Founded in 1857 as the Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift (DEZ), stands as one of the world’s oldest continuously published entomological journals. Throughout its 166-year history, DEZ has weathered significant challenges, navigating two world wars and internal societal divisions, consistently re-emerging to contribute to insect systematics.
In 2014, the journal transitioned to Open Access publishing under the auspices of Pensoft. Through this partnership, DEZ embraced a publishing model dedicated to transparency and global accessibility, making its content freely available to anyone, anywhere in the world.
As we celebrate 10 years of Open Access for the journals of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN), we look at some of the most interesting insect research published in the journal in the past decade.
Read our blog post celebrating 10 years of Open Access for all of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s journals here.
Caribbean pygmy jumping leaves
Published in 2023, one of DEZ’s most popular recent papers discusses the Caribbean pygmy jumping leaves, a tribe of pygmy grasshoppers called Choriphyllini. Their taxonomy has been historically confusing, with many unrelated but similar-looking tetrigids (pygmy grasshoppers) being grouped together. Authors Josip Skejo and Niko Kasalo call this group of leaf-resembling insects “a lovable mess,” referring to their confused taxonomy.
With common names such as “Jamaican Bitten Jumping Leaf” or “Old Cuban Dancing Leaf”, these insects are attractive to both researchers and laypeople.
Valalyllum folium, a member of the tribe Valalyllini, subfamily Cladonotinae.
“We can only guess what the future holds for these neglected animals,” the authors said, concluding their paper. Will we see another paper in DEZ dealing with pygmy jumping leaves?
Research paper: Skejo J, Yong S, Bogić D, Kasalo N (2023) Caribbean pygmy jumping leaves (Tetrigidae, Cladonotinae, Choriphyllini). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 70(1): 129-141. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.70.98982
Barcoding Taiwanese leaf litter beetles
Another important study published in DEZ focused on beetles found in Taiwan’s leaf litter. Researchers Martin Fikácek and Fang-Shuo Hu said that leaf litter is like an underwater coral reef, in that they support a huge amount of life that we don’t know much about. This is what motivated the Taiwanese Leaf Litter Beetles Barcoding project, a research effort aiming to create a DNA barcode library for the beetles that inhabit the forest floor in Taiwan.
As a rule, studying leaf litter beetles presents a number of challenges due to their vast numbers, diminutive size, and high endemism, but the DNA barcoding approach allows for faster, easier species identification. In their 2024 study in DEZ, the researchers reported the publication of 953 DNA barcodes of forest leaf litter beetles from central Taiwan, in total representing 334 species of 36 beetle families.
Research paper: Hu F-S, Arriaga-Varela E, Biffi G, Bocák L, Bulirsch P, Damaška AF, Frisch J, Hájek J, Hlaváč P, Ho B-H, Ho Y-H, Hsiao Y, Jelínek J, Klimaszewski J, Kundrata R, Löbl I, Makranczy G, Matsumoto K, Phang G-J, Ruzzier E, Schülke M, Švec Z, Telnov D, Tseng W-Z, Yeh L-W, Le M-H, Fikáček M (2024) Forest leaf litter beetles of Taiwan: first DNA barcodes and first insight into the fauna. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 71(1): 17-47. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.71.112278
Revising Tropopterus
Tropopterus spp.
Having received more than 33,000 views, the paper titled “Revision of Tropopterus Solier: A disjunct South American component of the Australo-Pacific Moriomorphini (Coleoptera, Carabidae)” is the most popular DEZ article of the last decade.
Sole author Dr James K. Liebherr of Cornell University has published numerous important papers on beetle taxonomy in the journal, garnering close to 100,000 total views.
Research paper: Liebherr JK (2019) Revision of Tropopterus Solier: A disjunct South American component of the Australo-Pacific Moriomorphini (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 66(2): 147-177. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.66.38022
–
In these ten years of Open Access, DEZ has published 155 articles, contributing to the advancement of open entomology. As we look forward, we hope for a bright future for Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift that reflects its rich and inspiring history.
Don’t forget to follow DEZ on X and Facebook, and subscribe for its newsletter from the journal’s website!
Follow the #openaccess_mfnberlin hashtag on X (formerly Twitter) to join the conversation around the anniversary!
Established as Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Geowissenschaftliche Reihe in 1998, the journal welcomed its 25th birthday last year, and today celebrates ten years of Open Access (OA) publishing. Unlike its sister journals, Fossil Record did not immediately partner with Pensoft upon its transition to OA. However, in 2022, following eight years of successful collaboration, Pensoft began publishing the journal on behalf of MfN.
In this blog post, we take a look back at some of the research that has defined Fossil Record’s Open Access era.
Read our blog post celebrating 10 years of Open Access for all of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s journals here.
The geologically oldest specimen of Pterodactylus
Pterodactylus antiquus from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Torleite Formation of Painten. Credit: Augustin et al.
One of Fossil Record’s most popular recent articles is “The geologically oldest specimen of Pterodactylus: a new exquisitely preserved skeleton from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Plattenkalk deposits of Painten (Bavaria, Germany).”
Published in November 2022, the paper has garnered more than 6,500 views, attracting significant news and social media attention. The exceptional imagery in the article emphasises Fossil Record’s commitment to optimal research presentation.
Research paper: Augustin FJ, Kampouridis P, Hartung J, Albersdörfer R, Matzke AT (2022) The geologically oldest specimen of Pterodactylus: a new exquisitely preserved skeleton from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Plattenkalk deposits of Painten (Bavaria, Germany). Fossil Record 25(2): 331-343. https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.25.90692
Ornithischian dinosaurs in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia map showing the distribution of Jurassic–Cretaceous non-marine sediments in Southeast Asia. Credit: Manitkoon et al.
The 2023 paper “Ornithischian dinosaurs in Southeast Asia: a review with palaeobiogeographic implications” provides an example of major interest within the scientific community.
With thousands of views and multiple citations, the study illustrates the diversity of ornithischian assemblages in Southeast Asia, providing an updated review and a discussion about their palaeobiogeographic implications.
Research paper: Manitkoon S, Deesri U, Warapeang P, Nonsrirach T, Chanthasit P (2023) Ornithischian dinosaurs in Southeast Asia: a review with palaeobiogeographic implications. Fossil Record 26(1): 1-25. https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.26.e93456
The fossil history of pseudoscorpions
Progonatemnus succineus preserved in amber. Credit: Yamamoto et al.
The most cited paper published in Fossil Record’s Open Access era is “The fossil history of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)” from 2017.
The paper reviews the sparse fossil record of pseudoscorpions, tiny arachnids first documented 390 million years ago. Most fossils are suspended in amber, preserving the specimens remarkably well.
Research paper: Harms D, Dunlop JA (2017) The fossil history of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones). Fossil Record 20(2): 215-238. https://doi.org/10.5194/fr-20-215-2017
First ship-timber beetle fossils from Eocene Rovno amber
Raractocetus sverlilo preserved in amber. Credit: Yamamoto et al.
With 21 citations, the 2022 paper “First fossil species of ship-timber beetles (Coleoptera, Lymexylidae) from Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine)” is a great example of a highly cited recent paper.
Asked about the success of his team’s research, corresponding author of the paper Evgeny Perkovsky said: “finding this beetle in the Eocene of Ukraine indicates a very specific fossil climate, which explains a high visibility of the paper.”
Research paper: Yamamoto S, Nazarenko VYu, Vasilenko DV, Perkovsky EE (2022) First fossil species of ship-timber beetles (Coleoptera, Lymexylidae) from Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine). Fossil Record 25(1): 65-74. https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.25.81054
The “accidentally discovered” ancient shark
The study attracted significant media attention.
Perhaps the most sensational publication in Fossil Record came when palaeontologist Jun Ebersole stumbled upon a 100-year-old box of teeth at the Geological Survey in Alabama, USA, which led to the discovery of a ‘new’ ancient shark species.
“A new species of Palaeohypotodus Glückman, 1964 (Chondrichthyes, Lamniformes) from the lower Paleocene (Danian) Porters Creek Formation, Wilcox County, Alabama, USA” was published in 2024 and attracted significant public and scientific attention.
Describing the study, T. Lynn Harrell Jr., one of the authors said: “this time period is understudied, which makes the discovery of this new shark species that much more significant.
“Shark discoveries like this one give us tremendous insights into how ocean life recovers after major extinction events and also allows us to potentially forecast how global events, like climate change, affect marine life today.”
Research paper: Ebersole JA, Cicimurri DJ, Harrell Jr. TL (2024) A new species of Palaeohypotodus Glickman, 1964 (Chondrichthyes, Lamniformes) from the lower Paleocene (Danian) Porters Creek Formation, Wilcox County, Alabama, USA. Fossil Record 27(1): 111-134. https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.27.e112800
– As Fossil Record celebrates ten years of Open Access publishing, the future looks bright. Going forward, the journal hopes to expand the reach and impact of open-access palaeontology, connecting with both the scientific community and layman enthusiasts, and bringing exciting discoveries to all.
–
Don’t forget to follow Fossil Record on X and Facebook, and subscribe for its newsletter from the journal’s website!
Follow the #openaccess_mfnberlin hashtag on X (formerly Twitter) to join the conversation around the anniversary!
For a journal with more than 125 years of history, a single decade may seem like a mere drop in the ocean. However, the last ten years have been significant for Zoosystematics and Evolution (ZSE) as they have seen the historic Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) journal transition to an open-access publishing model.
Established in 1898 as Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin Zoologische Reihe, ZSE is one of the oldest zoological journals in Europe. But far from falling behind the times, the journal partnered with Pensoft in 2014 to make their research available and free to all. The move marked the beginning of a new era, enhancing the journal’s global reach, accessibility, and influence.
Here we take a look back and celebrate some of the publications that have defined Zoosystematics and Evolution’s decade of Open Access with Pensoft.
Read our blog post celebrating 10 years of Open Access for all of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s journals here.
Salazar’s pit viper
Salazar’s pit viper (Trimeresurus Salazar). Photo by Zeeshan A. Mirza.
ZSE’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 at the time of writing.
Published in 2020, the article drew major mainstream attention due to the scientific name of the new species, Trimeresurus salazar, which was inspired by Salazar Slytherin of the Harry Potter franchise.
Spectacular pictures of the species accompanies the article, undoubtedly contributing to the success of the Indian researchers’ publication.
On his decision to publish with ZSE, lead author Zeeshan Mirza of the Max Planck Institute for Biology Department of Integrative Evolutionary Biology said: “Zoosystematics and Evolution is a reputed journal of the Museum Für Naturkunde, and I was happy that my work was published in it. I like the simple and excellent layout and the smooth experience throughout the article’s publication process.”
Research paper: Mirza ZA, Bhosale HS, Phansalkar PU, Sawant M, Gowande GG, Patel H (2020) A new species of green pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Viperidae) from western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 123-138. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.96.48431
Losing a medical leech
Two adult, free-living H. medicinalis in the process of sucking blood from an edible frog (Rana esculenta L.). Credit: Kutschera et al.
One of the first articles published by Pensoft on behalf of MfN was an exploration of the morphology and occurrence of the European medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis.
Now, ten years since its publication, the 2014 article has garnered almost 30,000 views, cementing it as a major research paper for the journal.
Research paper: Kutschera U, Elliott J (2014) The European medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis L.: Morphology and occurrence of an endangered species. Zoosystematics and Evolution 90(2): 271-280. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.90.8715
Explaining image editing for scientific publications
It is no surprise that the ‘Guide to image editing and production of figures for scientific publications with an emphasis on taxonomy’ by Marcus Bevilaqua of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, is one of ZSE’s most viewed publications with almost 30,000 views.
Photoshop workspace screenshot used in the research paper. Credit: Marcus Bevilaqua.
A fantastic resource for researchers, the guide published in 2020 focuses on digital photo editing and the production of figures using Adobe Photoshop to produce publication-quality figures for scientific publications.
“One picture is worth ten thousand words”, and Zoosystematics and Evolution presents a guide to image editing and production of figures for scientific publications with an emphasis on #taxonomy.
— Zoosystematics and Evolution (@Zoosyst_Evo) May 5, 2020
Research paper: Bevilaqua M (2020) Guide to image editing and production of figures for scientific publications with an emphasis on taxonomy. Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 139-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.96.49225
A new catfish genus
The most cited research published in ZSE is the 2018 article, ‘Multigene analysis of the catfish genus Trichomycterus and description of a new South American trichomycterine genus (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae)’.
Cambeva davisi, topotype. Photo by A. M. Katz.
With 59 citations, the paper is an important analysis of an elusive genus that has attracted wide attention from fellow researchers.
Scite.ai is one of the tools ZSE uses to dynamically track usage of its papers in real time. Find more about the integration here and see the paper’s metrics to date.
Asked about the success of the paper, lead author Axel Makay Katz of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro said: “I believe that since it is one of the first attempts to organise a taxonomically challenging genus, many authors see that as a big step in solving a problematic genus.”
Research paper: Katz AM, Barbosa MA, de Oliveira Mattos JL, da Costa WJE (2018) Multigene analysis of the catfish genus Trichomycterus and description of a new South American trichomycterine genus (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae). Zoosystematics and Evolution 94(2): 557-566. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.94.29872
A ‘cute but deadly’ discovery
Recent years have seen an influx of media attention for research published in ZSE. A fantastic recent example of this came when a newly discovered velvet worm species was published in the journal.
More than 20 years in the making, the 2024 discovery represented the first study of Ecuadorian velvet worms for over 100 years. The cute appearance and fascinating behaviour of the species attracted plenty of attention from news outlets and social media users.
Describing the study, Diego Cisneros-Heredia, one of the authors and director of the USFQ Museum of Zoology, Ecuador said: “The research on this new species took several decades. I discovered the first individual of this new species in 2001, and we finally managed to describe it as part of Jorge Montalvo’s graduation thesis.
“To complete the description, we used not only macromorphological descriptions but also high-magnification images obtained with a scanning electron microscope.”
Research paper: Montalvo-Salazar JL, Bejarano ML, Valarezo A, Cisneros-Heredia DF (2024) A new species of velvet worm of the genus Oroperipatus (Onychophora, Peripatidae) from western Amazonia. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(3): 779-789. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.117952
The League of Legends crab
While this crab discovered in coral reefs of the South China Sea may seem unassuming, it gained hundreds of thousands of views, likes and shares when it was published just a few months ago.
In a perfect example of the global reach of open-access publishing, the paper was shared extensively on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, and even resulted in Riot Games sending the lead author a goodie bag!
Research paper: Yuan Z-M, Jiang W, Sha Z-L (2024) Morphological and molecular evidence for Gothus teemo gen. et sp. nov., a new xanthid crab (Crustacea, Brachyura, Xanthoidea) from coral reefs in the South China Sea, with a review of the taxonomy of Actaeodes consobrinus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867). Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(3): 965-987. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.117859
–
Much of the popularity and success of these articles can be attributed to Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s decision to move their journal to an open-access publishing model with Pensoft. By making research available to all, the potential reach of research increases exponentially, allowing for greater accessibility and collaboration.
As we celebrate a decade of partnership between Pensoft and Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, we look forward to many more years of Open Access!
–
Don’t forget to follow ZSE on X and Facebook, and subscribe for its newsletter from the journal’s website!
Follow the #openaccess_mfnberlin hashtag on X (formerly Twitter) to join the conversation around the anniversary!
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 first Open Access issue of ZSE, published by Pensoft.
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.
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:
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.
Top nationalities who have published in ZSE since 2014.
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 first DEZ issue published by Pensoft.
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.
A recent DEZ issue.
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.
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.
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.
Top nationalities who have published in DEZ since 2014.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Top nationalities who have published in Fossil Record since 2014.
Baring bones
Fossil Record’s Open Access model promotes the sharing of and engagement with interesting research featured in the journal.
Using platforms such as Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram, the journal promotes attractive and important research to professionals and enthusiasts alike.
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!
Having been publishing its historically renowned Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift and Zoosystematics and Evolution in partnership with Pensoft since 2014, the Museum extends the collaboration by moving a third signature journal
Launched in 1998 under the name Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Geowissenschaftliche Reihe, Fossil Record is the Natural History Museum of Berlin’s palaeontological journal. Published in two issues a year, the open-access scientific outlet covers research from all areas of palaeontology, including the taxonomy and systematics of fossil organisms, biostratigraphy, palaeoecology, and evolution. It deals with all taxonomic groups, including invertebrates, microfossils, plants, and vertebrates.
Following its move to ARPHA, Fossil Record is to utilise the whole package of ARPHA Platform’s services, including its fast-track, end-to-end publishing module, designed to appeal to readers, authors, reviewers and editors alike.
With ARPHA, each submitted manuscript is carried through the review, editing, publication, dissemination and archiving stages without leaving the platform’s collaboration-centred online environment. The articles are made available in PDF and machine-readable JATS XML formats, as well as semantically enriched HTML for better and mobile-friendly reader experience.
As a result, the journal’s articles are as easy to discover, access, reuse and cite as possible. Once published, the content is indexed and archived instantaneously and its underlying data exported to relevant specialised databases. Simultaneously, a suite of various metrics is enabled to facilitate tracking the usage of articles and sub-article elements, such as figures and tables.
“We have deeply enjoyed our collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Berlin for the past seven years that started with two great journals moving to our scholarly portfolio and advanced open access. Now, I am delighted to strengthen this wonderful partnership by welcoming Fossil Record and its fantastic editorial team to the families of ARPHA and Pensoft. I am certain that together we will not only repeat the success we had with DEZ and ZSE, but will actually build on it,”
says Prof. Dr Lyubomir Penev, founder and CEO at ARPHA and Pensoft.
About the Natural History Museum of Berlin:
The “Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science” is an integrated research museum within the Leibniz Association. It is one of the most important research institutions worldwide in the areas of biological and geological evolution and biodiversity.
The Museum’s mission is to discover and describe life and earth – with people, through dialogue. As an excellent research museum and innovative communication platform, it wants to engage with and influence the scientific and societal discourse about the future of our planet, worldwide. Its vision, strategy and structure make the museum an excellent research museum. The Natural History Museum of Berlin has research partners in Berlin, Germany and approximately 60 other countries. Over 700,000 visitors per year as well as steadily increasing participation in educational and other events show that the Museum has become an innovative communication centre that helps shape the scientific and social dialogue about the future of our earth.
Near the closure of an extremely successful year at Pensoft, we’re pleased to be part of yet another great celebration – the 160th anniversary of the Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift (DEZ) journal.
Being the third oldest of world’s currently existing entomological periodicals, the Museum für Naturkunde’s historical journal has never ceased to progressively make a difference in the world of systematic entomology, as well as science in general.
Originally founded in the distant 1857 under the name of Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift by the young and dedicated visionary Ernst Gustav Kraatz and the Berliner Entomologischer Verein (BEV) society, the journal was intended to turn into the publishing platform of the soon to be established German Entomological Society (Deutsche Entomologische Gesellschaft).
The journal managed to overcome a number of perils, which dominated the first fifty years of its existence. Those included two world wars, splitting of the society and personal controversies. Nevertheless, the title was only to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. In retrospect, the journal has published the astonishing total of 22,613 species new to science.
Most of the credit to all those glorious defeats goes to the Kraatz, who promoted a number of nomenclature rules and practices in entomology that scientists abide by to this day.
Amongst the latest steps in building DEZ’s excellent and solid reputation was joining the ranks of openly accessible academic titles when it moved to Pensoft – a scholarly publisher well-known for its dedication to transparent and easily discoverable open science.
In an era, where specimens were commonly kept in personal collections and curators could deny or allow access to material at their sole discretion, Kraatz was already a fervent proponent of inclusive and facilitated access to knowledge. It was his desire to help any entomology aficionado that made him plan and eventually establish the Entomological National Museum to bring together the collections and libraries of all German entomologists. The institution is still standing today under the name of DEI – Deutsches Entomologisches Institut.
“It would have certainly pleased Gustav Kraatz that since the transfer of the DEZ to open access with Pensoft in 2014 all articles are freely accessible to anyone anywhere in the world, likewise facilitating the access to knowledge,” says the journal’s Editor-in-Chief Dr. Dominique Zimmermann.
“Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift is the journal I’ve grown up with as entomologist some 30 years ago,” adds Prof. Lyubomir Penev, Pensoft’s founder and CEO. “At that time it was published in East Germany, hence it was easy to access, read and publish with if you were an Eastern European scientist. It’s delightful for me to be part of this iconic title’s journey on the road to next-generation technology, innovation and openness.”
At Pensoft, we would like to congratulate all editors, authors and reviewers of DEZ for yet another conquered milestone and express our deepest gratitude for sharing this marvelous achievement with us.
We are looking forward to many more decades of disseminating the finest of entomological research with the world!
A special Editorial was recently published in DEZ to celebrate the anniversary and conclude the journal for 2017.
