Oxford University Press (OUP) says it will help advance the field of medicine and healthcare by publishing open access journal Research Connections in early 2025.
The publisher says the primary focus of Research Connections will be to support the scientific community by publishing strong foundational research and important contributions to evidence-based medicine practice. The journal aims to improve global healthcare, increase understanding of diseases and conditions, and support developments in technology and treatments.
According OUP, 70% of its journals are published in partnership with learned societies, and Research Connections joins the 150+ fully open access journals published by OUP. The journal will be published in collaboration with many of OUP’s affiliated societies and associations, including the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Society for the Study of Reproduction, British Geriatrics Society, The European Renal Association, The Society of Occupational Medicine, the British Society of Immunology, The Medical Council on Alcohol, and British Occupational Hygiene Society, and journals including Health Affairs Scholar, continued the publisher.
OUP says key features of Research Connections include:
- Methodological rigour: Prioritizing the publication of methodologically sound papers over novelty, ensuring full transparency in the research process.
- Diverse content: Welcoming a variety of research types, including replication studies, negative results, and timely reviews.
- Inclusive scope: Bringing together a wide range of medical and healthcare research disciplines and clinical specialties.
- Fast publication: Providing authors with a swift route to publication without compromising on quality.
- Global accessibility: Allowing important research to be easily discovered, read, and reused worldwide.
- Commitment to diversity: Embracing and supporting diversity at all levels, from authors and reviewers to editorial board members and editors.
- Emphasizing reproducibility in research: Ensuring all research papers are replicable and include detailed methodologies, adhering to FAIR principles wherever possible.
Rhodri Jackson, director of Open Access Publishing and Strategy at OUP, said: “Our goal is to provide a platform for researchers from diverse backgrounds and specialties to ultimately contribute to the advancement of global healthcare. Research Connections embodies our commitment to open access, society publishing, and the dissemination of high-quality research.”
OUP says authors from a broad range of specialties are encouraged to submit their work to Research Connections in early 2025, where their research will be evaluated on relevance and quality.
Keep up-to-date with publishing news: sign up here for InPubWeekly, our free weekly e-newsletter.
