Exploring the Global Landscape of Open Access Publication Models and Their Correlation with the Impact Factor in the Field of Hematology/Oncology
Authors: Casteen Emily J , Scott Lauren N , Rahman Raeef L , Mahmoudjafari Zahra , Anwer Faiz , Mushtaq Muhammad Umair , Ouchveridze Evguenia , Abdallah Al-Ola , Atrash Shebli , Ahmed Nausheen 
Published: December 2024

Background:

In the last five years, there has been a notable increase in the number of hematology and oncology publications, especially publications with open access (OA). Most OA articles are associated with article processing charges (APC). Our objective is to identify the journals that possess calculable impact factors (IF) and offer OA; and discern any potential correlation with article processing charges (APC) and their locations. The requirement of an APC may be a barrier to diversity in authorship.

Methods:

We identified 482 journals issuing mainly Hematology-Oncology related articles, and we excluded journals with different specialties due to extreme heterogeneity. Quantitative analysis from various search engines was involved to obtain bibliometrics such as H-index and IF, in addition to data regarding publications APC indicating the type of studies accepted. Exploratory analysis was performed. Summary statistics are presented as percentages for categorical data and median with interquartile range for quantitative data. Chi-square test was used to compare percentages.

Results:

Results from a global assessment of Hematology-Oncology journals indicated that out of 482 total journals, only 381 (79%) journals had a calculable IF. The median H-index for these 482 journals was 48, (1- 624).

The preeminent geographic region for all Hematology-Oncology journal publishers at the continent level was Western Europe, comprising 198 (41%) of the total, followed by North America with 151 (31%), the Asiatic region with 50 (10%), Eastern Europe with 42 (8.7%), the Middle East with 19 (3.9%), the Pacific Region with 15 (3.1%) and Africa with 6 (1.2%). Moreover, the United States (US) emerged as the most prevalent country location for Hematology-Oncology journal publishers worldwide, accounting for 145 (30%), followed by the United Kingdom (UK) at 92 (19%)

Out of 442 journals had OA, 96 (21%) were free of APC, while 346 (78%) had an APC (p-value &lt;0.001). Among the free OA journals, only 54 (56%) had a calculable IF, whereas 321 (93%) of the journals with APC had a calculable IF (p-value &lt;0.001). In general, 67% of the total journals with OA and IF required APC.

There were 137 (31%) OA journals published in the US, with 26 (19%) being free of APC and 111 (81%) requiring APC. Additionally, 19 (4%) journals did not have open access, while the OA status of 21 (4%) journals was unknown. In a selection of 382 journals with calculable IF, the median calculable IF was 2.7 (0.067 - 503). Among these journals, 33 had a calculable IF of 10 or higher, with 16 (48%) of them from the US and 17 (45%) from the UK.

Conclusions:

Based on the research findings, the US and UK were notable as the bases for the majority of Hematology-Oncology journals, and the majority of journals with a higher calculable IF ≥10 were located in the US and UK. It is important to note that 66% of these journals offered OA, but they required APC, possibly due to their significant IF. The APC may limit the inclusion of corresponding authors who can publish in these OA journals, including authors who are in training and who may not be able to afford the APC. Future efforts must be directed at evaluating the training status and financial support of authors who publish OA.