BMC has an evolving portfolio of some 300 peer-reviewed journals, sharing discoveries from research communities in science, technology, engineering and medicine. In 1999 we made high quality research open to everyone who needed to access it – and in making the open access model sustainable, we changed the world of academic publishing.
We are committed to continual innovation in research publishing to better support the needs of our communities, ensuring the integrity of the research we publish and championing the benefits of open research for all.
We’re the pioneers of open access publishing
Twenty years ago, the world of scientific publishing was very different, with articles available primarily through a subscription model. At BMC, we sensed it was time to develop a new model that would not only maximize the exciting potential of emerging digital technologies, but also meet the needs of those who rely on our industry – authors, funders, libraries, and the wider academic community.
By introducing the immediate, or ‘gold’ open access model, we gave readers free and instant access, enabling faster discovery of the latest research. And this new approach placed authors firmly at the heart of the publishing process for the first time.
A new model for the future
The sustainable open access model that BMC pioneered soon became the industry standard. We make research free to access for everyone, everywhere. Our authors retain copyright of their work through a Creative Commons attribution license that clearly states how readers can copy, distribute, and use their attributed research, free of charge. All of which helps make articles available to the widest audience, and contributes to the furthering of research in ways that would have seemed impossible two decades ago.