What journals does Libertas publish and what types of articles do they contain?

Libertas publishes a range of scientific, technical and medical journals.  We accept submissions in a range of categories listed here.

My funding agency requires a CC-BY license.  Can you provide one?

Yes, upon request CC-BY can be used instead of our default CC-BY-NC license.

How can I determine if my article is within the scope of a Libertas journal?

First, visit the journal and view it's Aims and Scope and articles published previously in the journal. If you need further assistance send an email to the Editor in Chief.

How can I submit my article to a Libertas journal?

To read about this visit How to Submit Your Manuscript.

Can I save a submission and return to complete it later?

No, this function is not available.  Please submit your article only when it is completed and ready for processing.

How should my manuscript be formatted?

Read about this on the Manuscript Preparation section.

What is the maximum word or page count?

Except where specified (such as for short reports) there is no maximum word or page count.  This allows authors maximum flexibility in communicating with readers.  Large manuscripts rarely incur delays and attract no additional fees.    

What is the maximum figure or table count?

There are no restrictions on quantities of figures or tables.  Large quantities and use of color attract no additional fees.

How do I prepare manuscript figures?

Your figures should be clear, blur and pixellation free and less than 1-2 MB in size.  Figures may be submitted in any common file format.  Do not place all your figures in a Powerpoint file - these files can become very large and impossible for reviewers to download.

Can I include large movies and figure files in my submission?

Yes.  Inform Libertas of your specific presentation requirements and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Can I have blurred, pixellated or low quality figures drawn or re-drawn?

Yes, upon request we can have figures re-drawn or created for you.

Can I have my manuscript copy edited?

Yes.  Read more about this on the Optional Services section.

Can I continue a manuscript submission that my colleague commenced?

Yes.  Because submissions are associated with a specific user account you will need to have the submission transferred to your account, otherwise important emails will continue to be sent to your colleague.  Contact us to arrange to have the submission transferred.

Can I submit a manuscript that was published elsewhere?

No.  Your manuscript must be unique and not published elsewhere.  Prior publication of datasets or deposition in a pre-print server do not constitute prior publication.

Preliminary data appearing in my paper was published in a scientific poster.  Does Libertas consider this to be prior publication?

No, we don't consider publication of data in a scientific poster to constitute prior publication.

What is Libertas' policy on patient consent?

Where a patient(s) is identifiable, even if their name or a picture is not used, a signed letter must be supplied from the patient or their family indicating that their consent has been given for their information to be used in the article. 

In the Disclosures section of your manuscript there must be a statement confirming that consent was obtained: "Written consent was obtained from the patient/s or their relative/s for publication of this study." 

What are the article processing fees?

Information on article processing fees is available on the Article Processing Fees page.

Can I submit an unsolicited review?

All journals accept unsolicited review for peer review.

What are the terms and conditions of submission?

Authors must agree to the terms and conditions during the submission process.  You must ensure that you read the terms and conditions: failure to make yourself aware of the them is no excuse for non-compliance.

What are my obligations in respect to authorship and conflicts of interest?

All Libertas journals apply industry-standard ethical and legal guidelines.  Visit the Ethical and Legal Requirements page to learn more.

How do I find AMA reference style in EndNote?

In EndNote X2 the AMA style is under JAMA, which is ordered below J Zoology.  If you cannot find it in the EndNote Styles folder you can download it here and then save it in the Styles folder.

Are Libertas' journals peer reviewed?

Yes.  All our journals are peer reviewed, and all submissions excluding editorials are subject to peer review by a minimum of two qualified experts.

What is Libertas' editorial structure?

Submissions are peer reviewed by a minimum of two suitably qualified peer reviewers who are not disqualified or subject to a conflict of interest. More frequently asked questions about peer review are available.

Based on their recommendations the editorial decision-maker (the Editor in Chief or Associate Editor) arrives at an editorial decision to accept, accept with changes or reject the submission.  The decision-maker can also add their own recommendations.

If a paper is accepted subject to changes being made, the editorial decision-maker assesses the changes made by the author and approves the paper for publication only if changes are made to his/her satisfaction.

Libertas strictly does not make editorial decisions.  In recent years we have identified the editorial decision-maker in each paper's metadata section: refer to the academic editor heading.

How long does peer review take?

Typically three to four weeks.  This includes peer review and the time required by the editor in chief or associate editor to arrive at a decision.  Occasionally a longer period may be needed to ensure that sufficient peer reviewers can be found or if the editorial decision-maker requests additional time.  Authors are informed promptly of the reason for any delays.

How does the peer review process work?

The principles followed by peer reviewers is stated at the Peer Reviewer Guidelines.  The entire process occurs through the website.  

Is peer review confidential?

Our peer review process is blind, meaning that reviewers' identities are kept confidential.   Libertas does not operate open or double-blind peer review.

What is the publisher's role in the editorial process?

Libertas provides web-based systems to facilitate editorial decision making.  These systems were developed according to industry ethical standards and are subject to continual improvements to maintain their efficiency.

Libertas strictly does not contribute peer review reports, nor do we edit or attempt to influence peer review reports, nor do we make editorial decisions on behalf of editors in chief or associate editors.  If the editor in chief or associate editor is not available another editorial board member or (less frequently) the editor in chief of a similar journal will be asked to make a decision.

The cornerstone of editorial ethics is that editorial decisions are made by suitably objective and qualified editors in chief, associate editors, editorial boards and peer reviewers.  Libertas strictly maintains a distinction between editorial decisions and business matters.

How do I make a complaint or appeal a rejection?

In the first instance, direct your complaint to .   

What do peer reviewers and editorial participants say about the editorial process?

Some feedback is available here.

How long will it take my article to be published in its final form?

Typically three weeks after your paper is accepted for publication by the Editor in Chief or Associate Editor.  

Can I publish a provisional article immediately after final editorial acceptance?

Not currently.  We're investigating future services in this area.

Does Libertas copy edit manuscripts?

Libertas provides light proof reading prior to typesetting.  To avoid delays in the production process authors of manuscripts where the peer reviewers, Editor in Chief or Associate Editor have identified major English deficiencies will be asked to have their paper fully edited by a professional English language copy editor. Authors may use our optional English copy editing service, but authors may also use an alternative service of their choice.  

Can an article be changed after it has been published?

After publication an article can only be changed through publication of a correction, expression of concern, or retraction where the agreement of the editor in chief and publisher has first been obtained.  Because this is inherently undesirable we require all authors to provide signed confirmation that the paper bearing their name requires no further changes and is ready for publication. 

How can I tell how many times my article has been viewed?

Just visit your article to see the latest count.  We will also provide monthly updates for the first 12 months after your paper is published of the view count.

Are articles available in print?

Yes, reprints are available.  Journals are not published in print.

What is Libertas' copyright policy?

Libertas is primarily a publisher of open access journals, although our six Clinical Medicine Reviews journals are subscription only.  Pay per view and subscription options are available for the Clinical Medicine Reviews journals.  Visit the Copyright page for further information.

Do journals have impact factors?

Information on impact factors is available here.  We are actively pursuing impact factors for journals as they become eligible. 

How do I cite articles published in Libertas journals?

We recommend using the reference export tools available for each article.  Citation formatting information is also given in each journal's 'About' webpage.

Are articles included in Pubmed and other external databases?

Journals are added to external databases as they become eligible. To see where a journal appears visit the journal's homepage.  To see a full list of the external databases we work with go to the Indexing and Archiving page. 

How long will it take for my article to be included in Pubmed?

Within one week of publication new articles are sent for conversion into XML and then immediately forwarded to NLM for addition to Pubmed.  New articles take approximately twelve days following publication to be added to Pubmed, although longer periods may be encountered owing to seasonal variations or technical issues.  Authors are informed by email shortly after their paper has been added to Pubmed.  

A journal appears to be in Pubmed but the journal's website makes no mention of this.  Why?

If you observe that some papers appear to be on Pubmed but the journal's website makes no reference to inclusion of the journal the most likely explanation is that those papers were added to Pubmed by the authors under the NIH Public Access Policy.  This does not mean that the journal itself has been accepted for inclusion on Pubmed since only papers reporting on NIH funded research will be eligible for inclusion.

Libertas does not formally announce that a journal is in Pubmed until the journal itself has been accepted for inclusion in Pubmed by the NLM literature evaluation committee and the first set of files has been released on to the Pubmed website.  Acceptance of the journal means that all articles published in the journal will be automatically added to Pubmed and Pubmed Central.

Why does Pubmed coverage of a journal's articles appear to be delayed, inconsistent, or incomplete?

There are several potential reasons for this.  The most common cause is a delay in the process of XML conversion and approval by journal staff or Pubmed database administrators.  If older volumes are not present this usually occurs because we are sometimes unable to send these volumes for conversion and approval immediately after a journal is accepted for inclusion in Pubmed.  Partial coverage of older volumes arises because the volume has not been sent for conversion and approval but in the past authors of NIH funded research have self-archived in Pubmed under the NIH Public Access Policy.

How long will it take for my article to be included in Pubmed Central?

Although the source files are the same as those used for Pubmed, appearance in Pubmed Central generally takes about 3 days less than Pubmed.

How long is open access availability of my article guaranteed?

Under no circumstances will Libertas intentionally restrict access to your open access paper.

Will my paper be permanently archived?

Yes, all open access papers are archived by multiple archiving initiatives we participate in.  

Can I self-archive my paper?

Libertas is a green publisher: we encourage self-archiving.  If you publish in a Libertas open access journal (all journals except the Clinical Medicine Reviews titles) the final published version can be archived in institutional or funder repositories and can be made publicly accessible immediately.

If you publish in a Libertas subscription journal (only the Clinical Medicine Reviews titles) you may self-archive the author’s accepted manuscript of your article. Please do not archive the final version of the article (the Libertas version).  Prior versions of the article published on non-commercial pre-print servers like arXiv.org can remain on them and be updated with the author's accepted version.  The final published version cannot be used for this purpose.