From the desk of Gunther Eysenbach, MD, MPH, FACMI, JMIR Publications Chief Executive Officer and Executive Editor
A Legacy of Pioneering Open Science
This week I had the pleasure of presenting Plan P, a groundbreaking new initiative from JMIR Publications, at the AGMB 2024 conference in Mainz, Germany. Plan P is set to revolutionize the way scientific research is published and shared.
Plan P: A New Paradigm for Open Access
Plan P is a unique "Blue Open Access" model that merges the strengths of Green and Gold Open Access, making research more transparent, accessible, and affordable. It addresses some of the key challenges faced by researchers today, particularly those in the early stages of their careers or with limited funding.
Key Features of Plan P
- Rapid Preprint Peer-Review: Plan P streamlines the peer-review process by facilitating the rapid evaluation of preprints, ensuring quality while accelerating the dissemination of research findings.
- Cost-Effective Publishing: The initiative offers subsidized peer review and publication fees, making publishing more affordable, especially for early-career researchers and students.
- Diamond Open Access: Plan P enables APC-free publication in Diamond Open Access journals, ensuring that research is freely available to everyone, without any barriers.
- Portable Peer Reviews: By allowing peer reviews to be reused across different journals, Plan P reduces redundancy and streamlines the publication process.
- Incentivizes Open Science Practices: Plan P actively encourages researchers to adopt best practices in Open Science, fostering a culture of transparency and collaboration.
How Plan P Works
- Researchers submit their preprints to platforms like medRxiv or bioRxiv.
- JMIR Publications identifies relevant preprints and offers the authors peer review.
- The peer-review process is conducted, either traditionally or through a Peer Review Community.
- Authors have the option to publish their peer-reviewed work in JMIRx overlay journals or other Plan P partner journals.
- The peer-reviewed preprints can also be archived in institutional repositories.
Benefits for the Research Community
Plan P brings a multitude of benefits to researchers and institutions alike:
- Reduced Publication Costs: The initiative significantly lowers the financial burden of publishing, particularly for those with limited funding.
- Accelerated Publication: The rapid preprint peer-review process allows for faster dissemination of research findings.
- Enhanced Visibility: Open Access publishing increases the visibility and potential impact of research.
- Support for Open Science: Plan P actively promotes and facilitates the adoption of Open Science practices.
Plan P is a testament to JMIR Publication's ongoing commitment to Open Science. It represents a significant step towards a more equitable and efficient research ecosystem where knowledge is shared openly and freely, benefiting the entire scientific community and society as a whole.
Interested in learning how you or your organization might be part of the open science movement and benefit from participation in Plan-P? Download the AGMB 2024 presentation slides on Plan-P and discover the path to open science and its benefits for you and your organization!
