Frontiers | Science News

Science News post list

149 news posts in Open access

Photo credit: Frontiers

Featured news

14 Dec 2023

The Transformed Agreement: German library consortium and Frontiers announce world’s largest fully open access agreement

Frontiers and the German National Library of Medicine (ZB MED) have announced the launch of the first transformed framework agreement - a national, fully open access flat-fee deal - for Germany. This landmark agreement is an innovative initiative designed to champion open access to scientific research, and to provide long term budget security for institutions.

Photo credit: Frontiers

Featured news

12 Dec 2023

Frontiers' Research Topic publishing program: pioneering the future of scientific publishing

Frontiers' publishing program was developed 20 years ago in anticipation of the evolving publishing needs of 21st century science. We recognize the need to bring together mission, tradition, quality, and innovation to scientific publishing to empower research communities to direct and shape scientific publishing. Frontiers' Research Topics program is a testament to our commitment to innovation, adaptability, and community-centered approaches in a rapidly evolving academic landscape.

Publishing partnerships

30 Nov 2023

Quality of life with a hernia: a novel patient-led study in JAWS 

Frontiers publishing partnerships guest post  As part of its commitment to patient engagement, the Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery (JAWS), one of Frontiers community of publishing partners, published a patient-led study on the impact of hernias on patients’ quality of life. Credit: Frontiers Abdominal wall hernia is a common disorder that usually requires elective surgery. Within hernia research, generic tools are often used to assess patient’s quality of life, but these do not always capture the specific concerns faced by abdominal hernia patients. Authored by both patients and medical professionals, this paper covers new ground by addressing gaps in knowledge, assessing the full impact of the disorder, and exploring whether existing quality-of-life life tools are adequate.  Susannah Hill is the article’s lead author and a hernia patient herself. She was asked to present the patient’s perspective on living with a hernia at the European Hernia Society (EHS) conference in 2022. After positive feedback from the audience, Hill received suggestions to publish the data in the Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery.  “I wanted to raise awareness that hernias can be much more than physical, they can also impact personal relationships and mental health. Because these topics are usually glossed over in […]

Publishing partnerships

30 Nov 2023

ADAR Editor in Chief debunks common myths on substance abuse disorder

Frontiers publishing partnerships guest post Advances in Drug and Alcohol Research (ADAR) is a hub for new discoveries in preclinical and clinical research around drug and alcohol addiction. The journal, which joined Frontiers’ publishing partnerships community in 2021, brings together scientists and clinicians from across the globe to discuss current and new challenges in drug addiction research. Credit: Frontiers In this guest post, ADAR Editor in Chief Dr Emmanuel Onaivi highlights and counters some common myths about substance abuse disorder.  Substance abuse remains a global epidemic, worsening when COVID-19 lockdowns led to increased drug and alcohol consumption, and opioid overdoses. As with mental health care more widely, to address the challenges of managing and curing addiction, it is vital to translate innovative research into patient care. Misconceptions about substance abuse disorder have a detrimental effect on patients and their social networks. It is essential to recognize this as a serious health concern which requires appropriate intervention to address underlying factors and promote recovery. Preventing and curing drug and alcohol addiction requires a similar approach to the one used for other mental health and neurological disorders, and it is important to publicly address common myths.  Myth: prescription drugs are not addictive  […]

Top news

30 Nov 2023

Frontiers is gearing up for COP28 to address the climate emergency 

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) parties meet every year at the Conference of the Parties (COP) to negotiate and agree action on how to tackle climate change, limit emissions, and halt global warming. These gatherings are the world’s highest decision-making body on climate issues and one of the largest international meetings in the world. COP28 will provide a milestone opportunity for the world to come together, course correct, and drive progress to keep 1.5C within reach – so we can meet the goals and ambitions of the Paris Agreement. It will be a pivotal moment for the world to unite around tangible climate action and deliver realistic solutions.   Photo credit: Kyle Anthony Photography  Addressing climate change, the paramount challenge of our era, hinges upon harmonizing fundamental human needs with sustainable climate remedies. Despite heightened awareness and global pledges, advancements in climate action have lagged and, at moments, fallen short. Confronting this hurdle, open science emerges as a pivotal force for innovation and a driver of groundbreaking solutions, playing a vital role in addressing climate change challenges.  As world leaders convene at COP28 in an effort to reach consensus on actions to prevent the planet from surpassing the 1.5-degree […]

Frontiers news

24 Nov 2023

Open Science Charter makes urgent appeal for open access 

The Frontiers Research Foundation launches the Open Science Charter calling upon governments, research institutions and funders, the scientific community, and citizens everywhere to support mandatory open access to all publicly funded scientific knowledge by 2030.   Photo credit: NASA The climate emergency poses an existential threat, demanding immediate and far-reaching actions. Our planet is edging closer to several irreversible tipping points, with dire consequences for all life. We need a wide spectrum of science solutions urgently and the greatest accelerator is simply to mandate open access to publicly funded articles and data.   The current system restricts access to most of the scientific research not only to many scientists, but virtually all practitioners, innovators, and entrepreneurs in the world. The restrictions to access major breakthroughs in sustainability and climate sciences are even more severe. No one can afford such a block to knowledge that we all need to reverse and mitigate the effects of climate change and address many other global challenges.  The shift toward net-zero clean economies not only depends on open access to scientific knowledge, but also on political willingness to take evidence-based action. Governments and universities hold significant responsibility in empowering innovators to deliver practical solutions by ensuring […]

Open science and peer review

22 Nov 2023

Falling Walls 2023: How open science and systems thinking can save the planet 

Open access publisher Frontiers and the Frontiers Research Foundation joined this year’s Falling Walls Science Summit held on 7-9 November in Berlin, Germany. The Falling Walls Science Summit is a prominent gathering that unites experts from various scientific disciplines to explore groundbreaking research and foster collaborative solutions for the challenges of our time. As a global platform for scientific exchange, this annual event serves as a catalyst for innovation, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, and promoting breakthrough thinking.   The three-day event includes inspiring keynotes, thought-provoking discussions, and exciting pitches from some of the most innovative minds in science and technology, exploring how scientific breakthroughs can pave the way towards a more equitable and sustainable future. These breakthroughs cover a diverse range of topics, from physical sciences, life sciences, sciencepreneurship, art and science, and planetary health to discovering earth and space, emerging talents, engineering and technology, and social sciences and humanities.   The Falling Walls Foundation and Frontiers partnered to organize the Climate Action Future plenary table on 8 November, which addressed the slow and inadequate progress in climate action. Featuring a group of leaders in science, policy, and academic publishing, the plenary investigated the reasons behind the failure, emphasized the need to reinvigorate […]

Frontiers news

21 Nov 2023

Frontiers celebrates first open access publishing agreement in Japan 

Gold open access publisher Frontiers will publish the Journal of Cutaneous Immunology and Allergy (JCIA) under a new agreement signed with the Japanese Society for Cutaneous Immunology and Allergy (JSCIA). The agreement marks Frontiers’ first publishing partnership in Japan. Credit: Frontiers JCIA publishes high quality peer-reviewed research on a wide range of topics in the field of dermatology. With a particular emphasis on cutaneous immunology and allergy, the journal covers everything from molecular studies to clinical investigations and observations. As the official journal of JSCIA, it serves as an international forum for the work of all skin researchers and dermatological scientists.  Professor Norito Katoh, president of the Japanese Society for Cutaneous Immunology and Allergy, commented on the agreement saying: “We are excited for the transition of the Journal of Cutaneous Immunology and Allergy to Frontiers. The study of skin immunity and allergies has come a long way in recent years, resulting in new treatments for patients. Open access allows new research to reach global scientific communities and further advance treatment options.”  JSCIA will join Frontiers’ growing community of publishing partners in the field of biology and medicine, including the Polish Biochemical Society, the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, the Biomedical Research Center of the […]

Frontiers news

07 Nov 2023

Frontiers publishing partnerships update – autumn 2023

The latest news on our collaborations with scholarly societies. Credit: Frontiers Welcome from Robyn Mugridge, head of publishing partnerships The publishing partnerships team saw a continued growth trend in our community of partners. Submissions to our partner journals have continued to go up with a 27% increase on the same period last year. So far this year, our portfolio of partners has published 15% more reviews and 150% more special issues than last year. We welcomed new associate editors, bringing our team up to 441. Our teams have also started to roll out an enhanced communications package to increase journal awareness and visibility, achieving over 40 million social media impressions to date. Welcoming community partnerships  We’ve expanded our program to include community partnerships. This is a novel program for societies who wish to partner with an established Frontiers journal and collaborate on publishing projects which may benefit their members.  Through our tailored community partnership offering, we provide societies with new opportunities to connect with the global research community, the work done by our society partners.  Do you know who we partner with?  This year we have developed our connections in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Building on a shared commitment […]

Frontiers news

11 Oct 2023

Frontiers institutional partnerships update – autumn 2023

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

Photo credit: Frontiers

Frontiers news

06 Oct 2023

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

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

Photo credit: Frontiers and NPSx by Bain & Co

Frontiers news

27 Sep 2023

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

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