Critical Review: Brain Sciences (MDPI)

Journal: Brain Sciences Publisher: MDPI ISSN: 2076-3425 Scope: Neuroscience (cognitive, behavioral, neuroimaging, clinical, molecular, computational)

• Broad scope: Covers all aspects of neuroscience including translational and clinical applications.
• Indexing: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (SCIE), Embase, PsycINFO, etc.
• Open Access: Freely available online with liberal copyright license (CC-BY).
• Speed: ~15.6 days to first decision, ~1.9 days to publication after acceptance.

• Impact Factor: Indexed in SCIE, has a measurable IF (check current JCR for exact).
• Publication Volume: High, with many articles published via special issues.
• Affiliation Mix: About 13% of authors from top-10 institutions; rest from diverse backgrounds.
• Self-citation: Within acceptable range (~15–20%).

• Volume & Special Issues: Overreliance on guest-edited special issues (~80–90% of papers).
• Editorial Integrity: Past editorial board resignations in some MDPI journals.
• Predatory Allegations: Previously listed by Jeffrey Beall; still controversial in some academic circles.
• Aggressive Solicitation: Frequent email invitations to submit or edit issues.
• Reputation Downgrades: Downgraded by Finland's Publication Forum to level 0.

• Some researchers appreciate the fast, open-access format.
• Others consider it a “quantity over quality” outlet.
• Seen as a “gray zone” journal — not outright predatory, but with quality-control concerns.

• Good for early dissemination, case reports, and rapid publication.
• Less suitable if targeting high-impact career milestones (grants, tenure).
• Review recent articles and special issue themes before submitting.
• Check your institution’s stance on MDPI journals.

• Brain Sciences official page
• MDPI controversies on Wikipedia
• SJR Metrics for Brain Sciences
• StackExchange discussion on MDPI