Opening Thoughts

MDPI’s 2024 Impact Factor Highlights

For those of our readers who are new to academic publishing, you may have heard some news in June around theImpact Factor release. Every year, typically in June, Clarivate releases its annual Journal Citation Reports (JCR), which include Journal Impact Factors (JIF). This metric is widely used in academic publishing to reflect the average number of citations received by recent articles in each journal.

While Impact Factor is just one of many indicators of journal influence, it remains a major milestone for authors, editors, and publishers. It’s used to assess journal visibility, researcher recognition, and scholarly reach. Throughout our international meetings and events, it’s clear that the Impact Factor is something many of our authors and editorial board members care about, as it can influence where they choose to submit an article and the funding they receive for their research.

“These results reflect the trust that the scholarly community places in MDPI”

MDPI’s 2024 Impact Factor Highlights

• 298 MDPI journals received a Journal Impact Factor.
• 60 journals earned their first-ever Impact Factor
• To put this in perspective:MDPI’s 60 new journal acceptances into the Web of Science was the second highest number of any publisher in 2024, behind Elsevier and ahead of Springer Nature. Our 87% acceptance rate for journals submitted to Web of Science shows the strength of our editorial process and our proven ability to develop journals aligned with Clarivate’s 24 evaluation criteria.
• Notably,Textiles, Mathematics, International Journal of Neonatal Screening, Smart Cities, Systems,andPharmaceutics ranked in the top 10% in their respective categories, highlighting their growing influence and prestige within their academic fields. This shows that high-quality indexing goes beyond visibility; it upholds credibility and trust.
• 193 MDPI journals are now ranked in the top 50% (Q1/Q2) of their subject categories.
• What does this mean, and why is it important?Journals are ranked by quartiles within their field, based on their Impact Factor. Q1 represents the top 25% of journals in their category, Q2 the next 25%, and so on. Being in Q1 or Q2 shows that a journal is performing well relative to other journals in its category. Authors and institutions often look at quartile rankings when choosing where to publish – it’s an important indicator of visibility and recognition, within its respective category.
• 116 of our previously ranked journals increased their Impact Factor.
• 14 MDPI journals achieved an Impact Factor of 5.0 or higher, suggesting a high degree of influence and visibility.

These results reflect our staff's hard work: from our editorial and production teams to our indexing, communications, and data teams, and beyond. This also reflects the trust that the scholarly community places in MDPI, reinforcing the message that when researchers publish with MDPI, they publish with impact.

Open Access with Impact

As the leading fully open access publisher, our journals have received a total of 18.4 million citations in the Web of Science by the end of 2024, reflecting the growing reach and engagement of research published with MDPI. We are committed to making scientific research freely accessible to everyone, everywhere. With the support of more than 4.2 million contributing authors, we’re proud to support the global shift toward open access.

Further Reading

If you’d like to better understand how journals get indexed and why Impact Factors matter, please read this recentinterview with Dr. Constanze Schelhorn (Head of Indexing). It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the role our indexing team plays in supporting journal indexing and visibility.

You can also read our official news announcement shared last week:MDPI Journals in the 2024 Journal Citation Reports.

Thank you to everyone, from our authors and reviewers to our editors and internal teams, who contributed to the progress of our journal indexing in 2024. We’re continuing to build journals that are recognized and trusted across disciplines.

Impactful Research

MDPI Journals See Continued Growth in 2024 CiteScore Results

Continuing our indexing updates, I’m pleased to share that MDPI has achieved strong results in the latestCiteScore metrics, released on 5 June by Scopus. These results reflect the collective efforts of our editors, reviewers, authors, and internal teams, with their dedication to quality and visibility in scientific publishing. You can read the full announcementhere.

2024 Highlights:

• 322MDPI journals received a CiteScore (up from 274 last year).
• 283 journals (88%) are ranked inQ1 or Q2 of their subject categories.
• 237 journals (85%) saw an increase in their CiteScore compared to last year.
• 48 journals received a CiteScore for thefirst time.
• 39 journals are now placed in thetop 10% of their subject areas.

“This growth highlights our commitment to supporting open, trusted science”

What is CiteScore and how is it measured?

CiteScore metrics are developed by Elsevier as an alternative to the Impact Factor. They measure the citation impact of journals and can be accessed freely on Scopus. The metric represents the yearly average number of citations to recent articles published in a journal. If you’re interested in learning more about citation metrics and how we use them, check out thisblog post.

Why is this important?

These results show the growing recognition for, and impact of, MDPI journals across disciplines. CiteScore rankings help researchers, institutions, and funders assess where high-quality work is being published. This growth improves our journals’ positioning in the publishing landscape and highlights our commitment to supporting open, trusted science.

Inside MDPI

Highlights from the MDPI USA Summit in Boston (5–6 June)

With several Summits already behind us, I think this is a good time to reflect on the purpose of these Summits.

Why do we organize MDPI Summits?

These one-and-a-half-day, invite-only gatherings are designed to improve our relationships with Chief Editors who lead our journals and are respected voices in their fields. The Summits aim to:

1. Share MDPI’s values, achievements, editorial practices, and local market collaborations.
2. Collect feedback on MDPI operations and journal practices.
3. Empower Chief Editors to confidently represent MDPI beyond the Summit.

While Chief Editors know their journals well, these events help them better understand MDPI. We want them to be ambassadors for our brand. The aim is for them to walk away informed, engaged, and equipped to share positively about MDPI.

About the Boston Summit

Held on 5–6 June, our first USA Summit gathered over 25 Chief Editors to learn more about MDPI’s activities and collaborations in the USA. The program included presentations, Q&A, and a panel discussion.

Agenda Highlights:

Moderated by Summer Huggard (Operations Manager [Toronto], MDPI), the program featured:

• MDPI Overview and USA Collaboration– Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
• AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions– Feichi Lu (Junior Data Scientist, MDPI)
• MDPI Editorial Process and Research Integrity – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
• Panel Discussion– Stefan, Feichi, Giulia, Claudia
• Society Partnerships– Dr. Clàudia Aunós (Society Partnerships Senior Manager, MDPI)
• Voice of the Customer and Closing Remarks– Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)

MDPI & the USA: Facts and Figures

• With over 216,000 publications, the USA is MDPI’s second-largest contributor after China.
• In 2024, the USA ranked 2nd in total submissions and 2nd in total MDPI publications, with more than 28,200 publications.
• As of 2020, the cumulative number of authors from the USA until April 2025 was 352,099.
• As at April 2025, there are more than 12,035 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from the USA, with 55% having an H-index over 26.
• Among them, 96 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and 218 as section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC)
• MDPI has more than 920 Institutional Open Access Program agreements worldwide, with over 130 from the USA.

A special thanks to our Toronto team, and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this event run smoothly.

Coming Together for Science

Highlights from the MDPI France Summit in Paris (12–13 June)

We completed our first MDPI France Summit in Paris last week, and it was a special event. Attendees were engaged from beginning to end, remaining after hours to network and collaborate.

Why a France Summit?

We chose to host a France Summit in view of the recent challenges MDPI has faced with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). What we took away from the event is that our authors and editors very much appreciate and enjoy working with us, but we need to address theconcerns raised by CNRS, around Article Processing Charges (APCs) and the funding of gold open access publications.

“Our authors and editors very much enjoy working with us”

Some of the claims made in theJune 2023 interview with Alain Schuhl, the Deputy CEO for Science at the CNRS, are simply not factual. For example, they state that MDPI’s“average APC charges per article are now around the same as Springer Nature’s.”Here is the relevant passage, reproduced verbatim:

This is not accurate.

A recentpreprint analysing APC data from Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, PLOS, MDPI, and Frontiers (2019–2023) shows that MDPI’s average APCs remain significantly lower than those of Springer Nature and several other major publishers.

The MDPI Summits are part of our outreach and communication efforts to address misconceptions and clarify MDPI’s position as one of the most accessible and affordable major gold open access publishers in the world.

Summit Overview

Held on 12–13 June, the France Summit gathered over 20 Chief Editors to learn more about MDPI’s activities and collaborations in France. Many of these editors are influential in their institutions and professional societies. Several also have connections to CNRS, which makes this an important opportunity to clarify how we operate and build trust through open and transparent communication and hopefully turn our editors into informed advocates of MDPI.

Summit Feedback

The feedback has been very positive, with most attendees completing the post-event survey and all rating the experience as Excellent or Good. A few highlights:

• “The whole thing was highly professional and, above all, provided quantified details that will allow us to better answer questions surrounding MDPI.”
• “The summit was an opportunity to meet personally various people directly engaged in the organization and policies of MDPI, which made it possible to clarify some important points concerning publishing with MDPI.”
• “Very well organized! A great opportunity to see all French MDPI partners and editors.”

Program Highlights:

Moderated by Miruna Adelina Nicolcioiu (Senior Conference Producer), the program featured:

• MDPI Overview and France Collaboration– Stefan Tochev (CEO)
• MDPI Editorial Process and Peer-Review Quality– Dr. Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist)
• Institutional Partnerships and Open Access Funding Models– Becky Castellon (Institutional Partnerships Manager)
• AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions– Daniele Raimondi (Data Scientist)
• Publication Ethics:Global Trends– Diana Cristina Apodaritei (Research Integrity Specialist)
• Closing Remarks– Stefan Tochev
• Panel Discussion– Diana, Becky, Prof. Dr. Patrick Da Cost, and Stefan

MDPI & France: Facts and Figures

• With over 51,000 publications, France is MDPI's tenth-largest contributor, and fifth largest among EU countries after Italy, Spain, Germany, and Poland.
• As of 2020, the cumulative number of authors from France until April 2025 was 87,592.
• As at April 2025, there are more than 2,800 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from France, with 59% having an H-index over 26.
• Among them, 22 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and 61 as section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC)
• In 2024,IJMS,JCM, andMolecules were the top three MDPI journals in terms of submissions from French-affiliated authors.

Special thanks to our colleagues from Romanian offices for organizing this successful event.

Closing Thoughts

Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller Share the 2024 Tu Youyou Award

As we wrap up this month’s newsletter, I’d like to take a moment to recognize thewinners of the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, presented by our journalMolecules. I am pleased to share that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred uponRichard DiMarchi andRolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

I invite you to read theeditorial co-authored by the Tu Youyou Award Committee, which highlights the significance of the award and the remarkable impact of the recipients’ research.

A sincere thank-you to the 2024 Award Committee for their dedication and selection process, and congratulations once again to this year’s honourees. Your work exemplifies the kind of research MDPI is proud to support and amplify.

Opening Thoughts

Highlights from the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona (21-22 May)

In May we hosted the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona – our second summit in the city followingthe inaugural one in November 2023.

Exploring the future of scientific publishing in Spain

The summit took place on 21–22 May and featured a mix of MDPI presentations (including two guest presentations), roundtable discussions, and Q&A sessions. On the first day, we held a focused session with our Chief Editors to gather feedback and have open discussions on their journal development, the peer-review process, and local accreditation systems.

Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI, presents MDPI’s Editorial Process and Peer Review Quality Metrics at the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona, 22 May 2025.

I had the pleasure of opening the Summit with a welcome address and an overview of MDPI’s recent milestones. The agenda then included the following sessions:

• MDPI and Recent Developments in the Spanish Market – Dr. Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist, MDPI)
• MDPI Editorial Processand Peer Review Quality Metrics– Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
• Open Access in Spain– Dr. Remedios Melero (Researcher, CSIC – guest speaker)
• AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Dr. Enric Sayas (Business Analyst, MDPI), Daniele Raimondi (Data Scientist, MDPI), and Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull (Researcher, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya – guest speaker)
• Publication Ethics – Ana Stankovic (Research Integrity and Publication Ethics, MDPI)
• Opening and Closing remarks were provided by Rocksy Zhang (Editorial Director, MDPI)

We are extremely grateful for the strong engagement shown by our Editors, who were clearly appreciative of the event and the discussions we had. They felt seen and heard, which is a vital prerequisite for building open channels of communication and cultivating productive long-term collaborations.

MDPI colleagues during MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona (22 May 2025).

A big thank-you to the entire Barcelona team for organizing such a successful event!

Upcoming MDPI Summit events:

• Italy Summit – Rome (26–27 May)
• US Summit – Boston, MA (5–6 June)
• France Summit – Paris (12–13 June)
• US Summit – Houston, TX (26–27 June)
• UK Summit – London (16–17 September)
• Germany Summit – Berlin (18–19 September)
• Romania Summit – Bucharest (23–24 October)
  ...with more in between, and more to follow.

Impactful Research

50 MDPI Journals Now Indexed in Ei Compendex

Indexing is a key indicator of a journal’s scientific impact. An indexed journal gives research greater visibility and credibility within the global academic community and is recognized for its quality and relevance. While many of our journals are included in major databases such as Web of Science and Scopus, MDPI also places strong emphasis on journal inclusion in subject-specific indexing platforms that align with each journal’s scope. This ensures that when you publish with MDPI, you publish with impact.

I’m pleased to share that as at May 2025,51 of our journals are now indexed in Ei Compendex, a leading bibliographic database for engineering and applied sciences. This is a major milestone that reflects both the quality or our editorial processes and the relevance of the research we publish in these fields.

“When you publish with MDPI, you publish with impact”

Discoverability and reach

Inclusion in Ei Compendex means greater discoverability for our authors and broader reach of our journals in the fields of engineering and technology. It improves our ability to support global research and innovation, while building MDPI’s reputation in the applied sciences. This recognition is the result of the dedicated work of our editorial teams, reviewers, and authors, and of our overall commitment to excellence in publishing.

You can read our full announcementhere.

Appreciative thanks to everyone involved in reaching this milestone.

Inside MDPI

One Year of MDPI’s Seoul Office

On 29 April, we marked one year since the opening of our Seoul office, MDPI’s first local hub in South Korea. South Korea is a key market for MDPI, currently ranking as our sixth-largest contributor to the company’s total publications, with over89,000 MDPI articles authored by individuals affiliated with Korean institutions. Over the past 12 months, the Seoul team has made great strides in building our visibility, networks, and presence in the region.

A few highlights from the past year

“The Seoul team has made strides in building our visibility, networks, and presence in the region”

Growth plans

Later this year, we are working on opening a new Seoul office in a more central location, with room for our growing team. The new space will bring us closer to other publishing partners and provide easier access to and from the airport. The Seoul office will continue to expand its efforts in outreach and engagement as its builds its presence in South Korea.

Warm thanks to the entire Seoul team for their hard work and dedication, and to all MDPI colleagues who have contributed to this exciting chapter in our global journey.

Coming Together for Science

Highlights from the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (26–27 May)

We closed the month of May by hosting the first MDPI Italy Summit in Rome. This was an important event for us, as Italy has consistently ranked among the top ten countries globally for open access publications over the past decade.

MDPI and Italy: Facts & Figures

• With over144,000 publications (as at 31 May 2025), Italy is MDPI’s third largest contributor after China and the USA.
• In 2024, MDPI was the second-largest publishing house in Italy.
• The 7,165 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) drawn from Italian institutions represent 8.9% of all MDPI academic editors.
• Among these, 319 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) or Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiCs).
• Eleven Italian EBMs were recognized as 2024 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers.
• In 2024, MDPI received 24,873 review reports and collaborated with 88,578 reviewers from Italy.
• 23,131 Guest Editors from Italian institutions led 4,827 Special Issues across 248 MDPI journals.
• MDPI partners with over900 institutions globally, of which 17 are in Italy.

The MDPI Italy Summit in Rome

Gathering of Editors-in-Chief and MDPI staff at the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).

Event Agenda – 27 May

Moderated by Maddalena Favaretto (Conference Scientific Advisor, MDPI), the program featured:

• MDPI Overview, Achievements, Latest News and Future Developments– Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
• Country Report: Italy – Dr. Laura Perez Martin (Conference Assistant, MDPI)
• AI in Publishing and MDPI’s Actions– Dr. Andrea Perlato (Head of Data Analytics, MDPI)
• MDPI Editorial Process and Research Integrity – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
• Panel Discussion– Stefan, Andrea, Giulia

Panel Discussion with Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI), Dr. Andrea Perlato (Head of Data Analytics, MDPI) during the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).

A big thank-you to our Conference team and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make these events run smoothly.

Closing Thoughts

Upholding Editorial Independence in Scholarly Publishing

A recent MDPI blog post written by Dr. Ioana Craciun (Scientific Communications Specialist, MDPI), “Editorial Independence and Publisher Support: Collaborating to Uphold Integrity,” highlights the important balance between editorial autonomy and publisher collaboration in academic publishing.

As the leading fully Open Access scholarly publisher, we are proud to champion editorial independence within our publishing process.

Drawing from theCommittee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, the article emphasizes that while editors must have the freedom to make decisions based on scholarly merit, publishers play a critical role in providing the necessary infrastructure and tools to support the editorial process. This collaborative approach ensures the integrity of the peer review process, builds trust among authors and readers, and upholds the quality and relevance of published content.

MDPI highlights its commitment to this model by investing in research integrity specialists, AI tools for plagiarism detection, and administrative support, all aimed at empowering editors to make independent, informed decisions.