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On 12 th September, Genome Biology, one of our highest-profile journals, started a trial of transparent peer review. For the duration of the trial, half of the manuscripts submitted to the journal and sent for peer review will be assigned to the trial, while the other half will serve as controls. Authors in the trial arm will be offered a choice of transparent peer review or standard single-blind peer review. Transparent peer review means that reviews are published with the paper but don’t include the reviewers’ names. The aim of the trial is to find out levels of support for this approach from authors, and to assess any other effects, such as difficulties finding referees or differences in the quality of peer review reports. Read more about the trial in an editorial by Louisa Flintoft, Chief Editor at Genome Biology, and Andrew Cosgrove, Senior Editor at the journal, here. The journal invites comments and questions to editorial@genomebiology.com
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11th – 17th September was peer review week and BMC explored this year’s theme – Transparency in Review – through a number of activities, including Genome Biology’s transparent peer review trial. BMC was involved in a live event on September 15 th, organised by our parent company Springer Nature and hosted by University College London. We were a sponsor of the International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication, held from 10 th – 12 th September in Chicago, where Stephanie Boughton, Medical Editor at BMC, was part of a panel on Integrity and Misconduct moderated by Jigisha Patel, leader of the Springer Nature Research Integrity Group. Maria Kowalczuk, Biology Editor at BMC, was part of a panel on Peer Review Innovations and Elizabeth Moylan, Senior Editor (Research Integrity), took part in a panel discussion titled Under the Microscope: Transparency in Peer Review. Further information here. Elizabeth also spoke at a COPE seminar titled Current Issues in Peer Review.
Following the success of last year's event, Better Science through Better Data (#scidata17) is back on 25th October for a day of talks and demos exploring how open research is put into practice. Tickets – which are free and aimed primarily at early career researchers from all areas of science – are now available here. This year's conference, held in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, will focus on the needs of early career researchers, such as data skills, career progression, and good practice for sharing data alongside peer-reviewed publications.
September was World Alzheimer’s Month, which culminated in World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21st. BMC proudly supported the initiative of Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), which is affiliated with our open access journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy. Find relevant content this World Alzheimer’s Month here and test your knowledge on the causes, symptoms and treatment in our quiz.
News from our journals
As a pioneering open access publisher, BMC aims to push the envelope when it comes to scientific progress and serving the needs of our research communities. In this spirit of innovation, transparency and scientific rigor, we are offering an exciting new article format, Registered Reports, in BMC Medicineand BMC Ecology. This makes both journals the first in their field to do so. A Registered Report is an article format that includes only the rationale and proposed methodology behind the study. The initial report is peer-reviewed and accepted in principle, based on the strength of the suggested methods and hypotheses. Read the blog by the BMC Medicine team here and the blog by Chris Foote, editor for BMC Ecology, here.
Molecular Cytogenetics invites submissions to a new thematic series aiming to bring together the latest research findings and conceptual developments in the field of chromosomal imbalances and cancer. The journal particularly welcomes original research papers on the complex interplay of chromosomal instability and aneuploidy – an abnormal number of chromosomes – in cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions, and papers exploring potential translational aspects. The deadline for submissions is 20 th November 20. Submit your paper here.
BMC in the news
Research published in Microbiome sheds new light on how gut bacteria may influence anxiety-like behaviors. Investigating the link between gut bacteria and biological molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs) in the brain; researchers at the APC Microbiome Institute at University College Cork found that a significant number of miRNAs were changed in the brains of microbe-free mice and rats whose microbiome had been depleted. The research was widely reported by the international media. It was covered by outlets including Irish Examiner, International Business Times, and Times of India, among others. Author Gerard Clarke was interviewed by Pat Kenny on Newstalk Radio.
Epigenetics may explain how Darwin’s finches respond to rapid environmental changes, according to new research published in BMC Evolutionary Biology. By studying rural and urban populations of two species of Darwin’s finches on the Galapagos Islands, researchers were able to show that there were substantial epigenetic differences that could be related to environmental differences resulting from urbanization. The research was covered by IFL Science in Canada and GenomeWeb in the US, where the press release was also syndicated by several outlets.
A computer program has been developed that is able to correctly identify depressed individuals from their social media photos 70% of the time, according to a study involving 166 users of a popular social media app, published in EPJ Data Science. The article generated significant global coverage, reaching countries across all continents. The research was covered by The Australian, O Globo in Brazil, IFL Science in Canada, Spiegel in Germany, Times of India, La Repubblica in Italy, El Mundo in Spain, The Independent in the UK, and The Boston Globe in the US, to name but a few.
A mobile learning app that uses game elements such as leaderboards and digital badges may have positive effects on student academic performance, engagement, and retention, according to a study published in International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.The research sparked the interest of the international media. In the US, it was covered by Associated Press which led to wide syndication of the story. It was also shared by Scimex in Australia, Business Standard in India and UKEdChat in the UK, among others.
New research has uncovered a potential new therapy for the currently untreatable delayed neuropathy caused by acute exposure to insecticides or chemical weapons that attack the nervous system. The study, published in Cell Discovery, identifies a new biological mechanism responsible for the neuropathy, as well as the drugs to treat it. The article generated some excellent coverage, particularly in China, where it was covered by China Daily, People’s Daily and Xinhua News Agency.
The most-read blog across the BMC blogs network in August received 5,639 views. In it, BMC Ecology editor Chris Foote shares the winning images of this year’s BMC Ecology Image Competition 2017. The selection of winners and highly commended images truly reflect the variety of research in progress in the field and they captured the imagination of the international media, appearing in The Guardian, The Sun and Daily Mail in the UK, IFL Science in Canada, and Smithsonian.com in the US.
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Tianjin, China, 10/12/2017
Orlando, United States, 10/13/2017
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San Antonio, United States, 9/26/2017
Best wishes,
The BMC Update Team
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