Institute—National Research Council (CNR) @ NEST in Pisa, Italy

MPs:

  • Pere Catala, University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands

Sports:

  • Angela Blasimann, University of Antwerp, Belgium
  • Angelo Sabag, Western Sydney University, Australia

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

14 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced


In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when generously dedicating their time to reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer review process.

We are proud to recognize the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences for their outstanding contributions, among extensive competition, by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the winners on their achievements. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Agronomy:

  • Ewa Ropelewska, The National Institute of Horticultural Research, Poland
  • Marek Rašovský, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia
  • Prakash Jha, Kansas State University, USA
  • Vasileios Greveniotis, Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Greece

Biology:

  • Alberto Collareta, University of Pisa, Italy
  • Francisco Curate, University of Coimbra, Portugal
  • Gianpiero Greco, University of Study of Bari, Italy
  • Luca Poli, University of Study of Bari, Italy
  • Shaohua Chen, South China Agricultural University, China

Brain Sciences:

  • Chong Chen, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan

Children:

  • Marco Sapienza, University of Catania, Italy
  • Sabina Barrios-Fernández, University of Extremadura, Spain

Diversity:

  • Corrado Battisti, Torre Flavia LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Station, Italy
  • Daniel Stec, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
  • Emilia Grzędzicka, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
  • Igor Zelnik, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Endocrines:

  • Eva S. Liu, 1Harvard Medical School, USA 2Brigham and Women’s Hospital, USA

Fermentation:

  • Aleksandra Szydlowska, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), Poland
  • Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman, Al-Azhar University, Egypt

Fishes:

  • Andrew G. Jeffs, University of Auckland, New Zealand
  • Mohamed Samy-Kamal, Universitat d'Alacant, Spain

Foods:

  • Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
  • Marzena Włodarczyk-Stasiak, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
  • Minaxi Sharma, Haute Ecole Provinciale de Hainaut-Condorcet, Belgium
  • Viviani Ruffo de Oliveira, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil

Genes:

  • Federico Manuel Giorgi, University of Bologna, Italy
  • Jan Bocianowski, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
  • Magdalena Mroczek, Center for Cardiovascular Genetics and Gene Diagnostics, Switzerland

IJMS:

  • Keigi Fujiwara, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
  • Tomasz W. Kaminski, University of Pittsburgh, USA
  • Takujiro Homma, Yamagata University, Japan
  • William Bryan Terzaghi, Wilkes University, United States
  • Zong-jie Cui, Beijing Normal University, China

Insects:

  • Abraão Almeida Santos, University of Florida, USA
  • Agata Kaczmarek, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
  • Miguel A. García-Martínez, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico

Life:

  • Andrei S. Rodin, Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, USA
  • Kazuhiko Kotani, Jichi Medical University, Japan

Metabolites:

  • Jianing Mi, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
  • Nguyen Phuoc Long, Inje University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
  • Xian Luo, University of Alberta, Canada

Pathogens:

  • Guillaume Fiches, Ohio State University, USA
  • Jianxuan Wu, Gilead Sciences, USA
  • Tomasz M. Karpiński, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poland

Plants:

  • Alicia Ayerdi Gotor, Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, France
  • Andrea Mastinu, University of Brescia, Italy
  • Edyta Paczos-Grzeda, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
  • Narayan Bhusal, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
  • Mohsen Hesami, University of Guelph, Canada

Toxins:

  • Christian Müller, University of Greifswald, Germany
  • Margarita Fernández-Tejedor, IRTA, Spain

Vaccines:

  • Christian Napoli, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy
  • Federico Marchesi, University of Parma, Italy
  • Roger E. Thomas, University of Calgary, Canada

Veterinary Sciences:

  • Fun-In Wang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
  • Valeria Grieco, University of Milan, Italy

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

14 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced


MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are presented to recognize the young scholars who are judged to have completed the most outstanding PhD thesis in their field of research and to encourage them to continue their outstanding work and further contributions to their field.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success in their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Brain Sciences:

  • “CYP2D in the Brain Alters Response to Drugs and Neurotoxins”
    by Marlaina R. Stocco, University of California, USA
  • “Neural Encoding of Prior Experience in Sensorimotor Behavior”
    by Nicolas Meirhaeghe, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, France
  • “Perinatal Stem Cell: Epigenetic, Biological and Differentiative Characteristics”
    by Giulia Gaggi, University "G.D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Italy

Genes:

  • “Uncovering the Genetic Variation Involved in Asthma Exacerbations through Multiple Genomic Approaches”
    by Esther Herrera Luis, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain

Veterinary Sciences:

  • “Development of Novel Tools for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance in Complex Microbial Communities and Their Application to Improving Our Stewardship of Antimicrobials in Livestock”
    by Ashenafi Feyisa Beyi, Iowa State University, United States

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

14 August 2023
MDPI’s Best Paper Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced in 2022


The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation.

We are honored to present the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Agronomy:

Biology:

Brain Sciences:

Diversity:

Genes:    

IJMS:     

Insects:  

Life:

Metabolites:          

MPs:

Pathogens:

Plants:

Toxins:

Vaccines:               

Veterinary Sciences:

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

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)

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

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)
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
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
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
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
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.

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

Interview with Indexing Manager—Constanze Shelhorn

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

Sciforum: forthcoming events
Spotlight on Antioxidants

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

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

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)

 

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.

Journal

Founding Editor-in-Chief

Journal Topics (Selected)

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

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

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

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

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].

7 March 2023
Displaying Co-Authors’ Email Addresses on the Webpage of Published Papers

MDPI is pleased to announce that we now display the co-authors’ email addresses in addition to the corresponding author’s email address on the webpage of published papers, protected by Captcha. For more information about this change, please visit the journal’s instructions for authors page. 

We believe this change will facilitate academic discussions and advance our cause of open science and research. The corresponding authors are responsible for communicating with their co-authors and indicating in our system (https://susy.mdpi.com/) if co-authors would prefer for their email addresses not to be displayed.

16 February 2023
Increasing Visibility for Preprints.org – Clarivate adds the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science

On 9 February 2023, Clarivate, a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics, added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science platform, streamlining the research process by allowing researchers to locate and link to preprints alongside other trusted content in the database.

The Preprint Citation Index will act as a bridge to connect cutting-edge preprints with peer-reviewed journal articles published within the Web of Science Core Collection. Alerts can be easily set to monitor new research across several repositories and authors will also be able to include preprints on their Web of Science Research Profile to more accurately display their various research outputs.

As of its launch, the Preprint Citation Index will provide nearly two million preprints from various repositories, including MDPI’s own Preprints.org.

MDPI's Preprints Platform – Preprints.org

To advance Open Science and the fast dissemination of research, MDPI offers researchers a free multidisciplinary preprint platform. Preprints.org accepts submissions from all research areas and offers authors high visibility, permanent archiving, article-level Metrics and immediately citable content by assigning a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to all preprints.

During submission to any MDPI journal, authors have the option to share their research as a preprint. After an initial screening, the manuscript is available online in 48 hours or less. Once online, preprints can be downloaded, shared, commented on, and cited, providing authors maximum visibility.

We invite you to join the ranks of the over 100k researchers using Preprints.org and share your research.

For more information, please visit Preprints.org.

22 December 2022
Special Issue Mentor Program

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the MDPI Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program will enable early career researchers (who must hold a Ph.D. in a related field) to experience editing a Special Issue in MDPI journals, under the mentorship of our experienced Editorial Board Members or other experienced scientists. The mentor program will provide an excellent opportunity for early career scientists to gain editorial experience, and to cultivate their ability to edit scientific research.

The mentee’s responsibilities include:

  • Proposing a Special Issue title and assisting the mentor in preparing a summary (around 200–400 words) and 3–10 keywords describing the background, importance, and goal of the Issue;
  • Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
  • Preparing a list of scholars who may be interested in the Issue and personally e-mailing invitations on behalf of Guest Editors;
  • Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue together with the mentor.

The mentor’s responsibilities include:

  • Conducting a final check before the Special Issue is published online;
  • Performing editorial control of the Special Issue and quality control of the publications, both of which must be carried out in a timely manner;
  • Providing suggestions to younger scholars if they have any doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
  • Organizing video calls with young scholars and the Editorial Office regularly to discuss problems and improvement suggestions for the Special Issue;
  • Making and submitting decisions regarding submissions with the assistance of mentees.

Certificates and awards:
After the Special Issue closes, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all the mentors and early career researchers.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Editorial Office of a journal you choose, and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail. The full list of MDPI journals is as follows: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, we will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals focusing on hot research topics.

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.

1 Million Infographic

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!

14 December 2022
Recruiting Editorial Board Members for Journals Covered in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science)

We are currently recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for MDPI journals indexed in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) in Web of Science. In particular, we are looking for experts who are interested in aiding in the development of our journals and safeguarding the scientific quality of the published findings.

Journals currently listed in the ESCI will receive an Impact Factor in June 2023, according to the changes announced by Web of Science (Clarivate). Therefore, this is an excellent time to become an Editorial Board Member for one of these fast-developing journals.

If you are interested in sharing your expertise in one of the journals listed below, please send us an application using this link.

The Editorial Office of the journal will contact you once the application has been approved.
Editorial Board Members are responsible for academic decisions on manuscripts in their field of expertise, will edit Special Issues, and may be invited to review manuscripts. The initial term lasts for two years, after which it can be renewed, and entails the following:

  • Prescreening and making decisions on new submissions related to your research interests;
  • Setting up at least one Special Issue during your term on a topic related to your research interests (or supervising Special Issues related to your research field);
  • Providing input or feedback regarding journal policies;
  • Helping to promote the journal among your peers or at conferences;
  • Attending Board meetings to suggest journal development strategies;
  • Reviewing manuscripts.

Editorial Board Members are entitled to a full waiver on one publication per year in the journal that they serve and need to be experts in their fields.

The list of ESCI journals can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/esci.

Please find the list of ESCI journals, categorized by subject, for which we are recruiting Editorial Board Members below.

Biology

Chemistry & Materials Science

 

Computer Science & Mathematics

Engineering

Environmental & Earth Sciences

Life Science

Medicine & Pharmacology

 

Physical Sciences

Social Sciences & Humanities

 

Society Journals

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.

28 September 2022
Peer Review Week 2022 – Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research

Peer Review Week began 19 September 2022 under the theme of “Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research”. Through various blog articles, podcast, and webinar, we discussed this crucial subject throughout the week, celebrating the essential role peer review plays in maintaining research quality.

To begin, we held a Webinar on the topic. Professor Peter W. Choate and Dr. Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi joined Dr. Ioana Craciun, one of MDPI’s scientific officers, for an in-depth discussion.

We invite you to view the event recording:

During the week, the MDPI Blog in a series articles highlighted how good Peer Review safeguards research integrity. The following topics were covered:

In a new edition of Insight Faster, an MDPI podcast, we were delighted to talk to the co-chairs of the Peer Review Week committee, Jayashree Rajagopalan (Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement for CACTUS) and Danielle Padula (Head of Marketing and Community Development at Scholastica) to get their take on this year’s event and its related topics.

You can find the Podcast here.

We hope you enjoy the contents!

9 June 2022
2021 CiteScores - Released


The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus!

We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:

● 21 journals received their first CiteScore.
● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020.
● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average, in at least one category.

The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category:

Journal

CiteScore

Quartile

Category

Non-coding RNA

10.1

Q1

Genetics

Journal of Functional Biomaterials

10.0

Q1

Biomedical Engineering

Marine Drugs

8.1

Q1

Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (miscellaneous)

Batteries

7.9

Q1

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Nutrients

7.9

Q1

Nutrition and Dietetics

Remote Sensing

7.4

Q1

General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Drones

7.2

Q1

Computer Science Applications

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

6.9

Q1

Inorganic Chemistry

Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks

6.9

Q1

Computer Networks and Communications

Cells

6.7

Q1

General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Nanomaterials

6.6

Q1

General Chemical Engineering

Toxins

6.6

Q1

Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Viruses

6.6

Q1

Infectious Diseases

Antioxidants

6.5

Q1

Food Science

Fibers

6.5

Q1

Civil and Structural Engineering

Resources

6.4

Q1

Nature and Landscape Conservation

Sensors

6.4

Q1

Instrumentation

Big Data and Cognitive Computing

6.1

Q1

Management Information Systems

Molecules

5.9

Q1

Chemistry (miscellaneous)

Polymers

5.7

Q1

Polymers and Plastics

Biosensors

5.6

Q1

Engineering (miscellaneous)

Catalysts

5.5

Q1

General Environmental Science

Smart Cities

5.5

Q1

Urban Studies

Future Internet

5.4

Q2

Computer Networks and Communications

Beverages

5.3

Q1

Food Science

Fermentation

5.3

Q1

Plant Science

Environments

5.2

Q1

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Inventions

5.2

Q1

General Engineering

Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity

5.1

Q1

Development

Colloids and Interfaces

5.0

Q1

Chemistry (miscellaneous)

Energies

5.0

Q1

Control and Optimization

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information

5.0

Q1

Geography, Planning and Development

Sustainability

5.0

Q1

Geography, Planning and Development

Fire

4.9

Q1

Forestry

Robotics

4.9

Q1

Control and Optimization

Soil Systems

4.9

Q1

Soil Science

Geosciences

4.8

Q1

General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing

4.8

Q1

Mechanical Engineering

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease

4.8

Q1

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Water

4.8

Q1

Geography, Planning and Development

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

4.5

Q1

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Sports

4.5

Q1

Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

Entropy

4.4

Q1

Mathematical Physics

Journal of Clinical Medicine

4.4

Q1

General Medicine

Symmetry

4.3

Q1

General Mathematics

Cosmetics

4.2

Q1

Surgery

Foods

4.1

Q1

Health Professions (miscellaneous)

Journal of Fungi

4.1

Q1

Plant Science

ChemEngineering

4.0

Q1

General Engineering

Forests

4.0

Q1

Forestry

Journal of Intelligence

4.0

Q1

Education

Antibiotics

3.9

Q1

General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Cryptography

3.9

Q1

Applied Mathematics

Behavioral Sciences

3.8

Q1

Development

Buildings

3.8

Q1

Architecture

Metals

3.8

Q1

Metals and Alloys

Publications

3.5

Q1

Communication

Social Sciences

3.4

Q1

General Social Sciences

Mathematics

2.9

Q1

General Mathematics

Fractal and Fractional

2.8

Q1

Analysis

Animals

2.7

Q1

General Veterinary

Axioms

2.6

Q1

Algebra and Number Theory

Heritage

1.8

Q1

Conservation

Religions

1.0

Q1

Religious Studies

Philosophies

0.9

Q1

Philosophy

Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)

2 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in “Biology & Life Sciences”—Winners Announced

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who so generously dedicate their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer-review process.

We are proud to recognize winners for the year 2021 in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category for their outstanding contributions among extensive competition by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners on their achievement.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Biology:

  • Enrico Vito Perrino, CIHEAM, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Italy
  • Dhirendra Kumar, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, USA
  • Carlos A. Viegas, Univesity of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
  • Yuri Shavrukov, Flinders University, Australia
  • Bipin Gaihre, Mayo Clinic, USA

Brain Sciences:

  • Craig D. Workman, University of Iowa, USA
  • Vivian Ciaramitaro, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
  • Yang Zhang, University of Minnesota, USA

Cells:

  • Bonam Srinivasa Reddy, Université de Paris, France
  • Homma Takujiro, Yamagata University, Japan
  • Hwang, In Koo, Seoul National University, South Korea
  • Kobeissy Firas, University of Florida, USA
  • Rebelo, Sandra, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Diversity:

  • Günter Gollmann, University of Vienna, Austria
  • Stephan Koblmüller, University of Graz, Austria
  • Emiliano Mori, Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Italy

Horticulturae:

  • Joshua D. Klein, Agricultural Research Organization—The Volcani Center, Israel
  • Ana Cristina S Figueiredo, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Insects:

  • Carmelo Peter Bonsignore, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Italy
  • Klaus H. Hoffmann, University of Bayreuth, Germany
  • Ivan Milosavljević, University of California, USA

Metabolites:

  • Remigiusz Bachor, University of Wrocław, Poland
  • Nguyen Phuoc Long, Inje University College of Medicine, South Korea
  • Chi Chen, University of Minnesota, USA

Nutrients:

  • Jadwiga Hamułka, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
  • Grace Campbell, University of Sydney, Australia
  • Nicholas Norwitz, Harvard Medical School, USA
  • Stefan Kabisch, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Germany
  • Luis Rodrigo, University of Oviedo, Spain

Veterinary Sciences:

  • Carlos Viegas, Univesity of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
  • Arvind Sharma, The University of Queensland, Australia

2 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Young Investigator Awards in “Biology & Life Sciences”—Winners Announced

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the 2021 winners in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category. The winners were selected by the journals’ editors.

We warmly congratulate the awarded young investigators for their outstanding contributions.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Agriculture:

  • Carlos Guzmán, University of Cordoba, Spain

Animals:

  • Katharina Hohlbaum, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Cells:

  • Uri Ben-David, Tel Aviv University, Israel

Diversity:

  • Enrico Lunghi, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China

Foods:

  • Guodong Zhang, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Horticulturae:

  • Luke Bell, Temperate Horticulture, University of Reading, UK

International Journal of Molecular Sciences:

  • Alessandro D’Urso, University of Catania, Italy.
  • Apostolos Zaravinos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus
  • Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez, University of Pennsylvania, USA
  • Maria Teresa Caccamo, Messina University, Italy
  • Tiziana Bonifacino, University of Genoa, Italy

Journal of Fungi:

  • Federico Baltar, University of Vienna, Austria
  • Rebecca Drummond, University of Birmingham, UK
  • Miriam Oses-Ruiz, Public University of Navarre, Spain

Life:

  • João Pedro da Silva Machado Lobo, University of Porto, Portugal
  • Vincenzo Russo, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy

Metabolites:

  • Gabriele Rocchetti, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Italy

Nutrients:

  • Fiona Lavelle, Queen's University Belfast, UK
  • Matthew Snelson, Monash University, Australia

Pathogens:

  • Si Ming Man, Australian National University, Australia
  • Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, University of Hong Kong, China

Plants:

  • Stefania Sut, University of Padova, Italy
  • Mohamed Ahmed El-Esawi, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

Vaccines:

  • Nicholas M. Provine, University of Oxford, UK

Viruses:

  • Nicholas S. Heaton, Duke University, USA

2 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in “Biology & Life Sciences”—Winners Announced

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category for their outstanding presentations and to present them with the prize.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage talented junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.

The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of 2021 Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Agriculture:

  • Zahra Bitarafan, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Norway
  • Nikolaos Tsoulias, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Germany

Fermentation:

  • Michela Verni, University of Bari, Italy
  • Philipp Demling, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Horticulturae:

  • Jagveer Singh, Punjab Agricultural University, India
  • Ibrar Hussain, State University of Londrina, Brazil

Microorganisms:

  • Francis Muchaamba, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Methods and Protocols:

  • Tanja Eisemann, SBP Medical Discovery Institute, USA

Nutrients:

  • Mrinalini Dey, National Institute for Health Research, UK
  • Ben Kirk, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Kirrilly Pursey, University of Newcastle, Australia
  • Dieuwertje Kok, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
  • Hanna Huber, University of Bonn, Germany
  • Marlene Lages, University of Porto, Portugal
  • Zohra S. Lassi, University of Adelaide, Australia
  • Rik Olde Engberink, Amsterdam University Medicial Center, the Netherlands
  • Sarah Warkentin, University of Porto (ISPUP), Portugal
  • Álvaro Hernáez, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
  • Leila Abdelhamid, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, USA
  • Maria Michela Cesare, University of Siena, Italy
  • Kaisa Hiippala, University of Helsinki, Finland

Pathogens:

  • Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
  • Hejun Liu, Scripps Research Institute, USA
  • Tomokazu Tamura, Princeton University, USA

Toxins:

  • Cecilie Knudsen, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
  • Laura Biessy, Cawthron Institute, New Zealand
  • Marcelo Mendes Rabelo, University of Florida, USA

Vaccines:

  • Hee Chun Chung, Seoul National University, South Korea
  • Alejandro Marin Lopez, Yale University, USA

2 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Best Paper Awards in “Biology & Life Sciences”—Winners Announced

The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal last year.

We are honored to present the winners in the subject areas of “Biology & Life Sciences”, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Animals:

by Wenchao Liu, Yilin Yuan, Chenyu Sun, Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian, Zhihui Zhao and Lilong An

Animals 2019, 9(8), 506, doi 10.3390/ani9080506

by Peter Coals, Dawn Burnham, Andrew Loveridge, David W. Macdonald, Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes, Vivienne L. Williams and John A. Vucetich

Animals 2019, 9(2), 52; doi 10.3390/ani9020052

by Giovanni Sogari, Mario Amato, Ilaria Biasato, Silvana Chiesa and Laura Gasco

Animals 2019, 9(4), 119; doi 10.3390/ani9040119

Antibodies:

by Mark L. Chiu; Dennis R. Goulet; Alexey Teplyakov and Gary L. Gilliland

Antibodies 2019, 8(4), 55; doi 10.3390/antib8040055

Antioxidants:

by Luca Frattaruolo, Gabriele Carullo, Matteo Brindisi, Sarah Mazzotta, Luca Bellissimo, Vittoria Rago, Rosita Curcio, Vincenza Dolce, Francesca Aiello and Anna Rita Cappello

Antioxidants 2019, 8(6), 186; doi 10.3390/antiox8060186

by Chunhe Gu, Kate Howell, Frank R. Dunshea and Hafiz A. R. Suleria

Antioxidants 2019, 8(9), 405; doi 10.3390/antiox8090405

by Spyridon A. Petropoulos, Ângela Fernandes, Maria Inês Dias, Ioannis B. Vasilakoglou, Konstantinos Petrotos, Lillian Barros and Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira

Antioxidants 2019, 8(8), 293; doi 10.3390/antiox8080293

by Rubén Domínguez, Mirian Pateiro, Mohammed Gagaoua, Francisco J. Barba, Wangang Zhang and José M. Lorenzo

Antioxidants 2019, 8(10), 429; doi 10.3390/antiox8100429

Biology:

by Michael H. Hastings, Elizabeth S. Maywood and Marco Brancaccio

Biology 2019, 8(1), 13; doi 10.3390/biology8010013

by Gail D. Schwieterman, Daniel P. Crear, Brooke N. Anderson, Danielle R. Lavoie, James A. Sulikowski, Peter G. Bushnell and Richard W. Brill

Biology 2019, 8(3), 56; doi 10.3390/biology8030056

Biomolecules:

by Shuichi Nakamura and Tohru Minamino

Biomolecules 2019, 9(7), 279; doi 10.3390/biom9070279

by Dmitrii Usoltsev, Vera Sitnikovaandrey Kajava and Mayya Uspenskaya

Biomolecules 2019, 9(8), 359; doi 10.3390/biom9080359

by Gerhard Liebisch, Josef Ecker, Sebastian Roth, Sabine Schweizer, Veronika Öttl, Hans-Frieder Schött, Hongsup Yoon, Dirk Haller, Ernst Holler, Ralph Burkhardt and Silke Matysik

Biomolecules 2019, 9(4), 121; doi 10.3390/biom9040121

by Anna Janaszewska, Joanna Lazniewska, Przemysław Trzepiński, Monika Marcinkowska and Barbara Klajnert-Maculewicz

Biomolecules 2019, 9(8), 330; doi 10.3390/biom9080330

Cells:

by Heng Sheng Sow, Jiang Ren, Marcel Camps, Ferry Ossendorp and Peter ten Dijke

Cells 2019, 8(4), 320; doi 10.3390/cells8040320

by Dinender K. Singla, Taylor A. Johnson and Zahra Tavakoli Dargani

Cells 2019, 8(10), 1224; doi 10.3390/cells8101224

by Laura M. Doyle and Michael Zhuo Wang

Cells 2019, 8(7), 727; doi 10.3390/cells8070727

by Yu Han, Xuezhou Li, Yanbo Zhang, Yuping Han, Fei Chang and Jianxun Ding

Cells 2019, 8(8), 886; doi 10.3390/cells8080886

Genes:

by Sarah B. Kingan, Haynes Heaton, Juliana Cudini, Christine C. Lambert, Primo Baybayan, Brendan D. Galvin, Richard Durbin, Jonas Korlach and Mara K. N. Lawniczak

Genes 2019, 10(1), 62; doi 10.3390/genes10010062

by Katherine E Bohnsack, Claudia Höbartner and Markus T Bohnsack

Genes 2019, 10(2), 102; doi 10.3390/genes10020102

by Laura M. Boykin, Peter Sseruwagi, Titus Alicai, Elijah Ateka, Ibrahim Umar Mohammed, Jo-Ann L. Stanton, Charles Kayuki, Deogratius Mark, Tarcisius Fute, Joel Erasto, Hilda Bachwenkizi, Brenda Muga, Naomi Mumo, Jenniffer Mwangi, Phillip Abidrabo, Geoffrey Okao-Okuja, Geresemu Omuut, Jacinta Akol, Hellen B. Apio, Francis Osingada, Monica A. Kehoe, David Eccles, Anders Savill, Stephen Lamb, Tonny Kinene, Christopher B. Rawle, Abishek Muralidhar, Kirsty Mayall, Fred Tairo and Joseph Ndunguru

Genes 2019, 10(9), 632; doi 10.3390/genes10090632

by Elamin Hafiz Baillo, Roy Njoroge Kimotho, Zhengbin Zhang and Ping Xu

Genes 2019, 10(10), 771; doi 10.3390/genes10100771

Horticulturae:

by Lida Fuentes, Carlos R. Figueroa and Monika Valdenegro

Horticulturae 2019, 5(2), 45; doi 10.3390/horticulturae5020045

by Marta Guarise, Gigliola Borgonovo, Angela Bassoli and Antonio Ferrante

Horticulturae 2019, 5(1), 13; doi 10.3390/horticulturae5010013

Insects:

by Rik Clymans, Vincent Van Kerckvoorde, Eva Bangels, Wannes Akkermans, Ammar Alhmedi, Patrick De Clercq, Tim Beliën and Dany bylemans

Insects 2019, 10(7), 200; doi 10.3390/insects10070200

by Marc Kenis, Hannalene du Plessis, Johnnie Van den Berg, Malick Niango Ba, Georg Goergen, Koffi Eric Kwadjo, Ibrahim Baoua, Tadele Tefera, Alan Buddie, Giovanni Cafà, Lisa Offord, Ivan Rwomushana and Andrew Polaszek

Insects 2019, 10(4), 92; doi 10.3390/insects10040092

by Rafael R. da Costa, Haofu Hu, Hongjie Li and Michael Poulsen

Insects 2019, 10(4), 87; doi 10.3390/insects10040087

International Journal of Molecular Sciences:

by Rüdiger Hardeland

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(5), 1223; doi 10.3390/ijms20051223

by Elise Lévy, Nadine El Banna, Dorothée Baïlle, Amélie Heneman-Masurel, Sandrine Truchet, Human Rezaei, Meng-Er Huang, Vincent Béringue, Davy Martin and Laurence Vernis

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(16), 3896; doi 10.3390/ijms20163896

by Beatriz Herrero-Fernandez, Raquel Gomez-Bris, Beatriz Somovilla-Crespo and Jose Maria Gonzalez-Granado

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(21), 5293; doi 10.3390/ijms20215293

by Claudia Beaurivage, Elena Naumovska, Yee Xiang Chang, Edo D. Elstak, Arnaud Nicolas, Heidi Wouters, Guido van Moolenbroek, Henriëtte L. Lanz, Sebastiaan J. Trietsch, Jos Joore, Paul Vulto, Richard A.J. Janssen, Kai S. Erdmann, Jan Stallen and Dorota Kurek

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(22), 5661; doi 10.3390/ijms20225661

by Maiko Okano, Masanori Oshi, Ali Linsk Butash, Eriko Katsuta, Kazunoshin Tachibana, Katsuharu Saito, Hirokazu Okayama, Xuan Peng, Li Yan, Koji Kono, Toru Ohtake and Kazuaki Takabe

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(17), 4197; doi 10.3390/ijms20174197

by Shaista Afroz, Rieko Arakaki, Takuma Iwasa, Masamitsu Oshima, Maki Hosoki, Miho Inoue, Otto Baba, Yoshihiro Okayama and Yoshizo Matsuka

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(3), 711; doi 10.3390/ijms20030711

Life:

by Márió Gajdács, Zoltán Bátori, Marianna Ábrók, Andrea Lázár and Katalin Burián

Life 2020, 10(2), 16; doi 10.3390/life10020016

by Carla Ferreira, Catarina Almeida, Sandra Tenreiro and Alexandre Quintas

Life 2020, 10(6), 86; doi 10.3390/life10060086

Nutrients:

by Ronald D. Hills, Benjamin A. Pontefract, Hillary R. Mishcon, Cody A. Black, Steven C. Sutton and Cory R. Theberge

Nutrients 2019, 11(7), 1613; doi 10.3390/nu11071613

by Harri Hemilä and Elizabeth Chalker

Nutrients 2019, 11(4), 708; doi 10.3390/nu11040708

by Humaira Jamshed, Robbie A. Beyl, Deborah L. Della Manna, Eddy S. Yang, Eric Ravussin and Courtney M. Peterson

Nutrients 2019, 11(6), 1234; doi 10.3390/nu11061234

Pathogens:

by Israr Kha, Naeem Ullah, Lajia Zha, Yanrui Bai, Ashiq Khan, Tang Zhao, Tuanjie Che and Chunjiang Zhang

Pathogens 2019, 8(3), 126; doi 10.3390/pathogens8030126

by Spyridoula-Angeliki Nikou,Nessim Kichik, Rhys Brown, Nicole O. Ponde, Jemima Ho, Julian R. Naglik and Jonathan P. Richardson

Pathogens 2019, 8(2), 53; doi 10.3390/pathogens8020053

by Steven Batinovic, Flavia Wassef, Sarah A. Knowler, Daniel T.F. Rice, Cassandra R. Stanton, Jayson Rose, Joseph Tucci, Tadashi Nittami, Antony Vinh, Grant R. Drummond, Christopher G. Sobey, Hiu Tat Chan, Robert J. Seviour, Steve Petrovski and Ashley E. Franks

Pathogens 2019, 8(3), 100; doi 10.3390/pathogens8030100

Plants:

by Muhammad Hammad Saleem, Johan Potgieter and Khalid Mahmood Arif 

Plants 20198(11), 468; doi 10.3390/plants8110468

by Ida Linić, Dunja Šamec, Jiří Grúz, Valerija Vujčić Bok, Miroslav Strnad and Branka Salopek-Sondi

Plants 20198(6), 155; doi 10.3390/plants8060155

by Marie Agatha Mohn, Besarta Thaqi and Katrin Fischer-Schrader

Plants 20198(3), 67; doi 10.3390/plants8030067

by Chiara Biselliandrea Volante, Francesca Desiderio, Alessandro Tondelli, Alberto Gianinetti, Franca Finocchiaro, Federica Taddei, Laura Gazza, Daniela Sgrulletta, Luigi Cattivelli and Giampiero Valè

Plants 20198(8), 292; doi 10.3390/plants8080292

22 November 2021
722 MDPI Editorial Board Members Receiving "2021 Highly Cited Researchers" Distinction

It is our great honor to congratulate the Editorial Board Members and Editors in MDPI's journals who have been distinguished as 2021 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, according to Web of Science data. We herewith express our gratitude for the immense impact the named researchers continue to make on scientific progress and on our journals' development.

Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited ResearchersTM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 22 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.

Abate, Antonio
Abatzoglou, John T.
Abbaszadeh, Mostafa
Acharya, U. Rajendra
Acharya, Viral V.
Agarwal, Ravi P.
Ahn, Myung-Ju
Airoldi, Laura
Ali, Imran
Allakhverdiev, Suleyman I.
Aluko, Rotimi E.
Anasori, Babak
Andersson, Dan I.
Andes, David
Anker, Stefan D.
Apergis, Nicholas
Ariga, Katsuhiko
Arqub, Omar Abu
Aschner, Michael
Assaraf, Yehuda G.
Astruc, Didier
Atala, Anthony
Atanasov, Atanas G.
Atangana, Abdon
Bahram, Mohammad
Bakris, George L.
Balandin, Alexander A.
Baleanu, Dumitru
Balsamo, Gianpaolo
Bando, Yoshio
Banks, William A.
Bansal-Travers, Maansi
Barba, Francisco J.
Barros, Lillian
Basit, Abdul W.
Baskonus, Haci Mehmet
Bassetti, Matteo
Battino, Maurizio
Bell, Jordana T.
Bellomo, Nicola
Benediktsson, Jon Atli
Benelli, Giovanni
Benjakul, Soottawat
Bhatnagar, Amit
Biddle, Stuart J. H.
Biondi, Antonio
Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe
Bjarnsholt, Thomas
Blaabjerg, Frede
Blaschke, Thomas
Blay, Jean-Yves
Blumwald, Eduardo
Blunt, John W.
Boffetta, Paolo
Bogers, Marcel
Bonomo, Robert A.
Bowman, David M.J.S.
Boyer, Cyrille
Brestic, Marian
Brevik, Eric C.
Buhalis, Dimitrios
Burdick, Jason A.
Byrd, John C.
Cabeza, Luisa F.
Cai, Xingjuan
Cai, Jianchao
Calhoun, Vince D.
Calin, George
Cao, Jinde
Cao, Guozhong
Carvalho, Andre F.
Castellanos-Gomez, Andres
Cerqueira, Miguel Ângelo Parente Ribeiro
Chang, Jo-Shu
Chang, Chih-Hao
Chastin, Sebastien
Chau, Kwok-wing
Chemat, Farid
Chen, Xiaobo
Chen, YangQuan
Chen, Jianmin
Chen, Chaoji
Chen, Min
Chen, Qi
Chen, Jun
Chen, Xi
Chen, Peng
Chen, Yulin
Chen, Bo
Chen, Chen
Chen, Zhi-Gang
Chen, Wei-Hsin
Chen, Gang
Chen, Yongsheng
Chen, Xiang
Chen, Yimin
Chen, Runsheng
Chen, Lidong
Chen, Shaowei
Chen, Qian
Chen, Yu
Chen, Shuangming
Chiclana, Francisco
Cho, Sun Young
Choi, Wonyong
Chowdhary, Anuradha
Choyke, Peter L.
Cichocki, Andrzej
Corella, Dolores
Corma, Avelino
Cortes, Javier
Cortes, Jorge
Costanza, Robert
Crommie, Michael F.
Cui, Yi
Cui, Haiying
Cui, Qinghua
Cummings, Kenneth Michael
Dai, Shifeng
Dai, Sheng
Daiber, Andreas
Davis, Steven J.
Dawson, Ted M.
de la Fuente-Nunez, Cesar
Decker, Eric Andrew
Dekel, Avishai
Demaria, Marco
Deng, Yong
Deng, Xiangzheng
DePinho, Ronald A.
Desneux, Nicolas
Dimopoulos, Meletios-Athanasios
Ding, Aijun
Dionysiou, Dionysios D.
Dokmeci, Mehmet Remzi
Dolgui, Alexandre
Dong, Fan
Dou, Shi Xue
Dou, Letian
Du, Qian
Du, Bo
Dube, Shanta Rishi
Dufresne, Alain
Dummer, Reinhard
Dupont, Didier
Edwards, David
Elaissari, Abdelhamid
Elhoseny, Mohamed
Ellahi, Rahmat
Ellis, Erle C.
ElMasry, Gamal
Esteller, Manel
Estévez, Mario
Fabbro, Doriano
Facchetti, Antonio
Fan, Zhanxi
Fang, Chuanglin
Fasano, Alessio
Fečkan, Michal
Felser, Claudia
Feng, Liangzhu
Fensholt, Rasmus
Ferdinandy, Péter
Fernandez-Lafuente, Roberto
Ferreira, Isabel C. F. R.
Filippi, Massimo
Fisher, Helen
Fortino, Giancarlo
Fosso Wamba, Samuel
Franceschi, Claudio
Fujita, Hamido
Fujita, Masayuki
Gai, Francesco
Gaisford, Simon
Galanakis, Charis M.
Galluzzi, Lorenzo
Galvano, Fabio
Gan, Ren-You
Gan, Lihua
Gandomi, Amir H.
Gao, Bin
Gao, Feng
Gao, Minrui
Gao, Huijun
Gao, Wei
Gao, Huile
Garbe, Claus
Garcia, Hermenegildo
Gasbarrini, Antonio
Gasco, Laura
Gautret, Philippe
Geng, Yong
Gerdts, Gunnar
Geschwind, Daniel H.
Ghadimi, Noradin
Ghaffari, Roozbeh
Ghamisi, Pedram
Giampieri, Francesca
Glick, Bernard R.
Gnant, Michael
Goel, Ajay
Gogotsi, Yury
Goldewijk, Kees Klein
Gong, Jinlong
Gong, Yongji
Govindan, Kannan
Granato, Daniel
Grancini, Giulia
Green, Douglas R.
Grosso, Giuseppe
Gu, Ke
Guan, Cao
Guastella, Adam J.
Guerrero, Josep M.
Gui, Guan
Guizani, Mohsen
Guo, Zaiping
Gupta, Rangan
Gutzmer, Ralf
Haase, Dagmar
Habibi-Yangjeh, Aziz
Hagemann, Stefan
Hagger, Martin
Hamblin, Michael R.
Hammoudeh, Shawkat
Han, Heesup
Hanes, Justin
Harrison, Roy M.
Hartung, Hans-Peter
Hasanuzzaman, Mirza
He, Jr-Hau
He, Hongwen
He, Jiaqing
He, Debiao
Henseler, Jörg
Herrera, Francisco
Herrera-Viedma, Enrique
Hetz, Claudio
Ho Kim, Jung
Holmes, Elaine
Hossain, Ekram
Hsueh, Po-Ren
Hu, Xiaosong
Hu, Wenbin
Huang, Jianping
Huang, Hongwei
Huang, Yu
Huang, Jianying
Huang, Peng
Huang, Baibiao
Huang, Shaoming
Hubacek, Klaus

Iqbal, Hafiz M. N.
Ismail, Ahmad Fauzi
Izzo, Angelo A.
Jacobson, Kenneth A.
Jain, Atul
Jankovic, Joseph
Jelezko, Fedor
Ji, Xiaobo
Ji, Guangbin
Jiang, Hai-Long
Jiang, Lei
Jiang, Junjun
Jiang, Qing
Jiang, Shibo
Jin, Shi
Jones, Peter A.
Kalantar-zadeh, Kourosh
Kaner, Richard B.
Kannan, Kurunthachalam
Kappos, Ludwig
Karagiannidis, George K.
Karimi, Hamid Reza
Karimi-Maleh, Hassan
Karp, Peter D.
Kataoka, Kazunori
Katritch, Vsevolod
Kawi, Sibudjing
Keesstra, Saskia
Kepp, Oliver
Keyzers, Robert A.
Khademhosseini, Ali
Khan, Nafees A.
Kiessling, Fabian
Kim, Ki-Hyun
Kim, Haegyeom
Kim, Jeonghun
Kim, Jong Seung
Kirkwood, John M.
Kisi, Ozgur
Kivshar, Yuri
Klenk, Hans-Peter
Ko, Wen-Chien
Konopleva, Marina Y.
Kontoyiannis, Dimitrios P.
Koonin, Eugene V.
Kou, Gang
Krausmann, Fridolin
Krebs, Frederik C.
Kroemer, Guido
Kuca, Kamil
Kudo, Masatoshi
Kuhn, Jens H.
Kumar, Devendra
Kumar, Alan Prem
Kumar, Sudhir
Kumar Sangaiah, Arun
Kurths, Juergen
Kuznetsov, Nikolay V.
Kuzyakov, Yakov
Kwan, Mei-Po
Kyrpides, Nikos C.
La Vecchia, Carlo
Lai, Yuekun
Lam, James
Lammers, Twan
Lamuela-Raventos, Rosa M.
Lancellotti, Patrizio
Landi, Francesco
Laurent, Sophie
Lavie, Carl J.
Laxminarayan, Ramanan
Lee, Sang Soo
Lee, Jin-Wook
Lee, Pooi See
Lehmann, Johannes
Lei, Yaguo
Lei, Ting
Leng, Lijian
Leung, Dennis Y. C.
Leung, Victor C. M.
Levine, Ross
Li, Wei
Li, Jie
Li, Jinghong
Li, Jun
Li, Heng
Li, Gang
Li, Yat
Li, Peng
Li, Hailong
Li, Changpin
Li, Yan
Li, Yurui
Li, Xiaodi
Li, Hong
Li, Shutao
Li, Hongyi
Li, Zhijun
Li, Peiyue
Lin, Yuehe
Lin, Hongjun
Lin, Lin
Lip, Gregory Y. H.
Liu, Jian
Liu, Meng
Liu, Hong
Liu, Tao
Liu, Lei
Liu, Jianxing
Liu, Wei
Liu, Gang
Liu, Yang
Liu, Peide
Lockhart, Shawn R.
Long, Hualou
Löscher, Wolfgang
Lu, Jun
Lu, Jianquan
Lu, Nanshu
Lucey, Brian
Lund, Henrik
Luo, Jun
Luo, Yi
Luo, Jingshan
Luo, Yangchao
Lupton, Deborah
Luque, Rafael
Lv, Wei
Lvov, Yuri M.
Lyons, Timothy W.
Ma, Tianyi
Ma, Jun
Ma, Jiayi
Ma, Wen-Xiu
Ma, Yanming
Maggioni, Aldo Pietro
Mahmood, Nasir
Mahmoudi, Morteza
Mai, Liqiang
Mallavarapu, Megharaj
Mandala, Mario
Mardani, Abbas
Marengo, Jose
Maria Rossolini, Gian
Martinoia, Enrico
Mathiesen, Brian Vad
Mathivanan, Suresh
Mattick, John S.
Matyjaszewski, Krzysztof
McCabe, Matthew E.
McCauley, Darren
McClements, David Julian
Melcher, Karsten
Melenhorst, Jan Joseph
Melero, Ignacio
Mezzetti, Bruno
Mirjalili, Seyedali
Mishchenko, Artem
Mittler, Ron
Moreau, Philippe
Motohashi, Hozumi
Mousavi Khaneghah, Amin
Mu, Shichun
Mueller, Lukas A.
Mueller-Roeber, Bernd
Muenzel, Thomas
Muhammad, Khan
Munger, J. William
Nauen, Ralf
Naushad, Mu.
Negri, Eva
Nemeroff, Charles B.
Newman, David J.
Niaura, Raymond S.
Nie, Feiping
Nieto, Juan J.
Novara, Agata
Nunkoo, Robin
Ogino, Shuji
Olabi, Abdul-Ghani
Ong, Hwai Chyuan
O'Regan, Donal
Orsini, Nicola
Ouyang, Minggao
Ozcan, Aydogan
Pacher, Pal
Pan, Xiaoqing
Pan, Likun
Pan, Quan-Ke
Pang, Huan
Pavela, Roman
Pedrycz, Witold
Pei, Yanzhong
Peng, Shushi
Peng, Qing
Peng, Mugen
Perc, Matjaz
Perez-Alvarez, Jose Angel
Perlin, David S.
Piquero, Alex R.
Polasky, Stephen
Pommier, Yves
Poor, H. Vincent
Postolache, Mihai
Potenza, Marc N.
Poulter, Benjamin
Preat, Veronique
Prinsep, Michele R.
Pu, Hong-Bin
Putnik, Predrag
Qiu, Jieshan
Qu, Xiaogang
Quiles, José L.
Rabczuk, Timon
Ramakrishna, Seeram
Ramkissoon, Haywantee
Ran, Jingrun
Recio, Isidra
Reiter, Russel J.
Remuzzi, Giuseppe
Ren, Jinsong
Ren, Jun
Riahi, Keywan
Richardson, Paul G.
Rignot, Eric
Rimm, David
Rinn, John L.
Robert, Caroline
Rodriguez, Rosa M.
Rojo, Teofilo
Ros, Emilio
Rosen, Marc A.
Roubaud, David
Russo, Alessandro
Russo, Gian Luigi

Saad, Fred
Saad, Walid
Sadorsky, Perry
Sander, Chris
Santamouris, Mattheos
Santoro, Gabriele
Saraiva, Jorge A.
Sarchiapone, Marco
Scalbert, Augustin
Schloter, Michael
Schneider, Gisbert
Schubert, Ulrich S.
Schulz, Rainer
Schwab, Matthias
Schweizer, Frank
Scolyer, Richard A.
Scorrano, Luca
Scott, David
Scott, Stuart A.
Scott, Daniel
Serra-Majem, Lluis
Sethi, Gautam
Shabala, Sergey
Shaheen, Sabry M.
Shao, Zongping
Sharma, Gaurav
Shen, Guozhen
Shen, Hao
Sheremet, Mikhail A.
Shi, Peng
Shi, Yumeng
Shoenfeld, Yehuda
Siano, Pierluigi
Sillanpaa, Mika
Simões, Manuel
Simpson, Richard J.
Singh, Bhupinder Pal
Singh, Vijay P.
Smagghe, Guy
Song, Yu
Song, Houbing
Sood, Anil K.
Srivastava, Hari M.
Stadler, Marc
Stadler, Peter F.
Stanley, H. Eugene
Stoumpos, Constantinos C.
Strano, Michael S.
Stunnenberg, Hendrik G.
Su, [email protected]
Su, Chun-Yi
Subramanian, S. V.
Sun, Zhipei
Sun, Fengchun
Sun, Hongqi
Sunderland, Elsie M.
Suzuki, Nobuhiro
Svenning, Jens-Christian
Szabo, Csaba
Szallasi, Arpad
Szolnoki, Attila
Tacke, Frank
Tan, Weihong
Tan, Chaoliang
Tang, Hua
Tang, Chuyang
Tang, Chuan-He
Tanzi, Rudolph E.
Teichmann, Sarah
Telenti, Amalio
Thakur, Vijay Kumar
Thiele, Holger
Tian, Jie
Tohge, Takayuki
Tran, Lam-Son Phan
Truhlar, Donald G.
Tsao, Rong
Tsuda, Kenichi
Tukker, Arnold
Tung, Chen-Ho
Turskis, Zenonas
Urquhart, Andrew
Valko, Marian
Van Breusegem, Frank
Van de Wiele, Tom
van der Werf, Guido
van Wesemael, Bas
Vangronsveld, Jaco
Varma, Rajender S.
Varsani, Arvind
Varshney, Rajeev K.
Vasilakis, Nikos
Vasilakos, Athanasios V.
Vasquez, Juan C.
Vatanen, Tommi
Ventura, Marco
Vermote, Eric
Veronese, Nicola
Verpoorte, Robert
Vethaak, A. Dick
Vieta, Eduard
Vincent, Jean-Louis
Wagner, Wolfgang
Walton, Vaughn M.
Wan, Jiafu
Wan, Shaohua
Wang, Qi
Wang, Joseph
Wang, Meng
Wang, Tao
Wang, Yuan
Wang, Xin
Wang, Chao
Wang, Yong
Wang, Jun
Wang, Erkang
Wang, Sibo
Wang, Jian
Wang, Ning
Wang, John
Wang, Qin
Wang, Shaojian
Wang, Guoxiu
Wang, Huanting
Wang, Chunsheng
Wang, Gongming
Wang, Zhong Lin
Wang, Lianzhou
Wang, Shaobin
Wang, Yang
Wang, Zifa
Wei, Zhixiang
Wei, Leyi
Weissleder, Ralph
Wen, Guanghui
Wiens, John J.
Wigneron, Jean-Pierre
Willerslev, Eske
Wishart, David S.
Witlox, Frank
Wu, Jun
Wu, Tom
Wu, Hao Bin
Wu, Hui
Wu, Haijun
Wu, Zhongbiao
Wu, Zhong-Shuai
Wu, Zheng-Guang
Xia, Meimei
Xia, Xinhui
Xiang, Quanjun
Xiao, Jianbo
Xiao, Jie
Xie, Jian-Hua
Xin, Sen
Xing, Baoshan
Xiong, Rui
Xu, Bin
Xu, Li Da
Xu, Yi-Jun
Xu, Hui
Xu, Zeshui
Yamauchi, Yusuke
Yan, Huaicheng
Yan, Kai
Yang, Chenguang
Yang, Xiao-Jun
Yang, Bing
Yang, Yun-Gui
Yang, Jie
Yang, Jian
Yang, Xinsong
Yang, Shihe
Yang, Yi
Yang, Yang
Yao, Jen-Chih
Yao, Yonggang
Yazyev, Oleg
Yin, Yulong
Yin, Zongyou
Yin, Shen
Yin, Ya-xia
Yin, Shou-Wei
Ying, Guang-Guo
Young, Allan H.
Yu, Shu-Hong
Yu, Jun
Yu, Guihua
Yu, Wenwu
Yu, Guocan
Yu, Minghao
Zarco-Tejada, Pablo J.
Zavadskas, Edmundas Kazimieras
Zeadally, Sherali
Zhai, Tianyou
Zhang, Wei
Zhang, Binlin
Zhang, Shujun
Zhang, Guoping
Zhang, Zengqiang
Zhang, Yu Shrike
Zhang, Qichun
Zhang, Xian-Ming
Zhang, Guowen
Zhang, Min
Zhang, Yue-Jun
Zhang, Shaoqing
Zhang, Fan
Zhang, Weili
Zhang, Xiaodong
Zhang, Zhien
Zhang, Tierui
Zhang, Hongjie
Zhang, Dengsong
Zhang, Liangpei
Zhang, Dan
Zhang, Yu-Dong
Zhang, Fusuo
Zhao, Yi
Zhao, Guochun
Zhao, Li-Dong
Zheng, Hao
Zheng, Gengfeng
Zhong, Cheng
Zhou, Weiqi
Zhou, Qi
Zhou, Jizhong
Zhu, Hongwei
Zhu, Chengzhou
Zhu, Junfa
Zhu, Zhe
Zhu, Quanxin
Zhuang, Xiaodong
Zhuang, Xiaoying
Zou, Quan

The full list of 2021 Highly Cited Researchers  can be accessed at the following webpage in the Web of ScienceTM https://recognition.webofscience.com/awards/highly-cited/2021/.

--- Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) is a Clarivate product.

16 November 2021
Topical Advisory Panel Established to Support Editorial Board

Academic editors play a crucial role in leading our journals and ensuring that each article undergoes a robust and timely peer-review. With the launch of Topics this year and addition of Topic Editors to our family of academic editors, we decided it would be a good time to restructure our academic boards, thus providing more clarity and support for each role. MDPI is pleased to announce the launch of a new position—Topical Advisory Panel Member, that will replace the previous position of Topics Board Member. The Topical Advisory Panel will be comprised of early career researchers eager to gain experience in editorial work.

The main responsibility of the new members of the Topical Advisory Panel is to regularly provide support to Guest Editors, Topic Editors, and Section Board Members. The responsibilities of the Topical Advisory Panel are available here: https://www.mdpi.com/editors.

Each year, the members’ performances are evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must:

  • Have expertise and experience in the field related to the journal;
  • Have received a Ph.D. in the last 10 years, approximately;
  • Have at least 6-8 published papers in the last 5 years as first author or corresponding author;
  • Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.

If you are interested in this role, please contact the editorial office by email.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

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.

Read our anniversary blog post: "Sharing 'Collective Human Knowledge': The Benefits of Open Access Publication"

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


Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high-quality academic publishing. Over 369,916 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2020. 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 of all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year, the MDPI Top Reviewer Award was announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise and dedication, and their high-quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award:

  • Adriana Burlea-Schiopoiu;
  • Alban Kuriqi;
  • Álvaro González-Vila;
  • Alessandro Alaimo;
  • Alexey Beskopylny;
  • Alexander Yu Churyumov;
  • Alberto Fernández-Isabel;
  • Andrea Mastinu;
  • Antonios N. Papadopoulos;
  • Anton Rassõlkin;
  • Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino;
  • Arkadiusz Matwijczuk;
  • Artur Słomka;
  • Baojie He;
  • Bartłomiej Potaniec;
  • Bojan Đurin;
  • Camilo Arturo Rodriguez Diaz;
  • Carmelo Maria Musarella;
  • Chiachung Chen;
  • Chiman Kwan;
  • Cristian Busu;
  • Danil Pimenov;
  • Dan-Cristian Dabija;
  • Delfín Ortega-Sánchez;
  • Demetrio Antonio Zema;
  • Denis Butusov;
  • Elena Lucchi;
  • Gaurab Dutta;
  • Livia Anastasiu;
  • M. R. Safaei.

For more information about how to become a reviewer of MDPI journals, please see: www.mdpi.com/reviewers.

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]

3 August 2021
Announcement on Japanese Consumption Tax (JCT)

This serves to announce to our valued authors based in Japan that value-added tax, or consumption tax will now be imposed on article processing fees and other service fees for all papers submitted, or resubmitted (assigned new paper IDs), effective from 15 August 2021. The change is in accordance with the Japanese "Act for Partial Revision of the Income Tax Act and Other Acts" (Act No. 9 of 2015), which includes a revision of consumption taxation on cross-border supplies of services such as digital content distribution.

For additional information from the National Tax Agency please see here ("Cross-border supplies of electronic services").

Contact: Setsuko Nishihara, MDPI Tokyo

28 April 2021
Book BuilderCompile 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"


In June of this year, MDPI will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its foundation. To mark this significant milestone, we have created a 25th Anniversary page on our website that evokes the development of our company over the past quarter-century.

MDPI has been a pioneer of Open Access publishing ever since the concept was first created.

In a wide-ranging interview, our CEO Delia Mihaila reflects on the company’s 25th anniversary and its contribution to the world of scientific publishing.

Delia considers how MDPI has evolved since starting life in 1996 as a visionary ‘project’ run out of an apartment in Basel, Switzerland, by Dr. Shu-Kun Lin. A chemist who was passionate about the long-term preservation of rare chemical sample, Dr. Lin was determined to help scholars publish their findings as quickly as possible and make their research results available to as wide a readership as possible worldwide. That determination remains unchanged 25 years later.

Today, MDPI is an international organization with over 4,000 employees based on three continents and in ten countries, and ranks among the world's top four academic publishers.

MDPI's mission is to accelerate access to new scientific research, delivering insight faster for researchers worldwide. Read more here about the company's remarkable success story and what the Open Access publishing model can offer the global scientific community.

10 March 2021
Journal Selector: Helping to Find the Right MDPI Journal for Your Article


At MDPI, we strive to make your online publication process seamless and efficient. To achieve this, our team is continuously developing tools and features to make the user experience useful and convenient.

As the number of academic papers continues to grow, so does the need to analyze and work with them on a large scale. This prompted us to design a new feature aimed at helping researchers find journals that are relevant to their publication by matching their abstract topic. In this regard, we designed a similarity model that automatically identifies the most suitable academic journals for your paper.

We are pleased to introduce Journal Selector, a new feature that measures similarity in academic contexts. By simply entering the title and/or abstract into our Journal Selector, the author will see a list of the most related scientific journals published by MDPI. This method helps authors select the correct journals for their papers, highlighting the time of publication and citability.

The methodology is known as representation learning, where words are represented as vectors in hyperspace. Representation helps us differentiate between different concepts within articles, and in turn, helps us identify similarities between them.

We used an advanced machine learning model to better capture the semantic meanings of words. This helps the algorithm make better predictions by leveraging scientific text representation. In turn, this ensures high precision, helping authors decide which journal they should submit their paper to.

The goal is to support authors to publish their work in the most suitable journal for their research, as fast as possible, accelerating their career progress.

Contact: Andrea Perlato, Head of Data Analytics, MDPI (email)

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

We are pleased to acknowledge that many academic editors who have made an impact on MDPI journals as editorial board members, editors-in-chief, or section editors, are recognized as 2020 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate.

Highly Cited Researchers highlights the top 1% of researchers, by citations, in one or more of the 22 fields used in Clarivate Analytics Essential Science Indicators. We offer our congratulations to 279 academic editors of MDPI journals who were recognized as the most influential scholars in their fields in 2020.


Adams, Dave
Agarwal, Ravi P.
Ahn, Choon Ki
Ahn, Myung-Ju
Albrecht, Randy A.
Andersson, Dan I.
Anker, Stefan D.
Apergis, Nicholas
Ariga, Katsuhiko
Artaxo, Paulo
Balsamo, Gianpaolo
Barba, Francisco J.
Benediktsson, Jon Atli
Benelli, Giovanni
Bhatnagar, Amit
Bialystok, Ellen
Blaabjerg, Frede
Blay, Jean-Yves
Bogers, Marcel
Bolton, Declan J.
Boyer, Cyrille
Brocca, Luca
Bruix, Jordi
Buhalis, Dimitrios
Burdick, Jason A.
Byrd, John C.
Cabeza, Luisa F.
Cabrerizo-Lorite, Francisco Javier
Cai, Jianchao
Calhoun, Vince D.
Cantu, Robert C.
Cerqueira, Miguel
Chang, Jo-Shu
Chau, Kwok-wing
Chemat, Farid
Chen, Jianmin
Chen, Jun
Chen, Min
Chen, Shaowei
Chen, Wei
Chen, Wei-Hsin
Chen, Xiaofeng
Chen, Yangkang
Chen, Zhi-Gang
Chiclana, Francisco
Corella, Dolores
Cortes, Javier
Cortes, Jorge
Cummings, Kenneth Michael
Dai, Shifeng
Decker, Eric A.
DePinho, Ronald A.
Dimopoulos, Meletios-Athanasios
Dincer, Ibrahim
Du, Yihong
Dupont, Didier
Edwards, David
Ellahi, Rahmat
Ellis, Erle C.
ElMasry, Gamal
Esteller, Manel
Estruch, Ramón
Fang, Chuanglin
Fasano, Alessio
Fernandez-Lafuente, Roberto
Ferreira, Isabel
Fortino, Giancarlo
Galluzzi, Lorenzo
Galvano, Fabio
Gandomi, Amir H.
Gandomi, Amir H.
Gao, Bin
Gao, Feng
Gao, Wei
Garbe, Claus
García, Hermenegildo
Geschwind, Daniel H.
Giampieri, Francesca
Giralt, Sergio A.
Glanz, Karen
Goldewijk, Kees Klein
Gössling, Stefan
Govindan, Kannan
Granato, Daniel
Grosso, Giuseppe
Grosso, Giuseppe
Guerrero, Josep M.
Haase, Dagmar
Hagger, Martin S.
Hamblin, Michael R.
Han, Heesup
Jankovic, Joseph
Janotti, Anderson

Jiang, Hai-Long
Kalaji, Hazem M.
Kalantar-Zadeh, Kourosh
Kaner, Richard B.
Karimi, Hamid Reza
Kataoka, Kazunori
Keesstra, Saskia
Kepp, Oliver
Kerminen, Veli-Matti
Keyzers, Robert A.
Khademhosseini, Ali
Khan, Nafees A.
Kim, Ki-Hyun
Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír
Klenk, Hans-Peter
Konopleva, Marina Y.
Krammer, Florian
Krebs, Frederik C.
Kroemer, Guido
Kudo, Masatoshi
Kurths, Juergen
Kurzrock, Razelle
Kuznetsov, Nikolay V.
Kyrpides, Nikos C.
La Vecchia, Carlo
Lai, Yuekun
Lam, James
Lancellotti, Patrizio
Lee, Sangmoon
Leung, Victor C. M.
Li, Jinghong
Li, Yurui
Lindahl, José M. Merigó
Lip, Gregory Y. H.
Loh, Xian Jun
Long, Hualou
Lund, Henrik
Luo, Jingshan
Luque, Rafael
Lyons, Timothy W.
Ma, Jun
Ma, Wen-Xiu
Ma, Yanming
Maeda, Keisuke
Makarova, Kira
Mantovani, Alberto
Martín-Belloso, Olga
Martinoia, Enrico
Marzband, Mousa
Masclaux-Daubresse, Celine
Masson, Patrick
Mateos, María Victoria
Mathiesen, Brian Vad
Matyjaszewski, Krzysztof
McArthur, Grant A.
McCauley, Darren
Medlock, Jolyon M.
Melero, Ignacio
Mezzetti, Bruno
Miroshnichenko, Andrey E.
Moran, Daniel
Mueller, Lukas A.
Mueller-Roeber, Bernd
Naushad, Mu
Nemeroff, Charles B.
Nieto, Juan J.
O'Donnell, Colm
Ogino, Shuji
Olabi, Abdul-Ghani
O'Regan, Donal
Orsini, Nicola
Oswald, Isabelle P.
Ozcan, Aydogan
Pahl-Wostl, Claudia
Pang, Huan
Payne, James E.
Peng, Shushi
Perc, Matjaz
Perez-Alvarez, Jose Angel
Piquero, Alex R.
Ploss, Alexander
Postolache, Mihai
Pradhan, Biswajeet
Prinsep, Michele R.
Qian, Dong
Qu, Xiaogang
Reiter, Russel J.
Riahi, Keywan
Richter, Andreas
Rignot, Eric
Robert, Caroline
Ros, Emilio
Rosell, Rafael

Rosen, Marc A.
Rossolini, Gian Maria
Saad, Fred
Saad, Walid
Sadorsky, Perry
Sakthivel, Rathinasamy
Schwab, Matthias
Scolyer, Richard A.
Serra-Majem, Lluis
Sethi, Gautam
Seto, Karen C.
Settele, Josef
Seymour, John F.
Shi, Peng
Siano, Pierluigi
Sillanpää, Mika
Simal-Gandara, Jesus
Smagghe, Guy
Srivastava, Hari M.
Stadler, Peter F.
Sun, Fengchun
Sunderland, Elsie M.
Suzuki, Nobuhiro
Svenning, Jens-Christian
Tan, Weihong
Teixeira, José António
Thakur, Vijay Kumar
Tong, Shilu
Tornabene, Francesco
Tsao, Rong
Tukker, Arnold
Turskis, Zenonas
Uversky, Vladimir N.
van Wesemael, Bas
Van Zwieten, Lukas
Vangronsveld, Jaco
Varma, Rajender S.
Varshney, Rajeev K.
Vasquez, Juan C.
Velicogna, Isabella
Vieta, Eduard
Wade, Timothy J.
Wagner, Wolfgang
Wamba, Samuel Fosso
Wang, Chunsheng
Wang, Guoxiu
Wang, Joseph
Wang, Qi
Wang, Tao
Wang, Yuan
Wiens, John J.
Wu, Hao Bin
Wu, Hui
Wu, Tom
Wu, Zhongbiao
Xia, Xinhui
Xiao, Wenjiao
Xin, Sen
Xiong, Rui
Xu, Bin
Xu, Zeshui
Yan, Huaicheng
Yang, Bing
Yang, Hongxing
Yang, Jie
Yang, Xiao-Jun
Yin, Shen
Ying, Guang-Guo
Young, Allan H.
Yu, Guihua
Zarco-Tejada, Pablo J.
Zavadskas, EdmundasKazimieras
Zeadally, Sherali
Zhang, Fan
Zhang, Liangpei
Zhang, Qichun
Zhang, Xian-Ming
Zhang, Yue-Jun
Zhao, Guochun
Zhao, Li-Dong
Zhu, Zhe
Zhuang, Xiaodong
Zou, Quan

The full list of 2020 Highly Cited Researchers  can be accessed on https://recognition.webofsciencegroup.com/awards/highly-cited/2020/

--- Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) is a Clarivate product.

20 August 2020
Clock & Sleep Scored Highest in Sleep Research and Chronobiology Journals

On 20 July, the MDPI journal Clock & Sleep scored highest in journal transparency and open science principles. A newly released research by Dr. Manuel Spitschan from the University of Oxford uses the standardized Transparency and Openness (TOP) Factor to examine author guidelines of a comprehensive set of 28 sleep and chronobiology journals, including the major outlets in the field. Clock & Sleep MDPI won the max 9 score of 28 journals with a total median TOP Factor of 2.5. The original publication can be found in: https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/5-172/v1

10 July 2020
Meet Us at the Society for Neurosciences’ 50th Annual Meeting (Neuroscience 2020), Washington, USA, 24–28 October 2020


MDPI will be attending the conference Neuroscience 2020, which will be hosted in Washington, USA, 24–28 October 2020.

SfN’s 50th annual meeting is the premier venue for the presentation of emerging science in the field of neurosciences, where one can learn from experts, forge collaborations with peers, explore new tools and technologies, and advance their career.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (Booth #208). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person, to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit:

https://www.sfn.org/meetings/neuroscience-2020

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.

Jisc logo

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].

13 May 2020
COVID-19 Academic Resources Center


Since 1996, MDPI has been committed to supporting the research community by providing the latest research freely available and making relevant and useful research available as quickly as possible. The world is current experiencing a pandemic of COVID-19, and researchers are working extremely hard to understand it and find a cure.

The values MDPI holds strongly are particularly important at the moment, and we will continue to publish relevant, peer-reviewed research as quickly as possible in open access format. This means that it will immediately be available for researchers, health professionals, and the general public to read, distribute, and reuse. We believe that scientific advancements will be crucial to overcoming this pandemic, and will do everything we can to support researchers working looking for solutions.

COVID-19 Academic Resources Center contains a variety of information related to COVID-19 available from MDPI, including journal articles, special issues, and preprints, among others.

For more information, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/covid-19

9 April 2020
Free Open Platforms to Support Academics During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a leading Open Access publisher, MDPI is committed to fostering open scientific exchange in all forms across all disciplines. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, many researchers have to stay at home and many academic conferences have been cancelled or postponed. In light of these changes, MDPI has adopted numerous initiatives that may help accelerate scientific exchange and provide support to the academics during this period.

Scholarly Community—Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia is an online reference created and curated by active scholars. It aims to highlight the latest research res