Announcements

4 December 2024
Topics Webinar | Leveraging AI: Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Machine Learning for Natural Disaster Resilience, 11 December 2024


A message from the webinar Chair:
It is a pleasure to welcome you to this webinar, entitled “Leveraging AI: Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Machine Learning for Natural Disaster Resilience”, and hosted by Remote Sensing, Drones, Land, IJGI, and Geomatics. We are excited to bring together a remarkable group of experts and innovators from around the world to tackle a critical challenge of the modern era: building resilience against natural hazards through the power of advanced technology.
Natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and droughts, have profound impacts on communities and lead to devastating financial and human losses. In this webinar, we will explore the latest technological breakthroughs in this field, where machine learning (ML), remote sensing (RS), and geographic information systems (GISs) are reshaping how we approach these complex challenges. This session will highlight ML methods that can extract meaningful insights from large data sets, transforming raw information into valuable knowledge. GISs add a vital dimension to these insights, acting as powerful tools for spatial analysis and visualization. In addition, given recent advances in deep learning, ensemble methods, evolutionary algorithms, and explainable AI (XAI), the capabilities of hazard prediction and preparedness have never been more promising.
Our aim is to foster connections, spark new ideas, and explore how these innovative approaches are transforming hazard mapping, monitoring, and assessment. Thank you for being part of this crucial journey. I hope you have an inspiring day filled with insights, collaboration, and discovery.
Warm regards,
Dr. Paraskevas Tsangaratos

Date: 11 December 2024 at 9:00 a.m. CET | 4:00 p.m. CST Asia | 10:00 a.m. EET 
Webinar ID: 843 0771 3005
Website: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-30

Register now for free!

 

Program:

Speaker

Presentation Title

Time in CET

Time in CST Asia

Time in EET

Dr. Paraskevas Tsangaratos

Chair’s Introduction

9:00–9:10 a.m.

4:00–4:10 p.m.

10:00–10:10 a.m.

Prof. Dr. Raffaele Albano

AI-Based Flood Monitoring and Early Warning

9:10–9:35 a.m.

4:10–4:35 p.m.

10:10–10:35 a.m.

Dr. Haoyuan Hong

Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Based on the Reliability of Landslide and Non-Landslide Samples

9:35–10:00 a.m.

4:35–5:00 p.m.

10:35–11:00 a.m.

Dr. Dimitrios Loukidis

Integrating Geotechnical Parameters with Advanced Machine Learning for Enhanced Landslide Susceptibility Mapping: A Case Study of Southwestern Cyprus

10:00–10:25 a.m.

5:00–5:25 p.m.

11:00–11:25 a.m.

 

Q&A Session

10:25–10:35 a.m.

5:25–5:35 p.m.

11:25–11:35 a.m.

Dr. Paraskevas Tsangaratos (Chair)

Closing of Webinar

10:35 – 10:40 a.m.

5:35–5:40 p.m.

11:35–11:40 a.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

  • Dr. Paraskevas Tsangaratos, Department of Geological Studies, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National University of Athens, Athens, Greece;
  • Prof. Dr. Raffaele Albano, School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy;
  • Dr. Haoyuan Hong, School of Geographic Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China;
  • Dr. Dimitrios Loukidis, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.

Relevant Special Issues:
Assessing Natural Hazards through Advanced Machine Learning Methods and Remote Sensing Technology: 3rd Edition
Guest Editors: Dr. Paraskevas Tsangaratos, Dr. Wei Chen, Dr. Ioanna Ilia and Dr. Haoyuan Hong
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Global Challenges: Current Technologies and Future Prospects
Guest Editors: Dr. Bashar Alsadik, Prof. Dr. Francesco Nex, Prof. Dr. Fabio Remondino and Dr. Jesús Balado Frías
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024

Advances in Remote Sensing and GIS for Natural Hazards Monitoring and Management
Guest Editors: Dr. Adrianos Retalis and Dr. Dimitrios D. Alexakis
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024

Artificial Intelligence for Soil Erosion Prediction and Modeling
Guest Editors: Dr. Nikiforos Samarinas, Dr. Nikolaos L. Tsakiridis, Dr. Nikolaos Tziolas and Dr. Ioannis N. Daliakopoulos
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 3 April 2025

Relevant Article:
Geospatial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technique for Urban Mapping in Coastal Regions of South Aegean Volcanic Arc Islands
Authors: Pavlos Krassakis, Andreas Karavias, Paraskevi Nomikou, Konstantinos Karantzalos, Nikolaos Koukouzas, Stavroula Kazana, Issaak Parcharidis
Geomatics 20222(3), 297-322; https://doi.org/10.3390/geomatics2030017

 

20 November 2024
Meet Us at the Second World Geography Conference, 22–24 November 2024, Shanghai, China

MDPI will attend the Second World Geography Conference, which will take place from 22 to 24 of November 2024 at the Shanghai International Procurement Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China.

To promote the study of geography in China, specifically that of major global issues and different countries’ regional geography, the Chinese Geographical Society, the East China Normal University, the China National Innovation and Development Strategy Research Association, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences successfully held the First World Geography Congress in Shanghai in November 2022. The congress, with the theme of “Geography and Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” conducted in-depth exchanges and reached a broad consensus, releasing the “Declaration of the World Geography Congress” which called for holding said congress every two years. After careful consideration, the Second World Geography Congress is scheduled to be held in Shanghai from 22 to 24 of November 2024.

We welcome you to visit MDPI’s booth, where you will be able to have face-to-face exchanges with our representatives, learn more about our open access publishing services, and acquire gifts.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

If you plan to attend this conference, we invite you to visit our booth and converse with our delegates at the conference venue. We are excited to meet you in person and will address any questions that you may have. For further details about this conference, please visit the following website: http://www.wgeoc.com/.

14 November 2024
Topics Webinar | EO & GEO Series: Tracking Coastal Change with Geospatial Artificial Intelligence Techniques, 21 November 2024


Join us for an engaging webinar! Coastal waterways and the natural systems that surround them are changing at an unprecedented rate due to population growth, the intensification of land use, and climate change. Monitoring the health of coastal waterways as well as natural systems and documenting their pace and pattern of change are both vital for informing coastal management and guiding solutions. In this webinar, Tracking Coastal Change with Geospatial Artificial Intelligence Techniques, we will explore a series of emerging technologies for achieving such coastal monitoring and change assessment tasks. Over the course of a series of short presentations, we will share the scope of the interdisciplinary work being pursued by members of the University of Florida's Center for Coastal Solutions in the rapidly growing space of geospatial AI, in addition to highlighting innovative application examples. These examples will include the exploration of (1) a new deep learning-based method for identifying tidal creeks and wetland features from high-resolution remotely sensed images, (2) an AI-enhanced technique for assessing salt marsh morphology from UAV-derived images, and (3) a neural network classifier that combines remote sensing data with spatiotemporally distributed in situ sample data to monitor blooms of the potentially harmful algae Karenia brevis (or red tide). We will welcome questions to engage and include the audience through the webinar.

Date:21 November 2024
Time: 4:00 p.m. CET | 10:00 a.m. EDT | 11:00 p.m. CST Asia
Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UtOEEZb4T2eLv8sOBAZdqA
Webinar ID: 842 6788 0032
Webinar Secretariat:[email protected]
Webinar announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-28

Register now for free!

Speaker/Presentation

Time in CEST/CET (Basel Time)

Time in EST

Dr. Christine Angelini
Chair Introduction

3:00–3:05 p.m.

10:00–10:05 a.m.

Dr. Christine Angelini
University of Florida Center for Coastal Solutions: Overview of Programs and Real-World Impacts

3:05–3:25 p.m.

10:05–10:25 a.m.

Ms. Richa Dutt
A Deep Learning Approach to Segment Coastal Marsh Tidal Creek Networks from High-Resolution Aerial Imagery

3:25–3:45 p.m.

10:25–10:45 a.m.

Dr. Daniele Pinton
AI-Enhanced UAV Monitoring Techniques for Salt Marsh Morphology

3:45–5:05 p.m.

10:45–11:05 a.m.

Dr. Ron Fick
Fusing remote sensing data with spatiotemporal in situ samples for red tide (Karenia brevis) detection

5:05–5:25 p.m.

11:05–11:25 a.m.

Dr. Christine Angelini
Closing of Webinar

5:25–5:30 p.m.

11:25–11:30 a.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic or institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Feel free to still register; we will inform you when the recording is available.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

  • Dr. Christine Angelini, Center for Coastal Solution, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, USA;
  • Ms. Richa Dutt, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, USA;
  • Dr. Daniele Pinton, Civil and Coastal Engineering, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, USA;
  • Dr. Ron Fick, Center for Coastal Solutions, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida.

Relevant Topic Information:
Advances in Earth Observation and Geosciences
Topic Editors: Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera and Prof. Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez

5 November 2024
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #17 - OA Week, Basel Open Day, Beijing Graphene Forum

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.

In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.


Opening Thoughts

Open Access Week: Forging the Future of Open Access through Global Reach and Collaboration

From 21 to 27 October, we celebrated International Open Access Week (OAW), highlighting the importance of making research accessible to everyone. This campaign reinforced our commitment to advancing open access (OA) and showcased how we are helping research communities worldwide adopt OA as their standard.

 

“OA publishing is now a cornerstone of global research”

Throughout the week, we featured MDPI’s efforts to support quality open research through blog posts on topics such as how Research Integrity Promotes OA Practices, our Preprints.org platform, and supporting societies with different OA models. These initiatives capture our commitment to making research more inclusive and accessible to all.

OA publishing is now a cornerstone of global research, with more researchers choosing OA over traditional paywalled models, and embracing new, community-driven models.

Benefits of Open Access and Open Research

  • Accelerated Discoveries: OA speeds up scientific progress by allowing immediate access to findings, enabling researchers to build on each other’s work faster.
  • Community-Led Innovation: Open research empowers communities to manage their own platforms, creating collaboration and shared knowledge.
  • Increased Visibility: OA broadens the reach of your research, leading to greater recognition, collaboration, and impact.
  • Cross-Disciplinary Connections: By removing financial and geographical barriers, OA unites diverse fields, sparking innovation across disciplines.

MDPI Singapore Celebrates Open Access Week

MDPI Singapore also hosted its first-ever OAW event at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, bringing together academics, researchers, and students to discuss the future of open scholarship. Conversations focused on the potential of new publishing models, alternative funding strategies, and the importance of communicating research to wider audiences.

As OA evolves, MDPI remains a committed partner in advancing open science and creating a transparent, inclusive research environment. For a full recap of the week’s highlights and resources, visit our campaign page.

Impactful Research

MDPI Connection to Nobel-Winning Protein Research

David Baker, an American biochemist, and Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper, two scientists from Google DeepMind, have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking advancements in better understanding the structure of proteins, the molecular engines of life’s processes.

One half of the prize was awarded to Professor David Baker from the University of Washington for his development of revolutionary protein design software enabling the creation of novel proteins for vaccines, nanomaterials, and sensors. Prof. Baker co-authored a 2016 paper in MDPI’s Toxins journal on protein-based therapeutics.

Meanwhile, DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper received recognition for AlphaFold, the AI model that predicts protein structures from amino acid sequences, fulfilling a long-held scientific dream.

“We congratulate this year’s Nobel laureates for their groundbreaking contributions to the study of life”

 Nobel Prize Laureates Entrust MDPI with Their Research

As at October 2024, 45 Nobel laureates had contributed to more than 115 articles across

35 MDPI journals. The privilege of hosting the research of such contributors, who significantly influence the open access movement, resonates deeply with our editorial teams.

We are proud to list the names of Pierre Agostini, Hiroshi Amano, Werner Arber, Aaron Ciechanover, Robert H. Grubbs, Oliver Hart, Gerard ‘t Hooft, Michael Houghton, Harald zur Hausen, Katalin Karikó, Jean-Marie Lehn, Gérard Mourou, Ferid Murad, Shuji Nakamura, William Nordhaus, Kostya S. Novoselov, Giorgio Parisi, Charles M. Rice, Alvin E. Roth, Donna Strickland, K. Barry Sharpless, George F. Smoot, Anne L’Huillier, Drew Weissman, Kurt Wüthrich, Ada Yonath, Tomas Lindahl, Thomas C. Südhof, Stanley B. Prusiner, Roger Kornberg, Robert F. Engle, Richard J. Roberts, Ōmura Satoshi, Kenneth J. Arrow, John B. Goodenough, Jennifer Doudna, Hamilton Othanel Smith, Eric R. Kandel, Carlo Rubbia, Bernard Feringa, Barry J. Marshall, Anthony J. Leggett, Andrew Victor Schally, and David Baker.

Notable MRNA Published in Cells

On 7 October 2024, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function. Some interesting papers about microRNA research are published in the MDPI journal Cells. I invite you browse through the notable papers related to microRNA research in Cells.

Inside MDPI

Basel Open Day

On 21 October, we held the Basel Open Day at our headquarters, welcoming a group of journal Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for a full-day workshop. The event featured presentations and discussions on MDPI’s latest editorial updates, data integrity policies, society collaborations, and local market insights.

The following MDPI journals were represented during the visit: Physics, Journal of Personalized Medicine (JPM), Sci, Remote Sensing, Animals, Cells, Buildings, Histories, Sensors, and International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH).

This was a great opportunity to showcase our new office space while gathering feedback from leading journal stakeholders. To get everyone on the same page, we took 60 minutes for round-table introductions, which helped set a collaborative tone and ground us in MDPI’s mission of disseminating open science.

“This was a great opportunity to gather feedback from leading journal stakeholders”

The general feedback from the day highlighted positive developments around our editorial and ethics policies, as well as areas for improvement, including flexibility regarding reviewer deadlines. There was a genuine appreciation and push for our ongoing efforts to share more about MDPI, including company updates and promoting high-quality research through our blog, announcements, and social media channels, which we have been growing and expanding.

Our Basel Open Day was a positive experience, bringing together key journal stakeholders and gathering insights to guide MDPI’s continued engagement with the academic community. We look forward to hosting future events of this kind and welcoming more scholars to our headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

Coming Together for Science

ncRNA 2024 Conference in Basel

I am pleased to share that we held Non-coding RNA World 2024: Exploring Mechanisms, Designing Medicines (ICM 2024) in Basel, Switzerland this past 7–9 October.

The three-day event attracted just over 100 attendees, including two Chairs, 10 invited speakers and two keynotes from Prof. Mauro Giacca and Prof. Ling-Ling Chen. Of the presentations on site, there were 35 posters and 44 oral presentations.

The overall feedback was positive, with people enjoying the intimate event and the unique activities offered, including a guided tour around Basel’s Old Town (a must-see for anyone visiting the city) and a memorable conference dinner.

It was cool to see the winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine announced during the conference days. This was exciting for attendees, as the winners discovered a new class of RNA molecules (miRNAs). As one invited speaker put it, “It's exciting to be among fellows when something that important for the field is announced.”

“It's exciting to be among fellows when something that important for the field is announced”

Every attendee receives a conference survey, and I’m always pleased to see a high percentage of ‘Very Satisfied’ responses when asked about ‘treatment from conference personnel’. Kudos to our conference team for meeting our attendees’ needs. These events are a great opportunity for us to reach new audiences, as 92% of the respondents had never been to an MDPI conference, so I am thrilled to see us connecting with a new demographic of your researchers in the RNA field.

A special thank-you to our partnering societies The Epigenetics Society, The French Society of Genetics, LS2 / USGEB (Union of Swiss Societies for Experimental Biology), and The RNA Biology Group, as well as to our sponsors New England Biolabs and Arraystar for their support of the ncRNA 2024 conference. I am also pleased to report that we presented two awards, including the Best Presentation Award and two Best Poster Award, recognizing the contributions of our participants.

Upcoming In-Person Event

27–29 November 2024
Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences Towards a Healthy Life
Location: Barcelona, Spain

The discovery of new molecules, their properties, and actions to enhance human health and quality of life.

Find more upcoming MDPI events here.

Closing Thoughts

Beijing Graphene Forum 2024

I am pleased to share that we had a successful time at the Beijing Graphene Forum 2024, which drew around 1,000 attendees, including Konstantin Novoselov (2015 Nobel Prize in Physics) and other high-profile scholars in materials science and chemistry. It was a great opportunity to present MDPI on the big stage, with university presidents from institutions such as Peking University also in attendance.

I had the honour of awarding Prof. Zhongfan Liu, Chairman of the Chemical Science Committee, with a medal and presenting certificates to the members of the Chemical Science Committee; this is an important initiative to help expand MDPI’s journals and influence in China. These are highly respected scholars, and we enjoyed connecting with them over lunch as well.

“This is an important initiative to help expand MDPI’s journals and influence in China”

I also had the chance to speak about MDPI and open access, giving a five-minute speech during the opening ceremony and a 20-minute presentation at the close. MDPI hosted a sub-forum where both academic scholars and MDPI members shared insights, and we engaged with attendees at our MDPI booth.

This was a great opportunity to spotlight MDPI as the main publishing partner for the event, and I was proud to represent us on stage. We also met with scholars to discuss topics such as their publishing needs and institutional policies, open access, impact journals, and IOAP.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

31 October 2024
Land Webinar | Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable Land: Soil Quality and Contamination, 15 November 2024


A welcoming message from the webinar’s chair, Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford: 

Soil sustainability is the goal of soil management, a useful measure of soil sustainability is the maintenance of soil quality, as this assures the continued provision and regulation of soil ecosystem services, including agricultural productivity, continued forest growth, soil biodiversity, and water supply, among other aspects. One of the challenges that can hinder soil quality continuity is soil contamination. Such contamination can come from the use of agricultural chemicals, the activities of industry, and—as we have seen in a recent submission—the outcome of war. 

This Special Issue seeks the submission of research outcomes that outline the challenges that soil quality faces from all forms of contamination. We seek contributions that address soil degradation/contamination from human activity, how human activity affects soil sustainability, and what potential solutions there might be to allow for the maintenance of soil sustainability. 

Date: 15 November 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. CET | 6:00 a.m. EST | 7:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: https://sciforum.net/event/Land-5
Webinar Secretariat: [email protected] 

Register now for free!

Program:

Speaker

Presentation Title

Time in CET

Time in EST

Time in CST Asia

Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford

Chair Introduction

12:00–12:10 p.m.

6:00–6:10 a.m.

7:00–7:10 p.m.

Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford

What Do We Mean by Soil Quality and Soil Ecosystem Services

12:10–12:30 p.m.

6:10-6:30 a.m.

7:10–7:30 p.m.

Dr. Dongxue Zhao

Sensing Technologies for Characterizing and Monitoring SQ and Soil Functions

12:30–12:50 p.m.

6:30–6:50 a.m.

7:30–7:50 p.m.

Dr. Paolo Grenni

The Importance of Soil Microbial Communities in SQ, SES and Remediation of Contamination

12:50–1:10 p.m.

6:50–7:10 a.m.

7:50–8:10 p.m.

 

Q&A Session

1:10–1:25 p.m.

7:10–7:25 a.m.

8:10–8:25 p.m.

Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford

Closing of Webinar

1:25–1:30 p.m.

7:25–7:30 a.m.

8:25–8:30 p.m.

Registration:

This is a free webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join.  

Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Certificates of attendance will be delivered to those who attend the live webinar. 

If you’re unable to attend, register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch. 

Webinar Chair and Speakers:

  • Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford, North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, USA;
  • Dr. Paola Grenni, Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR), Italy;
  • Dr. Dongxue Zhao, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agricultural and Food Innovation, the University of Queensland, Australia. 

Relevant Special Issue:
“Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable Land: Soil Quality and Contamination”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Nicholas B. Comerford, Dr. Paola Grenni and Dr. Dongxue Zhao
Deadline for manuscript submission: 30 June 2025 

For more information, please see the following website: https://sciforum.net/event/Land-5.

23 October 2024
Interview with Dr. Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva—Winner of the Land 2023 Young Investigator Award

The Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) Young Investigator Award, established in 2023, is designed to recognize outstanding early career scientists who demonstrate exceptional promise and contribute significantly to the field of land science. By fostering collaboration within the scientific community, this award aims to encourage and support the next generation of land science experts.

We are honored to be able to have this conversation with Dr. Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva, a biologist at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and winner of the Land 2023 Young Investigator Award. As a young researcher, Dr. da Silva’s dedication to advancing scientific knowledge is further evidenced by his contributions to the international scientific community.

In the meantime, we are pleased to share that the Land 2024 Young Investigator Award is open for nominations. This prize will be given to one young investigator to recognize and support their outstanding achievements in the field of land science, encouraging the pursuit of groundbreaking research and fostering collaboration within the scientific community. To learn more about the award and nomination process, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/awards/2960.

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.

25 September 2024
Topics Webinar | Reframing Strategies for a Low-Carbon Future in Agricultural Systems, 4 October 2024


This webinar, hosted by MDPI journals Agronomy (ISSN: 2073-4395), Climate (ISSN: 2225-1154), Crops (ISSN: 2673-7655), Grasses (ISSN: 2813-3463), Horticulturae (ISSN: 2311-7524), Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), and Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747), is open to all who enjoy conducting research on a variety of innovative strategies, such as precision agriculture, regenerative farming, and sustainable land management practices.

Our distinguished speakers will delve into the pivotal roles that diverse stakeholders play in shaping effective policy frameworks for a low-carbon transition in agriculture. By fostering collaboration among governments, farmers, and researchers, we can unlock pathways to a more sustainable and resilient food system that will serve not only our current needs but also those of future generations.

We encourage you to share any thought-provoking topics or speaker suggestions that could enhance our discussions and drive meaningful change in the agricultural sector.

Keywords: sustainability; climate change; agriculture; innovation; policy
Date: 4 October 2024 at 16:00 CEST | 10:00 EDT | 22:00 CST Asia
Webinar ID: 865 5083 9741

Register now for free!

Program:

Speaker/Presentation

Time in CEST
(4 October 2024)

Time in CST Asia
(4 October 2024)

Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair)
Chair Introduction

16:00–16:10

22:00–22:10

Prof. Dr. Matt Bell
Real-Time Analysis: A Game-Changer for Low-Carbon Agriculture

16:10–16:30

22:10–22:30

Dr. Katja Klumpp
Carbon Farming Strategies: Benefits, Barriers, and Best Practices

16:30–16:50

22:30–22:50

Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne
The Need to Account for the Totality of Impacts of Land Use Changes for Climate Mitigation Purposes

16:50–17:10

22:50–23:10

Q&A Session

17:10–17:25

23:10–23:25

Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair)
Closing of Webinar

17:25–17:30

23:25–23:30

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email on how to join this webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to view.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

  • Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Chair), UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland;
  • Prof. Dr. Matt Bell, Department of Animal and Agriculture, Hartpury University, Hartpury, UK;
  • Dr. Katja Klumpp, The Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRAE), Clermont-Ferrand, France;
  • Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne, UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland.

Relevant Topic:
Reframing Strategies for a Low Carbon Future in Agricultural Systems
Topic Editors: Dr. M. Ibrahim Khalil and Prof. Dr. Bruce Osborne
Abstract submission deadline: 31 October 2024
Manuscript submission deadline: 31 December 2024

For more information about this webinar, please visit the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/topics-27.

23 September 2024
Meet Us at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2024, 9–13 December 2024, Washington, D.C., USA


Conference:
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2024
Date: 9–13 December 2024
Location: Washington, D.C., USA

MDPI will be attending the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2024, which will be held from 9 to 13 December 2024 in Washington, D.C., USA.

AGU’s annual meeting, the largest gathering of Earth and space scientists, convenes 25,000+ attendees from 100+ countries to share research and connect with friends and colleagues. Scientists, educators, policymakers, journalists and communicators attend AGU24 to better understand our planet and environment, opening pathways to discovery, generating greater awareness to address climate change, driving greater collaborations to lead to solutions and opening the fields and professions of science to a whole new age of justice equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

If you are planning to attend the conference, we encourage you to visit our booth and speak to our representatives. We are eager to meet you in person and assist you with any queries that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the official website at https://www.agu.org/annual-meeting.

23 September 2024
Land | Congratulations to the Editorial Board Member Prof. Dr. Maria Ignatieva for Being Honored with the 2024 IFLA President’s Award

We are delighted to extend our warmest congratulations to Prof. Dr. Maria Ignatieva, Editorial Board Member of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), on receiving the 2024 IFLA President’s Award. This distinguished award, presented by the IFLA President on the 4th of September 2024 at the IFLA 60th World Congress in Istanbul, recognizes outstanding individuals for their significant contributions and profound impact on the field of landscape architecture worldwide through their voluntary efforts within IFLA.

This award is a testament to Prof. Dr. Ignatieva’s unwavering dedication to advancing landscape architecture. Her extensive research, innovative practice, and commitment to fostering global collaboration continue to shape the future of sustainable and biodiverse urban landscapes and inspire the next generation of landscape architects.

To learn more about this award and Prof. Dr. Ignatieva's accomplishments, please visit the following link: https://www.iflaworld.com/ifla-presidents-award-2024.

18 September 2024
Land | Aims and Scope Update

To further enhance the quality of Land and the papers published in it, under the guidance of our Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Christine Fürst, the journal has updated and revised its aims and scope. The original scope and the updated version are listed below:

Aims (new version): Aims (old version):
Land/Soil/Water Systems: the interconnecting networks of biological, chemical, and physical systems; Soil–sediment–water systems—hydro-ecological processes at multiple scales;
Scope (new version): Scope (old version):
Soil–water systems in natural and managed (agriculture and forest) systems; provision of/regulating/supporting cultural ecosystem services; soil degradation, desertification, and sustainability; soil health; Soil–sediment–water systems in natural as well as agricultural systems, land/soil erosion/degradation/restoration, soil health and soil physics;

For more detailed information, please visit the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/about.

Land Editorial Office

12 September 2024
Meet Us at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2024 (BES 2024), 10–13 December 2024, Liverpool, UK


MDPI will attend the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2024 (BES 2024) as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Liverpool, UK, from 10 to 13 December 2024.

The British Ecological Society was established in 1913 and has been fostering the science of ecology ever since. The society has 7,000 members around the world and brings people together across regional, national and global scales to advance ecological science. Membership is open to anyone, anywhere. The British Ecological Society is the oldest ecological society in the world and its annual meeting is Europe’s largest conference dedicated to ecology. More than 1,500 delegates from over 50 countries across six continents attended the 2023 meeting in person or online.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/events/bes-annual-meeting-2024/.

12 September 2024
Meet Us at the 2024 China Geography Conference, 26–28 September 2024, Nanjing, China


MDPI will be attending the 2024 China Geography Conference in Nanjing, China, which will take place from 26 to 28 September 2024. The conference will focus on the theme of “Development and Innovation of Chinese Geography”, review the theory and practice of Chinese geography, summarize the latest achievements in geographical theory, methods, technology, and application in recent years, and discuss important scientific issues such as China’s geography and ecological environment, resource utilization, and sustainable development under global changes and new development patterns. Discussing the innovation of geography in the new era, promoting the overall improvement of the teaching and research level of Chinese geography, and serving the latest needs of national economic and social development in the new era are also a focus of the conference. If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth; our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

  • Land (leading);
  • Quaternary (leading);
  • Remote Sensing;
  • Geographies;
  • IJGI;
  • Hydrology;
  • Sustainability;
  • Earth.

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.

14 August 2024
Topics Webinar | Drones for Rural Development II, 19 September 2024


In recent years, the utilization of drones has increased globally, with fresh applications and uses continually emerging. In remote, rural regions, drones have the potential to perform a wide range of tasks, including surveillance via cameras or other sensors; this enables them to act as mobile gateways and provide connectivity or facilitate the transportation of goods to challenging, remote locations. While many of these applications are closely associated with primary sector activities such as agriculture and livestock, their adaptability extends to various other industries and urban areas.

This webinar will present three referent European projects associated with the development of rural areas, and it will use drones as the main thread. The scope of drone utilization in rural regions is extensive, spanning sectors such as agriculture, forestry, livestock, other industrial domains, environmental monitoring, and the assessment of water quality in rivers and lakes. Drones also play a vital role in firefighting efforts and provide assistance to the population, particularly elderly individuals.

We are privileged to feature recognized industry and academic experts who will share their experiences and insights regarding the effective leveraging of these technologies to achieve enhanced results and elevate the productivity of drones. So, whether you are a researcher, applied scientist, commercial drone user, or simply interested in the development of drones, we invite you to join us for this webinar.

Additionally, CHAMELEON, ICAERUS and SPADE are the organizations working with us for this webinar. Kindly find more information about the organizations below:

  • CHAMELEON is a Horizon Europe Project that aims to optimize production and identify potential problems in agriculture, livestock, forestry and rural areas. For more information, kindly visit https://chameleon-heu.eu;
  • ICAERUS is an EU-funded project that aspires to advance the use of drones in agricultural production, forestry and rural communities. For more information, kindly visit https://icaerus.eu/;
  • SPADE is a project funded by the European Union within the Horizon Europe program, with 21 partners from 10 European countries. For more information, kindly visit https://spade-horizon.eu/.

Date: 19 September 2024 at 02.00 p.m. CEST | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 8:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 892 0367 9034
Webinar Announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-26

Register now for free!

Speaker/Presentation

Time in CEST

Time in EDT

Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera & Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez
Chair Introduction

2:00–2:10 p.m.

8:00–8:10 a.m.

Dr. David Sánchez-Jiménez
CHAMELEON Bundles: Detection of Woody Debris in Rivers

2:10–2:30 p.m.

8:10–8:30 a.m.

Q&A Session

2:30–2:35 p.m.

8:30–8:35 a.m.

Dr. Costas T. Davarakis
Monitoring Open Field Grazing – Using Multi-purpose UAVs, Direct Sensing Telemetry and Edge Computing for Cloud Based Digital Twinning

2:35–2:55 p.m.

8:35–8:55 a.m.

Q&A Session

2:55–3:00 p.m.

8:55–9:00 a.m.

Dr. Vasilis Psiroukis & Ms. Esther Vera Moreno
ICAERUS: Innovations and Capacity Building in Agricultural, Environmental, and Rural UAV Services - Crop Monitoring and Drone Spraying Use Cases

3:00–3:20 p.m.

9:00–9:20 a.m.

Q&A Session

3:20–3:25 p.m.

9:20–9:25 a.m.

Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera & Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez
Closing of Webinar

3:25–3:30 p.m.

9:25–9:30 a.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available.

Webinar Chairs and Keynote Speakers:

  • Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera (Chair), Cartographic and Land Engineering Department, Higher Polytechnic School of Avila, University of Salamanca, Hornos Caleros, Avila, Spain;
  • Prof. Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez (Chair), Department of Mining Technology, Topography and Structures, University of León, Avda. Astorga, Ponferrada, Spain;
  • Dr. David Sánchez-Jiménez, Departamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica y del Terreno, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain;
  • Dr. Costas T. Davarakis, Nydor System Technologies AE, Athens, Greece;
  • Dr. Vasilis Psiroukis, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece;
  • Ms. Esther Vera Moreno, Noumena, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 690, Barcelona, Spain.

Relevant Special Issues:

Aerial and Drone LiDAR Data for Geomorphological Mapping, Landform Extraction and Landscape Evolution
Guest Editors: Dr. Dario Gioia, Dr. Nicodemo Abate, Dr. Giuseppe Corrado, Dr. Antonio Minervino Amodio and Prof. Marcello Schiattarella
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2024

UAV Agricultural Management: Recent Advances and Future Prospects
Guest Editors: Dr. Hamdi Zurqani and Dr. Alessandro Matese
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2024

Geographic Information Technologies and the New Challenges of Globalization in a Changing Environment
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Ana Nieto Masot, Prof. Dr. Gema Cárdenas and Dr. José A. Gutiérrez Gallego
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024

Spatial Information for Improved Living Spaces
Guest Editors: Dr. Ivana Ivánová, Dr. Yongze Song and Prof. Dr. Sisi Zlatanova
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025

Relevant Papers:

“Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Agro-Terrestrial Surveys Comparison for Generating Digital Elevation Surfaces for Irrigation and Precision Grading”
by Richard A. Pickett, John W. Nowlin, Ahmed A. Hashem, Michele L. Reba, Joseph H. Massey and Scott Alsbrook

Drones 20237(11), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7110649
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/11/649

“Recent Advances in Crop Disease Detection Using UAV and Deep Learning Techniques”
by Tej Bahadur Shahi, Cheng-Yuan Xu, Arjun Neupane and William Guo

Remote Sens. 202315(9), 2450; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092450
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/9/2450

“Review of Remote Sensing Approaches and Soft Computing for Infrastructure Monitoring”
by Aggeliki Kyriou, Vassiliki Mpelogianni, Konstantinos Nikolakopoulos and Peter P. Groumpos

Geomatics 20233(3), 367-392; https://doi.org/10.3390/geomatics3030021
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7418/3/3/21

“Analysis of Landscape Character Assessment and Cultural Ecosystem Services Evaluation Frameworks for Peri-Urban Landscape Planning: A Case Study of Harku Municipality, Estonia”
Fiona Nevzati, Martti Veldi, Mart Külvik and Simon Bell
Land 202312(10), 1825; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101825
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1825

“Assessment of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to LULC Changes Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study in the Merbil Wetland of the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India”
by Durlov Lahon, Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, Jatan Debnath, Nityaranjan Nath, Gowhar Meraj, Pankaj Kumar, Shizuka Hashimoto and Majid Farooq
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 202312(4), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12040165
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/12/4/165

7 August 2024
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #14 - New Headquarters, Marketing, Poland

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.

In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.


Opening Thoughts

MDPI Moves to New Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland

I am excited to share that MDPI has moved to a new state-of-the-art office space in Basel, Switzerland. This move consolidates our operations by bringing together our two previously separated Basel offices into one central location.

We are always growing our talent pool and encourage you to view our Careers Page for the positions available in Basel and across our offices.

New Address: Grosspeteranlage 5, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland

Effective Date: 1 July 2024

This new chapter in our company’s journey is designed to continue our mission of positioning MDPI as a leader in Open Access (OA) publishing, highlighting our commitment to making scholarly research accessible to everyone.

Boasting modern amenities, improved meeting and event spaces designed to support our growing needs, the new location provides a more collaborative and efficient working environment for our employees. The location offers convenient accessibility to public transportation and is situated near the Basel SBB railway station, with a variety of nearby services and amenities.

In fact, I can see the trains right outside of my window as I write these lines!

This move marks an exciting milestone in MDPI’s development, and I am confident that the new headquarters will serve as an inspiring and productive space for everyone. We also very much look forward to welcoming visitors here. You can read more about MDPI's history here.

“This new chapter continues our mission of positioning MDPI as a leader in OA publishing”

For Those New to MDPI

A pioneer in scholarly, Open Access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI is leading the transition to Open Science by making a greater proportion of the research conducted worldwide free and accessible to everyone. To date, over 3.5 million researchers have entrusted MDPI with publishing their scientific discoveries. MDPI’s editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of 6,000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform designed to ensure efficient processes within its 440 fully Open Access titles. MDPI supports more than 800 academic institutions worldwide, helping them adhere to national mandates while facilitating authors’ publication in fully compliant (CC BY) Open Access journals.

Impactful Research

New and Emerging MDPI Journals Making an Immediate Impact

Unpacking some of the Impact Factor updates from the June CEO Letter, I wanted to dive a little deeper into the 137 MDPI journals which received Impact Factor for the first time.

Academic authors highly value efficient publishing processes, robust editorial support, and the opportunity to publish in high-impact journals. We are proud that our newly launched journals typically achieve coverage in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) of the Web of Science within just a few years, with a median time of only three years from release to inclusion.

As part of our commitment to advancing academic research and providing high-quality OA publishing, we actively seek new research areas to expand our portfolio of journals. We have a proven track record of successfully establishing new journals.

Our dedicated teams excel in fostering dynamic editorial boards and working closely with Editors-in-Chief (EiC) to define the precise scope and focus of each new journal. Our expertise extends to collaborating with indexing services, ensuring that our journals comply with best practices and are indexed promptly in all relevant databases.

Emerging Titles Ranked for the First Time

Our commitment to excellence is reflected in the annual impact metrics released this past June. The latest edition of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) showcases the integration of journals from the ESCI in the new unified category rankings, providing a simplified and more complete view of all journals within each subject category, including newly established titles.

Out of 137 new and developing MDPI journals ranked in the 2024 release, 79 are in the top half (Q1 or Q2) of their categories. Here is a breakdown of the number of MDPI’s ESCI-indexed journals by quartile in the JCR:

Quartile No. of journals
Q1 17 (12.4%)
Q2 62 (45.3%)
Q3 43 (31.4%)
Q4 15 (10.9%)
Not ranked (humanities-related journals) 2

These rankings highlight our success in rapidly establishing high-impact new journals. Among those that made it directly into the top 25% of their category are the International Journal of Neonatal Screening, Journal of Xenobiotics, Polysaccharides, Smart Cities, and thirteen other journals.

You can browse MDPI journals by Indexing. Simply visit our Journals page and select from the list of Indexing bodies in the top left-hand corner.

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

5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land Planning and Landscape Architecture” from the First Half of 2024

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Land Planning and Landscape Architecture” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “Participatory Design of Urban Green Spaces to Improve Residents’ Health”
by Bram Oosterbroek, Joop de Kraker, Sandra Akkermans, Paola Esser and Pim Martens
Land 2024, 13(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010088
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/88

2. “Integration of Climate Change Strategies into Policy and Planning for Regional Development: A Case Study of Greece”
by Stavros Kalogiannidis, Dimitrios Kalfas, Olympia Papaevangelou, Fotios Chatzitheodoridis, Katerina-Navsika Katsetsiadou and Efthymios Lekkas
Land 2024, 13(3), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030268
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/268

3. “The Landscape of Tranquility in Sweden: Lessons for Urban Design from Crowdsourced Data and Deep Learning”
by Yijun Zeng, Brian Deal, Susan Ask and Tianchen Huang
Land 2024, 13(4), 501; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040501
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/501

4. “Exploring Urban Service Location Suitability: Mapping Social Behavior Dynamics with Space Syntax Theory”
by Saleh Qanazi, Ihab H. Hijazi, Isam Shahrour and Rani El Meouche
Land 2024, 13(5), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050609
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/609

5. “Transformative Impact of Technology in Landscape Architecture on Landscape Research: Trends, Concepts and Roles”
by Xiwei Shen, Mary G. Padua and Niall G. Kirkwood
Land 2024, 13(5), 630; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050630
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/630

6. “Evaluating Urban Green Space Inequity to Promote Distributional Justice in Portland, Oregon”
by Evan Elderbrock, Kory Russel, Yekang Ko, Elizabeth Budd, Lilah Gonen and Chris Enright
Land 2024, 13(6), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060720
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/720

7. “Practicing Multilevel Governance: The Revision of the Piedmont Regional Territorial Plan”
by Elena Todella, Francesca Abastante and Giancarlo Cotella
Land 2024, 13(6), 755; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060755
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/755

8. “Mining versus Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas: Traditional Land Uses of the Anisininew in the Red Sucker Lake First Nation, Manitoba, Canada”
by Chima Onyeneke, Bruce Harper and Shirley Thompson
Land 2024, 13(6), 830; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060830
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/830

You can find more information about Land and the “Land Planning and Landscape Architecture” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/Land_Plan_Architecture.

Land Editorial Office

5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land Systems and Global Change” from the First Half of 2024

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Land Systems and Global Change” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “Analysis of Land Suitability for Maize Production under Climate Change and Its Mitigation Potential through Crop Residue Management”
by Nikolaos Karapetsas, Anne Gobin, George Bilas, Thomas M. Koutsos, Vasileios Pavlidis, Eleni Katragkou and Thomas K. Alexandridis
Land 2024, 13(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010063
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/63

2. “The Impacts of Climate Change on Tourism Operators, Trail Experience and Land Use Management in British Columbia’s Backcountry”
by Courtney W. Mason and Pate Neumann
Land 2024, 13(1), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010069
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/69

3. “The Effects of Vegetation Structure and Timber Harvesting on Ground Beetle (Col.: Carabidae) and Arachnid Communities (Arach.: Araneae, Opiliones) in Short-Rotation Coppices”
by Jessika Konrad, Ralph Platen and Michael Glemnitz
Land 2024, 13(2), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020145
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/145

4. “Geoinformation Technology in Support of Arctic Coastal Properties Characterization: State of the Art, Challenges, and Future Outlook”
by George P. Petropoulos, Triantafyllia Petsini and Spyridon E. Detsikas
Land 2024, 13(6), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060776
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/776

You can find more information about Land and the “Land Systems and Global Change” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/Land_Systems_and_Global_Change.

Land Editorial Office

5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Landscape Ecology” from the First Half of 2024

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Landscape Ecology” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “Policy Evaluation and Monitoring of Agricultural Expansion in Forests in Myanmar: An Integrated Approach of Remote Sensing Techniques and Social Surveys”
by Su Mon San, Navneet Kumar, Lisa Biber-Freudenberger and Christine B. Schmitt
Land 2024, 13(2), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020150
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/150

2. “A 20-Year Ecotone Study of Pacific Northwest Mountain Forest Vulnerability to Changing Snow Conditions”
by Todd R. Lookingbill, Jack DuPuy, Ellery Jacobs, Matteo Gonzalez and Tihomir S. Kostadinov
Land 2024, 13(4), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040424
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/424

3. “Spatial Heterogeneity Impacts of Urbanisation on Open Space Fragmentation in Hong Kong’s Built-Up Area”
by Peiheng Yu, Yan Zhang, Mingqing Han, Esther H. K. Yung, Edwin H. W. Chan and Yiyun Chen
Land 2024, 13(4), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040457
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/457

4. “Integration of Acceptability Analyses into an Adaptive Landscape Co-Design and Management Approach—The Acceptability and Landscape Design Cycle (ALDC)”
by Maria Busse, Jana Zscheischler, Nico Heitepriem and Rosemarie Siebert
Land 2024, 13(4), 513; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040513
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/513

You can find more information about Land and the “Landscape Ecology” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/Landscape_Ecology.

Land Editorial Office

5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues” from the First Half of 2024

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “How Can Drones Uncover Land Degradation Hotspots and Restoration Hopespots? An Integrated Approach in the Mount Elgon Region with Community Perceptions”
by Hosea Opedes, Shafiq Nedala, Caspar A. Mücher, Jantiene E. M. Baartman and Frank Mugagga
Land 2024, 13(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010001
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/1

2. “Forest Tales? Unravelling Divergent Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) Maps and State Narratives in Vietnam’s Northern Uplands”
by Thinh An Nguyen, Hung Le, Patrick Slack, Margaret Kalacska and Sarah Turner
Land 2024, 13(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010071
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/71

3. “Research on the Spatial Disparities and Convergence of Guangdong’s Urban Economy Based on Industrial Agglomeration and Industrial Proximity
by Xiaojin Huang, Renzhong Guo, Weixi Wang, Xiaoming Li and Yong Fan
Land 2024, 13(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010073
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/73

4. “Inequalities and Injustices of Urban Green Regeneration: Applying the Conflict Analysis Perspective
by Annegret Haase
Land 2024, 13(3), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030296
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/296

5. “Land Fragmentation and Heirs Property: Current Issues and Policy Responses”
by Kurt Smith and Frederick Cubbage
Land 2024, 13(4), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040459
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/459

6. “The Importance of Spatial Configuration When Restoring Intensive Production Landscapes for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Multifunctionality”
by Daniel Richards, Thomas R. Etherington, Alexander Herzig and Sandra Lavorel
Land 2024, 13(4), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040460
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/460

7. “A Review on the Use of Geodesign Processes in Managing Flood Vulnerability”
by Bo Pang and Brian Deal
Land 2024, 13(6), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060723
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/723

You can find more information about Land and the “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/Socio-Economic.

Land Editorial Office

5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing” from the First Half of 2024

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “A Proposed Typology of Farming Systems for Assessing Sustainable Livelihood Development Pathways in the Tien Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan”
by Azamat Azarov, Roy C. Sidle, Dietrich Darr, Vladimir Verner and Zbynek Polesny
Land 202413(2), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020126
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/126

2. “Seminatural Grasslands: An Emblematic Challenge for Nature Conservation in Protected Areas”
by Daniela Gigante, Simone Angelucci, Federica Bonini, Federico Caruso, Valter Di Cecco, Domizia Donnini, Luciano Morbidini, Mariano Pauselli, Bernardo Valenti, Andrea Tassi et al.
Land 202413(3), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030386
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/386

3. “Structure and Carbon Capture of a Temperate Mixed Forest across Altitudinal Gradients in Northern Mexico”
by Luis U. Castruita-Esparza, Raúl Narváez-Flores, Mélida Gutiérrez, Aldo S. Mojica-Guerrero, Gerónimo Quiñones-Barraza and Javier Hernández-Salas
Land 202413(4), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040461
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/461

4. “Impacts of Soil Management and Sustainable Plant Protection Strategies on Soil Biodiversity in a Sangiovese Vineyard”
by Sara Del Duca, Stefano Mocali, Francesco Vitali, Arturo Fabiani, Maria Alexandra Cucu, Giuseppe Valboa, Giada d’Errico, Francesco Binazzi, Paolo Storchi, Rita Perria et al.
Land 202413(5), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050599
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/599

5. “Quality and Establishment of Some Water-Conserving Turfgrass Species for Sustainable Development and Some Ecosystem Services in Arid Urban Environments”
by Fatemeh Kazemi, Mahmood Reza Golzarian and Seyedeh Maliheh Rabbani Kheir Khah
Land 202413(6), 721; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060721
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/721

6. “Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure for Mitigating Diffuse Agricultural Contaminant Losses”
by Yvonne S. Matthews, Paula Holland, Fleur E. Matheson, Rupert J. Craggs and Chris C. Tanner
Land 202413(6), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060748
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/748

7. “Conservation Management Practices for Biodiversity Preservation in Urban Informal Green Spaces: Lessons from Central European City”
by Piotr Archiciński, Arkadiusz Przybysz, Daria Sikorska, Marzena Wińska-Krysiak, Anderson Rodrigo Da Silva and Piotr Sikorski
Land 202413(6), 764; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060764
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/764

You can find more information about Land and the “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/land_biodiversity_human_wellbeing.

Land Editorial Office

5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Urban Contexts and Urban–Rural Interactions” from the First Half of 2024

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Urban Contexts and Urban–Rural Interactions” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “Ecosystem Services-Based City Ranking in Italy: A Tool to Enhance Sustainable Thinking in Regeneration Strategies”
by Angela Pilogallo, Francesco Scorza and Beniamino Murgante
Land 2024, 13(6), 891; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060891
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/891

2. “A Multicriteria Decision Analysis Model for Optimal Land Uses: Guiding Farmers under the New European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (2023–2027)”
by Asimina Kouriati, Anna Tafidou, Evgenia Lialia, Angelos Prentzas, Christina Moulogianni, Eleni Dimitriadou and Thomas Bournaris
Land 2024, 13(6), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060788
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/788

3. “Assessment and Monitoring of Local Climate Regulation in Cities by Green Infrastructure—A National Ecosystem Service Indicator for Germany”
by Ralf-Uwe Syrbe, Sophie Meier, Michelle Moyzes, Claudia Dworczyk and Karsten Grunewald
Land 2024, 13(5), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050689
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/689

4. “Effects of Affordable Housing Land Supply on Housing Prices: Evidence from 284 Cities in China”
by Xue Han and Changchun Feng
Land 2024, 13(5), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050580
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/580

5. “Community-Scale Classification and Governance Policy Implications for Demographic, Economic, and Land-Use Linkages in Mega-Cities”
by Yonghong Mao, Jie Fan, Daojing Zhou, Yao He, Meng Yuan and Huixin Zhang
Land 2024, 13(4), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040441
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/441

6. “Envisaging the Intrinsic Departure from Zipf’s Law as an Indicator of Economic Concentration along Urban–Rural Gradients”
by Adele Sateriano, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Francisco Escrivà Saneugenio, Alvaro Marucci, Luca Salvati, Barbara Zagaglia and Francesco Chelli
Land 2024, 13(4), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040415
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/415

7. “Your Favourite Park Is Not My Favourite Park: A Participatory Geographic Information System Approach to Improving Urban Green and Blue Spaces—A Case Study in Edinburgh, Scotland”
by Charlotte Wendelboe-Nelson, Yiyun Wang, Simon Bell, Craig W. McDougall and Catharine Ward Thompson
Land 2024, 13(3), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030395
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/395

8. “Counteract Soil Consumption through Ecosystem Services and Landscape Restoration for an Efficient Urban Regeneration”
by Celestina Fazia, Kh Md Nahiduzzaman, Baqer Al-Ramadan, Adel Aldosary and Francesca Moraci
Land 2024, 13(3), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030323
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/323

You can find more information about Land and the “Urban Contexts and Urban–Rural Interactions” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/urban_contexts.

Land Editorial Office

5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Land Innovations: Data and Machine Learning” from the First Half of 2024

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Land Innovations: Data and Machine Learning” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “A Proposed Methodology for Determining the Economically Optimal Number of Sample Points for Carbon Stock Estimation in the Canadian Prairies”
by Preston Thomas Sorenson, Jeremy Kiss and Angela Bedard-Haughn
Land 202413(1), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010114
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/114

2. “A Land Administration Data Exchange and Interoperability Framework for Kenya and Its Significance to the Sustainable Development Goals”
by Clifford Okembo, Javier Morales, Christiaan Lemme, Jaap Zevenbergen and David Kuria
Land 202413(4), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040435
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/435

3. “Bridging Sustainable Development Goals and Land Administration: The Role of the ISO 19152 Land Administration Domain Model in SDG Indicator Formalization”
by Mengying Chen, Peter Van Oosterom, Eftychia Kalogianni, Paula Dijkstra and Christiaan Lemmen
Land 202413(4), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040491
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/491

4. “Extracting Features from Satellite Imagery to Understand the Size and Scale of Housing Sub-Markets in Madrid”
by Gladys Elizabeth Kenyon, Dani Arribas-Bel and Caitlin Robinson
Land 202413(5), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050575
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/575

5. “Towards a Comprehensive Framework for Regional Transportation Land Demand Forecasting: Empirical Study from Yangtze River Economic Belt, China”
by Ke Wang, Li Wang and Jianjun Zhang
Land 202413(6), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060847
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/847

You can find more information about Land and the “Land Innovations: Data and Machine Learning” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/land_innovations_data_machine_learning.

Land Editorial Office

5 August 2024
Land | Feature Papers in the Section “Soil–Sediment–Water Systems” from the First Half of 2024

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Soil–Sediment–Water Systems” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “Predicting Soil Properties for Agricultural Land in the Caucasus Mountains Using Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy”
by Elton Mammadov, Michael Denk, Amrakh I. Mamedov and Cornelia Glaesser
Land 2024, 13(2), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020154
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/154

2. “Modeling Landscape Influence on Stream Baseflows for Watershed Conservation”
by Timothy O. Randhir and Kimberly B. Klosterman
Land 2024, 13(3), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030324
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/324

3. “Spatiotemporal Analysis of Soil Quality Degradation and Emissions in the State of Iowa (USA)”
by Elena A. Mikhailova, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman and Gregory C. Post
Land 2024, 13(4), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040547
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/547

4. “Soil and Vegetation Characteristics of Grassland Have a Greater Influence on the Abundance and Diversity of Earthworms than the Mowing Intensity in a Managed Nature Reserve”
by Günther Kerschbaumer, Gerhard Karrer, Edith Gruber and Johann G. Zaller
Land 2024, 13(5), 627; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050627
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/627

5. “Modeling Irrigation of Tomatoes with Saline Water in Semi-Arid Conditions Using Hydrus-1D”
by Sabri Kanzari, Jiří Šimůnek, Issam Daghari, Anis Younes, Khouloud Ben Ali, Sana Ben Mariem and Samir Ghannem
Land 2024, 13(6), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060739
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/739

You can find more information about Land and the “Soil–Sediment–Water Systems” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/Soil-Sediment-Water-System.

Land Editorial Office

2 August 2024
MDPI Romania Author Training Sessions in May

In May, MDPI Romania held three author training sessions – one endorsing an external event and two stand-alone sessions.

The National Session of Scientific Student Communications took place at Technical University Cluj on 17 and 18 May 2024. MDPI Romania sponsored this event and contributed an author training session on the production of research papers and case study analyses. JRS Norbert Kiss gave a presentation called The World of Open Access to explain different open access publishing models and the benefits of open access publishing. His presentation highlighted the impact of open access publishing on scientific progress and innovation.

On 29 May 2024, MDPI Romania hosted an author training session for Ph.D. students, early career researchers, and professors at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In collaboration with Prof. Andreea Arsene, JRS Ioana Paunescu prepared two presentations: The Steps of the Publishing Process and Elaboration of a Peer Review Report. In her first presentation, she delved into MDPI’s history and mission, MDPI’s editorial process, and MDPI journals of various scopes that are accepting submissions. Her second presentation outlined the types of peer review, the contents of a peer review report by an MDPI reviewer, and the responsibilities of an MDPI reviewer.

MDPI Romania also hosted an author training session at the Iasi University of Life Sciences on 29 May 2024. JRSs Laurentiu Preda and Cosmin Artan gave four presentations: Efficient Writing of an ISI-Indexed Scientific Article, Benefits of Publishing in the Open Access Model, Various Methods of Open Access Publishing, and MDPI Guide for the Article Review Process. The first three presentations offered guidance on how to improve academic writing, the fourth focused on how to write peer review reports. A highly interactive discussion followed the presentations, during which the JRSs provided extensive answers to attendees’ questions.

MDPI is grateful for all the attendees, speakers, and organizers involved in these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.

1 August 2024
Recruiting Early Career Editorial Board Members for Land

In order to further enhance the international influence of our journal Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), promote the academic exchange of young scientists, and support the Editorial Board with additional expertise, Land is inviting interested and eligible early career researchers to apply for Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB) membership.

We plan to recruit a total of 30 Early Career Editorial Board Members. Early Career Editorial Board Members will hold the position for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a second term.

Application Eligibility:

  • Completed their doctorate/Ph.D. degree in the past 10 years (considering exceptions for career interruptions, including medical and family leave);
  • The candidate must have served as the first author of at least two peer-reviewed and published manuscripts;
  • Researchers who have published extensively and had a broad impact in the fields of land system science;
  • Researchers who currently (at the time of application) work as an assistant professor, research assistant professor, associate research scientist, post-doctoral fellow, or an equivalent early career position;
  • Researchers that are active and engaged in their community (e.g., experienced at presenting at academic conferences or involved in professional organizations).

Benefits of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

  • A certificate of appointment as an Early Career Editorial Board Member will be provided;
  • The achievements of Early Career Editorial Board Members are publicized on our journal’s media platforms to improve academic visibility;
  • An opportunity to be promoted to Editorial Board Member based on contributions;
  • The journal will regularly acknowledge those who have participated in the peer-review process on the journal website;
  • Opportunities to participate in or host annual meetings and online seminars organized by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board Members.

Responsibilities of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

  • Publicizing and promoting the journal at academic conferences and among peers;
  • Selecting high-quality articles and preparing bilingual media content for promotion;
  • Reviewing at least four manuscripts per year;
  • Providing input on any new initiatives of journal development;
  • Inviting submissions from local and overseas world-leading scientists in respective research fields.

Applications:
Please download the application form here

Please send the application form and your academic resume to [email protected] with the subject of “Land Early Career Editorial Board Application + Name + Institute + Research Expertise”.

Application deadline: 31 December 2024.

Selection Process and Announcement:
The selection process: initial screening of application materials → selection by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members → email notification → issuing a certificate of appointment.

The selection will be made within one month of the application deadline, and the results will be announced on the journal website.

19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land – Observation and Monitoring


Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to land, observation and monitoring, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) from 2022 to 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice.

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

1. “Mapping and Monitoring Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Rainfed Agriculture Lands of North Darfur State, Sudan, Using Earth Observation Data”

by Mohammed B. Altoom, Elhadi Adam and Khalid Adem Ali

Land 2023, 12(2), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020307

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/307

2. “Supporting the Global Biodiversity Framework Monitoring with LUI, the Land Use Intensity Indicator”

by Joachim H. Spangenberg

Land 2023, 12(4), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040820

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/820

3. “Determining the Extent of Soil Degradation Processes Using Trend Analyses at a Regional Multispectral Scale”

by Mohamed A. E. AbdelRahman, Mohamed R. Metwalli, Maofang Gao, Francesco Toscano, Costanza Fiorentino, Antonio Scopa and Paola D’Antonio

Land 2023, 12(4), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040855

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/855

4. “A Fusion of Geothermal and InSAR Data with Machine Learning for Enhanced Deformation Forecasting at the Geysers”

by Joe Yazbeck and John B. Rundle

Land 2023, 12(11), 1977; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12111977

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/1977

5. “A Multifaceted Approach to Developing an Australian National Map of Protected Cropping Structures”

by Andrew Clark, Craig Shephard, Andrew Robson, Joel McKechnie, R. Blake Morrison and Abbie Rankin

Land 202312(12), 2168; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122168

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2168

6. “Conterminous United States Land-Cover Change (1985–2016): New Insights from Annual Time Series”

by Roger F. Auch, Danika F. Wellington, Janis L. Taylor, Stephen V. Stehman, Heather J. Tollerud, Jesslyn F. Brown, Thomas R. Loveland, Bruce W. Pengra, Josephine A. Horton, Zhe Zhu et al.

Land 202211(2), 298;  https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020298

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/298

7. “Urban Growth Simulation Based on a Multi-Dimension Classification of Growth Types: Implications for China’s Territory Spatial Planning”

by Siyu Miao, Yang Xiao and Ling Tang

Land 202211(12), 2210; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122210

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2210

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2023 Related to Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing


Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to land, biodiversity, and human wellbeing, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice.

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

1. “An Ecoregional Conservation Assessment for Forests and Woodlands of the Mogollon Highlands Ecoregion, Northcentral Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico, USA”

by Dominick A. DellaSala, Andréa L. Kuchy, Marni Koopman, Kurt Menke, Thomas L. Fleischner and M. Lisa Floyd

Land 202312(12), 2112; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122112

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2112

2. “Ecological Change and Livestock Governance in a Peruvian National Park”

by Kenneth R. Young, Eyner Alata, Rodney A. Chimner, Randall B. Boone, Gillian Bowser, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Beatriz Fuentealba, Jessica Gilbert, Javier A. Ñaupari, Molly H. Polk et al.

Land 202312(11), 2051; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112051

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/2051

3. “Enhancing the Long-Term Ecological Management and Monitoring of Landscapes: The L-TEAM Framework”

by Mystyn Mills, Loralee Larios and Janet Franklin

Land 202312(10), 1942; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101942

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1942

4. “Searching for Balance between Hill Country Pastoral Farming and Nature”

by John R. Dymond, Adam J. Daigneault, Olivia R. Burge, Chris C. Tanner, Fiona E. Carswell, Suzie Greenhalgh, Anne-Gaelle E. Ausseil, Norman W. H. Mason and Beverley R. Clarkson

Land 202312(8), 1482; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081482

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1482

5. “A Geospatial Modelling Approach to Assess the Capability of High-Country Stations in Delivering Ecosystem Services”

by Fabiellen C. Pereira, Stuart Charters, Carol M. S. Smith, Thomas M. R. Maxwell and Pablo Gregorini

Land 202312(6), 1243; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061243

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1243

6. “Disentangling the Belowground Web of Biotic Interactions in Temperate Coastal Grasslands: From Fundamental Knowledge to Novel Applications”

by Gederts Ievinsh

Land 202312(6), 1209; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061209

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1209

7. “Enabling Regenerative Agriculture Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning”

by Michael Gbenga Ogungbuyi, Juan P. Guerschman, Andrew M. Fischer, Richard Azu Crabbe, Caroline Mohammed, Peter Scarth, Phil Tickle, Jason Whitehead and Matthew Tom Harrison

Land 202312(6), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061142

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1142

8. “Land Use Transition and Its Driving Mechanism of “Human–Elephant” Conflicts Zone in Yunnan, China”

by Yuan Wang, Zhiyu Liu, Yanfang Wen and Yahui Wang

Land 202312(5), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051104

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1104

9. “Effect of Canal Bank Engineering Disturbance on Plant Communities: Analysis of Taxonomic and Functional Beta Diversity”

by Brittany E. Pugh and Richard Field

Land 202312(5), 1090; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051090

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1090

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land–Climate Interactions


Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to land–climate interactions, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2022 and 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice.

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

1. “Early Warnings and Perceived Climate Change Preparedness among Smallholder Farmers in the Upper West Region of Ghana”

by Cornelius K. A. Pienaah, Evans Batung, Suleman Ansumah Saaka, Kamaldeen Mohammed and Isaac Luginaah

Land 202312(10), 1944; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101944

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1944

2. “Mid- and End-of-the-Century Estimation of Agricultural Suitability of California’s Specialty Crops”

by Gabriel Granco, Haoji He, Brandon Lentz, Jully Voong, Alan Reeve and Exal Vega

Land 202312(10), 1907; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101907

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1907

3. “Impact of Climate Change on Agroecosystems and Potential Adaptation Strategies”

by Teodoro Semeraro, Aurelia Scarano, Angelo Leggieri, Antonio Calisi and Monica De Caroli

Land 202312(6), 1117; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061117

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1117

4. “Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Warm-Season Ground Surface Temperature—Surface Air Temperature Difference over China Mainland”

by Yiwen Long and Guoyu Ren

Land 202312(5), 1057; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051057

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1057

5. “Storage and Stability of Soil Organic Carbon in Two Temperate Forests in Northeastern China”

by Dongwei Liu, Shanlong Li, Weixing Zhu, Yongyang Wang, Shasha Zhang and Yunting Fang

Land 202312(5), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051019

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1019

6. “Vulnerability of Wheat Crops to Flooding Outweighs Benefits from Precision Farming and Agroecology Practices: A Case Study in Central Italy”

by Enrico Santangelo, Claudio Beni, Loredana Oreti, Adriano Palma and Marco Bascietto

Land 202312(4), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040915

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/915

7. “Multi-Temporal Analysis of Past and Future Land-Cover Changes of the Third Pole”

by Munkhnasan Lamchin, Woo-Kyun Lee and Sonam Wangyel Wang

Land 202211(12), 2227; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122227

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2227

8. “Impact of Transhumant Livestock Grazing Abandonment on Pseudo-Alpine Grasslands in Greece in the Context of Climatic Change”

by Anna Sidiropoulou, Dimitrios Chouvardas, Konstantinos Mantzanas, Stefanos Stefanidis and Maria Karatassiou

Land 202211(12), 2126; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122126

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2126

9. “Is Climate Change Restoring Historical Fire Regimes across Temperate Landscapes of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, USA?”

by William L. Baker

Land 202211(10), 1615; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101615

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/10/1615

10. “Evaluation and Improvement Measures of the Runoff Coefficient of Urban Parks for Sustainable Water Balance”

by Jinkwan Son and Taegeun Kwon

Land 202211(7), 1098; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071098

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/7/1098

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land Systems and Global Change


Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to land systems and global change, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) from 2022 to 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice. The list of relevant papers can be seen below.

1. “Optimal Regional Allocation of Future Population and Employment under Urban Boundary and Density Constraints: A Spatial Interaction Modeling Approach”

by David Jung-Hwi Lee and Jean-Michel Guldmann

Land 2023, 12(2), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020433

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/433

2. “Global Maps of Agricultural Expansion Potential at a 300 m Resolution”

by Mirza Čengić, Zoran J. N. Steinmann, Pierre Defourny, Jonathan C. Doelman, Céline Lamarche, Elke Stehfest, Aafke M. Schipper and Mark A. J. Huijbregts

Land 2023, 12(3), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030579

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/3/579

3. “A Framework for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Agricultural Land Use”

by Giacomo Ravaioli, Tiago Domingos and Ricardo F. M. Teixeira

Land 2023, 12(4), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040756

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/756

4. “Biogeophysical Effects of Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes in South Asia: An Analysis of CMIP6 Models”

by Juliana Freitas Santos, Udo Schickhoff, Shabeh ul Hasson and Jürgen Böhner

Land 2023, 12(4), 880; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040880

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/880

5. “Sustainability Consequences of Making Land Change Decisions Based on Current Climatology in the Brazilian Cerrados”

by Daniel S. Silva and Eugenio Y. Arima

Land 2023, 12(4), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040914

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/914

6. “The Changes of Desertification and Its Driving Factors in the Gonghe Basin of North China over the Past 10 Years”

by Hong Jia, Rui Wang, Hang Li, Baijian Diao, Hao Zheng, Lanlan Guo, Lianyou Liu and Jifu Liu

Land 2023, 12(5), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050998

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/998

7. “China’s Urban and Rural Development Significantly Affects the Pattern of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production”

by Tian Zhang, Jian Peng and Xiaoshu Cao

Land 2023, 12(5), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051062

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1062

8. “Assessing the Rural–Urban Transition of China during 1980–2020 from a Coordination Perspective”

by Shiwei Zhang, Jinghui Zhao, Yanfeng Jiang, Ali Cheshmehzangi and Wenbin Zhou

Land 2023, 12(6), 1175; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061175

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1175

9. “The Flow Matrix Offers a Straightforward Alternative to the Problematic Markov Matrix”

by Jessica Strzempko and Robert Gilmore Pontius, Jr.

Land 2023, 12(7), 1471; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071471

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1471

10. “Exploring the Effects of Climate Change on Farming System Choice: A Farm-Level Space-for-Time Approach”

by Paulo Flores Ribeiro and José Lima Santos

Land 2023, 12(12), 2113; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122113

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2113

11. “The Effect of Papyrus Wetlands on Flow Regulation in a Tropical River Catchment”

by Alem Oyarmoi, Stephen Birkinshaw, Caspar J. M. Hewett and Hayley J. Fowler

Land 2023, 12(12), 2158; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122158

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2158

12. “State of the Art Review on Land-Use Policy: Changes in Forests, Agricultural Lands and Renewable Energy of Japan”

by Ryo Kohsaka and Satomi Kohyama

Land 2022, 11(5), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050624

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/624

13. “Effect of Soil Aggregate Size on Vineyard Bacterial Communities under Organic and Conventional Agro-Managements”

By Yosef Steinberger, Tirza Doniger, Chen Sherman, Itaii Applebaum and Gil Eshel

Land 2022, 11(9), 1517; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091517

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/9/1517

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land Planning and Landscape Architecture


Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to land planning and landscape architecture, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) from 2022 to 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice. The list of relevant papers can be seen below.

1. “Planning and Designing Natural and Urban Environments with an Adaptive Visualization Framework: The Case of Pazhou Island, Guangzhou, Pearl River Delta”
by Adam Tomkins and Eckart Lange
Land 202312(2), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020377
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/377

2. “A Decision Support Tool for Green Infrastructure Planning in the Face of Rapid Urbanization”
by Peta Brom, Kristine Engemann, Christina Breed, Maya Pasgaard, Titilope Onaolapo and Jens-Christian Svenning
Land 202312(2), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020415
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/415

3. “Periphery and Integrated Planning: Coping with Rural and Touristic Challenges across Scales in the German Wadden Sea Region”
by Nora Mehnen, Ingo Mose, Peter Schaal, Frans Sijtsma, José Muñoz-Rojas, Mariia Fedoriak and Per Angelstam
Land 202312(4), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040904
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/904

4. “Territorial and Consumption-Based Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessments: Implications for Spatial Planning Policies”
by Kimmo Lylykangas, Rebecca Cachia, Damiano Cerrone, Kaie Kriiska, Ulrich Norbisrath, Peter R. Walke, Anssi Joutsiniemi and Jukka Heinonen
Land 202312(6), 1144; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061144
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1144

5. “Beyond Biodiversity: Eliciting Diverse Values of Urban Green Spaces in Flanders”
by Thomas Bastiaensen, Ewaut Van Wambeke, Camelia El Bakkali, Jomme Desair, Charlotte Noël, Kaat Kenis, Lukas Vincke and Sander Jacobs
Land 202312(6), 1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061186
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1186

6. “Sustainability Assessments of Peri-Urban Areas: An Evaluation Model for the Territorialization of the Sustainable Development Goals”
by Pasquale De Toro, Enrico Formato and Nicola Fierro
Land 202312(7), 1415; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071415
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1415

7. “Does the Perceived Effectiveness of Voluntary Conservation Programs Affect Household Adoption of Sustainable Landscaping Practices?”
by Xumin Zhang and Hayk Khachatryan
Land 202312(7), 1429; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071429
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1429

8. “High-Performance Landscapes: Re-Thinking Design and Management Choices to Enhance Ecological Benefits in Urban Environments”
by J. Amy Belaire, Heather Bass, Heather Venhaus, Keri Barfield, Tim Pannkuk, Katherine Lieberknecht and Shalene Jha
Land 202312(9), 1689; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091689
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/9/1689

9. “Coexistence and Succession of Spontaneous and Planted Vegetation on Extensive Mediterranean Green Roofs: Impacts on Soil, Seed Banks, and Mesofauna”
by Christel Vidaller, Anaïs Jouet, Carmen Van Mechelen, Tania De Almeida, Jérôme Cortet, Lucie Rivière, Grégory Mahy, Martin Hermy and Thierry Dutoit
Land 202312(9), 1726; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091726
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/9/1726

10. “Edible Garden Cities: Rethinking Boundaries and Integrating Hedges into Scalable Urban Food Systems”
by David Adams, Peter J. Larkham and Michael Hardman
Land 202312(10), 1915; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101915
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1915

11. “The Welfare Landscape and Densification—Residents’ Relations to Local Outdoor Environments Affected by Infill Development”
by Märit Jansson and Julia Schneider
Land 202312(11), 2021; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112021
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/2021

12. “Unpacking the Dynamics of Urban Transformation in Heritage Places through ‘Critical System Dynamics’: The Case of Beresford Square, Woolwich”
by Kalliopi Fouseki, Lorika Hisari, Xinqiao Dong, Chiara Bonacchi, Elizabeth Robson, Elisa Broccoli, Torgrim Sneve Guttormsen, Michele Nucciotti and Sharon Shieh
Land 202312(11), 2040; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112040
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/2040

13. “The Road to India’s Renewable Energy Transition Must Pass through Crowded Lands”
by Joseph M. Kiesecker, Shivaprakash K. Nagaraju, James R. Oakleaf, Anthony Ortiz, Juan Lavista Ferres, Caleb Robinson, Srinivas Krishnaswamy, Raman Mehta, Rahul Dodhia, Jeffrey S. Evans et al.
Land 202312(11), 2049; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112049
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/2049

14. “The Renewal of the Finnish Planning Legislation as a Strategy of Urban Planning and Development”
by Liisa Horelli and Sirkku Wallin
Land 202312(11), 2085; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112085
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/2085

15. “The Urban Future: Relating Garden City Ideas to the Climate Emergency”
by Anastasia Nikologianni and Peter J. Larkham
Land 202211(2), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020147
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/147

16. “Cellular Automata in Modeling and Predicting Urban Densification: Revisiting the Literature since 1971”
by Anasua Chakraborty, Sujit Sikder, Hichem Omrani and Jacques Teller
Land 202211(7), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071113
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/7/1113

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2022 to 2023 Related to Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues


Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to socio-economic relations and political issues, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) from 2022 to 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice. The list of relevant papers can be seen below.

1. “Maintaining Agricultural Production by Building Local Distribution Systems in the Northern Area of Japan”
by Noriaki Kawasaki, Tamaki Washio, Katsunori Nakamura and Ken-Ichiro Nagahama
Land 202312(2), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020320
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/320

2. “Investigating the Factors Influencing the Intention to Adopt Long-Term Land Leasing in Northern Ireland”
by Adewale Henry Adenuga, Claire Jack and Ronan McCarry
Land 2023, 12(3), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030649
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/3/649

3. “The Impact of Government Support and Social Networks on Peasants’ Effective Participation in High-Standard Farmland Construction: Evidence from Yancheng City, China”
by Huawei Zheng, Kunyu Lou, Yuanyuan Yang, Han Wang and Yong Lu
Land 2023, 12(5), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050955
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/955

4. “Land Use Structure Optimization and Ecological Benefit Evaluation in Chengdu-Chongqing Urban Agglomeration Based on Carbon Neutrality”
by Zhi Wang, Fengwan Zhang, Shaoquan Liu and Dingde Xu
Land 202312(5), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051016
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1016

5. “Integrating Energy Systems Language and Emergy Approach to Simulate and Analyze the Energy Flow Process of Land Transfer”
by Weiguo Fan, Wei Yao and Kehan Chen
Land 202312(5), 1070; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051070
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1070

6. “A Review of Village Ecosystem Structure and Stability: Implications for the Karst Desertification Control”
by Li Lin, Kangning Xiong, Qi Wang, Rong Zhao and Jiayi Zhou
Land 202312(6), 1136; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061136
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1136

7. “The Olive Grove Landscape as a Tourist Resource in Andalucía: Oleotourism”
by Mª Genoveva Dancausa Millán, Javier Sanchez-Rivas García and Mª Genoveva Millán Vázquez de la Torre
Land 202312(8), 1507; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081507
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1507

8. “Spatiotemporal Linkages between Administrative Division Adjustment and Urban Form: Political Drivers of the Urban Polycentric Structure”
by Youlin Chen, Lei Wang, Peiheng Yu, Ning Nie, Xuan Yang and Yiyun Chen
Land 202312(9), 1674; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091674
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/9/1674

9. “One Hundred Priority Questions for the Development of Sustainable Food Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa”
by Adam J. M. Devenish, Petra Schmitter, Nugun. P. Jellason, Nafeesa Esmail, Nur M. Abdi, Selase K. Adanu, Barbara Adolph, Maha Al-Zu’bi, Amali A. Amali, Jennie Barron et al. 
Land 202312(10), 1879; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101879
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1879

10. “Does Environmental Aid Make a Difference? Analyzing Its Impact in Developing Countries”
by Chris McCarthy, Troy Sternberg and Lumbani Benedicto Banda
Land 202312(10), 1953; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101953
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1953

11. “How Can Drones Uncover Land Degradation Hotspots and Restoration Hopespots? An Integrated Approach in the Mount Elgon Region with Community Perceptions”
by  Hosea Opedes, Shafiq Nedala, Caspar A. Mücher, Jantiene E. M. Baartman and Frank Mugagga
Land 202413(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010001 (registering DOI)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/1

12. “A Systematic Review of a City in a City: An Aerotropolitan Perspective”
by Emeka Austin Ndaguba, Jua Cilliers and Sumita Ghosh
Land 202211(9), 1499; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091499
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/9/1499

13. “Ecological Civilization in Practice: An Exploratory Study of Urban Agriculture in Four Chinese Cities”
by Alesandros Glaros, Geoff Luehr, Zhenzhong Si and Steffanie Scott
Land 202211(10), 1628; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101628
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/10/1628

14. “Regional Planning, Land-Use Management, and Governance in German Metropolitan Regions—The Case of Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region”
by Simin Yan and Anna Growe
Land 202211(11), 2088; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112088
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/11/2088

15. “Climate Change and Natural Resource Scarcity: A Literature Review on Dry Farming”
by Naomi di Santo, Ilaria Russo and Roberta Sisto
Land 202211(12), 2102; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122102
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2102

16. “The Contribution of Land Registration and Certification Program to Implement SDGs: The Case of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia”
by Ayelech Kidie Mengesha, Reinfried Mansberger, Doris Damyanovic, Sayeh Kassaw Agegnehu and Gernot Stoeglehner
Land 202312(1), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010093
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/1/93

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2023 Related to Urban Contexts and Urban–Rural Interactions


Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to urban contexts and urban–rural interactions, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice. The list of relevant papers can be seen below.

1. “Managing the Conflict of Human–Wildlife Coexistence: A Community-Based Approach”
by Stilianos Tampakis, Veronika Andrea, Thomas Panagopoulos, Paraskevi Karanikola, Rallou Gkarmiri and Theodora Georgoula
Land 2023, 12(4), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040832
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/832

2. “Mixed Land Use as an Intrinsic Feature of Sprawl: A Short-Term Analysis of Settlement Growth and Population Distribution Using European Urban Atlas”
by Alessia D’Agata , Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Margherita Carlucci and Luca Salvati
Land 2023, 12(5), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050972
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/972

3. “Comparative Analysis of Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment Systems from the USA (LEED–ND), Germany (DGNB–UD), and India (GRIHA–LD)”
by Swati Bahale and Thorsten Schuetze
Land 2023, 12(5), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051002
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1002

4. “Measuring Access to Services of General Interest as a Diagnostic Tool to Identify Well-Being Disparities between Rural Areas in Europe”
by Mar Ortega-Reig, Carsten Schürmann, Adrian Ferrandis Martínez and Andrew Copus
Land 2023, 12(5), 1049; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051049
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1049

5. “On Farmland and Floodplains—Modeling Urban Growth Impacts Based on Global Population Scenarios in Pune, India”
by Raphael Karutz, Christian J. A. Klassert and Sigrun Kabisch
Land 2023, 12(5), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051051
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1051

6. “Evaluating the Applicability of Global LULC Products and an Author-Generated Phenology-Based Map for Regional Analysis: A Case Study in Ecuador’s Ecoregions”
by Gladys Maria Villegas Rugel, Daniel Ochoa, Jose Miguel Menendez and Frieke Van Coillie
Land 2023, 12(5), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/land120511122
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1112

7. “Comparative Resilience Evaluation—Case Study for Six Cities in China, Europe, and the Americas”
by Bruno Oliveira and Brian D. Fath
Land 2023, 12(6), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061182
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1182

8. “Form and Structure of the Knowledge Framework for Urban Planning: Methodological Approach and Assessment Issues: The Case Study of the Municipality of Fondi Urban Plan”
by Saverio Torzoni, Carlo Pisano and Fabrizio Battisti
Land 2023, 12(6), 1201; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061201
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1201

9. “Urbanization Heat Flux Modeling Confirms It Is a Likely Cause of Significant Global Warming: Urbanization Mitigation Requirements”
by Alec Feinberg
Land 202312(6), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061222
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1222

10. “Investigation and Comparison of Spatial–Temporal Characteristics of Farmland Fragmentation in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region, China, and Bavaria, Germany”
by Lu Niu, Mengyao Xu and Walter Timo de Vries
Land 2023, 12(7), 1410; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071410
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1410

11. “Urban Development and Transportation: Investigating Spatial Performance Indicators of 12 European Union Coastal Regions”
by Paraskevas Nikolaou and Socrates Basbas
Land 2023, 12(9), 1757; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091757
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/9/1757

12. “Managing Urban Green Areas: The Benefits of Collaborative Governance for Green Spaces”
by Danny Casprini, Alessandra Oppio, Giulia Rossi and Irene Bengo
Land 2023, 12(10), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101872
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1872

13. “Mapping Urban Structure Types Based on Remote Sensing Data—A Universal and Adaptable Framework for Spatial Analyses of Cities”
by Andreas Braun, Gebhard Warth, Felix Bachofer, Michael Schultz and Volker Hochschild
Land 2023, 12(10), 1885; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101885
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1885

14. “Clustering Business Models of Heterogeneous Nature-Based Solutions Implementing Innovative Governance and Financing Concepts”
by Simon Stork, Bernd Pölling, Wolf Lorleberg, Rolf Morgenstern and Jan-Henning Feil
Land 2023, 12(12), 2116; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122116
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2116

15. “Micromobility in Urban Trail Paths: Expanding and Strengthening the Planning of 15-Minute Cities”
by Chrysa Vizmpa, George Botzoris, Panagiotis Lemonakis and Athanasios Galanis
Land 2023, 12(12), 2181; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122181
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2181

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

19 July 2024
Land | Editor’s Choice Articles from 2023 Related to Soil–Sediment–Water Systems


Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to soil–sediment–water systems, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice. The list of relevant papers can be seen below.

1. “Using a Rainfall Simulator to Define the Effect of Soil Conservation Techniques on Soil Loss and Water Retention”
by Jakub Stašek, Josef Krása, Martin Mistr, Tomáš Dostál, Jan Devátý, Tomáš Středa and Jan Mikulka
Land 2023, 12(2), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020431
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/431

2. “Satellite-Based Carbon Estimation in Scotland: AGB and SOC”
by Chun Ki Chan, Carla Arus Gomez, Anish Kothikar and P. M. Baiz-Villafranca
Land 2023, 12(4), 818; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040818
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/818

3. “Nitrogenous and Phosphorus Soil Contents in Tierra del Fuego Forests: Relationships with Soil Organic Carbon, Climate, Vegetation and Landscape Metrics”
by Guillermo Martínez Pastur, Marie-Claire Aravena Acuña, Jimena E. Chaves, Juan M. Cellini, Eduarda M. O. Silveira, Julián Rodriguez-Souilla, Axel von Müller, Ludmila La Manna, María V. Lencinas and Pablo L. Peri
Land 2023, 12(5), 983; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050983
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/983

4. “Interactive Effects Determine Radiocarbon Abundance in Soil Fractions of Global Biomes”
by Guoai Li, Xuxu Chai, Zheng Shi and Honghua Ruan
Land 2023, 12(5), 1072; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051072
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1072

5. “Comparison of Soil Taxonomy (2022) and WRB (2022) Systems for Classifying Paddy Soils with Different Drainage Grades in South Korea”
by Dan-Bi Lee, Young-Nam Kim, Yeon-Kyu Sonn and Kye-Hoon Kim
Land 2023, 12(6), 1204; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061204
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1204

6. “Erosion and Sediment Transport Modeling: A Systematic Review”
by Tesfa Gebrie Andualem, Guna A. Hewa, Baden R. Myers, Stefan Peters and John Boland
Land 2023, 12(7), 1396; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071396
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1396

7. “A Modeling Approach for Analyzing the Hydrological Impacts of the Agribusiness Land-Use Scenarios in an Amazon Basin”
by Zandra A. Cunha, Carlos R. Mello, Samuel Beskow, Marcelle M. Vargas, Jorge A. Guzman and Maíra M. Moura
Land 2023, 12(7), 1422; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071422
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1422

8. “Rotational Grazing Strategies Minimally Impact Soil Microbial Communities and Carbon Dynamics—A Texas Case Study”
by Jennifer M. Moore, Daniel K. Manter and Kristie A. Maczko
Land 2023, 12(8), 1517; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081517
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1517

9. “Quantifying Damages to Soil Health and Emissions from Land Development in the State of Illinois (USA)”
by Elena A. Mikhailova, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman, Gregory C. Post, George B. Shepherd and Renee M. Dixon
Land 2023, 12(8), 1567; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081567
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1567

10. “Biochar as Soil Amendment: The Effect of Biochar on Soil Properties Using VIS-NIR Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy, Biochar Aging and Soil Microbiology—A Review”
by Vasileios Tsolis and Pantelis Barouchas
Land 2023, 12(8), 1580; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081580
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1580

11. “Short-Term Effect of Different Inputs of Organic Amendments from Olive Oil Industry By-Products on Soil Organic Carbon and Physical Properties”
by Nadia Vignozzi, Maria Costanza Andrenelli, Alessandro Elio Agnelli, Angelo Fiore and Sergio Pellegrini
Land 2023, 12(8), 1628; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081628
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1628

12. “Carbon Storage in Cropland Soils: Insights from Iowa, United States”
by Jim Jordahl, Marshall McDaniel, Bradley A. Miller, Michael Thompson, Sebastian Villarino and Lisa A. Schulte
Land 2023, 12(8), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081630
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1630

13. “Opportunities for Monitoring Soil and Land Development to Support United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Case Study of the United States of America (USA)”
by Elena A. Mikhailova, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman and George B. Shepherd
Land 2023, 12(10), 1853; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101853
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1853

14. “GIS-Based RUSLE Reservoir Sedimentation Estimates: Temporally Variable C-Factors, Sediment Delivery Ratio, and Adjustment for Stream Channel and Bank Sediment Sources”
by Patrick J. Starks, Daniel N. Moriasi and Ann-Marie Fortuna
Land 2023, 12(10), 1913; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101913
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1913

15. “Assessment and Mapping of Soil Salinity Using the EM38 and EM38MK2 Sensors: A Focus on the Modeling Approaches”
by Panagiota Antonia Petsetidi and George Kargas
Land 2023, 12(10), 1932; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101932
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1932

16. “Optimization of Irrigation of Wine Grapes with Brackish Water for Managing Soil Salinization”
by Vinod Phogat, Tim Pitt, Paul Petrie, Jirka Šimůnek and Michael Cutting
Land 2023, 12(10), 1947; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101947
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1947

17. “Modeling Soil Health Indicators to Assess the Effectiveness of Sustainable Soil Management on Mediterranean Arable Land”
by Chiara Piccini, Roberta Farina, Claudia Di Bene, Silvia Vanino and Rosario Napoli
Land 2023, 12(11), 2001; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112001
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/2001

18. “How Can Plants Help Restore Degraded Tropical Soils?”
by Renaud Massoukou Pamba, Vincent Poirier, Pamphile Nguema Ndoutoumou and Terence Epule Epule
Land 2023, 12(12), 2147; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122147
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2147

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

18 July 2024
Meet Us at the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2024), 26–30 August 2024, Tartu, Estonia


MDPI will be attending the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2024) in Tartu, Estonia, which will take place from 26 to 30 August 2024. Ecological restoration is a topic that holds a prominent place on both political and scientific agendas. The decline in biodiversity demands our urgent attention, and degraded ecosystems around the world require an effective and knowledge-driven path to recovery. The SERE2024 will cover topics ranging from the theory and practice of restoring various ecosystems (wetlands, grasslands, forests, rivers, agroecosystems, urban and marine ecosystems) to the socioeconomic and political contexts of ecological restoration.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://sere2024.org/.

17 July 2024
Meet Us at the 5th Academic Forum on Nitrogen Biogeochemical Cycle, 16–18 August 2024, Wuhan, China


MDPI will be attending the 5th Academic Forum on “Nitrogen Biogeochemical Cycle” in Wuhan, China, which will take place from 16 to 18 August 2024. The conference is organized by the Soil Science Society of China (SSSC). With the theme of “Global Change and Ecosystem Nitrogen Cycle”, this academic forum will focus on important issues such as the farmland ecosystem nitrogen cycle, wetland and water nitrogen cycle, forest and grassland nitrogen cycle, atmospheric nitrogen cycle, nitrogen cycle microorganisms and nitrogen management and policy, and conduct in-depth discussions.

The top ten scientific advances of the year in research on the nitrogen cycle will also be released to promote cross-integration and independent innovation among disciplines.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

If you are planning to attend the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://ncycle2024.aconf.cn/.

16 July 2024
Meet Us at the 31st International Conference on Geoinformatics, 14–16 August 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada


MDPI will be attending the 31st International Conference on Geoinformatics, to be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from 14 to 16 August 2024.

The International Conference on Geoinformatics is an official conference of the International Association of Chinese Professionals in Geographic Information Sciences (CPGIS) and has attracted not only the CPGIS community members but also researchers, professionals, and students from a broad range of communities. The conference is organized annually in different cities across the world, and as the organizers, we welcome you to the 31st International Conference on Geoinformatics to be organized in Toronto this year.

The main theme of the proposed conference is “Geospatial Sciences for Sustainability”. Under this theme, the objective of the conference is to offer an engaging platform for networking and exchanging new ideas and cutting-edge knowledge among diverse GIScience professionals worldwide and for promoting collaboration in geospatial science and sustainability.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

Our representatives, Dr. Elvis Wang and Dr. Zach Churcher, are eager to answer your questions and address any queries you may have.

If you are planning to attend the above conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.cpgis.org/Conferences/ConferenceDefault.aspx?ID=2080.

15 July 2024
Interview with Dr. Pamela Durán-Díaz—Winner of the Land 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award

We are pleased to announce Dr. Pamela Durán-Díaz as one of the winners of the Land 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award.


Name:
Dr. Pamela Durán-Díaz

Affiliation: Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Interests: land/water/urban/environmental governance; WEF systems for food sovereignty; fair transitions; urban and rural development

The following is a short interview with Dr. Pamela Durán-Díaz:

  1. Could you give us a brief introduction of yourself and the main research content of your current work?

I am Pamela Duran-Diaz, a Mexican citizen of the world and Senior Planning and Governance Specialist at IHS of Erasmus University Rotterdam. I studied architecture in Mexico, and my curiosity brought me to Barcelona, where I pursued an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in urban planning; my thesis was about the role of water bodies in giving structure to all of the systems that converge in any given territory. My research work was the perfect excuse to travel around the world to see how water bodies condition urban dynamics, and it also opened the door to other opportunities: I became a postdoctoral fellow at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya to study the sustainable management of extreme cultural landscapes in China, Mali, and Mexico. I was organizing and facilitating workshops in collaboration with Tsinghua University, China University of Geosciences, and ESIAU in Bamako. What started as an adventure turned into 11 years of living in Spain.

In 2016, I joined the Technical University of Munich in Germany, where I became the coordinator of the Doctoral and Master's programs on Land Management and Geospatial Science (formerly Land Management and Land Tenure). I had to change the scale at which I looked at land, from the urban artefact to the whole territory, and from urban to peri-urban and rural areas. I got my hands deep into land governance on my second postdoc. It was a large capacity building project to strengthen land governance in Africa, which was a great opportunity to learn from the over 500 land professionals and stakeholders from about 30 different African countries that participated in that project! I was working hand in hand with consultants and stakeholders from the World Bank, UN Habitat, NELGA, Kadaster, ALPC, FAO, and more.

I have been involved in several advisory and capacity building projects around the world. That was how I got involved in impactful projects about frugivorous fish in the Amazonian Rainforest, Indigenous land rights in Latin America, women-led farmstays in the Himalayas, food sovereignty in Colombia, urban gardening in Germany and Mexico, water management in Nepal, environmental risk assessment in Mexico, the policy review of the UNESCO Convention, the potential of AI for the energy transition in Ghana, Zambia, DRC, and Argentina, and many more! These experiences inspired me to pursue my Habilitation in “Sustainable Land Governance for Water–Energy–Food Systems”. I am one paper and a public presentation away from achieving it at the Technical University of Munich.

  1. Can you tell us how you first discovered open access journals and your thoughts on how open access affects authors?

I am a millennial; thus, I grew up in an analogical world transitioning to a digital one. Therefore, during my studies and at the beginning of my professional career, I spent most of my afternoons and free time in the library. I relied on the subscriptions from my university to get access to scientific journals and impactful research. Moreover, because of the historical approach of my doctoral studies, I needed to read discontinued resources that weren’t available at my local library or digitally. Hence, a significant part of my scholarship went to book acquisition on bidding platforms.

I did not really explore open access journals until I was already a postdoctoral researcher. It truly changed my view on equitable access to data, innovation, and research! I used to believe that information was within reach of everyone, until I found a world that was sort of hidden due to the lack of resources. This is still the reality for many of my colleagues in the Global South; many universities and research institutions have little or no resources to invest in subscriptions (which hinders the ability of being updated) and/or to publish research (which obstructs the visibility of outstanding research projects).

Open access aims to change such disparities. Despite the hard work, it is a laudable cause.

  1. What are the key factors and aspects that you consider that should be taken seriously in the process of reviewing manuscripts?

Reviewing manuscripts is, to a certain degree, like supervising research. The findings and results will be tied to the reviewer, even if done anonymously. The reviewer is—at least partly—responsible for the reliability of the data, the findings, and even the recommendations provided. There is an ethical dimension to peer reviewing: it implies having the knowledge and competence on specific topics; it requires being constantly updated on current trends, flourishing topics/innovations, and pressing challenges. Furthermore, one should have the ability to give constructive feedback that would improve both the scientific outcomes and communication of such outcomes.

As a rule of thumb, the ethical considerations in the process of reviewing manuscripts are updated knowledge/expertise on the topic, detailed constructive feedback, and readability of the results.

  1. How do you feel about being awarded the Outstanding Reviewer Award, and could you share any insights or recommendations for future reviewers?

I feel truly honored to be awarded the Outstanding Reviewer Award! I have been reading, contributing, and reviewing for Land for many years, so I truly enjoy the acknowledgement from the scientific community.

I would like to recommend my fellow researchers to embark on the review process as well. One should not underestimate how nurturing this process is: it enhances our understanding of global challenges, while making science accessible to all.

  1. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?

While we cannot foresee many of the challenges ahead of us (for instance, the pandemic took us by surprise), there are several trends that help us make fair estimations or predictions of what may be coming next. We are about to see the effects of climate change that will transform the world as we know it. This means that we are more likely to see an increment in studies on meteorological variability, biodiversity loss, monitoring systems for environmental risks (such as flooding, landslides, droughts, etc.), societal challenges including displaced population, food insecurity, altered land tenure systems, affected land rights of vulnerable populations (including women, the youth, Indigenous peoples, and the urban/rural/peri-urban poor), and struggles over resources.

Still, what I would hope to see is more research on how to tackle such challenges. That is, innovative responses for adaptation and mitigation, ecosystemic-based adaptation, nature-based solutions, and the strengthening of decolonized land governance systems around the world.

12 July 2024
Meet Us at the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024, 27–30 August 2024, London, UK


MDPI will attend the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024, which will take place in London and online, from the evening of Tuesday 27 August to Friday 30 August 2024.

The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024 will be chaired by Professor Stephen Legg (University of Nottingham, UK). The Chair’s theme for this year's conference is mapping. The conference will explore mapping in all its forms, in a world that is saturated with maps, from historical cartography to the newest technologies and digital practices. Maps trace invasions, financial crises, pandemics and environmental disasters, and our responses to them. They plot and coordinate surveillance, and counter-plot evasion and resistance. They chart jet streams, oceanic oscillations and ozone holes, heatwaves, droughts, and drizzles. Maps map territory and sovereignty, but also evidence indigenous land claims and historical landscapes of meaning.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

If you are planning on attending this conference, please do not hesitate to stop by our booth #8 and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference.

10 July 2024
Meet Us at the Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America 2024, 4–9 August 2024, Long Beach, USA


MDPI will be attending The Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America 2024 held in Long Beach, USA, from 4 to 9 August 2024.

The annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America invites all ecologists to come together and share new knowledge, learn from one another, meet old friends and make new ones, and grow professionally. This year’s meeting will emphasize society’s mission of supporting ecologists throughout their careers. The emphasis recognizes the need for us to continually invest in all the people who advance the science and practice of ecology. Among many aspects of professional development, we are planning programming and invite contributions that consider the transformational potential of effective mentorship.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

  • Land;
  • Sustainability;
  • Forests;
  • Environments;
  • Nitrogen;
  • Diversity;
  • Biology;
  • Oceans;
  • Resources;
  • Ecologies;
  • Remote Sensing;
  • Hydrology.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth at #110. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please see the following link: https://www.esa.org/longbeach2024/.

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.

18 June 2024
EGU General Assembly 2024 Closes Successfully in Vienna, Highlighted by MDPI's Booth and Geosciences Award Ceremony

From 14 to 19 April 2024, the EGU General Assembly 2024, a highly anticipated event in the global earth sciences community, was held at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in Austria. The conference not only provided a platform for earth scientists from around the world to exchange the latest research findings and discuss academic frontiers, but also witnessed several thrilling moments. In particular, the Outstanding Reviewer Award and Travel Award ceremony for Geosciences journal (ISSN: 2076-3263) stood out as a significant highlight of the conference.

During the week-long event, MDPI had a dedicated exhibition booth, showcasing its diverse range of journals and unique publishing characteristics. Concurrently, Geosciences journal organized an award ceremony, during which Section Editor-in-Chief (SEiC) Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe presented the Outstanding Reviewer Award to Dr. Simone Bello, who was represented by Prof. Dr. Rita de Nardis in receiving the honor, and Dr. Yuchen Wang, and the Travel Award to Dr. Andrea Maffeis.

Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe, the SEiC of Geosciences journal, served as the guest presenter at the award ceremony. Not only is he a dedicated supporter and contributor to the journal, but he has also achieved remarkable accomplishments in the field of earth sciences. He presented the winners with their certificates and expressed high recognition and praise for their academic achievements.

Prof. Dr. Rita de Nardis; Dr. Andrea Maffeis; Ms. Bojana Mijanovic; Mrs. Oana Irina Karadag; Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe; Dr. Yuchen Wang (From left to the right)

The Outstanding Reviewer Award recognizes reviewers who have demonstrated excellence in their peer-review work for the journal and made significant contributions to the academic quality. These reviewers, with their profound academic knowledge and rigorous reviewing attitude, have provided valuable support for the journal's development. The Travel Award, on the other hand, aims to encourage young scholars to actively participate in international academic exchanges and enhance their research capabilities. The awarded young scholars have demonstrated remarkable research potential and academic pursuit in the field of earth sciences.

During the award ceremony, the winners shared their research insights and academic aspirations. They expressed that receiving recognition and encouragement from Geosciences journal is a great affirmation of their academic achievements and a driving force for them to continue moving forward.

In addition to the award ceremony, our representatives actively participated in various conference activities, engaging in in-depth exchanges and discussions with scholars from around the world. They not only shared the latest research findings and academic progress, but also had lively discussions on cutting-edge issues in the field of earth sciences. These exchanges broadened their academic horizons and provided new ideas and directions for their future research.

Dr. Stefano Luigi Gariano

Dr. Paolo Madonia

Dr. Olga Petrucci

Dr. Doris Folini

 alt=

Dr. Silvia Kohnova

Dr. Samuele Segoni

Dr. Cheng-Yu Ku

Dr. Annalisa Cappello

Dr. Raffaele Albano

Dr. Linda Lee

Prof. Paolo Reggiani

More MDPI Moments:

The successful conclusion of the EGU General Assembly 2024 and the triumphant award ceremony for Geosciences journal not only showcased the latest achievements and academic style in the field of earth sciences, but also provided a platform for global scholars to communicate and collaborate. It is believed that in the future, MDPI will continue to uphold its mission of “promoting the development of earth sciences and fostering academic exchanges and cooperation”, contributing significantly to the prosperity and advancement of the earth sciences field.

12 June 2024
Join Us at “MDPI Open Access—An Author Training Program”, 18 June 2024, Hannover, Germany

MDPI is collaborating with Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, to hold an author training session comprising valuable insights about MDPI journals and open access publishing. MDPI has invited two Journal Relations Specialists to speak at this event: Ms. Anna Krakowka from Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) and Dr. Paulina Maziarz from Nanomaterials (ISSN: 2079-4991).

Date: 18 June 2024

Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Venue: Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology, Leibniz University Hannover

Registration link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RQXJFLK

Schedule:

Time

Program

Speaker

10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m.

MDPI Introduction

How to Write Scientific Papers

Dr. Paulina Maziarz

10:45 a.m.–11:15 a.m.

Reasons for Desk Rejection and How to Respond to Review Reports

Ms. Anna Krakowka

11:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Discussion

 

MDPI Speakers:

Speaker

Biography

           
Dr. Paulina Maziarz

Dr. Paulina Maziarz holds a bachelor’s degree (2014) and a master’s degree (2015) in environmental engineering from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland. She completed her Ph.D. (2020) in natural sciences at the same institution, focusing on the synthesis and application of clay mineral-magnetic nanoparticle composites in heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions. She joined MDPI as an Assistant Editor for Nanomaterials in 2021 and became Section Managing Editor a few months later. In December 2022, she was appointed as the Journal Relations Specialist of Nanomaterials.

           
Ms. Anna Krakowka

Anna Krakowka holds a master’s degree in materials engineering from Czestochowa University of Technology in Poland. She joined MDPI in January 2021 and became a Special Issue Editor and Section Managing Editor for journal Sections “Materials Science” and “Marine Science”. In 2022, she served as Publishing Manager for the journal Materials; she is now the Journal Relations Specialist for this publication.

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

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.

 

7 June 2024
Land Receives an Increased CiteScore of 4.9


We are pleased to inform you that Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) has received a heightened CiteScore of 4.9.

CiteScore provides transparent metrics that enable well-informed publishing strategies, library collection development, and the benchmarking of journal performance. It is now a standard citation metric alongside SNIP and SJR that gives an up-to-date view of a journal’s impact.

The 2023 CiteScore provides an assessment of the scientific influence of journals in the 2020 to 2023 period.

This is a reflection of the excellent performance, support, and dedication of all journal editors, reviewers, authors, and readers.

Land’s CiteScore ranks as follows:

  • Q1 (49 out of 211) in the “Nature and Landscape Conservation” category;
  • Q1 (110 out of 461) in the “Ecology” category;
  • Q2 (54 out of 120) in the “Global and Planetary Change” category.

For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/stats.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the journal.

Land Editorial Office

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

29 May 2024
Meet Us at the 26th IUFRO World Congress, 23–29 June 2024, Stockholm, Sweden


MDPI will be attending the 26th IUFRO World Congress, which will be held from 23 to 29 June 2024, in Stockholm, Sweden.

This conference aims to connect policymakers and experts from all over the world committed to shaping a sustainable future for forests and society. It is an opportunity to discover the latest research, innovations, and applied science.

This conference will dive into over 4,500 presentations spread across various scientific sessions, covering themes like biodiversity, bioeconomy, forest resilience, and sustainable societies.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

  • Forests;
  • Environments;
  • Conservation;
  • Diversity;
  • Ecologies;
  • Climate;
  • Hydrology;
  • Land;
  • Resources.

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
Meet Us at the 2024 Science and Technology Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, 25–27 May 2024, Wuhan, China


MDPI will be attending the 2024 Science and Technology Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences in Wuhan, China, which will take place from 25 to 27 May 2024. Themes of the conference include the collaborative management of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, defending the sky, defending clean water, defending untouched land, the assessment and prevention of ecological environment risks, the protection and restoration of ecological environments, environmental management, and digital governance in China.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to talk with us at our booth #B02. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

16 May 2024
MDPI Romania Author Training Academic Events in April

MDPI Romania sponsored four events over the month of April, contributing author training sessions to each event.

The NutriSciLabs 2024 conference was held at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy on 12 April 2024. Organized by the Association of Students from the Faculty of Pharmacy Studies, the conference aimed to enhance students’ academic writing and research skills, and bolster their confidence in participating in the academic world. Ioana Paunescu, journal relations specialist for MDPI Romania, led the training session. Paunescu first outlined MDPI’s history and core values, then explained academic writing techniques, ethics, and similarity percentages. The presentation covered the entire editorial process, highlighting the amount of attention paid to details throughout manuscript processing. Paunescu also discussed common errors that authors make while writing, and how to avoid such errors.


On 13 April 2024, the NextGEN 2.0 Student Conference took place at the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. NextGen Healthcare organized this event with the university’s European Students’ Society to discuss European and international current affairs. MDPI Romania contributed an author training session called Steps of the Publication Process. Irina Codruta Zaharia, journal relations specialist, began the session with a general introduction of MDPI before diving into different article types, different layout formats, possible journals to submit to, the MDPI submission checklist, and the MDPI editorial process. By explaining the fundamentals of writing and publishing academic papers, Zaharia imparted valuable industry knowledge to the curious minds present. Participants were eager to engage with Zaharia in the subsequent Q&A session.


Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the International Conference “Students for Students” has long been a gathering place for undergraduate and postgraduate students of all nationalities to present their work and exchange ideas with each other. This year’s conference was held on 18 April 2024, with MDPI Romania contributing an author training session called The World of Open Access. Key speakers included Dr. Norbert Kiss from MDPI Romania and Prof. Dragos Horvath from Strasbourg University. Dr. Kiss discussed the history of open access, differences between open access publishing and traditional publishing, and implications for open access in the future. Attendees expressed keen interest in the subject, approaching Dr. Kiss with questions about academic publishing as well as his career trajectory.


Most recently, on 26 April 2024, MDPI Romania sponsored the National Symposium of Students from Geology and Geophysics Faculties. The AAPG Students Chapter at the Babes-Bolyai University organized this event as an opportunity for geology students from all Romanian universities to present their work and confer with other researchers. Dr. Kiss gave his lecture The World of Open Access at this event as well.


MDPI is thankful to all the participants, speakers, and organizers who attended these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.

9 May 2024
Meet Us at the Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences, 19–21 May 2024, Florence, Italy


MDPI will be attending the Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences held in Florence, Italy, from 19 to 21, at booth #11.

The custodian of soil science will celebrate its centennial contribution to nature and wellbeing in 2024. The event will also empower the linkages with different disciplines, policymakers, stakeholders, institutions, and associations to effectively address the civil needs of society within agriculture, forestry, environment, urban planning, energy, education, and other societal issues. The celebration will take place on May 19th and will be followed by two intense days of congress, with plenary and parallel scientific sessions. Both soil scientists and specialists from other disciplines will participate in each session, focusing on past achievements and future challenges.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

Our representatives at booth #11, Mr. Nemanja Nisavic and Ms. Martina Buljovcic, are eager to answer your questions and address any inquiries you may have.

If you are attending this conference, please chat with us at our booth. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://centennialiuss2024.org/.

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.

8 April 2024
Meet Us at the 9th Youth Geoscience Forum, 17–20 May 2024, Xiamen, China


MDPI will be attending the 9th Youth Geoscience Forum, which will be held from 17 to 20 May 2024 in Xiamen, China.

The Young Geoscience Forum is a free, equal and controversial communication platform initiated by young geoscientists in China, with distinguished scientists as advisors and young scholars and postgraduate students as the main participants. Since its inception in 2014, the Forum has been successfully held in Lanzhou (2014), Urumqi (2015), Xi'an (2016), Chengdu (2017), Nanjing (2018), Xining (2019), Guiyang (2021) and Wuhan (2023). Over time, it has gradually developed into a platform for academic exchanges and collision of ideas among young geoscientists in China. The conference has been successfully held eight times.

The Forum will feature 20 themes, with multiple different topics within each, and is expected to comprise about 270 topics. There will be invited presentations, special presentations and exhibition panels.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

  • Atmosphere;
  • Earth;
  • GeoHazards;
  • Geoscience;
  • Geotechnics;
  • Hydrology;
  • Land;
  • Minerals;
  • Nitrogen;
  • Remote Sensing;
  • Soil Systems;
  • Sustainability;
  • Water.

If you plan to attend this conference, please stop by booth #29 and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: http://www.qndxlt.com/index.html.

2 April 2024
Meet Us at the EGU General Assembly 2024, 14–19 April 2024, Vienna, Austria


MDPI will be attending the EGU General Assembly 2024 in Vienna, Austria, which will take place from 14 to 19 April 2024 at booth #57. The EGU General Assembly 2024 is organized by the European Geosciences Union, and this is the 22nd conference. It brings together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU 2024 aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early-career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.aag.org/events/aag2024/.

We would also like to congratulate the winners of the Geosciences 2024 Travel Award and the 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award. Professor Olivier Lacombe, Section Editor-in-Chief of Geosciences, will present prizes on-site to Dr. Andrea Maffeis from Università di Torino, Dr. Simone Bello from University G. d’Annunzio, and Dr. Yuchen Wang from Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

Join us on 16 April 2024 (17:30–17:45 CET) for the award ceremony at booth #57. If you are interested in travel support or learning about other MDPI awards, please visit our booth during the conference where our conference representatives will be available to assist you.

2 April 2024
Meet Us at the 2024 AAG Annual Meeting, 16–20 April 2024, Hawaii, USA


MDPI will be attending the 2024 AAG Annual Meeting in Hawaii, USA, which will take place from 16 to 20 April 2024 at booth #312. The AAG Annual Meeting is held annually by the American Association of Geographers (AAG). The themes of AAG 2024 connect our meeting and academic offerings to the ecologies, history, and cultures of our host location in Hawaii, affirming the interconnectedness of place and beings here and around the world.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.aag.org/events/aag2024/.

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

31 January 2024
Land | Selected Special Issue Reprints Published in 2023

We are delighted to share with you 14 reprints of Special Issues published in 2023 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X). They were selected by the Land Editorial Office, each with 10 or more articles published. You can read more reprints of the Special Issues published by Land here.

“Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services”

Edited by Chiara Piccini and Rosa Francaviglia

ISBN 978-3-0365-9574-0 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-9575-7 (PDF)
https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-9575-7

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/8419-soil-management-for-sustainable-agriculture-and-ecosystem-services

“Advances in Characterizing and Addressing Land Degradation and Associated Ecosystem Responses”

Edited by Jinyan Zhan, Xinqi Zheng, Shaikh Shamim Hasan and Wei Cheng

ISBN 978-3-0365-9596-2 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-9597-9 (PDF)
https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-9597-9

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/8388-advances-in-characterizing-and-addressing-land-degradation-and-associated-ecosystem-responses

“Influence of the 2030 Agenda in the Design of Policies to Fight Poverty and Social Exclusion in Rural and Urban Contexts”

Edited by Antonio Sianes and Luis A. Fernández-Portillo

ISBN 978-3-0365-8508-6 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8509-3 (PDF)
https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8509-3

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/8142-influence-of-the-2030-agenda-in-the-design-of-policies-to-fight-poverty-and-social-exclusion-in

“Urban Ecosystem Services III”

Edited by Alessio Russo and Giuseppe T. Cirella

ISBN 978-3-0365-8747-9 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8746-2 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8746-2

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7933-urban-ecosystem-services-iii

“Smallholder Farming under External Shocks: New Perspectives and Solutions for Future Crises”

Edited by Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin, Gertrud Buchenrieder and Oreoluwa Ola

ISBN 978-3-0365-8294-8 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8295-5 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8295-5

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7987-smallholder-farming-under-external-shocks-new-perspectives-and-solutions-for-future-crises

“Land, Ageing, Gender and Environment: Problems and Challenges from Different Disciplines”

Edited by Vanessa Zorrilla-Muñoz, Maria Silveria Agulló-Tomás, Eduardo Fernandez, Blanca Criado Quesada, Sonia de Lucas Santos and Jesus Cuadrado Rojo

ISBN 978-3-0365-8202-3 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8203-0 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8203-0

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7876-land-ageing-gender-and-environment-problems-and-challenges-from-different-disciplines

“Climate Change and Current Challenges for Landscapes and Cultural Heritage”

Edited by Jan K. Kazak, Katarzyna Hodor and Magdalena Wilkosz-Mamcarczyk

ISBN 978-3-0365-8504-8 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8505-5 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8505-5

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7767-climate-change-and-current-challenges-for-landscapes-and-cultural-heritage

“Mountains under Pressure”

Edited by Rob Marchant and Aida Cuni-Sanchez

ISBN 978-3-0365-8174-3 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8175-0 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8175-0

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7730-mountains-under-pressure

“National Parks and Protected Areas”

Edited by Rui Yang, Yue Cao, Steve Carver and Le Yu

ISBN 978-3-0365-8312-9 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-8313-6 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-8313-6

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/7670-national-parks-and-protected-areas

“Land Use/Land Cover and Natural Hazards: Interactions, Changes, and Impacts”

Edited by Matej Vojtek, Andrea Petroselli and Raffaele Pelorosso

ISBN 978-3-0365-6738-9 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-6739-6 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-6739-6

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6906-land-use-land-cover-and-natural-hazards-interactions-changes-and-impacts

“Rural Land Management Interaction with Urbanization”

Edited by Carmen Delgado-Viñas and María L. Gómez-Moreno

ISBN 978-3-0365-6552-1 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-6553-8 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-6553-8

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6899-rural-land-management-interaction-with-urbanization

“Soil Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe”

Edited by Guido Wyseure, Julián Cuevas González and Jean Poesen

ISBN 978-3-0365-6253-7 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-6254-4 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-6254-4

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6660-soil-improving-cropping-systems-for-sustainable-and-profitable-farming-in-europe

“Urban-Rural-Partnerships Sustainable and Resilient”

Edited by Stephan Bartke and Sigrun Kabisch

ISBN 978-3-0365-5141-8 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-5142-5 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-5142-5

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6594-urban-rural-partnerships

“Land Use and Land Cover Mapping in a Changing World”

Edited by Giuseppe Pulighe

ISBN 978-3-0365-6108-0 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-6107-3 (PDF)

https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-6107-3

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/6552-land-use-and-land-cover-mapping-in-a-changing-world

29 January 2024
Meet Us at the MDPI World Wetlands Day 2024 Webinar, 2 February 2024


MDPI would like to invite all experts recognized in their fields to attend the MDPI World Wetlands Day 2024 Webinar, which will be held on 2 February 2024. The aim of this webinar is to encourage researchers to join together, take action, and raise awareness as to how the exchange of findings facilitates efforts to stop wetland loss.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the MDPI World Wetlands Day 2024 Webinar. 

Title: MDPI World Wetlands Day 2024 Webinar
Date: 02 February 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m. (CET) | 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. (EST)
More Information: https://sciforum.net/event/WWD2024

This is a free webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized. 

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Register for free:

Program:

Speaker/Presentation Time in CET Time in EST
Introduction 10:00 a.m.–10.10 a.m. 5:00 p.m.–5:10 p.m.
Professor Stephen Tooth
“Wetlands in Drylands: ‘Hotspots’ of Ecosystem Services in Marginal Environments”
10:10 a.m.– 10:40 a.m. 5:10 p.m.–5:40 p.m.
Prof. Dr. Miklas Scholz
“Sustainable Treatment Wetland Systems”
10:40 a.m.– 11:10 a.m. 5:40 p.m.–6:10 p.m.
Dr. Krish Jayachandran
“Wetland Soils Health”
11:10 a.m.–11:40 a.m. 6:10 p.m.–6:40 p.m.
Q&A 11:40 a.m.–11:55 a.m. 6:40 p.m.–6:55 p.m.
Closing of Webinar 11:55 a.m.–12:00 p.m. 6:55 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Relevant Special Issues:

Applied Sciences
River and Lake Catchments: Ecological Challenges, Hydrological Changes, Environmental Problems
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Christian Opp and Dr. Tom Lotz
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2024

Environments
Monitoring and Assessment of Environmental Quality in Coastal Ecosystems Volume III
Guest Editor: Dr. Sílvia C. Gonçalves
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024

Hydrobiology
Ecosystem Disturbance in Small Stream
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Baik-Ho Kim
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024

Forests
Research on Vegetation Change in Forest Wetlands
Guest Editor: Dr. Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2024

Remote Sensing
Remote Sensing for Mapping and Monitoring Wetlands and Their Ecosystems
Guest Editor: Dr. Andy Hardy
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024

Remote Sensing of Forest and Wetland Hydrology
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Sudhanshu Sekhar Panda
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2024

Future of the Wetlands in Megacities under Rapid Urbanization: Geospatial Analysis and Modeling of the Land-Use Changes Using Remotely Sensed Data and GIS
Guest Editors: Dr. Darshana Athukorala and Prof. Dr. Yuji Murayama
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 June 2024

Remote Sensing for Wetland Restoration
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Xiyong Hou, Prof. Dr. Weiwei Sun, Prof. Dr. Dehua Mao, Dr. Chao Chen and Dr. Dong Li
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024

Diversity
Knowledge and Conservation of Peatlands and Their Biodiversity
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Xabier Pontevedra Pombal and Dr. Martín Souto
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2024

Ecology, Diversity and Conservation of Aquatic and Helophytic Plants, Plant Communities and Their Environments
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Jarosław Proćków
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024

Biodiversity Conservation in Metacommunities
Guest Editor: Dr. Alessandro Ferrarini
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024

Land
Ecosystem Services and Coastal Management: Tools to Counteract Sediment Losses
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Margherita Palmieri, Prof. Marucci Angelo and Prof. Dr. Marcello Di Risio
Deadline: 31 July 2024

Recent Advances in the Ecological Conservation of Coastal Landscapes
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Augusto Pérez-Alberti
Deadline: 30 April 2024

Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and Restoration
Guest Editors: Dr. Oskars Purmalis and Dr. Marios Drosos
Deadline: 26 April 2024

Surface Runoff and Soil Erosion in the Mediterranean Region
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Hanoch Lavee and Dr. Lea Wittenberg
Deadline: 30 April 2024

Ecological and Cultural Ecosystem Services in Coastal Areas
Guest Editors: Dr. Mita Drius, Prof. Maria Laura Carranza and Prof. Dr. Robert Philipp Wagensommer
Deadline: 30 April 2024

Global Change in Mediterranean Regions: Potential Impact of Climate Drift and Land Use on Soil Erosion and Land Degradation
Guest Editors: Dr. Rossano Ciampalini, Dr. Feliciana Licciardello, Dr. Damien Raclot and Dr. Armand Crabit
Deadline: 26 June 2024

Effects of Land Use on the Ecohydrology of River Basin in Accordance with Climate Change II
Guest Editors: Dr. Wiktor Halecki, Dr. Dawid Bedla, Dr. Marek Ryczek and Prof. Dr. Artur Radecki-Pawlik
Deadline: 15 March 2024

Monitoring and Simulation of Wetland Ecological Processes
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Zhenguo Niu, Prof. Dr. Bin Zhao, Prof. Dr. Zhaoqing Luan and Dr. Bo Guan
Deadline: 25 June 2024

Water
Microbial Transformation and Transport of Organic Pollutants within Paddy-Ditch-Pond Water
Guest Editors: Dr. Jing Chen and Dr. Xiang Gao
Deadline: 25 May 2024

Internal Nutrient Cycling in Lakes and Reservoirs
Guest Editors: Dr. Xiaolong Yao and Dr. Xingyu Jiang
Deadline: 28 February 2024

Wetland Ecosystems—Functions and Use in a Changing Climate
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Jianghua Wu
Deadline: 29 February 2024

 “Ecohydrological Processes, Environmental Effects, and Integrated Regulation of Wetland Ecosystems, Volume II
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Junhong Bai, Dr. Tian Xie and Dr. Laibin Huang
Deadline: 31 July 2024

25 January 2024
Acknowledgment of the Reviewers of Land in 2023

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

In 2023, Land received 8133 review reports, from 4934 reviewers. This past year, we worked with reviewers from 120 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 Land 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:

Abbasali Sadeghi Lorena Parra
Abdelkader Hamlat Lorenzo De Vidovich
Abdulaziz Alghamdi Lu Wang
Abdullah Addas Luambo Jeffrey Ramarumo
Abdurrahman Eymen Lubna Anjum
Abeer Elshater Luca Maria Olivieri
Abhik Patra Lucia Rita Pacifico
Achim A. Beylich Lucia Saganeiti
Adam Krajewski Lucian Roșu
Adam Łukowski Luciana Xavier
Adam Rajsz Luciano Bosso
Adam Ryszko Luciano Varela
Ádám Szalai Lucija Azman Momirski
Adarsh Sankaran Lucyna Nyka
Adel Surour Luis Antonio Fernández Portillo
Adelina Dumitras Luis Carlos Sandoval Herazo
Adib Kurnia Luis Conceição
Adina Dornean Luis Da Costa
Adis Puška Luis Diaz-Balteiro
Admir Avdagić Luis Eduardo Akiyoshi Sanches Suzuki
Adnan Ahmad Luis Zambrano
Adriaan De Man Luísa Lucchese
Adrian Sadłowski Luisa Nicoletti
Adrianos Retalis Luz Angela Rocha Salamanca
Afed Khan Lyudmyla Zahvoyska
Agita Livina M. M. Yagoub
Agnieszka Jakubowska Mabrouk Sami
Agnieszka Starzyk Maciej Kruszyna
Agnieszka Szmelter-Jarosz Magdalena Cyrek
Agnieszka Wojewódzka-Wiewiórska Magdalena Piekutowska
Agung Sugiri Magdalena Ryżak
Ahmed Abouaiana Magdalena Rzeszotarska-Pałka
Ahmed Abou-Shady Magdalena Wojarska
Ahmed Al Mansur Magdalena Wróżyńska
Ahmed Elbeltagi Maha Elbana
Ahmed Gad Mahdi Maleki
Ahmed Hassan Mahmood Zoghi
Ahmed Jaber Mahmoud Bayat
Ahmed Kayad Mahmoud F. Seleiman
Ahmed Osama Daoud Mahyar Arefi
Ahmed Zaeen Maierdang Keyimu
Ahmet Torun Maksym Łaszewski
Aikaterini Gkoltsiou Małgorzata Holka
Ajaz Ahmad Lone Manfredo Manfredini
Akira Ishida Maninder Singh Dhillon
Albert Casas Ponsati Manuel Ferrández-Villena
Alberto Celani Manuela Pires Rosa
Alejandro Jimenéz Rios Maomao Zhang
Alejandro López González Marcio Laurini
Alejandro Monterroso-Rivas Marco Cruz-Sandoval
Alejandro Prera Marco Loche
Aleksandar Ašonja Marco Locurcio
Aleksandr Shikhov Marco Maretto
Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle Marco Mulas
Aleksandra Nikolic Marco Spada
Alemu O. Aga Marek Brennensthul
Alena Harbiankova Marek Ogryzek
Alenka Fikfak Maren Schnieder
Alessandra Piccoli Maria Amelia Martins-Loução
Alessandro Corsi Maria Da Conceição Freitas
Alessandro De Paula Maria De Fátima Oliveira
Alessandro Venerandi María Del Cisne Aguirre Ullauri
Alessia Pica Maria Francesca Ferrario
Alex Sendrós Maria Giulia Cantiani
Alex Vinicio Gavilanes Montoya Maria Górska-Zabielska
Alexandra Solomou Maria Hernandez Hernández
Alexandre Jardim Maria Isabel Delgado
Alexandru Bănică Maria Livia Olivetti
Alexandru Olar Maria Luisa Fernandez-Marcos
Alexis Papathanassis Maria Perez-Lopez
Alfredo Fernández-Enríquez Maria Ragosta
Ali Akbar Barati Maria Rosaria Sessa
Ali Akbar Moosavi Maria Teresa Baquero Larriva
Ali Asghar Naghipour Maria Teresa Ceccherini
Alicia López-Rodríguez Maria Ventura
Alicja Pecio María Verónica Alderete
Alina Lato Maria Zuba-Ciszewska
Alireza Koochakzaei Maria-Francisca Cespedes-Lopez
Aliya Naz Mariagrazia D'Emilio
Alma Netzahuatl-Muñoz Marialessandra Secchi
Alma Zavodnik Lamovšek Mariana Hristova
Almasdi Syahza Maricar Aguilos
Alok Kumar Marii Rasva
Alper Serdar Anli Marijenka Tabaković
Álvaro Corrales Álvarez Marina Kurnikova
Alvaro Lopez-Escamilla Marina Moreno
Amar Razzaq Marina Nikolić Topalović
Amarender Reddy Marinela Istrate
Amin Naboureh Mario Burgui-Burgui
Aminreza Iranmanesh Mario Del Roble Pensado-Leglise
Amir Molajou Mario Velasco
Amir Tayyebi Marioara Nicoleta Filimon
Amit Kumar Mariola Michałowska
Amit Singh Mariola Staniak
Amitesh Gupta Marios Dominikos Kremantzis
Ana Fernandes De Oliveira Marios Spiliotopoulos
Ana Ispas Marius Constantin
Ana Luisa Rodrigues Mariusz Maciejczak
Ana Maria Tavares Martins-Nepomuceno Mariya Zlatkova Stankova
Ana Petrović Marko D. Petrovic
Anastasia Blouchoutzi Marko Joksimović
Anastasia Nikologianni Marlon Vasconcelos
Anastasiya Popova Marsia Marino
Anbes Tenaye Kidane Marta Dziechciarz
Anđelija Ivkov Džigurski Marta Gross
Ando Fahda Aulia Marta Kiraga
André Eduardo Biscaia Lacerda Marta Magadán-Díaz
André Luis Azevedo Guedes Marta Nalej
André Samora-Arvela Marta Pieczara
André Vaz-Dos-Santos Marta Terrados-Cristos
Andrea Peirano Martin Beer
Andrea Pravitasari Martin Evans
Andrea Rosario Proto Martina Bosone
Andrea Vacca Martina Gaglioti
Andreas Koch Martina Štěrbová
Andrei Shepelev Martino Pavignano
Andrew Clark Maruška Šubic Kovač
Andrew Lothian Marwa M. Ragaey
Andrey Abramov Masoud Masoudi
Andrey Lavrinenko Massimo Fabris
Andrey Zhidkin Matevž Juvančič
Andrzej Gałaś Matthias Ripp
Andrzej Raszkowski Maurício Mantoani
Angel Burov Mauricio Quintero-Angel
Angel Paniagua Mazorra Mauricio Ruiz Pérez
Anjana J. Atapattu Mauro Fois
Anna Krakowiak-Bal Max Stephenson, Jr.
Anna Maria Visilia May Ebaid
Anna Murawska Maythm Al-Bakri
Anna Przewięźlikowska Md. Mostafizur Rahman
Anna Richiedei Mehmet Ozdes
Anna Rita Cammerino Mehrdad Bijandi
Anna Źróbek-Sokolnik Meimei Wang
Anne Kurjenoja Lounassaari Meine Pieter Van Dijk
Annemie Elsen Meinolf Kossmann
Anselme Muzirafuti Meng Wang
António Almeida Mengmeng Du
Antonio De Pin Meredith Dobbie
Antonio Ganga Meredith Root-Bernstein
Antonio Giménez-Morera Mesenbet Yibeltal
Antonio Miguel Linares-Luján Mesut Demircan
Antonio Nesticò Michael Deary
Antonio Pedro Santos Michael Dougherty
Antonio Santoro Michael Loupis
António Santos Michael Nones
António Xavier Michael Richter
Antonis A. Zorpas Michael Sergeev
Anu Printsmann Michael Vrahnakis
Apoorva Nisal Michail Georgiou
Arian Correa-Díaz Michał Dudek
Armand Kasztelan Michał Gąsiorek
Artur Ferreira Michał Stępień
Artur Gafurov Michele Campagna
Arturo Sánchez-González Michele Grimaldi
Asad Rokhzadi Michele Staiano
Ashita Allamraju Miguel Amado
Ashwani Vasishth Miguel Segura-Castruita
Asif Sajjad Miha Curk
Asma Mehan Mihaela Popa
Athanasios Mogias Mikhail Filimonov
Audrius Aleknavičius Mikhail Komissarov
Aura Rusca Mikio Ishiwatari
Aurel Maxim Mila Atanasova-Zlatareva
Aureliano Malheiro Milad Janalipour
Aureliu-Florin Hălălișan Milena Krklješ
Ayad Al-Quraishi Milena Tasheva-Petrova
Ayman Al-Quraan Milena Vukmirovic
Azita Farashi Milica Kasanin-Grubin
Aziz Ballouche Minh Tuan Le
Aznarul Islam Minzhe Du
Babak Vaheddoost Miodrag Roić
Babar Iqbal Mir Aftab Hussain Talpur
Baclayon Sundo Mireille Biraro
Bahman Jabbarian Amiri Mirela Stanciu
Bao-Jie He Mirjana Horvat
Barbara Aldighieri Mirnajaf Mousavi
Barbara Gherri Miroslaw Kaminski
Barbara Jagosz Moaaz Kabil
Barbara Wieliczko Mohamed Abdallah
Barbara Żarska Mohamed Abdelrahman
Barjeece Bashir Mohamed Abou Liela
Bartłomiej Szypuła Mohamed Anli
Beatriz Perez Mohamed Babiker Ibrahim
Ben Ingram Mohamed Ouessar
Beniamino Russo Mohammad Arif
Benjamin Bergerot Mohammad Khosroshahi
Bernhard Müller Mohammad Mehdizadeh
Bhupendra Singh Mohammad Nazeri Tahroudi
Bhuvan Varugu Mohammad Paydar
Bijay Halder Mohammad Reza Rezvani
Bijay Shakya Mohammad Saleh Ali-Taleshi
Bikarma Singh Mohammed Abdul-Rahman
Bing Guo Mohammed Alnaim
Birgit Schmook Mohammed Ben Ali
Biser Hristov Mohand Bersi
Bishnu Bhattarai Mohd Johari Mohd Yusof
Bishnu Hari Poudyal Mohd Khairi Ismail
Bixia Hu Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol
Bo Liu Mojtaba Parsaee
Bogaert Jan Monica Alcindor
Bojan Đerčan Monika Balawejder
Bojan Đurin Monika Trojanowska
Bonginkosi E. Mthembu Morella Briceño-Avila
Bonoua Faye Moreno Begoña
Branden Born Mousa Pazhuhan
Branislav Olah Muhammad Anwar
Brenda Chaves Coelho Leite Muhammad Arfan
Brian Fath Muhammad Arshad
Bulat Usmanov Muhammad Faheem Adil
Cappai Francesco Muhammad Irfan Ahamad
Carla Antunes Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani
Carlo Genova Muhammad Khalid Bashir
Carlo Rindi Nuzzolo Muhammad Luqman
Carlos Aguirre-Nuñez Muhammad Mannan Afzal
Carlos Balsas Muhammad Mehran Bashir
Carlos Diaz Delgado Muhammad Muddassir
Carmen Castañeda Muhammad Nasar-u-Minallah
Carmen Delgado-Viñas Muhammad Rokhis Khomarudin
Carmine Massarelli Muhammad Safdar
Carsten Paul Muhammad Uzair Yousuf
Catarina Patoilo Teixeira Muhammad Waheed
Catherine Benamou Mukta Chandra Das
Cesar Augusto Ruiz Agudelo Mukti Subedi
César Parcero-Oubiña Mulugeta Belete
Chaitanya Pande Munemasa Teramoto
Chaminda Pathirage Muniappan Ayyanar
Chang Xu Munkhbaatar Buuveibaatar
Chao Gao Murat Ataol
Chao Liu Mustafa Tolga Esetlili
Chaofan Xian Mykola Kharytonov
Charalampos Doulgeris Mykola Malashevskyi
Charalampos Skoulikaris Nada Toueir
Chau Phat Nadia Abbaszadeh Tehrani
Chen Yang Nagwa El-Ashmawy
Cheng Li Nanabhau Kudnar
Cheng Sun Nancy Serwint
Chenyu Lu Naoki Masuhara
Chiara Piccini Nasir Mahmood
Chng Saun Fong Nasrullah Khan
Cholho Song Natalia Lebedeva
Chris Bradley Natalya Ivanova
Chris Cavalaris Nathan Moore
Christine Chinelli Nemanja Tomić
Christoph Gollob Nematollah Khorasani
Christopher Ling Néstor Montalván-Burbano
Christos Staboulis Neveen Talaat
Chunbo Huang Ngadisih Ngadisih
Chun-Kai Chen Niels Hellwig
Chunpeng Chen Nij Tontisirin
Ciro José Jardim De Figueiredo Nikola Krunić
Claire Kelly Nikolaos Tsakiridis
Clara Pereira Nikolay Baranovskiy
Concetta Cardillo Nikolay Kanev
Constancio Asis Nikolay Neykov
Constantin Nistor Nini Song
Corina Radulescu Nitin Goyal
Corrado Zoppi Nívea Adriana Pons
Cosmas Wacal Noelia Soledad Bedoya-Perales
Cristian Moreno García Nor Akmar Abdul Aziz
Cristiana Vîlcea Nuria Rodríguez-López
Cristina Coscia Oana Luca
Csaba Horváth Octavian Groza
Csaba Patkós Odra Saucedo
Czesław Adamiak Olaf Kühne
Daikun Wang Olalekan Onilude
Dakota Mccarty Ole Sorensen
Dani Sarsekova Olga Christopoulou
Daniel Noe Coaguila Nuñez Olga Nesterova
Daniela Antonescu Olga Rogova
Daniela Avetisyan Oluwatoyin Kolawole
Daniela Gogoase Nistoran Omar Belhaj
Daniela Jelincic Orlando Cimino
Daniela Soldić Frleta Otakar Holuša
Daniela Tavano Ouafi Ameur-Zaimeche
Daniela Zamfir Pamela Durán-Díaz
Danijela Vukoicic Panayiotis G. Dimitriadis
Danuta Szpilko Pankaj Kumar
Dario Baričević Panteleimon Xofis
Dariusz Gozdowski Paola Coratza
Darko Božanić Paolo Allasia
Darshana Athukorala Paolo Biagi
Darshana Rajapaksa Paolo Mulè
Daulat R. Bhardwaj Paolo Rosasco
David González-Álvarez Parameswari Ettiyagounder
David Gray Paraskevas Nikolaou
David Matamoros Paraskevi Karanikola
David Rivas-Tabares Parsa Arbab
David Vico Pasquale De Toro
Davide Settembre-Blundo Pasquale Napoletano
Davide Stefano Patricia Iweka
Davide Visentin Patricia Mckay
Dawid Kudas Patrick Miller
Debora Sotto Patrizia Borsotto
Deep Raj Paul Armstrong
Deepa Rawat Paul Osmond
Deepranjan Sarkar Paula María Triviño-Tarradas
Dejan Vasović Paulette Steeves
Demetrios Tsesmelis Paulo Carvalho
Deng Qinghai Paulo Escandón
Denis Krivoguz Paulo Miguel De Bodas Terassi
Deqiang Cheng Paulo Pereira
Derk Jan Stobbelaar Paunita Boanca
Desimir Knežević Pavel Kishcha
Desouza Blaise Pavel Ukrainskiy
Despina Dimelli Pawel Chmielinski
Despina-Maria Bordean Paweł Ćwiąkała
Dhirender Kumar Pawel Wolniewicz
Diana Dushkova Pedro Camilo Alcantara Concepcion
Diána Koponicsné Györke Pedro Chamusca
Diana Moanga Pedro Cisneros-Saguilán
Didier G. Leibovici Pedro Soares
Diego Portalanza Pedro Vicente Mauri
Diego Trevisan Peiheng Yu
Diep Dao Pelin Alaboz
Dieter Rink Peng Cui
Dietrich Schroeder Pengtao Wang
Dimitrios Kaltsas Peplinski Benedykt
Dimitris Skuras Peter Josef Stauvermann
Dingde Xu Péter Miklós Kőmíves
Diogo Vidal Peter Ragalyi
Diosey Ramon Lugo-Morin Peter Watson
Dirk Landgraf Petlovanyi Mykhailo
Dmitrii Vlasov Petr Dvořák
Dmitry Ruban Petr Pyszko
Dmslb Dissanayake Petra Pereković
Domenico D'Uva Petra Schneider
Domenico Morrone Pieranna Servadio
Dominika Dąbrowska Pietro Parisi
Dominique Arrouays Piotr Gibas
Domonkos Varga Piotr Stachowski
Donald Cole Pir Mohammad
Donald Okeke Polixeni Iliopoulou
Donatella Privitera Pouria Ataei
Dong Zhao Pradeep Panda
Dongchan Kim Pradip Bhattacharrya
Donghwa Shon Prashant Sharma
Dorotea Kovačević Przemyslaw Mroczek
Dorothy Queiros Pulakesh Das
Dragana Čavlović Purevtseren Myagmartseren
Drago Sever Qazi Umar Farooq
Dragos Dinca Qi Fu
Dulce Flores-Rentería Qi Wang
Dündar Dağlı Qian-Cheng Wang
Ebode Valentin Brice Qiangqiang Sun
Edinéia Galvanin Qingfeng Wang
Edoardo Bucchignani Qinglei Zhao
Édson Bolfe Qiuyue Zhao
Eduardo Gomes Qiwen Dai
Eduardo Gutiérrez Quang Truong
Eduardo Mosquera Adell Quentin Fiacre Togbévi
Eduardo Stefani Qunfeng Ji
Edward Laws Qunxi Gong
Eeswaran Rasu R. B. Radin Firdaus
Egidijus Šarauskis Rachele Venanzi
Ehsan Mohammadi Zahrani Radu Racovita
Ekaterina Ershova Radu-Daniel Pintilii
Elchin Suleymanov Rafael García-Quesada
Eldiiar Duulatov Rafael Ubaldo Gosálvez Rey
Elena Bogan Raghavendra Singh
Elena Bukvareva Rajeev Padbhushan
Elena Dimitrova Rajendra Yadav
Elena García Campos Ralf-Uwe Syrbe
Elena Klyuchnikova Ramona Huzum
Elena Marrocchino Ran Tao
Elena Mazzola Rana Aslam
Elena Shcherbina Rana Waqar Aslam
Elgar Barboza Raoof Mostafazadeh
Elham Farahani Raquel Faria De Deus
Eliã Botelho Rashed Karim
Elif Sertel Rattanawat Chaiyarat
Elina Oksanen Raul Matsushita
Elisabetta Salvatori Raularian Rusu
Elisabetta Venco Raul-David Șerban
Elizaveta Konstantinova Raymond Hintz
Elnaz Amirahmadi Renata Marks-Bielska
Eloy Conde Barajas Renata Valente
Elzbieta Bielecka Renfeng Ma
Emad Noaime Reza Askarizad
Emanuel Lekakis Ricardo Andrade
Emanuele Zamperini Ricardo Klein
Emiliano Gallaga Riccardo Testa
Emilija Nikolić Richard Butler
Emilio Chiodo Ricky Kemarau
Emilio Ortega Rifaat Abdalla
Emna Medhioub Rinaldo Genevois
Ena E. Mata-Zayas Rita Marcia Vieira
Enrico Marone Rita Ochoa
Enrique Cabanilla Rita Tufano
Eranga M. Wimalasiri Rob Kim Marjerison
Erdem Küçüktopcu Robert Czubaszek
Eresanya Emmanuel Robert Guzik
Erginbay Uğurlu Robert Jung
Erianto Putra Robert Kalbarczyk
Erika D. Ursic Robert Onyeneke
Ermias Demessie Robert Pietrzykowski
Ernan Rustiadi Robert Špaček
Ernst Drewes Robert Szczepanek
Ertan Ates Roberto De Lotto
Esmat Ali Rodrigo Silva
Esperanza Fernandez-Martinez Rogério Marinho
Eugeniusz Pronin Rohan Bennett
Eunkyu Lee Rohinton Emmanuel
Eusebio Cano Carmona Roland Linck
Éva Salamon-Albert Rolf Bergs
Eva-Maria Unger Roman Gorbunov
Evangelia Karasmanaki Romanos Ioannidis
Evgeny Bojko Romina D'Ascanio
Ewa Referowska-Chodak Ronald Roopnarine
Fabiana Battistin Ronghua Zhong
Fabio Angeoletto Rosa María Regueiro-Ferreira
Fabio Naselli Rose Luiza Moraes Tavares
Fabricio Daniel Dos Santos Silva Rubina Canesi
Fabrizio Aimar Rudra Mohan Pradhan
Fabrizio Finucci Rudy Pramono
Fahim Khan Rueiyuan Wang
Fahmi Mustofa Rui Li
Fateh Mamine Ryan Ramirez
Fatemeh Tabib Mahmoudi S. Bister
Fatih Eren S. L. Borana
Fátima Silva Saad Ibrahim
Fausto Sarmiento Sabab Ali Shah
Fay Al-Khalifa Sabri Kanzari
Federico Galacho-Jiménez Saeed Esfandi
Fei Zhang Saeid Amini
Feleke Sishu Saeid Niazmardi
Felix Arion Saeid Norouzian-Maleki
Feng Chen Safdar Bashir
Ferdinando Trapani Sagar Godar Chhetri
Fernando Mazarron Sai Siddhartha Nudurupati
Fernando Puente-Sotomayor Said Lahssini
Ferréol Berendt Sait Sarr
Filip Suchoń Saja Kosanovic
Florentina Merciu Salahuddin Jaber
Florian Bodescu Salem Issa
Florin Nenciu Salim Heddam
Fotios Chatzitheodoridis Sally Stone
Fouad El Mansouri Salvador Garcia-Ayllon
Fousseni Folega Salvatore Giuffrida
Foyez Ahmed Prodhan Samuele De Petris
Francesca Dal Cin Sana Arshad
Francesca Giaré Sandeep K. Malyan
Francesca Picchio Sandeep Panchal
Francesca Sabatini Sándor Frey
Francesco Busca Sandra Martins
Francesco Cerasoli Sandra Wajchman-Świtalska
Francesco Ciani Sang-Woo Lee
Francesco Rotondo Sanjit Kumar Mondal
Francesco Tajani Sarfraz Hashim
Francis Oloo Saúl Torres-Ortega
Francis Roy Saulius Vasarevičius
Francisco Ballina Saulo Folharini
Francisco Bautista Şaziye Özge Atik
Francisco Da Silva Costa Sean Gordon
Francisco Entrena-Duran Sebastian Bernat
Francisco Javier Castellano Álvarez Sebastiano Carbonara
Francisco Jesús Selvakumar Radhakrishnan
Francisco Vázquez Pardo Serena Ciabò
Franz Grossauer Sergey Vasin
Fred Bidandi Sergio Espinoza
Friederike Well Sergio Reyes
Fuat Kaya Sergio Serra
Gábor Mélypataki Sergiy Lavrenko
Gábor Pozsgai Seung Gyu Kim
Gabriela Muñoz Sevda Akyürek
Gabriele Broll Seyed Mohammad Hojjati
Gabriella Esposito De Vita Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi
Gabriella Graziuso Seyed Mohsen Hosseini
Gana Gecheva Seyedeh Kosar Hamidi
Gang Liu (Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences) Seyit Hayran
Gang Liu (Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences) Shah Fahad
Gang Liu (Tianjin University) Shahbaz Khan
Gaofeng Xu Shahid Nawaz Khan
Gayane Tovmasyan Shahidul Islam
Gema Ramírez Guerrero Shahira Abdel-Razek
Gema Sanchis Soler Shaikh Shamim Hasan
Georg Neugebauer Shandong Niu
George Bariamis Shangmin Zhao
Georgios Karakatsanis Shangrong Lin
Georgios Maris Shankar Panthi
Gerardo Semprebon Shaohua Lei
Gerardo Ubilla-Bravo Shaoyao Zhang
Gerónimo Quiñonez–Barraza Shashi Mesapam
Gheorghe Cristian Popescu Shi Manjiang
Giandomenico Foti Shianghau Wu
Gianluigi Gallenti Shichong Yuan
Giedre Keen Shidong Ge
Gilberto Vaz Shilong Li
Gintarė Vaznonienė Shinya Ikeda
Giorgio Anfuso Shirish Singh
Giovana Espindola Shiv Vendra Singh
Giovanni Avila-Flores Shiwei Dong
Giovanni Belletti Shiyi Song
Giovanni Fusco Shu Wang
Giulia Guerri Shuaifeng Li
Giuliano Ramat Shuang Li
Giulio Senes Shuang Liu
Giuseppe Casula Shun Hongo
Giuseppe Ottria Sidong Zhao
Giuseppe Pulighe Siliang Yang
Giuseppe Russo Silivan Valentin Moldovan
Giuseppe Tagarelli Silvia Mazzetto
Gleb Zaitsev Silvia Puiu
Göker Aksoy Silvio Cristiano
Gonçalo Fernandes Silviu Beciu
Gonzalo Espinoza-Dávalos Simbarashe Jombo
Gopal Shukla Simon Hull
Gösta Baganz Simona Barbaro
Grazia Napoli Simona Giordano
Graziella Trovato Sina Keller
Gregor Čok Sinan Li
Gregorio Garcia Sinisa Polovina
Grzegorz Ginda Siniša Srečec
Guadalupe Esteban Vazquez Becerra Sisi Yu
Gudrun Hillebrand Sisira Ediriweera
Guerrero Francisco Siyu Miao
Guido Paliaga Sk Ajim Ali
Guillaume Debaene Slaven Gasparovic
Guillermo José Martínez Pastur Sławomir Ligęza
Gunilla Lindholm Snežana Štetić
Guolei Zhou Snezhana Dineva
Gustavo De Almeida Coelho Snezhana Gocheva-Ilieva
György Csomós Sobia Baig
Gyula Nagy Soheil Sabri
Habib Ahmari Sohrab Mirassi
Habib Saidi Sol García-Germán
Hadi Alizadeh Somaye Vaissi
Hadi Farhadi Song Zhengna
Hai Yan Songbo Wu
Haifeng Gao Sookuk Park
Hamdan Omar Soowoong Noh
Hamid Mirzahossein Sören Köpke
Hamid Moghaddam Spyridon Galatsidas
Hamid Motieyan Sreelash Krishnan Kutty
Hamideh Beigi Sreetheran Maruthaveeran
Hamidreza Balouchi Sridhar Patra
Hamza Gabriel Stavros Kalogiannidis
Han Yue Stefania Bilardi
Hang Liu Stefania Maria Lorenza Rimoldi
Hanuman Jatav Stefano Bertoldi
Haoming Chen Stefanos Stefanou
Harshit Shukla Stella Manika
Harun Tanrıvermiş Stephan Mäs
Hasan Bilgehan Makineci Stephen Jones
Hasan Öztürk Steven Steinberg
Hasim Altan Stjepan Posavec
Hazım Tenikecier Subham Mukherjee
He Jin Subhanil Guha
Héctor Saldaña-Márquez Subrata Ghosh
Helen Avery Sumit Chakravarty
Helena Maria Fernandez Sumudu Senanayake
Hennie Fisher Suraj Mallick
Hideki Takebayashi Suzan Benedick
Hiranya Sritart Svetlana Kondrateva
Hiroaki Ikeuchi Svetlana Perović
Hisham Abusaada Svjetlana Radmanović
Hongwei Pei Sylwester Grajewski
Hourakhsh Ahmad Nia T. Mitchell Aide
Hrvoje Grofelnik Tajana Čop
Hrvoje Tomic Takuo Nagaike
Hsing-Fu Kuo Tamara Gajić
Huang Li Tamara Lukić
Hubert Hirwa Tammo Steenhuis
Hugo Wai Leung Mak Tao Wang
Hui Xiao Taskin Kavzoglu
Huiran Han Taslima Zahan
Hung-Pin Huang Tatiana Canata
Huwei Wen Tatiana Gorbunova
Hyungkyoo Kim Tatjana Pivac
Iain Scott Tayyebeh Mesbahzadeh
Ignacio Melendez-Pastor Teodor Rusu
Igor Dekemati Teodoro Georgiadis
Ihor Savchyn Teodosio Lacava
Ihsan Oluç Teresa Brzezińska-Wójcik
Ilias Lazos Teresa Marat-Mendes
Imran Bodlah Tesfa Andualem
Imran Lakhiar Thanh Ho
Ines Grigorescu Theodor Friedrich
Inga Reich Therese Atallah
Ioan Ianos Thomas A. Monaco
Ioana Daniela Dulama Thomas De Pree
Ioana Moldovan Thomas Dimopoulos
Ioana-Simona Ivasciuc Thomas Fickert
Ioannis Tsiripidis Thomas Göttert
Ioan-Sebastian Brumă Thomas Hilger
Ionut Cristi Nicu Thomas Koutsos
Ionut Laurentiu Petre Thomas Panagopoulos
Irfan Memon Thomas Sanchez
Irina Adriana Chiurciu Thomas Vicino
Irina Bushueva Thomas Wilkes
Isabel Dinis Tian Zhang
Isabel Martinho Da Silva Tiande Wen
I-Shian (Ivan) Suen Tiberiu Iancu
Islam Elghonaimy Tijana Crnčević
Ismael Baierle Timuçin Everest
Ismail Ercument Ayazli Tina Sever
Iuliana Gabriela Breaban Tingting Chang
Iva Apostolova Tingying Xu
Ivan Julio Apolonio Callejas Tinting Zhang
Ivan Secerov Tom Blaine
Ivan Vasenev Tom Daniels
Ivaylo Ivanov Tomasz Dysarz
Ivica Milevski Tomasz Napierala
Ivo Kostov Tomasz Stoch
Izabela Dembińska Tomasz Wójcik
Izabella Parowicz Tomasz Zaborowski
J. Robert Sirrine Tong Guo
Jacek Majcher Tong Wang
Jack Kurki-Fox Tung Pham
Jacky Bowring Uchendu Eugene Chigbu
Jacob Lisuma Ujjwal Layek
Jader Lugon Junior Umair Iqbal
Jaime Manning Umberto Bernardo
Jamal Alnsour Ursula Zich
James Gambiza Usama Konbr
James Tsz Fung Wong Usama Nassar
Jan Cudzik Usman Zulfiqar
Jan Polcyn Uwe Strotmann
Jarosław Bydłosz Uzay Karahalil
Jasna Grabić Uznir Ujang
Jaume Boixadera Václav Novák
Javier Iñañez Valentino Demurtas
Jean Claude Ndayishimiye Van Quy Khuc
Jelana Malenovic Nikolic Vasco Barbosa Brandão
Jelea Gabriela Vasilica Istrate
Jelena Ćalić Veber Costa
Jelena Čukanović Venkataramana Sridhar
Jelena Maric Venkatesh Kolluru
Jelena Nedeljkovic Vera Sequeira
Jennifer Chan Vera Yurak
Jennifer M. Bousselot Veraldo Liesenberg
Jennifer Pomeroy Victor Atuchin
Jenő Zsolt Farkas Victor Fernandez Nascimento
Jens Lowitzsch Victor Hugo Guerra Cobián
Jessica Mendoza Moheno Victor Mose
Jesús A. Prieto-Amparán Victor Mukhin
Jesús Daniel Grande-Cano Víctor Rincón Herráez
Jesus Solorzano-Telechea Victor Squires
Ji Li Victoria Kolupaeva
Jian Li Vida Atashi
Jianbo Shen Vincenzo Amato
Jiang Chen Viorel Nelu Bellmondo Blujdea
Jian-Ping Suen Viorel-Costin Banta
Jianye Li Vitalii Pichura
Jiawei Wu Vitalija Simonaitytė
Jie Zhu Vito Armando Laudicina
Jiefei Mao Vito Imbrenda
Jiguang Zhu Vittoria Vandelli
Jin Zuo Vlada Vitunskienė
Jincheng Liu Vladimir Bocharnikov
Jing Cheng Volker Beckmann
Jing Xu Vukašin Rončević
Jinghu Pan Wacław Jarecki
Jingyi Liu Waleed Asghar
Jinyao Lin Walid Oueslati
Jitka Fialova Walter Chen
Jiubo Pei Walter Dachaga
Jiwei Zhu Wei Hou
Joana Maria Seguí Pons Wei Shan
Joana Quintela Wei Wan
João Everthon Da Silva Ribeiro Wei Yan
João Monteiro Weidong Cao
Johannes Schmidt Weiming Cheng
John Leake Weiwei Li
Johnbosco Egbueri Weiyang Zhang
Jolanta Bojarszczuk Wen Wu
Jolanta Valčiukienė Wenbing Yu
Jorge Alberto Suarez Wenfu Peng
Jorge Cristian Joo Nagata Wenhai Shi
Jorge Delgado Wenjian Pan
Jorge Gonçalves Wenjie Zhang
Jorge Mongil-Manso Wenying Yu
Jorge Ramírez-Albores Wieslaw Alejziak
Jörn Harfst Wiktor Halecki
Jose Javier Gorgoso-Varela Wilgince Apollon
José Lourenço William Ballesteros
Jose Malaquias William Baumgarth
Jose Navarro Pedreño William Buck
José Pablo Abeal Vázquez William Critchley
Jose Pedro Tenreiro William Stephen Morton
Jose Sánchez-Cortez Wisam Al-Shohani
Josef Botlík Wojciech Kisiała
José-Francisco Jiménez-Díaz Wondimagegn Mengist
José-Manuel Sánchez-Martín Wu Dafang
Josept David Revuelta-Acosta Wu Yang
Jose-Santos Lopez-Gutierrez Xiang Li
Josily Samuel Xiangjin Shen
Jossam Potel Xiangjun Liu
Josue Briones Xiangwei Sun
Jouni Paavola Xiaobo Hua
József Lennert Xiaodong Zhang
József Zsembeli Xiaofang Sun
Juan Colazo Xiaoguang Zhang
Juan Manuel Nuñez Xiaojun Wang
Juan-José Villanueva-Álvaro Xiaolu Tang
Judit Házi Xiaoyu Gan
Judit Lisanyi Xiaozhe Ma
Judith Müller Xilin Zhou
Julia Dubrovskaya Xin Li
Julia Nerantzia Tzortzi Xin Lyu
Julio Hernández Blanco Xinchen Gu
Julio Romero-Noguera Xing Liu
Junaidi Junaidi Xingwei Li
Juncheng Lei Xinyang Yu
Justyna Bagińska Xinyue Mo
Justyna Kleszcz Xiong He
K. M. Aarif Xiu-Juan Qiao
Kaan Kalkan Xose Anton Armesto-López
Kai Liu Xuesong Gu
Kai Su Xuezhen Wang
Kaja Pogačar Xufeng Cui
Kamila Turečková Xuning Qiao
Kang Liu Yakup Emre Coruhlu
Kang Wang Yamilé Pérez-Guilarte
Kapil Kumar Sharma Yan Li
Karel Charvat Ya-Nan Fang
Karol Dawid Mrozik Yanbin Chen
Karoly Nemeth Yanbing Qi
Kasiapillai S. Kasiviswanathan Yanfeng Jiang
Katarina Kristianova Yang Cai
Katarzyna Sutkowska Yaning Yi
Katarzyna Wiatrowska Yanlin Li
Katerina Melfou Yannis Mouzakitis
Katsuo Sasahara Yannis Paraskevopoulos
Kazi Kamrul Islam Yanqing Liang
Kazuhiro Aruga Yaobo Shi
Kelly Tonello Yeting Fan
Kevin Mcdougall Yi Lu
Khaled Obaideen Yihang Zhao
Khawla Kawther Yilinuer Alifujiang
Khwanchai Duangsathaporn Yi-Lung Yeh
Kikuko Shoyama Ying Liu
Kinga Kimic Ying Wang
Kirill Zhichkin Ying Zhang
Kiss Márton Yinghui Liu
Kleomenis Kalogeropoulos Yiyi Sulaeman
Komathi Wasudawan Yog Aryal
Komla Ganyo Yong Zhou
Konstantina Salata Yongfu Li
Konstantinos Ioannou Yongming Xu
Konstantinos Poirazidis Yongsheng Yao
Krista Hiser Yongyong Song
Kristijan Franin Youjia Liang
Krisztián Kis Youssef Diab
Krystian Heffner Yu Chang
Krzysztof Goniewicz Yu Chen
Kseniia Nepeina Yuanjie Deng
Kshama Gupta Yuan-Tong Jiang
Kun Fang Yuanyuan Yang
Kyoungren Kim Yue Ying
Laia Mojica Yue Zhang
Laiyou Zhou Yuefen Li
Larry Hughes Yuhao Zhao
László Mucsi Yuke Wang
Laurentiu Cristea Yukihiro Chiba
Leela Kaur Yung Yau
Lei Gui Yunus Kaya (Harran University)
Lei Yao Yunus Kaya (Osmaniye Korkut Ata University)
Leo Ordinez Yuqing Miao
Leonardo Mercatanti Yuri Kopylov
Leonel Fadigas Yusuf Aina
Leonid Rasran Yuxin Zhang
Leonidas Sotirios Kyrgiakos Zabih-Allah Torabi
Leonides Guireli Netto Zaijun Li
Leopold Slotta-Bachmayr Zainab Ahmed Alkaissi
Leszek Sieczko Zaw Min Thant
Letícia Hardt Zbigniew Floriańczyk
Hengkai Li Zeinab Hazbavi
Li Tao Zengli Wang
Liang Jiao Zeqiang Shao
Liang Yang Zhanghua Xu
Liang Yuan Zhe Feng
Lijian Zheng Zhengfa Chen
Lijun Xing Zhenguo Zhang
Liliana Dumitrache Zhibao Wang
Lin Zhao Zhihua Tu
Linas Balčiauskas Zhilu Sun
Linda See Zhiqiang Gao
Lingli Qing Zhongkang Yang
Lingyan Huang Zhongmei Wan
Lingyun Liao Zhoudong Zhang
Linjun Yao Zhuonan Wang
Liu Yang Zlata Vuksanović-Macura
Liyun Zeng Zofia Koloszko-Chomentowska
Ljiljana Vasilevska Zulfiqar Saqib
Ljubica Ivanovic Bibic Zuzana Šimková
Lombart M. Maurice Kouakou Zuzanna Kłos-Adamkiewicz

16 January 2024
Land | Season’s Greetings from Editorial Board Members

As we enter 2024, we reflect on the exciting developments and achievements of the past year for Land (ISSN: 2073-445X). The Land Editorial Office would like to extend gratitude to all of those who have contributed to the journal's success.

We look forward to another year of collaboration and innovation in the field, and we thank you for your continued support and engagement with Land. Here's to a prosperous 2024!

Land is an international and cross-disciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal on land system science, landscape, soil–sediment–water systems, urban study, land–climate interactions, water–energy–land–food (WELF) nexus, biodiversity research and health nexus, land modelling and data processing, ecosystem services, and multifunctionality and sustainability etc., published monthly online by MDPI. The International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE), European Land-use Institute (ELI), Landscape Institute (LI) and Urban Land Institute (ULI) are affiliated with Land, and their members receive discounts on the article processing charges.

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

28 December 2023
Land | Issue Cover Articles in 2023

The articles below have been selected as 2023 issue cover articles by the Editorial Office of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X). These articles came from multiple fields within the scope of Land, and we hope they can provide insights and references for scholars in related fields.

1. “Plant Community, Soil and Microclimate Attributes after 70 Years of Natural Recovery of an Abandoned Limestone Quarry”

by Kirsten Stephan and Jason A. Hubbart

Land 2023, 12(1), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010117

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/1/117
2. “A Decision Support Tool for Green Infrastructure Planning in the Face of Rapid Urbanization”

by Peta Brom, Kristine Engemann, Christina Breed, Maya Pasgaard, Titilope Onaolapo and Jens-Christian Svenning

Land 2023, 12(2), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020415

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/415
3. “Forest Sharing® as an Innovative Facility for Sustainable Forest Management of Fragmented Forest Properties: First Results of Its Implementation”

by Francesca Giannetti, Andrea Laschi, Ilaria Zorzi, Cristiano Foderi, Enrico Cenni, Cristiano Guadagnino, Giacomo Pinzani, Francesco Ermini, Francesca Bottalico, Guido Milazzo et al.

Land 2023, 12(3), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030521

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/3/521
4. “A Framework for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Agricultural Land Use”

by Giacomo Ravaioli, Tiago Domingos and Ricardo F. M. Teixeira

Land 2023, 12(4), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040756

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/756
5. “Storage and Stability of Soil Organic Carbon in Two Temperate Forests in Northeastern China”

by Dongwei Liu, Shanlong Li, Weixing Zhu, Yongyang Wang, Shasha Zhang and Yunting Fang

Land 2023, 12(5), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051019

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/1019
6. “Cumulative Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Anthropogenic Impacts in the Protected Area of the Gran Paradiso National Park in the NW Alps, Italy”

by Chiara Richiardi, Maria Rita Minciardi, Consolata Siniscalco and Maria Adamo

Land 2023, 12(6), 1124; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061124

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1124
7. “Land Use and Climate Change Effects on Streamflow and Nutrient Loads in a Temperate Catchment: A Simulation Study”

by Gebiaw T. Ayele, Bofu Yu and David P. Hamilton

Land 2023, 12(7), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071326

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1326
8. “Evidence Synthesis towards a Holistic Landscape Decision Framework: Insight from the Landscape Decisions Programme”

by Chidiebere Ofoegbu, Heiko Balzter and Martin Phillips

Land 2023, 12(8), 1543; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081543

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1543
9. “High-Performance Landscapes: Re-Thinking Design and Management Choices to Enhance Ecological Benefits in Urban Environments”

by J. Amy Belaire, Heather Bass, Heather Venhaus, Keri Barfield, Tim Pannkuk, Katherine Lieberknecht and Shalene Jha

Land 2023, 12(9), 1689; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091689

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/9/1689
10. “GIS-Based RUSLE Reservoir Sedimentation Estimates: Temporally Variable C-Factors, Sediment Delivery Ratio, and Adjustment for Stream Channel and Bank Sediment Sources”

by Patrick J. Starks, Daniel N. Moriasi and Ann-Marie Fortuna

Land 2023, 12(10), 1913; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101913

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1913
11. “A Data-Driven Farm Typology as a Basis for Agricultural Land Use Decisions”

by Anne Gobin and Ann Van Herzele

Land 2023, 12(11), 2032; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112032

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/11/2032
12. “Clustering Business Models of Heterogeneous Nature-Based Solutions Implementing Innovative Governance and Financing Concepts”

by Simon Stork, Bernd Pölling, Wolf Lorleberg, Rolf Morgenstern and Jan-Henning Feil

Land 202312(12), 2116; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122116

Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2116

18 December 2023
Editorial Board Members from Land Featured among the World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2023

Scientists at Stanford University have recently published an update of the list of the top 2% most widely cited scientists—the World’s Top 2% Scientists.

The time node of the statistical data of this list is from 1960 to 2023, and it is divided into two lists: “Lifetime Scientific Influence Ranking” and “2023 Annual Scientific Influence Ranking”. The “Lifetime Scientific Influence Ranking” counts the comprehensive influence performance of scientists during their careers, and the “2023 Annual Influence Ranking” focuses on highlighting the academic influence of scientists in the previous year. This ranking, considered the most prestigious worldwide, is based on the bibliometric information contained in the Scopus database and includes more than 200,000 researchers from the more than 10 million scientists considered to be active worldwide, with 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields taken into account.

We are pleased to share that 70 Editorial Board Members from Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) were featured in the World’s Top 2% Scientists list in 2023.

Name

Category

Affiliation

Dr. Abhilash,  Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil

Environmental Sciences

Banaras Hindu University, India

Dr. Angelakis, Andreas N.

Environmental Engineering

Agricultural Research Institution of Crete, Greece

Dr. Arsanjani, Jamal Jokar

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

Aalborg University, Denmark

Prof. Dr. Balzter, Heiko

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

University of Leicester, UK

Prof. Dr. Berke, Philip

Urban & Regional Planning

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Dr. Bintliff, John

Archaeology

The University of Edinburgh, the Netherlands

Prof. Dr. Bourque, Charles

Neurology & Neurosurgery

University of New Brunswick, Canada

Prof. Dr. Capello, Roberta

Urban & Regional Planning

Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Dr. Chaplot, Vincent

Agronomy & Agriculture

University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Prof. Dr. Chau, Kwong Wing

Urban & Regional Planning

The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Prof. Dr. Chen, Fahu

Paleontology

Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Prof. Dr. Chen, Guoqian

Energy

Peking University, China

Dr. Chen, Xi

Applied Physics

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Prof. Dr. Comber, Alexis

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

University of Leeds, UK

Dr. Costache, Romulus

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov, Romania

Prof. Dr. Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino

Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil

Prof. Dr. Della Spina, Lucia

Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Università degli Studi di Reggio Calabria, Italy

Prof. Dr. Deng, Xiangzheng

Environmental Sciences

Chinese Academy of Sciences ,China

Prof. Dr. Denham, Tim

Archaeology

The Australian National University, Australia

Dr. Escobedo, Francisco J.

Forestry

USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, USA

Prof. Dr. Fang, Chuanglin

Geography

Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Prof. Dr. Fedorov, Alexander

Energy

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Russia

Dr. Frappart, Frédéric

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

Interaction Sol Plante Atmosphère, France

Dr. Goldewijk, Kees Klein

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Prof. Dr. Gong, Peng

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Prof. Dr. Gou, Zhonghua

Building & Construction

Wuhan University, China

Dr. Grainger, Alan

Environmental Sciences

University of Leeds, UK

Prof. Dr. Grau, H. Ricardo

Ecology

Universidad Nacional de Tucuman (UNT), Argentina

Prof. Dr. Haase, Dagmar

Ecology

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany

Dr. Halfacree, Keith

Geography

Swansea University, UK

Prof. Dr. Han, Heesup

Sport, Leisure & Tourism

Sejong University, Republic of Korea

Prof. Dr. Hensel, Michael

Architecture

Technische Universität Wien, Austria

Prof. Dr. Ho, Peter

Urban & Regional Planning

Zhejiang University, China

Prof. Dr. Holden, Stein T.

Agricultural Economics & Policy

Norges Miljø- og Biovitenskapelige Universitet, Norway

Prof. Dr. Hornborg, Alf

Anthropology

Lunds Universitet, Sweden

Prof. Dr. Huang, Jikun

Agricultural Economics & Policy

Peking University, China

Prof. Dr. Jankowski, Piotr

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

San Diego State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Jones, Julia

Environmental Engineering

Oregon State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Kabala, Cezary

Environmental Sciences

Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland

Dr. Kapos, Val

Ecology

United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, UK

Dr. Keesstra, Saskia

Environmental Sciences

Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands

Prof. Dr. Logan, John

Sociology

Brown University, USA

Prof. Dr. Long, Hualou

Geography

Guangxi University, China

Prof. Dr. Lucchi, Elena

Building & Construction

Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Prof. Dr. Mackey, Bernard

Microbiology

University of Reading, Australia

Prof. Dr. Madu, Christian

Business & Management

Pace University, USA

Prof. Dr. Manzano-Agugliaro, Francisco

Energy

Universidad de Almería, Spain

Prof. Dr. McCarthy, James

Geography

Clark University, USA

Prof. Dr. Oechel, Walter

Ecology

San Diego State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Pereira, José M.C.

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Prof. Dr. Pijanowski, Bryan C.

Ecology

Purdue University, USA

Prof. Dr. Pontius, Robert Gilmore

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

Clark University, USA

Prof. Dr. Ren, Guoyu

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

China University of Geosciences, China

Dr. Sałabun, Wojciech

Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing

West Pomeranian University of Technology, Poland

Prof. Dr. Salvati, Luca

Urban & Regional Planning

Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy

Dr. See, Linda

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria

Dr. Semeniuk, Vic

Ecology

Murdoch University, Australia

Prof. Dr. Shackleton, Charlie M.

Ecology

Rhodes University, South Africa

Prof. Dr. Shao, Shuai

Energy

East China University of Science and Technology, China

Dr. Spangenberg, Joachim H.

Environmental Sciences

Sustainable Europe Research Institute SERI Germany, Germany

Prof. Dr. Stavi, Ilan

Agronomy & Agriculture

Dead Sea-Arava Science Center, Israel

Prof. Dr. Turner, B. L.

Ecology

Arizona State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Wang, Lizhe

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

China University of Geosciences, China

Prof. Dr. Wang, Shaojian

Environmental Sciences

Sun Yat-Sen University, China

Prof. Dr. Zhou, Weiqi

Ecology

Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Prof. Dr. Zimmerer, Karl S.

Geography

Pennsylvania State University, USA

Dr. Koutsias, Nikos

Geological & Geomatics Engineering

University of Patras, Greece

Dr. Shafique, Muhammad

Computer Hardware & Architecture

Brunel University London, UK

Dr. Yamagata, Yoshiki

Energy

Keio University, Japan

Prof. Dr. Fath, Brian D.

Ecology

Towson University, USA

The latest rankings reflect the significant influence and research excellence of scientists who are committed to furthering their knowledge for the benefit of the world.

We would like to congratulate our Editorial Board Members on their excellent achievement and thank them for their immense contribution to the scientific progression and development of Land.

1 December 2023
Editorial Board Members from Land Featured in the 2023 Highly Cited Researchers List Published by Clarivate

Recently, Clarivate™ revealed its 2023 list of Highly Cited Researchers™—individuals at universities, research institutes, and commercial organizations.

The scientists who were selected for this year’s list of Highly Cited Researchers published highly cited papers in the 11-year period from January 2012 to December 2022, with citation frequencies in the top 1% of academic subjects and the same year of publication in the Web of ScienceTM database. This year, 7,125 Highly Cited Researcher 2023 designations were issued to 6,849 individuals, representing just 1 in 1,000 researchers worldwide. This means that these researchers have demonstrated an incredible level of significant and broad influence in their chosen field or fields over the last decade. The list is truly global, spanning 67 countries or regions and spread across a diverse range of research sciences and social sciences.

According to our statistics, 13 members of the Editorial Board of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) were selected for the list of Highly Cited Researchers by ClarivateTM in 2023. They are being recognized for their high-quality scientific research achievements and outstanding contributions to their professional fields. The Land Editorial Office sincerely congratulates all elected editorial members and hopes that they continue to have an academically productive relationship with the journal.

30 November 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #6 - MDPI Spain Summit and ResearchGate

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.

In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.


Opening Thoughts

MDPI Spain Summit


Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) gives the opening speech at the MDPI Spain Summit.

On Friday 10 November 2023 I was in Barcelona, Spain, to deliver the opening presentation and participate in a panel at MDPI’s Spain Summit, a two-day event, inspired by our salon events in China.

With 16 Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) and 20 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) in attendance, the event, organized by our conference team and Barcelona office, featured presentations on open access (OA), MDPI, and publishing market trends in Spain.

The event provided a great opportunity to engage with stakeholders from various MDPI journals, including Nutrients, Vaccines, Buildings, IJMS, and others. We were able to gather feedback and have open conversations around manuscript quality, the peer-review process, and journal development, as well as accreditation agencies.

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

13 November 2023
Meet Us at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2023 (BES 2023), 12–15 December 2023, Belfast, UK
加载中~


MDPI will attend the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2023 (BES 2023) as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Belfast, UK, from 12 to 15 December 2023.

The British Ecological Society was established in 1913 and has been fostering the science of ecology ever since. The society has 7,000 members around the world and brings people together across regional, national and global scales to advance ecological science. Membership is open to anyone, anywhere. The British Ecological Society is the oldest ecological society in the world and its annual meeting is Europe’s largest conference dedicated to ecology. More than 1,500 delegates from over 50 countries across six continents attended the 2022 meeting in person or online.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

  • Sustainability;
  • Land;
  • Ecologies;
  • IJERPH;
  • Earth;
  • Plants;
  • Environments;
  • Resources;
  • Animals;
  • Diversity;
  • Climate.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth #12. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/events/bes-annual-meeting-2023/.

9 November 2023
Land Accepted for Coverage in GEOBASE


We are pleased to inform you that the open access journal Land (ISSN: 2073-445X, IF: 3.9) has been indexed in GEOBASE. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to all authors, reviewers, and editors who have contributed to this journal and enabled this achievement.

Land is an international and cross-disciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal on land system science, landscape, soil–sediment–water systems, urban study, land–climate interactions, water–energy–land–food (WELF) nexus, biodiversity research and health nexus, land modelling and data processing, ecosystem services, multifunctionality and sustainability, etc., published monthly online by MDPI. The International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE), European Land-use Institute (ELI), Landscape Institute (LI) and Urban Land Institute (ULI) are affiliated with Land, and their members receive discounts on the article processing charges.

We warmly welcome you to consider Land as the platform for publishing your work.

Land Editorial Office

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 Rela