Submitting a Manuscript

What journals does Libertas publish and what types of articles do they contain?

Libertas publishes a range of scientific, technical and medical journals.  We accept submissions in a range of categories:

Case Report
Case Reports are generally submitted to medical journals and present interesting or unusual examples of disease, side effects, symptoms, treatments, pathogenesis, or unusual circumstances in medicine and healthcare. Articles can be accompanied by pictures if necessary (these require informed patient consent to publish) and should contribute to the existing literature on the condition they report on. Articles must present out of the ordinary cases.

Commentary
Commentaries discuss the findings, implications, and/or outcomes of specific research or wider research on a general topic. They elaborate on or offer original ideas about a specific paper or a widely-researched subject.  Commentaries differ from reviews in that they present the author’s original ideas and suggestions instead of only collating and reporting the previous research.

Concise Review
These are similar to a review, but less elaborate and often sum up several studies in a more concise manner for easier reading and reference.

Debate
These are published in response to another paper often presenting differing opinions.
Debates may present arguments which are not based on practical or original research. Sociological and ethical aspects of subjects can be debated, provided they are within the journal aims and scope.

Dedication
Dedications are to colleagues or notable researchers in a specific field who have recently passed away.

Editorial
Written by the editor in chief or associate editor of a journal, this communication is designed to inform readers of changes concerning the journal, or to introduce new ideas relevant to the journal.

Expert Review
These are similar to a review but are invited and are generally written by an opinion leader in the area.

Letter to the Editor
Letters to the editor can be submitted on any topic relevant to the journal and are usually in response to an article published in the journal. They can suggest new subjects to be incorporated by the journal or commend and review papers published in the journal.  Authors considering submission of a letter should contact the publisher or editor in chief first. 

Meeting Report
Articles report on a meeting with specific relevance to the journal it is submitted to. Meetings can be international or national conferences or institutional seminars for example.

Methodology
Methodology articles explain a new methodology or an improvement in existing methodologies in therapeutics techniques or medical procedures.

Opinion
A short, opinionated response to an article published in the journal it is submitted to or elsewhere.

Original Research
These should detail original experiments/research conducted by the author(s). Any research on any topic is accepted, provided it falls within the aims and scope of the journal. Original research must add to scientific knowledge on the subject and must be completed in accordance with ethical principles.  esearch on humans or animals must have institutional or regional ethical approval.

Perspective
Typically presenting an opinion based on practical experience, these articles are similar to opinion articles, but stem from personal experience of the subject discussed. They can be written in response to other papers provided the author has relevant experience.  Perspectives in Medicinal Chemistry accepts only perspective articles prepared in compliance with the requirements stated in its aims and scope.

Rapid Communication
This is a broad-scoped category for short papers discussing a topic relevant to the journal. Since these articles are shorter they are often able to be published in a timelier manner.  They are assigned high processing priority by the publisher.

Review
A review is a detailed examination including the benefits and drawbacks of a medicine, therapeutic technique, computer program, policy, or anything else appropriate to the journal.  They are substantially composed of a report on previous research.  Authors wishing to present original ideas in addition should choose the Commentary type.

Short Commentary
A short commentary is similar to a commentary but briefer at around 1,000 words excluding references.

Short Report
Short reports present new research that adds to previous studies. This can be reporting on the reliability or unreliability of research or informing readers of new factors that may influence the outcome of the study. Authors must acknowledge the work they build upon including any unpublished sources. Manuscripts should be no longer than approximately 1,000 words excluding references.

Short Review
A short review is similar to a review but briefer at around 1,000 words excluding references.

Software or Database Review
Discussing software, code, a database etc (one of the two prefixes will be excluded prior to publication).  These articles should review one of these that is likely to be useful to a number of researchers in a specific subject area. The example data used in software or database reviews should be available to readers for non-commercial purposes, and reviewers must be able to use the example anonymously.  Software or database reviews can be used to directly compare the reviewed programs with alternative options.

Technical Advance
A broad-scoped category reporting an advance within the journal's scope.  New procedures, experiments, standard practices, or computational methods should be presented in technical advance articles. They report on significant advancements in technology that the reader will benefit from learning about.

I'm an author working in Iran.  Why can't I submit my paper?

Unfortunately Libertas is prevented by UN sanctions from publishing papers by authors located in Iran.  The sanctions prevent the provision of services by businesses including Libertas to individuals or organisations based in Iran.  This is based on advice received from the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and confirmed by our lawyer.  We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this causes authors in Iran, and as soon as sanctions are relaxed Libertas will again welcome submissions from Iranian authors.

How can I determine if my article is within the scope of a Libertas open access journal?

First, visit the journal and view it's Aims and Scope and articles published previously in the journal. If you need further assistance send an email to the Editor in Chief.

How can I submit my article to a Libertas open access journal?

To read about this visit How to Submit Your Manuscript.

Can I save a submission and return to complete it later?

No, this function is not available.  Please submit your article only when it is completed and ready for processing.

How should my manuscript be formatted?

Read about this on the Manuscript Preparation section.

What is the word or page limit?

There is no word or page limit, although short or very long papers may attract adverse comments from peer reviewers.  Grossly excessive word or page counts may also attract small additional fees owing to additional typesetting costs.

How do I prepare manuscript figures?

Your figures should be clear, blur and pixellation free and less than 1-2 MB in size.  Figures may be submitted in any common file format.  Do not place all your figures in a Powerpoint file - these files can become very large and impossible for reviewers to download.

Can I include large movies and figure files in my submission?

Yes.  Inform Libertas of your specific presentation requirements and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Can I have blurred, pixellated or low quality figures drawn or re-drawn?

Yes.  Read more about this service on the Redraw a Figure page.

Can I have my manuscript copy edited?

Yes.  Read more about this on the Optional Services section.

Can I continue a manuscript submission that my colleague commenced?

Yes.  Because submissions are associated with a specific user account you will need to have the submission transferred to your account, otherwise important emails will continue to be sent to your colleague.  Contact us to arrange to have the submission transferred.

Can I submit a manuscript that was published elsewhere?

No.  Your manuscript must be unique and not published elsewhere.  Prior publication of datasets does not constitute prior publication.

Preliminary data appearing in my paper was published in a scientific poster.  Does Libertas consider this to be prior publication?

No, we don't consider publication of data in a scientific poster to constitute prior publication.

What is Libertas' policy on patient consent?

Where a patient(s) is identifiable, even if their name or a picture is not used, a signed letter must be supplied from the patient or their family indicating that their consent has been given for their information to be used in the article. 

In the Disclosures section of your manuscript there must be a statement confirming that consent was obtained: "Written consent was obtained from the patient/s or their relative/s for publication of this study." 

What are the article processing fees?

Information on article processing fees is available on the Article Processing Fees page.

Which journals are on the Australian Research Council's ERA 2012 list?

These journals appear on the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2012 list:

• Analytical Chemistry Insights

• Biomarker Insights

• Cancer Informatics

• Drug Target Insights

• Evolutionary Bioinformatics

• Environmental Health Insights

• Gene Regulation and Systems Biology

• Integrative Medicine Insights

• Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment

 

What are the terms and conditions of submission?

Authors must agree to the terms and conditions during the submission process.  You must ensure that you read the terms and conditions: failure to make yourself aware of the them is no excuse for non-compliance.

What are my obligations in respect to authorship and conflicts of interest?

All Libertas journals apply industry-standard ethical and legal guidelines.  Visit the Ethical and Legal Requirements page to learn more.

How do I find AMA reference style in EndNote?

In EndNote X2 the AMA style is under JAMA, which is ordered below J Zoology.  If you cannot find it in the EndNote Styles folder you can download it here and then save it in the Styles folder.

Editorial Process

Are Libertas' journals peer reviewed?

Yes.  All our journals are peer reviewed, and all submissions excluding editorials are subject to peer review by two qualified experts.

What is Libertas' editorial structure?

Submissions are peer reviewed by two suitably qualified peer reviewers who are not disqualified or subject to a conflict of interest. More frequently asked questions about peer review are available.

Based on their recommendations the Editor in Chief or Associate Editor arrives at an editorial decision to accept, accept with changes or reject the submission.  The Editor in Chief or Associate Editor can also add their own recommendations.

If a paper is accepted subject to changes being made, the Editor in Chief or Associate Editor assesses the changes made by the author and approves the paper for publication only if changes are made to his/her satisfaction.

Libertas strictly does not make editorial decisions.  

How long does peer review take?

On average less than 21 days.  This 21 days includes initial processing (which includes initial file checking), peer review and the time taken by the Editor in Chief or Associate Editor to arrive at a decision.

How does the peer review process work?

The principles followed by peer reviewers is stated at the Peer Reviewer Guidelines.  The entire process occurs through the website.  

Is peer review confidential?

Our peer review process is blind, meaning that reviewers' identities are kept confidential.   Libertas does not operate 'open' peer review or double-blind peer review.

What is the publisher's role in the editorial process?

Libertas provides web-based systems to facilitate editorial decision making by Editors in Chief, editorial boards and peer reviewers.  These systems were developed according to industry ethical standards and are subject to continual minor improvements to maintain their efficiency.

Libertas strictly does not contribute peer review reports, nor do we make editorial decisions on behalf of Editors in Chief or Associate Editors.  If they are not available another editorial board member or the Editor in Chief of a similar journal will be asked to make a decision.

The cornerstone of editorial ethics is that editorial decisions are made by suitably objective and qualified Editors in Chief, editorial boards and peer reviewers.  Libertas strictly maintains a distinction between editorial decisions and business matters.

How do I make a complaint or appeal a rejection?

In the first instance, direct your complaint to editorial-complaints @ la-press.com.   

What do peer reviewers and editorial participants say about the editorial process?

Some feedback is available here.

Publication

How long will it take my article to be published in its final form?

Typically 2 weeks after your paper is accepted for publication by the Editor in Chief or Associate Editor.  Libertas' parts of the production process takes less than a week but the proof correction and approval process can take between several days to several weeks to complete. 

Can I publish a provisional article immediately after final editorial acceptance?

Not currently.  We're investigating future services in this area.

Does Libertas copy edit manuscripts?

Libertas provides light copy editing as needed.  To avoid delays in the production process authors of manuscripts where the peer reviewers, Editor in Chief or Associate Editor have identified major English deficiencies will be asked to have their paper fully edited by a professional English language copy editor. 

Authors may use our optional English Copy Editing service, but authors may also use an alternative service of their choice.  

Can an article be changed after it has been published?

Generally this is not possible, particularly where articles have already commenced Pubmed processing.  We therefore strongly recommend that all authors make certain their paper is complete and final prior to publication.

Corrections after publication are subject to a fee to discourage this, although if the correction fixes errors of Libertas or our typesetters the fee will be waived.

How can I tell how many times my article has been viewed?

Just visit your article to see the latest count.  We will also provide monthly updates for the first 12 months after your paper is published of the view count.

Are articles available in print?

Yes, reprints are available.  Journals are not published in print.

Open Access

What is Libertas' copyright policy?

Libertas is a publisher of open access journals, although our six Clinical Medicine Reviews journals are restricted access.  Pay per view and subscription options are available for the Clinical Medicine Reviews journals.

Copyright information on each article is provided on the article's first page. 

Visit the Copyright page for further information.

External Indexing, Citing and Archiving

Do journals have impact factors?

Information on impact factors is available here.

We are actively pursuing impact factors for journals as they become eligible.  Some journals have indicative unofficial impact factors.

How do I cite articles published in Libertas journals?

We recommend using the Export to Endnote function available for each article.  Citation information is also given in each journal's aims and scope webpage.

Are articles included in Pubmed and other external indexes?

Journals are added to external indexes as they become eligible. To see which indexes a journal appears in visit the journal's homepage.  To see a full list of the external indexes we work with go to the Indexing and Archiving page.

A large number of our journals are Pubmed indexed but there is a substantial backlog of journals waiting to be added.  We understand the importance authors place on Pubmed and are working proactively with our NIH contacts.  When journals are added to Pubmed we will index the full current year immediately and the rest of the backfile within the following 12 months.

How long will it take for my article to be included in Pubmed?

Approximately 10 days in normal circumstances.  File sets are sent once per week containing articles published in the previous week.   You will be emailed when your article appears in Pubmed.

How long will it take for my article to be included in Pubmed Central?

Although the source files are the same as those used for Pubmed, appearance in Pubmed Central generally takes about 3 days less than Pubmed.

How long is open access availability of my article guaranteed?

Under no circumstances will Libertas intentionally restrict access to your open access paper.

Will my paper be permanently archived?

Yes, all open access papers are archived by multiple archiving initiatives we participate in.