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By adopting Open Access in 2014, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) took an important step towards ensuring the research published in its journals can reach scientists, members of the public, and key decision-makers across borders.
Beginning with the two oldest journals, Zoosystematics and Evolution (ZSE) and Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift (DEZ), Pensoft began publishing research on behalf of MfN a decade ago, utilising professional expertise and the cutting-edge digital publishing tools of the ARPHA platform to increase the visibility and engagement of the journals.
Now, ten years and another journal later, Pensoft and MfN celebrate a decade of Open Access collaboration and look back on many years of success.
Zoosystematics and Evolution
Zoosystematics and Evolution (ZSE) holds a prestigious place in the history of zoological science. Established in 1898 as Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin Zoologische Reihe, it is one of the oldest zoological journals in Europe and continues to publish exciting research to this day led by Editor-in-Chief Dr Thomas von Rintelen.
The journal’s 2014 transition to an open-access (OA) model under the publishing expertise of Pensoft marked the beginning of a new era, enhancing its global reach, accessibility, and influence.
A recent issue of ZSE, published by Pensoft.
Over the years, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, has covered entire article processing charges (APCs) for authors under specific terms. This support has lowered the barrier to publication for many researchers, particularly those from institutions or regions with limited funding, thus fostering a more inclusive and diverse authorship.
A decade of progress
The transition of Zoosystematics and Evolution to Open Access has increased the journal’s visibility and impact. The number of views and the level of publicity have surged, demonstrating the success of the move. The following graphs display how article submissions, publications and views have increased over the past decade:
Several standout papers have been published since the transition. The journal’s most popular article, “A new species of green pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Viperidae) from western Arunachal Pradesh, India” has been viewed more than 47,000 times.
Two other highly popular articles, “The European medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis L.: Morphology and occurrence of an endangered species” and “Guide to image editing and production of figures for scientific publications with an emphasis on taxonomy”, have each garnered around 29,000 views.
The most cited article in the journal’s recent history, “Multigene analysis of the catfish genus Trichomycterus and description of a new South American trichomycterine genus (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae)” has accumulated 58 citations.
Finally, growth in journal’s citation count and Clarivate Impact Factor reflect the progress that has been made in the past decade:
An international community
Over the past decade, ZSE has increasingly attracted contributions from a global pool of researchers, reflecting the journal’s expanding international reputation.
Leading the pack of the journal’s most prolific authors is Wilson Costa, who has authored 16 papers, followed by Axel Katz, Frank Glaw, Mark-Oliver Rödel, and Davut Turan, each with 11 papers.
The journal’s editorial and review processes have also seen robust participation. Nicholas Hubert stands out as the most active editor, having handled 71 papers, with other prominent editors like Danilo Harms and Matthias Glaubrecht contributing significantly. The review process has been equally supported by dedicated reviewers such as Donald Taphorn and Felipe Ottoni, ensuring the maintenance of high academic standards.
Public engagement
The journal’s shift to Open Access has not only increased its academic reach but also its presence in news and social media. Since the journal moved to an OA model, numerous studies have attracted stories from major news publications such as the BBC and the Guardian.
ZSE has effectively utilised platforms like Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram to engage with a broader audience, including scientists, the general public, and unlikely collaborations like this recent post from Riot Games.
Both social media and traditional media mentions of the journal continue to rise as can be seen in the graph below:
Looking ahead
As ZSE celebrates a decade of Open Access with Pensoft, the journal stands as a testament to the power of making scientific knowledge freely accessible. The past ten years have seen ZSE not only maintain its historic legacy, but adapt and thrive in the digital age. Moving forward, the journal is poised to continue its mission of advancing zoological science, supported by a growing international community of authors, editors, and readers.
“Zoosystematics and Evolution has come a long way since becoming an Open Access journal, transforming from a journal with a significant in-house focus, both regarding authors and the editorial board, to being highly diverse in both respects. Increasingly, the amazing increase in taxonomic expertise in the regions where it is most needed is reflected in the origin of those publishing their research in the journal.
“I am glad and thankful for having been part of this transformation over the last five years and I as well as the whole editorial team are looking forward to further strengthen ZSE’s role as a sought-after platform for making taxonomic and systematic research freely available and visible over the next decade.”
Thomas von Rintelen, Editor-in-Chief.
Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift
Founded in 1857 as Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift (DEZ) is one of the world’s oldest international journals in systematic entomology. Published by Pensoft on behalf of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, it aims to advance understanding of the systematics and biology of insects. Since June 2023, the journal has been led by Editor-In-Chief Dr Matthias Seidel.
In 2014, in its 157th publishing year, the journal transitioned to an open-access (OA) model under the publishing expertise of Pensoft, thanks to which “the journal has opened up to scientists from all over the world employing the wide range of tools offered by the Pensoft platform,” as stated by Dr Dominique Zimmermann, the journal’s former Editor-in-Chief.
The move to OA aligned with the journal’s long-standing commitment to fostering knowledge sharing and accessibility, going all the way back to DEZ’s founder, Ernst Gustav Kraatz, who was a fervent proponent of inclusive and facilitated access to knowledge.
The partnership with Pensoft also provided next-generation technology and innovative tools for enhancing DEZ’s discoverability and reach.
The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin generously supports the publication of 300 pages in DEZ each year, meaning dozens of entomologists get to publish in the prestigious outlet for free. This policy offers extra support to authors from underfunded institutions or regions, and in general makes for a more diverse and inclusive range of contributors.
10 years together
The transition of DEZ to Open Access has increased the journal’s visibility and impact. There has been a notable rise in both viewership and overall exposure, highlighting the effectiveness of this change. The graphs below illustrate the growth in article submissions, publications, and views over the past ten years.
A reflection of this increase in visibility, the most popular DEZ article in this past 10 years is “Revision of Tropopterus Solier: A disjunct South American component of the Australo-Pacific Moriomorphini (Coleoptera, Carabidae)”, with over 33,000 views on the journal’s website.
Right behind it, with just under 33,000 views, is the book review of “Insect morphology and phylogeny” by the journal’s then-Editor-in-Chief Dominique Zimmermann and subject editor Susanne Randolf.
The third most viewed article is “Cladistic classification of Mecyclothorax Sharp (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) and taxonomic revision of the New Caledonian subgenus Phacothorax Jeannel” with almost 24,000 views.
The most cited article in the journal’s recent history, “A revolutionary protocol to describe understudied hyperdiverse taxa and overcome the taxonomic impediment” has accumulated 50 citations.
Since 2014, the journal’s Impact Factor has more than doubled, standing at 1.3 and making DEZ very attractive to amateur and academic entomologists.
Going global
Over the last ten years, DEZ has drawn more submissions from researchers worldwide, highlighting the journal’s growing recognition on an international scale.
The journal’s most productive author since 2014 is Ulrike Aspöck, who has authored nine papers. Her husband Horst Aspöck has authored eight, and Andrew Liston has authored seven.
DEZ’s scientific community also engages strongly with the journal’s editorial and review processes, contributing their expertise and insights to ensure the publication of high-quality peer-reviewed research. Dominique Zimmermann, with 52 manuscripts, is the most prolific editor, while Susanne Randolf is the most active reviewer, with 8 reviewed manuscripts.
Connecting with insect lovers
The journal’s transition to an Open Access model has expanded its visibility beyond academic reach. For the past 10 years, there have been 2,300 mentions of DEZ articles in mainstream and social media.
Mentions of Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift in both social and traditional media have been steadily increasing since it opened the access to its articles.
DEZ constantly reaches out to researchers and the wider community, maintaining a presence on social media platforms such as Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram, in an effort to highlight the importance of taxonomic research.
Eyes on the future
DEZ’s transition to an Open Access model under Pensoft in 2014 marked a significant milestone in its commitment to open science principles and knowledge dissemination. Going forward, DEZ aspires to continue upholding its high editorial standards, promoting rigorous research, and facilitating scientific exchange on a global scale. By embracing innovative technology, DEZ aims to remain a leading scholarly outlet for entomological research, fostering collaboration, transparency, and accessibility.
Fossil Record
The youngest of MfN’s journals, Fossil Record was founded in 1998 under the name Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Geowissenschaftliche Reihe. The palaeontological journal, now led by Editor-in-Chief Florian Witzmann, followed ZSE and DEZ in 2022 by partnering with Pensoft in an open-access collaboration.
The publication of articles in Fossil Record is generously supported by funding from the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, who cover all article processing charges until their yearly budget is exhausted.
A new era
Since Fossil Record’s move to OA, the journal has enjoyed an increase in submissions, publicity and research impact.
A number of important papers have been published in the last decade, including “The geologically oldest specimen of Pterodactylus: a new exquisitely preserved skeleton from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Plattenkalk deposits of Painten (Bavaria, Germany).” The extraordinary imagery featured in the research paper attracted major interest from scientists and the public alike.
Other interesting papers such as, “Ornithischian dinosaurs in Southeast Asia: a review with palaeobiogeographic implications” and “Fossil assemblage from the Khok Pha Suam locality of northeastern, Thailand: an overview of vertebrate diversity from the Early Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation (Aptian-Albian),” saw significant attention from the scientific community.
Fossil Record’s most cited paper, “The fossil history of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)” from 2017 has 42 citations, and a 2022 paper, “First fossil species of ship-timber beetles (Coleoptera, Lymexylidae) from Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine)” has accumulated 21 citations in just two years.
Like all of MfN’s journals, Fossil Record boasts a wealth of international authors and actively encourages researchers from underrepresented nations to consider them for publication.
Baring bones
Fossil Record’s Open Access model promotes the sharing of and engagement with interesting research featured in the journal.
Published in 2024, “A new species of Palaeohypotodus Glückman, 1964 (Chondrichthyes, Lamniformes) from the lower Paleocene (Danian) Porters Creek Formation, Wilcox County, Alabama, USA” was particularly successful in this regard, eliciting stories from The Independent and other major news sites.
Using platforms such as Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram, the journal promotes attractive and important research to professionals and enthusiasts alike.
Fossil Record’s future
Fossil Record’s 2014 transition to Open Access reinforced the journal’s dedication to open science. Looking ahead, the journal is committed to maintaining its high editorial standards, encouraging robust research, and enhancing global scientific communication. By adopting cutting-edge technologies, Fossil Record seeks to remain a premier platform for paleontological studies, promoting collaboration, transparency, and greater accessibility.
“On the 10th anniversary of the Fossil Record’s Open Access, it is clear that the path we have taken has been a great success. Fossil Record is a firmly established name among the best palaeontological journals and is attracting more and more authors and readers from all parts of the world. It is to be hoped that the journal will continue on this path in the future and remain a guarantor of high scientific standards and free access to scientific knowledge.”
Florian Witzmann, Editor-in-Chief
The decade ahead
In celebrating a decade of Open Access partnership between Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and Pensoft, the success of this collaboration is evident across the three journals.
Over the past ten years, the Open Access model has significantly increased the visibility, accessibility, and impact of research, fostering a more inclusive and international scientific community. As these journals continue to thrive, they remain committed to advancing knowledge sharing, scientific integrity, and global collaboration, ensuring a bright future for open-access publishing in their fields.
“We are proud to commit to the advancement of biodiversity research by providing open access to our journals. We believe that freely available scientific knowledge is crucial for fulfilling our vision to develop an open knowledge infrastructure for nature that promotes multi-perspective thinking and action. This includes awareness-raising work, infrastructure and services provision for researchers as central tasks of the Coordination Office for Scientific Publishing. I would like to thank Stefanie Paß and Clara Schindler from the Coordination Office, who work with great commitment and passion to promote open access and advance the journals as a research-oriented service that will be expanded even further in the future in order to extend its impact.”
Dr Frederik Berger, Head of Service & Impact Collection Future, MfN
“Back in 2014, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin became the first natural history institution to trust us with the publication of its very own journals as they moved to Open Access. Needless to say, as an open-access-born publisher whose roots lie in the science of natural history, this was a great honour, and we are delighted with its flourishing ever since. As much as we enjoy reflecting on what we have achieved together, we already have our eyes set on building on our partnership and sharing lots of novel discoveries and quality research with the wide world!”
Prof Dr Lyubomir Penev, founder and CEO of Pensoft.
Follow the #openaccess_mfnberlin hashtag on X (formerly Twitter) to join the conversation around the anniversary!