Sharing findings related to COVID-19 in these extraordinary times

We remain open and committed to sharing findings related to COVID-19.

In these unprecedented times we want to reassure our authors, editors, peer reviewers and readers that our handling of academic research articles continues without disruption. Our teams around the world are working from home, but the community should not notice any differences in interactions with us, with peer review or publication of open access research.

As well as our commitment to ensuring accepted peer reviewed research is published during this time, we have introduced a fast-track workflow for papers submitted on coronavirus/COVID-19 which are suitable for publication. To this end, we have signed up to the Wellcome statement on sharing data and findings related to COVID-19 and fully support the commitments laid out by it.

We have also connected with our open science publishing colleagues at PLOS to maximize availability of submitted papers via preprint servers such as bioRxiv or medRxiv at point of submission and will ensure our authors consider submitting to relevant PLOS journals if we believe the impact of their work would be better served through a different title. We are also working with our colleagues at the Royal Society to ensure any registered reports submitted on COVID-19 are forwarded for consideration in their journal Royal Society Open Science which is better placed to handle these types of submissions.

In these extraordinary times it is crucial that we work with our authors, editors, reviewers and the wider publishing community to fast-track publications that could help mitigate the pandemic, aid research into COVID-19, or help expedite epidemiological or vaccine studies regardless of the journal or platform they are published in. We are committed to increasing the visibility of work published in this area by Hindawi titles and will work hard to showcase this as broadly as possible on social media and our own website in the weeks and months to come.

Any author submitting a COVID-19 paper can email help@hindawi.com to flag their research with our teams and ensure it is fast-tracked and available on a preprint server as soon as possible. We are also pleased to announce that any COVID-19 paper suitable for publication after peer review will have the fees waived.

Our journals remain open for authors working in this area, and for all our authors, and we look forward to continuing to help you publish your research over the coming weeks and months.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me at sarah.greaves@hindawi.com.

Sarah Greaves,

Chief Publishing Officer