Announcements
13 May 2025
Empowering Academic Growth with MDPI: A Scientific Publishing Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, 15 May 2025
MDPI is excited to collaborate with Toronto Metropolitan University to host an engaging Scientific Publishing Workshop aimed at empowering scholars with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in academic publishing. This workshop will delve into the key aspects of MDPI’s open access publishing framework, offering an in-depth exploration of journal selection, the editorial workflow, and the essentials of publication ethics. Participants will also gain practical advice on improving their scientific writing and effectively addressing reviewer comments, with guidance from an experienced professional. This session promises to equip attendees with valuable skills to elevate their publishing journey.
Workshop Highlights:
- Learn How to Better Write and Structure a Research Article;
- How to Choose Where to Publish Academic Work;
- How to Respond to Reviewer Comments;
- Reasons for Rejection During Pre-Check;
- How to Navigate Through Ethics and AI Use.
Date: 15 May 2025
Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Venue: Toronto Metropolitan University
Program:
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Speakers |
Program and Content |
Time |
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Dr. Stephen Mora |
Introduction to MDPI |
12:00–12:05 p.m. |
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How to Write and Structure a Research Article |
12:05–12:45 p.m. |
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How to Respond to Reviewer Comments |
12:45–1:30 p.m. |
12 May 2025
Empowering Academic Growth with MDPI: A Scientific Publishing Exchange with the University of Siedlce, 16 May 2025
MDPI is proud to collaborate with the University of Siedlce to host an exclusive Online Scientific Publishing Exchange—a valuable opportunity for researchers, academics and students to deepen their understanding of the scholarly publishing process.
The event will offer practical insights into key aspects of academic publishing, ranging from manuscript preparation to navigating peer review and citation best practices.
Key topics:
- How to effectively structure a research article;
- Best practices for addressing reviewers’ comments;
- Common reasons for article rejection and how to avoid them;
- Proper citation and referencing in scholarly publications.
Whether you are new to publishing or looking to refine your approach, this exchange will provide guidance to support your success in the scientific publishing landscape.
Date: 16 May 2025
Time: 10:00–11:30 a.m. CEST
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86976434560
Schedule:
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Speaker |
Program |
Time in CEST |
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Ms. Klaudia Kasprowicz |
Opening Speech |
10:00–10:05 a.m. |
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Dr. Ksenia Shubenkova |
How to Structure a research article? |
10:05–10:20 a.m. |
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Dr. Ksenia Shubenkova |
How to address reviewers’ comments in academic publishing? |
10:20–10:40 a.m. |
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Q&A Session |
10:40-10:45 a.m. |
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Ms. Klaudia Kasprowicz |
Why are articles rejected? |
10:45-11:05 a.m. |
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Ms. Klaudia Kasprowicz |
Citing references in publications |
11:05–11:20 a.m. |
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Closing of the event and a Q&A Session |
11:20–11:30 a.m. |
MDPI Speakers:
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Klaudia Kasprowicz joined MDPI in October 2021, working at the Krakow office in Poland. She holds both a master’s and an engineering degree in forestry, specializing in the protection of forest resources, from the University of Agriculture in Krakow. Klaudia began her journey at MDPI as an Assistant Editor for Agronomy and was later promoted to Section Managing Editor. For two years, she has served as a Journal Relations Specialist (JRS) for Horticulturae, and over time, she has also been assigned to oversee Agronomy, Arthropoda, Poultry, and Agrochemicals in the same role. During her tenure, Kasprowicz has conducted 171 online meetings with Editorial Board Members, Guest Editors, and other collaborators, along with 25 in-person meetings held across various countries, including Germany, France, Poland, Romania, China, Greece, the US and Italy. She has attended ten conferences, earning the Senior Conference Representative Certification. |
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Ksenia Shubenkova joined MDPI as an Assistant Editor in October 2021, later becoming a Special Issue Editor in August 2023, and she has served as a Journal Relations Specialist since May 2024 for Sustainability. During this period, she has organized more than 100 online meetings with Editorial Board Members, Guest Editors, and other collaborators, as well as 16 in-person meetings. Shubenkova holds a Ph.D. degree in transportation process organization, specializing in sustainable transportation. Before she started working at MDPI, she visited more than 25 international conferences as a presenter. She maintains her active attitude to meeting our targets: besides editorial work, she helped with tutoring new members in 2023, and currently, her editorial PI is 340.5. |
30 April 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #22 - 300 Journals in WoS, Norway & Sweden Consortiums, Self-citations
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
Over 300 MDPI Journals are Indexed in Web of Science
Indexing is essential to scholarly publishing as it promotes visibility and the impact of research. I’m excited to share that MDPI now has over 300 journals indexed in the Web of Science (WoS). This milestone reflects the work of our authors, editors, reviewers, and the entire MDPI staff, contributing to greater visibility and impact for open access research.
Publish with MDPI, publish with impact.
Having over 300 MDPI journals indexed in the Web of Science is more than a numbers game. It represents a recognition of the quality, consistency, and relevance of the research published in our journals. For the academic community, it reflects the growing trust in MDPI as a reputable publisher, leading the way in open access publishing.
A closer look at the achievement
Being indexed in the WoS nvolves meeting a list of quality criteria, including 24 quality benchmarks for ESCI journals.
For MDPI, rigorous editorial standards and scientific integrity are key. These enabled over 300 journals to pass the Web of Science quality criteria for indexing.
Here we share a blog post discussing the importance of this milestone for MDPI and open scholarly research. In this post, Constanze Schelhorn, Head of Indexing, at MDPI, and Giulia Stefenelli, Scientific Communications Lead, share their thoughts and insights on what this achievement means for our commitment to high-quality research.
“MDPI has a well-structured quality assurance framework that applies to all our journals. We also apply clear, standardized peer-review policies across our portfolio, ensuring transparency and consistency.” – Constanze Schelhorn, Head of Indexing
“This achievement is a step forward for Open Access research, reinforcing the mission to share scientific knowledge globally and facilitate research progress.” – Giulia Stefenelli, Scientific Communications Lead
Read the blog here: https://blog.mdpi.com/2025/04/03/300-mdpi-journals/
Looking to the future
This milestone is a testament to MDPI’s dedication to peer review, editorial excellence, and innovation in academic publishing. It highlights our role as leaders in open access publishing.
Personally, I see this as just the beginning. We will continue to support researchers, expand our contributions to scholarly communication, and push the boundaries of academic publishing.
Impactful Research
Nearly 920 partner institutions in MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program
I’m pleased to share some exciting progress from MDPI's Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP), which now includes nearly 920 partner institutions worldwide. This is more than just a number. It reflects the growing trust and collaboration we’ve built with universities, libraries, and research organizations across the globe.
The IOAP offers institutions discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs), access to a dedicated institutional dashboard, and transparency throughout the publishing process.
Norway’s Sikt Consortium Renews national agreement with MDPI
MDPI has renewed its national agreement with the Sikt Consortium, which now supports 36 institutions across Norway. New partners, such as Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, join long-standing collaborators such as NTNU, the University of Bergen, and UiT, The Arctic University of Norway. The agreement promotes affordable, high-quality open access publishing through centralized APC funding, and reinforces Norway’s leadership in open science.
These agreements reflect MDPI’s mission to remove barriers to scientific publishing and make research freely available to all. By collaborating with national consortia and institutions, we advance the open access and strengthen our global network and collaborations.
Our IOAP Team
A big thank-you to our IOAP team for driving these important collaborations. Their work includes increasing MDPI’s visibility in scholarly communications, strengthening relationships with IOAP partners, and building trust with key stakeholders.
These efforts not only help researchers to publish their work openly and affordably but also reinforce MDPI’s position as a trusted leader in open access.
What are the benefits of MDPI’s IOAP?
For Authors: Researchers affiliated with IOAP partner institutions benefit from automatic discounts on APCs, Book Processing Charges (BPCs), JAMS, and Author Services across MDPI’s journals. The process is seamless as there is no need for codes or special applications. The publishing experience is smoother and more affordable, and centralized invoicing helps simplify the process, allowing authors to focus on their research rather than administration.
For Libraries: Participating libraries receive access to a dedicated institutional dashboard with live metadata on submissions from affiliated authors, past and present. They also benefit from flexible invoicing options (direct, collective, or prepayment) to help streamline administration, while clear, transparent agreements ensure that there are no hidden clauses or small print. Automated deposits into Institutional Repositories further reduce manual work, supporting libraries in their mission to advance open access and serve their research communities.
Inside MDPI
MDPI Self-citation study shows industry alignment
Earlier this month, Dr. Giulia Stefenelli and Dr. Enric Sayas published a thoughtful and transparent article on the ALPSP blog, presenting a self-citation analysis across MDPI’s 237 journals indexed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR).
They found that MDPI's average self-citation rate in 2024 was 14.85%, well within industry norms and ranking 6th among the top ten publishers. Only 2.3% of MDPI journals were identified as outliers with high self-citation rates, compared to 4.7% among other leading publishers. An alternative approach, using weighted average by publication volume, shows MDPI’s self-citation rate rises from 14% to 19.7%, shifting our rank from 6th to 3rd. The study also shows that the impact of self-citation on journal quartile placement is minimal.
Read the full article on the ALPSP blog: https://blog.alpsp.org/2025/03/mdpi-self-citations-study-highlights.html
Why is this important?
As explained in the full article, the results “reinforce the fact that self-citations have minimal influence on MDPI journal rankings, emphasizing the integrity of editorial practices and the absence of any deliberate efforts to manipulate impact.”
Self-citation is a hot topic, and MDPI is sometimes unfairly singled out in this area. This analysis helps put some perspective to that narrative.
At MDPI, we are committed to transparency and to using data-driven insights to address common misconceptions about open access publishing. Our focus on self-citation reflects this commitment, and we plan to extend our efforts to other areas where the Gold OA model is often misunderstood.
About the authors
Dr. Giulia Stefenelli, Scientific Communications Lead, leverages her expertise in science communication, editorial processes, and Open Access (OA) promotion to address both institutional and country-specific challenges. She collaborates with teams across PR, Editorial Procedures, Institutional Partnerships, Research Integrity, AI and more, developing strategies to engage stakeholders, including policymakers, academics, and industry leaders. Her responsibilities include enhancing MDPI’s scientific network and promoting OA initiatives at events worldwide, supporting the efforts of various departments, and ensuring effective communication to both specialist and broader audiences.
Dr. Enric Sayas is a Business Analyst specializing in the integration of AI and Machine Learning in scientific publishing.
Within MDPI’s AI team, Enric combines his editorial expertise with his passion for AI to support the development of AI-driven solutions tailored to editorial needs, enhancing efficiency and improving decision-making.
Enric’s interests extend to data science methodologies applied to scientific publishing, as well as the broader impact of AI on open science, peer review, and the future of scientific publishing.
Coming Together for Science
Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security
Prof. Dr. Dilantha Fernando presenting at Plants 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
The MDPI Conference Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security took place in Barcelona, Spain, from 31 March to 2 April 2025.
It was chaired by Editor-in-Chief of MDPI journal Plants (Q1 journal); Prof. Dr. Dilantha Fernando from the University of Manitoba, in Canada, and Section Editor-in-Chief of Plants; Dr. Fermín Morales from Instituto de Agrobiotecnología (IdAB) – CSIC, in Spain; and Prof. Dr. Oscar Vicente from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in Spain.
The conference brought plant scientists together to discuss innovations in sustainable agriculture, crop improvement, and environmental conservation.
With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the conference addressed key challenges such as food security, climate change, and sustainable agroecosystems through keynote talks and seven specialized sessions.
The conference gathered 111 attendees from 36 different countries, featuring 1 keynote speaker, 9 invited speakers, and 41 selected talks, along with 56 posters. The event received just over 200 submissions and 102 accepted abstracts.
From insightful talks, engaging poster sessions and engaging networking moments, Plants 2025 was a special experience. You can relive the highlights from the Plants 2025 conference here with our after movie!
Awards
Four awards were presented at the conclusion of the conference, sponsored by the journal Plants: two Best Poster Awards (€250 each) and two Best Oral Presentation Awards (€300 each).
Plants 2025 Conference Team
The Plants 2025 Conference was organized by colleagues from MDPI’s Conference Team: Ana Sanchis (Conference Manager), Cédric Spinnler (Senior Conference Organizer), Raquel Sellès (Conference Organizer) and Laura Perez (Conference Assistant).
Upcoming event
5–7 May 2025
The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Metals
Location: Online event (Central European Summer Time)
As one of the pillar technologies that support the development of modern society and metallurgy, IECME 2025 will present the state-of-the-art of Metallurgy and Metals.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
Swedish consortium renews partnership with MDPI
I’m pleased to share that MDPI has renewed its national partnership with Sweden’s Bibsam Consortium. This is a continued commitment to advancing open access publishing and supporting Sweden’s vision for fully open research.
Under this renewed agreement, 22 leading institutions including KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, Linnaeus University, and Linköping University, will continue to benefit from MDPI’s IOAP. This provides discounts on APCs and a more streamlined, researcher-friendly publishing experience.
MDPI and Bibsam renew national agreement for Sweden
“With robust backing from national open science guidelines, Sweden’s open-access landscape is rapidly advancing,” says Becky Castellon, institutional partnerships manager at MDPI.
“In fact, fewer than 15% of all Swedish research outputs were locked behind paywalls in 2023. We are passionate about the positive impact our ongoing partnership with the Bibsam Consortium will have on Swedish research, paving the way for ground-breaking developments and a more inclusive, open scientific community. Through flexible solutions and tailored policies, we enable institutions to prioritize research, foster innovation, and enhance accessibility, driving the shift to full open access.”
Recent MDPI IOAP Consortium signings from 2025:
- The UK’s Jisc Consortium extended its national agreement, continuing support for more than 60 institutions across the UK.
- Switzerland’s CSAL (Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries) renewed its agreement, continuing our collaboration with top institutions such as ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne.
- In Germany, we signed a new national agreement with ZB MED that includes over 100 universities and research institutions, with 78 institutions joining under a central or flat-fee model to simplify APC coverage.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
30 April 2025
Announcing the Award Committee for the 2024 Tu Youyou Award
We are honored to introduce the award committee for the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, composed of distinguished scientists from around the world whose research covers diverse areas of natural product chemistry, pharmacognosy, and drug discovery. Their broad expertise and pioneering contributions have significantly advanced medicinal and natural products research.
Through their collective insights, rigorous evaluation, the committee has carefully selected this year’s award recipients, recognizing exceptional achievements in the field.
We sincerely thank these distinguished scholars for their efforts and dedication to upholding the standards of the Tu Youyou Award. Below is the list of committee members. For more information about the Tu Youyou Award, please visit https://tuyouyouprize.org/.
Chair:
 Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn Ohio State University, USA |
Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn is a leading expert in pharmacognosy and natural products research. He is recognized for his key contributions to discovering bioactive compounds from plants, especially in anticancer, cancer chemopreventive, and substances with a sweet taste and taste-modifying agents. His prolific contributions include over 590 peer-reviewed works and book chapters and edited or co-edited 40 scientific volumes. |
 Prof. Angelo Fontana University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy |
Angelo Fontana is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Naples “Federico II” in Italy and serves as Director of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry at the National Research Council (CNR). His research focuses on bioactive small molecules derived from marine eukaryotes, with a particular interest on their pharmaceutical applications in immunology and oncology. He also explores their potential as molecular tools for probing and modulating complex biological systems. Prof. Fontana is a co-founder of BioSEArch SRL and has been recognized with numerous grants and honors, including the Apivita Award from the Phytochemical Society of Europe. |
 Prof. Binghe Wang Georgia State University, USA |
Prof. Binghe Wang’s lab works on drug design, drug delivery, click chemistry, chemical biology, new diagnostics, and gaseous signaling molecules such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. His interdisciplinary research supports advances in cancer, infectious diseases, organ protection, inflammation, and other areas. |
 Dr. Diana Pinto University of Aveiro, Portugal |
Dr. Diana Pinto, an Associate Professor at the University of Aveiro, specializes in organic synthesis of bioactive heterocyclic compounds, sustainable catalysis (organo-, heterogeneous, and biocatalysis), and natural product research, including isolation, characterization, and total synthesis. |
 Prof. Hideaki Kakeya Kyoto University, Japan |
Prof. Hideaki Kakeya conducts cutting-edge research in chemical biology, high-throughput screening, and biosynthesis of bioactive natural products for system chemotherapy and other therapeutic applications. |
 Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel University of Strathclyde, UK |
Prof. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel heads the Natural Products Metabolomics Group (NPMG), specializing in marine natural products discovery and metabolomics-driven drug development. A recognized expert in bioactive metabolites, she collaborates with industry and academia to address antimicrobial resistance and sustainable bioprospecting. She serves on the Editorial Board of Marine Drugs and holds two patents in the field. |
 Prof. Thomas Prisinzano University of Kentucky, USA |
Prof. Thomas Prisinzano combines medicinal and natural product chemistry to explore neurotransmitter systems and develop treatments for drug abuse and pain. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Innovator Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. |
 Prof. Wei Li University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA |
A distinguished professor and Director of the Drug Discovery Center, Prof. Wei Li is also the founder of SEAK Therapeutics, and the 2025 Chair-Elect of the Drug Discovery and Development Division of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). His work focuses on medicinal chemistry and small molecule drug discovery, with over 200 publications and 15 issued US patents. |
30 April 2025
Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller Share the 2024 Tu Youyou Award
We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
 Richard DiMarchi Indiana University, USA |
Prof. Richard DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University, USA. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. DiMarchi is a former Group Vice President at Eli Lilly and later at Novo Nordisk. He is recognized for his contributions to the discovery and development of rDNA-derived Humulin®, Humalog®, rGlucagon®, and Forteo®. His academic research has broadened the understanding of glucagon and incretin physiology and pioneered the discovery of single-molecule multi-mechanism agonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The central element to success has been the chemical vision and technology to install within single molecules simultaneous agonism at related G-protein coupled receptors, coupled to the counter-intuitive discovery that glucagon and GIP agonism could synergize the therapeutic efficacy of GLP-1. These peptides and their conceptual approach have transformed the management of excessive body weight to a condition comparable to how hypertension, adult-onset diabetes, and excess cholesterol are medicinally managed. |
| “Professor DiMarchi was recognized by the 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members as being an exceptional leader in the medicinal chemistry of peptides and proteins of natural origin, and as a pioneer in the field of chemical biotechnology. His very important discoveries have led to breakthroughs in new drugs related to the therapy of diabetes and obesity. He has been named as an inventor on a very large number of patents, and he has had initially a highly successful scientific and administrative career in industry, which was followed by over two decades in academia as a distinguished professor.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee |
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 Rolf Müller Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Infections Research (HZI), Germany; Saarland University, Germany |
Prof. Rolf Müller is the Founding and Managing Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University, Germany. Having received his training from the University of Bonn, he held research positions at the University of Washington, USA, and Braunschweig University of Technology, Germany, prior to his appointment as professor to Saarland University. His laboratory has dedicated itself to the exploration of bacterial natural-product biosynthetic pathways for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in working with myxobacteria and other microbial producer strains. Starting from the isolation and characterization of new microorganisms, the scope of work includes microbiology-, biotechnology-, bioinformatics-, and chemistry-based approaches to exploit these isolates as sources of new drugs with a special focus on novel anti-infectives. Müller and his team apply a variety of state-of-the-art analytical methods and biological assays to perform biological and chemical characterizations of the identified compounds. Prof. Müller has received several awards, including the prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the PHOENIX Pharmacy Research Award, the DECHEMA Prize, and the Inhoffen Medal, as well as being an elected member of acatech, Leopoldina, and the German Academy of Sciences and Literature. |
| “The 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members were highly impressed by the truly outstanding past and ongoing contributions of Professor Müller in both microbial natural products isolation chemistry and in biosynthesis, as well as in the development of lead compounds for their potential in treating human diseases, through his global connections with various major funding agencies. He is also a dedicated teacher who has trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and he has lectured on his research in countries all over the world.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee |
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The achievements of Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller highlight the transformative impact of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. We congratulate them and invite the global academic community and public to join us in celebrating their significant contributions.
2024 Award Committee
Committee Chair:
- Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Ohio State University, USA.
Committee Members (listed in alphabetical order):
- Prof. Angelo Fontana, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy;
- Prof. Binghe Wang, Georgia State University, USA;
- Dr. Diana Pinto, University of Aveiro, Portugal;
- Prof. Hideaki Kakeya, Kyoto University, Japan;
- Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel, University of Strathclyde, UK;
- Prof. Thomas Prisinzano, University of Kentucky, USA
- Prof. Wei Li, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA.
About the Tu Youyou Award:
The 2024 Tu Youyou Award includes a total monetary prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs and a medal for each recipient. Established in 2016 to honor the pioneering spirit of Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, the Tu Youyou Award is an international award honoring exceptional scholars dedicated to the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website.
29 April 2025
Interview with Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull—Winner of Publications 2024 Editor of Distinction Award
Name: Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull
Affiliation: Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences, Open University of Catalonia, Spain
Research interests: social media; open science; fake news; disinformation; scholarly communication
The following is an interview with Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull:
1. Could you give a brief introduction of yourself to the readers? Could you introduce your current research direction and provide an update on your progress?
Hello, I am currently a professor of information and communication at the Open University of Catalonia in Barcelona. My research has evolved alongside the discipline itself and is now focused on two main areas, open science and academic publishing and disinformation.
Regarding open science, we have been studying it both as a movement and as a driver of public policy change aimed at disseminating scientific knowledge to society and reforming research evaluation systems. Increasingly, there is a push for higher quality research that addresses core issues in science, such as reproducibility and the “publish or perish” culture.
As for disinformation—both political and scientific—it has become a growing problem. This was evident in the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. elections, where fake news played a significant role in shaping public opinion, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic’s accompanying infodemic.
In this broader context, it is also essential to reflect on the implications and reach of generative AI tools. These technologies impact how information is produced and disseminated and can serve as both sources of knowledge and vectors of disinformation. Therefore, it is a timely moment to assess how generative AI might transform scientific knowledge dissemination not only in terms of quality but also quantity, and whether it can help advance the values and principles of open science.
2. Based on your experience, which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
Undoubtedly, the value we assign to scientific knowledge and truth—both socially and academically—will remain highly relevant. This value underpins the societal consensus necessary for functioning democracies, enabling us to distinguish fact from opinion beyond emotional, fearful, or biased responses. In such complex geopolitical times, quality information and knowledge are vital tools against polarization and hate speech.
Just as society's initial enthusiasm for social networks has given way to a more skeptical perspective, we now need to find a conscious and informed balance in using these platforms. Research into how generative AI enhances or undermines information quality will be critical in this scenario.
Equally important will be strategies in media literacy, which must be supported by research to enhance their effectiveness and impact evaluation. Within this realm of information and knowledge, I believe academia should continue fostering critical thinking supported by scientific evidence and proposals for social improvement.
Finally, the social and political use of social media demands new research approaches that can effectively improve the quality of information shared on these platforms, including algorithmic models that support more pluralistic digital content consumption.
3. What qualities do you think an Editorial Board Member needs?
I believe an Editorial Board Member must be committed to quality and be empathetic toward the community of authors that constitute the publication’s academic field. They must be responsive with deadlines—fast enough to facilitate author progress but slow enough to ensure the quality of the work being published. Diligence in decision-making is key.
The voluntary nature of academic editorial and peer-review work must be realistically integrated into the demanding schedules of scholars, who are increasingly burdened with bureaucracy and quality controls. Therefore, editors must reserve time for this important responsibility.
We often see academic publishing as a system of altruistic time exchanges—authors, editors, reviewers—and balance is essential. Being a reviewer, for instance, makes one a better author.
Lastly, an editor should possess the sensitivity and insight to uncover the underlying value of a manuscript—value that authors may not yet have fully articulated. Through constructive dialog with authors, editors can help substantially improve the final article.
4. Could you please share with us your experience as an Editorial Board Member for Publications?
From the very beginning, the process was smooth thanks to the support of the technical team, who handle the editorial workflow so efficiently that Editorial Board Members can focus solely on reading, reviewing, and validating manuscripts.
The clear ethical guidelines and protocols have been particularly reassuring. They define each step in the editorial chain, delineating boundaries to prevent conflicts of interest or inappropriate pressure from any party involved.
Ultimately, success lies in balancing speed with quality. Achieving this requires dedication and the ability to carve out quality time within our already overloaded academic agendas.
5. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express or someone you wish to thank most?
I would simply like to thank the entire technical team for their work and my colleagues on the Editorial Board for their collaboration. The trust in your team allows you to focus on your own contributions with peace of mind. We are not isolated individuals—we are part of a team.
28 April 2025
Publications 2024 Editor of Distinction Award—Winner Announced
The editorial team of Publications (ISSN: 2304-6775) is pleased to recognize Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull as the recipient of the 2024 Editor of Distinction award.
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Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull serves as an associate professor in the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and a bachelor's degree in information science from the UOC. He serves as the director of the UOC's bachelor's degree program in information science and is a member of the Learning, Media and Entertainment (GAME) research group at the UOC. |
On behalf of the entire Editorial Board, we would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to Dr.Alexandre López-Borrull.
Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull has demonstrated exceptional professionalism and deep involvement in journal affairs. Beyond his meticulous peer-reviewing of manuscripts in relevant fields, he has made outstanding contributions to academic promotion and publishing innovation: In 2024, he captivated audiences as a keynote speaker at the MDPI online webinar “The 4th Basel Sustainability Publishing Forum Webinar: AI in Open Access” delivering insights that garnered widespread attention. To foster deeper integration between AI technology and open science, he spearheaded the launch of a journal Special Issue under the same title, systematically publishing cutting-edge research in this domain. Additionally, he is the chair of the 4th Sustainable Publishing Forum, where he is leading the development of sustainable publishing development and driving industry transformation with a strategic vision. Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull exemplifies the mission of an exceptional editorial board member through his multifaceted practice, which integrates academic rigor, platform building, and industry leadership.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation for his ongoing contributions and once again pay tribute to this remarkable leader in the academic publishing landscape.
Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Andrew Kirby
Publications Editorial Office
23 April 2025
World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April 2025
World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books—a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this occasion, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry—publishers, booksellers and libraries—select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations.
Books, in all their forms, allow us to learn and to keep ourselves informed. They also entertain us and help us to understand the world, while offering a window into otherness. With the active involvement of all stakeholders, such as authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs and the mass media, and all those who feel motivated to work together in celebration of books and authors, World Book and Copyright Day has become a platform to rally together millions of people all around the world.
In celebration of this day, we invite you to explore a curation of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues across various fields, including scholarly publication, human intelligence, and education science. By sharing these findings, we pay tribute to books and authors, encouraging everyone to access books.
At the same time, we invite you to celebrate World Book and Copyright Day with Preprints.org. From 23 April to 23 May, join researchers and scholars worldwide for a month of reading, connection, and exploration. Starting 23 April, the new Reading List feature invites you to take part in the Preprints Reading Marathon and Reader’s Choice programs—curate reading lists, engage in peer-driven discussions, and earn recognition for your contributions.
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“Diamond Open Access Landscape in Croatia: DIAMAS Survey Results”
by Jadranka Stojanovski and Danijel Mofardin
Publications 2025, 13(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications13010013
“Reading Comprehension in Older Adults—Effects of Age, Educational Level, and Reading Habits”
by Bernardo Riffo, Carlos Rojas, Andrea Helo, Mónica Véliz, Paula Urzúa, Gloria Gutierrez and Ernesto Guerra
J. Intell. 2025, 13(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13010004
“Executive Functioning in Different Types of Reading Disabilities”
by Irene Cadime, Bruna Rodrigues, Iolanda Ribeiro and María Teresa Martín-Aragoneses
J. Intell. 2024, 12(10), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12100101
“The Influence of Format Readability on Children’s Reading Speed and Comprehension”
by Stephanie L. Day, Nilsu Atilgan, Amy E. Giroux and Ben D. Sawyer
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 854; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080854
“Braiding the Ropes: Adding Second or Additional Language Acquisition to Reading and Writing Metaphors”
by Jennifer M. Lane and Teresa J. Kennedy
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080901
“A Review of Meta-Analyses of Correlation Coefficients on L2 Reading Comprehension”
by Eun-Hee Jeon and Junko Yamashita
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070715
“Finding Free OER Textbooks Online: Untangling the Web”
by William H. Walters
Publications 2024, 12(4), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications12040032
“Towards an All-Ireland Diamond Open Access Publishing Platform: The PublishOA.ie Project—2022–2024”
by Jane Mahony
Publications 2024, 12(3), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications12030019
“Research on the Influence Path of Metacognitive Reading Strategies on Scientific Literacy”
by Yong Xie, Jingying Wang, Siqi Li and Yonghe Zheng
J. Intell. 2023, 11(5), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence11050078
“The Landscape of Scholarly Book Publishing in Croatia: Finding Pathways for Viable Open Access Models”
by Iva Melinščak Zlodi
Publications 2023, 11(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications11010017
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“Future Developments and the Landscape of Open Access Databases in 2040” |
“Academic Libraries in Supporting Research” |
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2 April 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #21 - Annual Report, Swiss Consortium, IWD, ICARS, Serbia
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 Releases 2024 Annual Achievements Report
I’m pleased to share the release of MDPI’s 2024 Annual Achievements Report, which reflects our commitment to efficiency, transparency, and excellence in scholarly communication. The report showcases key themes related to our growth (highlighting our workforce expansion, new offices, journal milestones), excellence (editorial and publishing advancements), people (talent development and training), and community (partnerships, conferences, and outreach).
MDPI continues to build connections and drive scientific progress
Our mission remains clear: to support researchers worldwide by delivering an efficient, high-quality publishing experience while strengthening the global Open Access (OA) movement.
Advancing Open Access: A Global Knowledge Hub
In 2024, we published 238,000 peer-reviewed OA articles, reaching over 25 million downloads. This reinforces MDPI’s role as a global knowledge hub, breaking down barriers to access and ensuring that high-quality research is freely available to everyone. As part of the OA movement, we are actively democratizing knowledge, making scientific advancements accessible to researchers, policymakers, educators, and the public, without the restrictions of traditional paywalls.
Expanding our Workforce and Strengthening Research Integrity
Our global presence grew in 2024 with the opening of a new Seoul office, and our workforce expanded to 6,650 staff across 21 offices. This reflects our continued growth mindset and investment in global accessibility. We also continued to take a proactive stance on our commitment to research integrity, tripling our team in this area and joining STM’s Integrity Hub and United2Act. This means more rigorous quality control, stronger safeguards, and collaboration with global initiatives to detect and combat unethical publishing practices at an industry level. Our growth is about reinforcing our role as a trusted, ethical, and accessible publishing platform for researchers worldwide.
Growing Partnerships and Impact in Scholarly Communication
MDPI’s partnerships continue to thrive, with over 900 institutional collaborations, including a landmark agreement with ZB MED in Germany, covering more than 100 universities. Additionally, more than 90% of evaluated MDPI journals have been accepted into Web of Science, including 60 new acceptances in 2024, with nearly 300 journals expected to receive a Journal Impact Factor in 2025. In the same period, 37 MDPI journals were accepted into Scopus, bringing our total indexed titles to 306. Most importantly, 95% of authors rate their experience with MDPI as excellent or good – an achievement that underscores our dedication to serving the research community.
I encourage you to read through our Annual Report, which highlights these milestones and our vision for the future. Thank you for being part of MDPI’s journey in advancing open science.
Impactful Research
MDPI Renews Partnership with CSAL to Support Swiss Universities
I am pleased to announce the renewal of our partnership with the Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries (CSAL) for 2025. This extension reinforces MDPI's dedication to advancing open science through transparency, efficiency, and collaboration.
Our renewed agreement with CSAL strengthens support for Swiss universities, ensuring that gold open access publishing remains both accessible and affordable for researchers across Switzerland. Among the institutions participating in this agreement are ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne, along with 20 other leading institutions, further expanding the reach and impact of our collaborative efforts.
To date, over 3.9 million researchers have published their findings in MDPI journals, a testament to our role in enhancing Switzerland's position as a hub for university education and research.
Inside MDPI
Celebrating International Women's Day: Accelerating Action
In honour of International Women's Day, MDPI embraced the theme “Accelerate Action,” a global call to advance women's progress by implementing effective strategies and resources. As part of our commitment, we highlighted how open access publishing empowers female voices in research and academia.
Throughout March, we featured original blogs authored by MDPI’s female contributors, showcasing the successes of our journals and employees, and addressing pressing topics such as women's health.
“Open Access supports women in education”
Women Accelerating Action Outside of MDPI
MDPI employee Ana Zdravkovic is accelerating action outside of her MDPI role as a Production Assistant. Working with like-minded women at the award-winning Belgrade-based organization UZOR OsnaŽene (meaning ‘empowered women’), they identify serious flaws in cybersecurity, and help protect women and children against online predators by providing evidence to improve legislation and laws around cyber-attacks.
In this article, we interview Ana, celebrating the important and inspiring work that she and the organisation do.
How Open Access Supports Women in Education
Every day, women and girls face barriers in education or career progression. This is caused by a range of factors, including social expectations, poverty, and poor infrastructure.
Quality opportunities and participation in the education system by women is essential to achieving equality and fulfilling their human rights.
Here, we examine how Open Access supports women in education by removing barriers and ensuring that vital research is accessible.
Recent Advancements in Research on Endometriosis
March is Endometriosis Action Month. Endometriosis is a medical condition affecting women and young girls of reproductive age, often causing symptoms such as severe pelvic pain, irregular periods, and infertility.
More research on endometriosis is still urgently needed.
This research will help develop efficient diagnoses and better treatment for those struggling with the condition.
In this article, we explore what endometriosis is and discuss the latest research advancements on the disease.
We also curated a selection of MDPI journals, articles, and Special Issues focusing on gender equity, women in the workplace, and women’s health. Find out more about these by visiting our IWD – Accelerate Action landing page.
As I reflect on the month of March and International Women’s Day, I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank all of the incredible women at MDPI for your dedication to democratizing knowledge and shaping open access. Your contributions are invaluable, and they continue to shape the future of MDPI.
Coming Together for Science
The International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing (ICARS 2025)
The International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing (ICARS 2025) took place from 26–28 March 2025, in Barcelona, Spain. It was chaired by Prof. Dr. Fabio Tosti from the Faringdon Research Centre for Non-Destructive Testing and Remote Sensing (UK), Prof. Dr. Andrea Benedetto from University Roma Tre (Italy), and Prof. Dr. Luis Ángel Ruiz from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV, Spain).
Over three days, the conference explored innovations in Earth and environmental sciences, engineering advancements, and practical applications in biological and agricultural fields.
I am pleased to share that the 1st edition of ICARS 2025 was a great success, with 133 attendees out of 146 registrations. The event featured 43 short talks, 64 posters, and 103 accepted abstracts, along with nine keynote speakers and a major panel with five expert panellists.
Over 60 attendees joined the conference dinner, and the event received outstanding feedback.
The main goal of ICARS2025 was to cover how advanced remote sensing technologies are transforming our approach to global challenges.
Awards
Four awards were presented at the conclusion of the conference, sponsored by the journal Remote Sensing: Best Poster Award (€400), Best Oral Presentation Award (€400), and two Early Career Researcher Awards (1st prize: €600 and 2nd prize: €200).
Thank you to our Partnering Societies
We are grateful for the support of our four partnering societies and nine media partners, who played an important role in promoting the conference. Special thanks to our partnering societies: the European Federation of Geologists (EFG), Geoscience Energy Society of Great Britain (GESGB), Asociación Española de Teledetección (AET) – the Spanish Association of Remote Sensing, and the International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE).
Upcoming In-Person Event
31 March–2 April 2025
Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security
Location: Barcelona, Spain
This event will gather plant scientists to discuss the latest research on how to feed a growing population while maintaining a sustainable agro-ecosystem.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI Serbia Salon 2025: A Gathering of Academic Excellence
On Tuesday, 18 March, we successfully concluded our first MDPI Serbia Salon in Belgrade. This event provided a great opportunity to showcase MDPI’s achievements, strengthen connections with the Serbian academic community, and highlight our role as the largest publisher in Serbia. We were honoured to welcome Prof. Dr. Sergej M. Ostojić, Editor-in-Chief of MDPI journal Clinical Bioenergetics, as a guest speaker.
Over the past five years, MDPI has experienced continuous growth in Serbia, with an increasing number of publications, an expansion of Editorial Board memberships, and a greater number of active peer reviewers. The Salon allowed us to express our thanks to the Serbian research community while gathering feedback from attendees representing several major universities.
Discussion topics
As part of the event, I delivered an opening speech highlighting MDPI’s achievements and direction.
The event featured presentations from MDPI colleagues, including discussions on open science, publishing ethics, and our achievements in Serbia.
A special thank-you to all our MDPI presenters, panellists, and organizers who made his event a success. I hope the MDPI Serbia Salon becomes a tradition for years to come, creating connections within the Serbian research community.
Visit to the Science Fund of Serbia and The Ministry of Science
During my visit to Belgrade, I had the opportunity to join my colleagues Emir Ramadani (Operations Manager) and Nevena Blagojev (Journal Relations Manager) in meetings with the Science Fund of Serbia and the Ministry of Science, where we received strong support for our work in Serbia.
Both organizations highly value our presence in and commitment to Serbia, where we employ over 640 staff across our two offices in Belgrade and Novi Sad. We take great pride in creating job opportunities and supporting the community in Serbia.
“There’s a lot of exciting activity happening in MDPI Serbia”
Speaking with our Serbian Colleagues
Finally, I had the opportunity to speak with our Serbian colleagues about our initiatives to expand and to improve our marketing & communication and public relations activities.
It was great to have an open discussion with colleagues – both in person and with the hundreds who joined online.
This visit to Belgrade had been a long time coming for me. Serbia is our largest operation in Europe and there’s a lot of exciting activity happening in MDPI Serbia, including the launch of a new office floor in Novi Sad and the growth and expansion of our teams.
I look forward to returning soon and continuing to support our colleagues across our Serbian offices.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
27 February 2025
More than 300 MDPI Journals Indexed in Web of Science
MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines.
To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data.
This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide.
As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.
