Nurul has drafted her first research manuscript. She wants to publish in English for a global impact, but English is her fourth language. All the authors on the manuscript, including the department head who was indirectly involved in the research, are not fluent in English. Nurul has looked at different journal options and is interested in submitting to BMC but is concerned that her or her university may not be able to afford the article processing charges as she is also based in a low-income country. At the same time, she receives an email from a new journal, inviting her to submit her work. The email promises free editing and fast processing for publication. How should Nurul decide where to submit her paper? The following pages are designed to help authors, like Nurul, weigh the pros and cons of different publication options, to explain the expectations of BMC and to support authors based in low and middle-income countries in publishing with BMC.
Equity in Academic Publishing
Introduction & Aims
Many researchers encounter difficulty in publishing their work. Authors from low and middle-income countries may face additional challenges.
In the following pages, we aim to provide clear and concise guidance to authors hoping to submit research papers to the BMC Series.
- What English assistance is available for Nurul?
- Who should be authors on her manuscript?
- How can she identify reputable journals for her work?
Figure 1
Percentage representation of authors from low and middle-income countries that published with BMC International Health and Human Rights, BMC Medical Education, BMC Medical Ethics, and BMC Public Health in 2018.
Figure 2
Graphical Presentation of Publications in BMC International Health and Human Rights, BMC Medical Education, BMC Medical Ethics, and BMC Public Health in 2018 from authors from low & middle-income countries (as defined by the World Bank). Created by mapchart.net ©.
Resources
- What is Open Access Publishing and what are the benefits?
- Article Processing Charges (APC)
- APCs at BMC
- How to detect predatory journals
2. What if English is not my first language?
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Annual Journal Metrics
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2022 Citation Impact
4.5 - 2-year Impact Factor
4.7 - 5-year Impact Factor
1.661 - SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper)
1.307 - SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)2023 Speed
32 days submission to first editorial decision for all manuscripts (Median)
173 days submission to accept (Median)2023 Usage
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