For Authors
Discoveries is a PubMedCentral/PubMed-indexed open-access and peer-reviewed journal, which brings to the research community an OUTSTANDING Editorial Board committed to use several important INNOVATIONS: manuscripts can be submitted in any format (only accepted manuscripts will be accordingly modified to respect our standards and requirements - we were one of the first journals to implement this option for the authors), we have a fast submission process, rigorous, and high-quality editorial and manuscript handling process, the cover letter is optional and we introduced rules for validation of critical reagents such as antibodies.
See our EDITORIAL: Bucur O et al. Discoveries: an innovative platform for publishing cutting-edge research discoveries in medicine, biology and chemistry. Discoveries 2013, Oct-Dec; 1(1): e1
After 13 years of completely free publication, we are introducing a publication fee of 1,000 EUR / 1,170 USD per article, effective January 01, 2026. Starting in 2013 until now, all publication costs were fully supported by the journal. This fee will help us invest in Discoveries’ growth and make it a top-tier, high-impact journal.
Currently, we are offering a FAST submission. Submitted articles are first screened by the Executive or Senior Editors within 2-3 days. If selected, a post-peer review decision is communicated to the authors within 10-25 days.
Authors are invited to make a submission to Discoveries using our SUBMISSION PLATFORM. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected. All submissions undergo a rigorous, stringent and transparent editorial workflow designed to support authors.
Before making a submission, authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents and datasets. All authors identified on the submission must consent to be identified as an author. Where appropriate, research should be approved by an appropriate ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study's country.
An editor may desk reject a submission if it does not meet minimum standards of quality. Before submitting, please ensure that the study design and research argument are structured and articulated properly. The title should be concise and the abstract should be able to stand on its own. This will increase the likelihood of reviewers agreeing to review the paper. When you're satisfied that your submission meets this standard, please follow the checklist below to prepare your submission.
As a big supporter of the open-access publishing, Discoveries is committed to a broad dissemination of impactful research and to increasing global access to scientific knowledge. By valuing differences, the publisher and the journal fosters an equitable environment for scientific exchange. The publishing house and the journal work to ensure equal opportunity regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, nationality, physical ability, or socio-economic background. Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit, and all published research is freely available.
Discoveries’ Commitments
Discoveries commits to:
- Publishing rigorously peer-reviewed, high-impact research
- Submitted articles are first screened by the Managing/Executive or Senior Editors within 2-3 days. If selected, a post-peer review decision is communicated to the authors within 10-25 days
- Full open access for all readers
- Citation tracking and database coverage in PMC, PubMed, Google Scholar
- Benefits of Open Access
- Open-access publishing with Discoveries ensures:
Free access without subscription fees
Immediate availability upon publication (no embargo)
Author copyright retention
Reuse permissions under a Creative Commons Attribution License with proper attribution
Language and Figures
The publication fee covers minor English editing for accepted manuscripts. Authors are responsible for clear language and high-quality figures prior to publication; deficiencies may cause delays or rejection. Professional English and figure-editing services are available through Discoveries Author Services and can be requested by the corresponding author.
Funding, Discounts, and Waivers
Many institutions and funding agencies permit grant funds to be used for publication fees. Waivers may be granted at the publisher’s discretion and should be discussed at submission. Editorial decisions are independent of an author’s ability to pay, though authors should confirm funding availability in advance.
Discounts may be available through institutional open-access programs, reviewer vouchers, and affiliated societies. Only one institutional discount may be applied per paper, though it may be combined with other eligible discounts.
Peer-Review and Editorial Process
All submissions, including research/original articles, reviews, editorials etc, invited or unsolicited manuscripts, undergo strict peer review. The Managing/Executive/Senior Editors conduct an initial screening check, followed by the assignment of an Academic Editor. The Editor then coordinates an independent peer review, requests at least two reviewer reports and formulates a decision.
For transparency, preliminary reviewer reports are shared with authors via our platform once peer review concludes. Authors are advised not to revise until official editorial feedback is provided. Revisions may involve additional review rounds. Final decisions are made by the assigned Academic Editor (which can be an Editorial Board Member, Senior Editor, Editor-in-Chief or Guest Editor). Accepted articles are professionally copy-edited and English-edited.
Plagiarism Check
Articles submitted to Discoveries are undergoing a plagiarism check with a specialized software.
Editorial Decisions
Possible decisions include:
- Accept as Submitted
- Accept after Minor Revisions (3-5 days review period; point-by-point response to reviewers' and editor's comments required)
- Reconsider after Major Revisions (up to two rounds; point-by-point response to reviewers' and editor's comments required)
- Reject and Encourage Resubmission (substantial additional work required; resubmissions receive a new manuscript ID; same reviewers may be invited for the new peer-review process)
- Reject (serious flaws or lack of originality; no resubmission option)
Digital Preservation
All published content is permanently archived. Discoveries retains submitted manuscripts and supporting files for record-keeping and will delete files associated with rejected manuscripts upon author request.
Submission Preparation Checklist
All submissions must meet the following requirements:
- This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
- This submission has not been previously published, nor is it under consideration by another journal.
- Author names, affiliations, contact information (if required), and ORCID IDs (if required) are complete and correct.
- All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.
- At the submission stage, the manuscript does not need to follow a specific format; however, if accepted, it must be revised to comply fully with the journal’s formatting, style, and word-count requirements.
- Any potential conflicts of interest have been fully disclosed.
- Funding sources have been clearly acknowledged, where applicable.
- Ethical approval has been obtained for studies involving human participants or animals, and this is stated in the manuscript.
- Informed consent has been obtained from participants where required.
- All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness.
- All tables and figures have been numbered, labeled, and referenced in the main text of the manuscript (e.g., “see Figure 1”). Figures have to be provided as separate ".tiff" files at a resolution of at least 300dpi. Tables should be included within the main manuscript not as separate files.
- Permission has been obtained to publish all photos, datasets, and other material provided with this submission.
- The manuscript has been checked for grammar, spelling, and clarity.
- Supplementary files (if any) are clearly labeled and referenced in the manuscript.
Publication
Once the manuscript is accepted by the Editor, the manuscript in the final format is created and sent back the the authors for their final review and approval. Publication is finalized with the specific DOI number assignment tothe manuscript and publication of the manuscript on the website, followed by submission of the xml file to PubMed Central for PMC and PubMed inclusion.
GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF ARTICLES
To expedite the submission process, only one file (in “.pdf” (preferred) or “.doc” format) will be submitted. This can be unformatted (only if the article is accepted the authors are required to submit the manuscript in Discoveries required format.
- Detailed format guidelines for EDITORIAL
- Detailed format guidelines for ORIGINAL ARTICLES
- Detailed format guidelines for ORIGINAL ARTICLES - CASE REPORTS
- Detailed format guidelines for REVIEW
- Detailed format guidelines for FOCUSED REVIEWS and PERSPECTIVE ARTICLES
Additional guidance can be found in Discoveries journal’s Policies and Publication Ethics.
Figures: If the manuscript is accepted, we will ask for figures to be provided in separate files. Figures must fit one page and either a single column (85 mm) or two columns (170 mm) in width. They should be provided at least at 300 dpi resolution at final size. If they are blurry, please do not submit them. Text must be legible, with a minimum height of 8 points at actual size. Lines should be continuous and at least 2 points thick. The figures should be cited in the main text in consecutive order.
For figures with more than one panel, panels should be clearly indicated using labels A., B., C. etc. Please note that figures not in accordance with the guidelines may cause delays during the formatting and production process.
Tables should be placed in the manuscript at the point where they are first mentioned in the text and must be provided in an editable format. If you are using a word processor, create the table directly in Word. Leave one blank line before and after each table.
The table caption should appear immediately above the table and must begin with the appropriate label (e.g., “Table 1. TITLE”). The caption should consist of a single sentence. Each table must be cited in the main text and should appear in numerical order.
Due to formatting constraints, large tables that span multiple pages cannot be included in the final article. Such tables will instead be published as supplementary material.
Failure to follow these guidelines may result in significant delays during the production process. During production, all tables will be formatted according to the Discoveries house style.
References follow the Vancouver format (when using EndNote, please follow the “Cell Death and Disease” journal reference style: http://endnote.com/downloads/style/cell-death-disease). For more than 6 authors, please use “et al.” as in the following example:
Example: Gerard KR, Gerd B, Johnson F, Erik AS, Deiry JK, Saez R et al. A novel small molecule inhibits protein X activation inducing necroptosis. Discoveries. 2013; 3: 113-118.
We also recommend including the DOI number at the end of each reference.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted Technology: At submission, authors have to disclose whether they used artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models (LLMs), chatbots, or image creators) in the production of submitted work. Authors who use such technology should describe, in the submitted work (and in the cover letter, if submitted) in the appropriate section if applicable, how they used it (ICMJE).
ICMJE’s Statement on Clinical Trial Registration
Discoveries supports the principles of “Clinical Trial Registration: A Statement from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors” regarding registration of trials before patient enrollment and encourages authors who publish clinical trials to include a statement within the manuscript before submission.
https://cse.memberclicks.net/icmje-s-statement-on-clinical-trial-registration