The AAP welcomes a sixth journal to its roster this fall, and John Patrick T. Co, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FAAP, believes Pediatrics Open Science will be an essential source as pediatricians scan the latest available research.
“This is all about child health, and everything you see, you can readily access. So you’re going to know that it’s focused on the population you want and that you can get the information that you want,” said Dr. Co, editor-in-chief of Pediatrics Open Science.
Every article published in Pediatrics Open Science will be available to read, download and share for free. It’s the Academy’s first gold open access journal, and it’s supported by authors and/or funders paying an article publishing charge — a charge that will be waived until the end of 2024.
Pediatrics Open Science is now accepting submissions at https://submit-pedsos.aappublications.org. Weekly online publication is scheduled to begin late fall.
The new journal joins a lineup that already includes Hospital Pediatrics, Pediatrics in Review, NeoReviews and AAP Grand Rounds. The Academy’s flagship journal, Pediatrics, will continue to be the home for AAP policy statements and technical and clinical reports, including original research and many section feature articles.
“The AAP has done a fine job already with the current family of journals, and they have a lot of credibility internationally for child health,” said Dr. Co, who believes that credibility will help the journal attain global reach. ”It’s a great intersection,” he said.
Dr. Co, vice president of graduate medical education at Mass General Brigham in Boston, said the goal of the journal is to publish high-quality, peer-reviewed research to help improve child health worldwide. “Kids have different needs, and this includes for things like education, health delivery and trials. So it’s important to have journals that are for pediatrics only,” he said.
AAP CEO/Executive Vice President Mark Del Monte, J.D., calls Pediatrics Open Science a “stellar” addition to the AAP’s resources. “Now, more than ever, we have a responsibility to share credible, scientific research that improves children’s lives,” he said.