Bioimpacts, 10(4), 207-208; DOI:10.34172/bi.2020.26

Editorial

BioImpacts: An emerging global journal

Roghaiyeh Ilghami¹, Hafez Mohammadhasanzadeh¹, Jaleh Barar^1,2, Mohammad A. Rafi^3,*

*Corresponding author: Mohammad A. Rafi, Email: mohammad.rafi@jefferson.edu

It was an exciting year for BioImpacts ! In January, Clarivate Analytics announced that it will cover BioImpacts in its academic products and services. In July 2020, the Journal Citation Report determined BioImpacts ’ impact factor to be 3.475.¹ Such acknowledgment reflects the high quality of articles published in BioImpacts and the inclusive vision of the journal’s founder and managing team. Founded in 2011, the journal has functioned as an international platform to share and build upon the scientific developments globally.^2-4 After nearly a decade, BioImpacts ranks the number one among 180 Iranian journals, with a CiteScore of 5.1.⁵

BioImpacts began with the work of accomplished authors who were invited to submit their papers via email. These authors shared the ambitious vision of the BioImpacts staff and wished to see the journal flourish. In addition to receiving these submissions, BioImpacts assembled a team of editors with the proclivity to establish a world-class journal and a user-friendly, fully functional, and efficient platform. Eventually, these very deeply involved editors worked on establishing a de novo submission system (https://bi.tbzmed.ac.ir/Login), with the help of a private company. The system has now attracted the attention of some very well-known scientists. The journal has gradually become globally recognized as a reputable platform and enjoys a great number of submissions, which are, in turn, considered based on their quality and originality.

Typically, high-level academic journals need to charge authors a publishing fee to cover their expenses and maintain the quality of their scientific publications. Commercialization of the publishing business for personal interest has also emerged as a disturbing trend in recent years. However, thanks to the financial support of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran, BioImpacts is able to focus on publication quality and the delivery of valuable scientific services. Publication in BioImpacts remains free of charge for all authors. Aside from this advantage, BioImpacts provides additional free benefits that would otherwise cost the authors significant amounts in overhead. Language editing services and technical enhancements are just some of these benefits.

As a multidisciplinary journal that covers all aspects of pharmaceutical and biomedical research (at molecular, cellular, functional, and translational dimensions), BioImpacts publishes cutting edge research articles in myriad areas, as well as analyses of internationally published articles (i.e., research articles, reviews, editorials, letters, prospectives, highlights, notes, commentaries, methodologies, etc.) with an acceptance rate of around 30%.

The success of BioImpacts is the result of both the inclusive approach of the journal’s managing team and the contribution of high-level authors from around the world. A glance at any issue of the journal reveals a diversity of nationalities among contributing authors. This is critical for the journal’s visibility, as well as a high number of citations. Furthermore, the aim and scope of the journal are distinct from other existing journals. Each published paper has a DOI and CrossMark with all the metrics (Dimensions, Altmetrics, etc.) and statistics in place. Starting in 2021, the number of journal issues will increase from quarterly (4 issues per year) to bi-monthly (6 issues per year). This promises to be another positive step towards establishing BioImpacts’ position as a leading journal at the forefront of pharmaceutical and medical research.