Inclusive, global and interdisciplinary: Discover journals break with tradition

Author: Samuel Winthrop

Executive Publisher, Discover

In the second of a series of blogs, I delve a little deeper into the purpose of Discover, the new inclusive, open access imprint at Springer Nature. I explain why Discover is committed to publishing all valid research – and how this can contribute greatly to creating a fuller, more robust, and more inclusive scientific record.   

“First is the name, DISCOVER – it instantly motivates you to find out what’s in there.”
Dr Abhishek Tiwari, Assistant Professor, India 

A broader approach to research 

As Executive Publisher, my goal is to create and lead a diverse series of journals covering all major areas of research, from social sciences to chemistry, life sciences and biology. We now have more than 60 journals and we’re expanding quickly.

Our aim is for Discover journals to be broad and diverse, offering a home for excellent research that falls outside the remit of more established journals. We're not only looking for groundbreaking, headline-grabbing research. We believe that all high-quality research should be published and shared as widely as possible. After all, these thorough, incremental studies can lay the foundations for big discoveries.

“Fast review processes, extensive review system, esteemed reviewers, reputability of the journal, and high metrics inspire me to submit another research output for publication in the future in Discover Sustainability.”
Ayele Desalegn Woldemariam, Researcher, Ethiopia 

Celebrating connections between research areas

Our inclusive approach to research is designed to reflect the world in which we live. Greater interconnectedness means more dialogue between disciplines. Research into the big challenges of today – such as climate change and sustainable living – works across fields and defies traditional classifications.  

Recognising the interdisciplinary nature of tackling major challenges, we want to rethink traditional research categories, focusing instead on the communities researchers want to reach. Discover journals aim to engage a diverse research community that takes a wide-ranging approach. 

Take Discover Sustainability, one of our environmental sciences journals. Although, as the name suggests, this title contains a lot of environmental science content, it also welcomes policy research around sustainability, environmental protections, UN Sustainable Development Goals, and approaches more usually grouped with social sciences or humanities. This multifaceted approach allows us to examine subjects from several interlinked angles. 

“I’m truly honored to have my work highlighted alongside other researchers in this series, and I believe this initiative is a fantastic way to celebrate and amplify the contributions of scientists globally.”
Atique Ishrak Anik, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh  

An open approach to article types

Our open-mindedness extends to the types of article we publish. We invite researchers to publish their work in a wide variety of article types, rather than just the traditional ones. We adopted this approach after listening to the community and seeing what they wanted.

Our journal Discover Oncology, for example, is one of our most popular titles, and publishes dataset analysis (studying data to find connections between certain genetic biomarkers and cancers). This kind of article is often rejected by traditional publications because they mightn’t have clinical, population, or cell validation – meaning they don’t meet the threshold for a research project or a research article. 

We are piloting an article type called Analysis for this type of research, enabling us to publish these valuable statistical analyses and share them with the community. So far, Analysis pieces are proving popular with our readers, so the appetite is clearly there. 

“All communication was extremely professional and encouraging. The process was also done in a timely manner and each step was clearly laid out so I always knew what was going on and what was needed from me.” 
Dr Philip Mirkin, Lecturer, South Africa 

Inclusive, global research

Our broader, more inclusive approach also makes Discover titles ideal for early-stage researchers, as well as those from communities and countries currently underrepresented in more traditional scientific journals.

There’s a lot of pressure on early-career researchers to publish, but not every research project yields a major breakthrough. Discover recognises the importance of this work nonetheless, providing these investigators with a platform to share their findings. 

We are also mindful of the resource disparity between institutions in different countries, and the impact this can have on outputs. Discover welcomes quality research produced in low-income countries, which contributes to diverse approaches and ideas and a fuller, more rounded view of research.  

Our inclusive approach is creating waves across the global scientific community. Our author distribution extends to approximately 160 countries, including Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. We are proud to have built a worldwide presence with our open-minded, innovative publications. 

“My experience publishing in a Discover journal was highly positive, particularly due to its ability to provide wide-reaching access to diverse audiences. Publishing open access is essential for me, as it ensures that research is accessible not only within academia but also to the broader public. Given the social relevance of my work, especially in supporting the LGBTQ+ community, sharing findings widely is critical for advancing inclusive practices in schools. By sparking further inquiry and dialogue, we can help create safer and braver spaces for diverse students.” 
Enoch Leung, PhD, MBA, PMP, McGill University, Montreal, Canada  

Focusing on the needs of the scientific community

As a new and fast-growing imprint, we are committed to delivering resources the scientific community wants and needs. As part of our overall ethos of inclusivity, we aim to make the publishing process sound, swift, and easy to navigate. To this end, we welcome feedback and conduct author satisfaction surveys after every published article. In addition, our editorial boards include representatives from all over the world, ensuring a broad overview of the research landscape on these different topics. 

We are very pleased with the feedback we have received from the community to date. Currently, 92% of respondents rated our overall publishing process as Excellent or Good, while 88% found the submission process Very Easy or Easy. A resounding 90% were satisfied with the communication received from editorial staff, 96% found peer reports were sufficiently detailed and informative, and 93% believed the final presentation of their paper was Excellent or Good. 

With all that said, there are always areas for improvement. Is the scope of a journal complete? Are we missing something? Are we focusing on the right countries? We welcome suggestions from all areas of the research community, so make your voice heard. 

“Thank you for sending the questionnaire and giving the authors the opportunity to express themselves. I loved the way you guys work. Throughout the entire process, Discover Environment and Springer professionals were completely attentive, including the reviewers. This is extremely satisfying for anyone submitting an article.” 
Prof. Dr. Luís Fávaro, Brazil 

Why not submit your next paper to Discover journals? Find out more at Discover.
 

Read the first blog post 'Discover: A portfolio of inclusive, open access journals with community in mind', by Dylan Parker. Publishing Director, Discover.