BMJ Open
BMJ Open is a peer-reviewed, fully open access medical journal from the BMJ Publishing Group, launched in 2011. It focuses on transparency, inclusivity of research types, and continuous publication.
🏛️ Journal Overview
- Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
- Established: 2011
- Scope: Broad — includes clinical trials, observational studies, protocols, negative results, and meta-analyses
- Access: Fully open access (CC BY or CC BY-NC licenses)
- Indexing: MEDLINE, PubMed Central, Scopus, Web of Science
- Impact Factor (2023): ~2.4
✅ Strengths
- Open Access & Transparency
- All articles are freely available.
- Publishes peer reviewer names, reports, and manuscript history for accepted articles.
- Inclusivity
- Accepts a wide range of study designs, including protocols, feasibility studies, and null findings.
- Efficient Dissemination
- Continuous publication model allows for rapid post-acceptance publishing.
- Reputable Publisher
- Part of the BMJ family, benefiting from professional editorial standards.
❗ Limitations
- Moderate Impact Factor
- Not seen as highly prestigious in academic promotion or grant contexts.
- Review Process Variability
- Mixed reviews on review speed and quality (reports of long delays up to 35 weeks).
- Cost
- Article processing charge (APC) of approx. $2,160 may be prohibitive for some authors.
- Open Peer Review Caveats
- Reviewer identities disclosed only for accepted papers, limiting accountability in rejected submissions.
🧩 Balanced Verdict
| Aspect | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Transparency | Excellent: fully open access and peer review documentation |
| Scope | Strong: includes wide range of research types |
| Review Process | Clear policy, but quality and speed can vary |
| Reputation | Moderate: not high-impact, but widely indexed and visible |
| Accessibility | Good for readers, mixed for authors due to APC |
📝 Considerations
- Best for: Protocols, negative results, observational studies, pilot trials.
- Avoid if: Seeking high-impact publication for promotion/tenure purposes.
- Note: Open peer review is progressive, but imperfect in implementation.
🔚 Conclusion
BMJ Open is a reliable venue for authors prioritizing visibility, methodological transparency, and inclusivity. While it doesn’t carry the prestige of top-tier journals, it fulfills an essential role in disseminating quality science that might otherwise be unpublished.