News Release

Future Science Group commemorates a 15-year commitment to double-blind peer review

Business Announcement

Future Science Group

Future Science Group

image: Future Science Group is a progressive publisher focused on breakthrough medical, biotechnological, and scientific research. view more 

Credit: Future Science Group

February 5, 2015 - Future Science Group today announced that it will continue to require double-blind peer review for research articles submitted to all 34 professional journals published by both of its imprints, Future Science and Future Medicine. FSG has employed the use of double-blind peer review since the launch of the company's first journal, Pharmacogenomics, in 2000.

"Rigorous peer review policies have always been fundamental to our goal of publishing high-quality scientific information in all of our journals," said Phil Garner, Managing Director of Future Science Group. "While other journals are just now moving to this model of review, our journals have followed the double blind system for over 15 years, in order to remove any bias from the process."

Recently, a few major scientific journals have announced plans to use double-blind review, in which both the authors and the reviewers are made anonymous. Future Science Group journals have always followed the double-blind system in order to remove bias, intentional or unintentional, from the process.

Single blind peer review is still used by many scientific journals. In single-blind peer review, manuscripts are sent to reviewers for assessment with the authors' information included, but the peer reviewers themselves are anonymous.

"By also making authors anonymous, all research is evaluated on a level playing field, regardless of whether the researchers are well known in their field, are early in their -career researchers, are women or are from minority groups," said Phil Garner. "Peer review is a process that relies on the integrity of all those involved, and we thank doctors and researchers for their willingness to give up their valuable time to ensure the integrity of scientific publications over the past 15 years."

As well as conducting double-blind review, Future Science Group also aims to obtain a minimum of three reviewers for each submission, to ensure each paper is thoroughly assessed before a publication decision is made.

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About Future Science Group

Founded in 2001, Future Science Group (FSG) is a progressive publisher focused on breakthrough medical, biotechnological, and scientific research. FSG's portfolio includes two imprints, Future Science and Future Medicine. Both publish eBooks and journals. In addition to this core publishing business FSG develops specialist eCommunities. Key titles and sites include Bioanalysis Zone, Epigenomics, Nanomedicine and the award-winning Regenerative Medicine.

The aim of FSG is to service the advancement of clinical practice and drug research by enhancing the efficiency of communications among clinicians, researchers and decision-makers, and by providing innovative solutions to their information needs. This is achieved through a customer-centric approach, use of new technologies, products that deliver value-for-money and uncompromisingly high standards. http://www.futuresciencegroup.com


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