A new development in online marketing Introducing Digital Inbound Marketing
55421278
A New Development in Online Marketing: Introducing Digital Inbound Marketing
Particularly in online settings, marketing is undergoing a transformation. Online business can no longer rely on traditional marketing tactics and campaigns to attract, retain and expand consumers because there is a transformation in how people interact with brands and companies, how they shop and buy in online and offline settings. Traditional marketing is no longer a viable option because it focuses on pushing a message out. In online business framework, a new marketing development has arisen, namely digital inbound marketing. This new marketing type is focused on attracting valuable consumers (potential, existing, or aspirational) that choose to interact with a particular company that provides them with something useful. In this paper, we propose a definition for digital inbound marketing and examine the online strategies associated with this concept: brand focused marketing communications, content marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimization.
Alin Opreana Simona Vinerean
168944529
Desenvolvimento de uma estrategia de inbound marketing numa empresa de marketing digital
It is essential for any brand to find and test new ways to acquire clients and generate more revenue. 32 Senses Group, Adclick's client and owner of the brand "Smile.UP Clinicas Dentarias" intends to increase its revenue and brand awareness through online channels. An effective and measurable Digital Marketing strategy is required in order to achieve an high ROI and to allow the brand to measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. This dissertation took part on a new growing department at Adclick, the Markteria department. This department is aimed towards clients that are looking for a full digital marketing strategy to be developed and executed for their brand. The typical client will be some who wants to engage in a new digital marketing strategy and at the same time wants to measure all the results of this strategy all the way since the generation of the lead, until the moment the lead purchases again and again. The goal here is to try and introduce the brand and its solutions since the very beginning of the buyers journey and keep interacting with the consumer during his decision process. To achieve such goals a Digital Marketing strategy based on the Inbound Marketing methodology was created. This strategy requires a technological solution to support its processes. The solution used was developed internally at Adclick and his the marketing automation tool Lead Office. On the first stage of the project it was necessary to get familiar with the concepts and the suggested methodology. On a second stage, it was necessary to make an assessment on how the brand was positioned at the beginning of the project, and objectives were set. After the initial assessment was made, a digital strategy was developed making use of both Adclick and Smile.UP's digital assets. Finally, the KPI were defined and the report was designed in a way to best convey the campaign's results. The strategy developed met the brand's expectations, and the Inbound Marketing methodology has proven itself to be of great use during the whole process of strategy development. Desenvolvimento de uma estrategia de Inbound Marketing numa empresa de Marketing Digital
Andre da Silva Cruz
169798704
Social media marketing: Who is watching the watchers?
Abstract The ready access to and availability of social media has opened up a wealth of data that marketers are leveraging for strategic insight and digital marketing. Yet there is a lack of professional norms regarding the use of social media in marketing and a gap in understanding consumers' comfort with marketers' use of their social media data. This study analyzes a census balanced sample of online adults (n 751) to identify consumers' perceptions of using social media data for marketing purposes. The research finds that consumers' perceived risks and benefits of using social media have a relationship with their comfort with marketers using their publicly available social media data. The research extends the applicability of communication privacy management theory to social media and introduces marketing comfort a new construct of high importance for future marketing research. Marketing comfort refers to an individual's comfort with the use of information posted publicly on social media for targeted advertising, customer relations, and opinion mining. In the context of the construct development, we find that targeted advertising is the strongest contributing component to marketing comfort, relative to the other two dimensions: opinion mining and customer relations. By understanding what drives consumer comfort with this emerging marketing practice, the research proposes strategies for marketers that can support and mitigate consumers' concerns so that consumers can maintain trust in marketers' digital practices.
Jenna Jacobson Anatoliy A Gruzd Angel Hernandez-Garcia
14627615
Internet Advertising: An Interplay among Advertisers, Online Publishers, Ad Exchanges and Web Users
Internet advertising is a fast growing business which has proved to be significantly important in digital economics. It is vitally important for both web search engines and online content providers and publishers because web advertising provides them with major sources of revenue. Its presence is increasingly important for the whole media industry due to the influence of the Web. For advertisers, it is a smarter alternative to traditional marketing media such as TVs and newspapers. As the web evolves and data collection continues, the design of methods for more targeted, interactive, and friendly advertising may have a major impact on the way our digital economy evolves, and to aid societal development. Towards this goal mathematically well grounded Computational Advertising methods are becoming necessary and will continue to develop as a fundamental tool towards the Web. As a vibrant new discipline, Internet advertising requires effort from different research domains including Information Retrieval, Machine Learning, Data Mining and Analytic, Statistics, Economics, and even Psychology to predict and understand user behaviours. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on Internet advertising, discussing and classifying the research issues, identifying the recent technologies, and suggesting its future directions. To have a comprehensive picture, we first start with a brief history, introduction, and classification of the industry and present a schematic view of the new advertising ecosystem. We then introduce four major participants, namely advertisers, online publishers, ad exchanges and web users; and through analysing and discussing the major research problems and existing solutions from their perspectives respectively, we discover and aggregate the fundamental problems that characterise the newly formed research field and capture its potential future prospects.
ArXiv
Shuai Yuan Ahmad Zainal Abidin Marc Sloan Jun Wang
198713936
Robocar and Urban Space Evolution
How can we create more human centered, resilient, and sustainable cities in the tech age? Can we make use of technology and the opportunities presented rather than resisting its fast paced evolution? What are the biggest and most likely spatial changes that autonomous vehicles will bring in cities? How can this change in mobility contribute to a better urban environment? To what extent do the spatial opportunities created by automated mobility respond to current urban issues and what is the role of urban design and spatial planning in this debate? Autonomous cars Robocars will dramatically change urban environments and the practice of urbanism, potentially making cities less dependent on and less dominated by cars. Driverless and mainly guided by digital infrastructure, Robocars can open up new opportunities for urban development. If guided by sustainable development goals, the automation of mobility can lead to urban evolution a shared paradigm shift in mobility and urban design. However, if Robocars are introduced as profit driven products rather than tools to improve cities, they can cause sprawl, undermine public transport and reduce active mobility, ultimately affecting people's health and wellbeing. Consequently, it is necessary to explore how the Robocars' technological capabilities can provide solutions to pressing urban issues, such as growth, climate change, environmental quality, social inequality and the energy transition. On September 13, 2018, the Section of Urban Design at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft, organised a public debate with international and Dutch experts to discuss the spatial changes that autonomous cars may bring about in cities. Subsequently, this publication gathers illustrated contributions by the key speakers at the symposium, which present ideas and further reflection points on Robocars' relation to the urban environment. The three thematic sessions of the symposium were video recorded and are available online at robocarevolution.com. The symposium and the publication aim to raise awareness about the importance of the topic for the field of urban design and other disciplines dealing with various aspects of urban sustainability. To date, the topic of autonomous cars has mainly been addressed by car industries, technology companies and transportation planning groups. The current discourse is predominantly driven by business and marketing goals, potentially leading to cities shaped around technology. In this context, the symposium and the publication are a step forward to engaging various experts in a debate around Robocars and urban design. They propose a complementary approach to the current tech discourse on automated mobility by emphasising the importance of an urban design and spatial planning perspective, thus exploring Robocars as a spatial project. Automated vehicles can bring a mobility revolution: traffic systems and infrastructure can be reinvented, public and private transport modes can blend, and the logic of mobility in cities can be reformed, as time spent in the car will no longer be lost. Such changes create spatial opportunities and can help cities respond better to sustainable development goals; for instance, the space made available if Robocars could park themselves can be redesigned and, instead of parked cars, streets can accommodate more green space and larger sidewalks, revaluing streets as public spaces. The goal of the Robocar and Urban Space Evolution symposium and publication is to start a more inclusive debate about Robocars and their impact on the urban environment and to explore the potential of this new technology beyond market oriented goals. The experts involved came from multiple disciplines, including spatial planning, urban design, architecture, ecology, psychology, environmental engineering and transportation planning. They discussed why and how we need to engage with the topic, given that mobility automation will dramatically shape the urban environment in different contexts and societies in the coming decades. The publication includes contributions by Rients Dijkstra and Anca Ioana Ionescu, Dominic Stead, Victor Munoz Sanz, David Hamers, Salvador Rueda, Nico Larco, Emilia Bruck and Mathias Mitteregger.
Anca Ioana Ionescu Victor Munoz Sanz Rients Dijkstra
150723381
An exploration of creative managers' perspectives on digital creativity: the impact of viral campaigns on creative processes, appeals and creative teams in UK advertising agencies
This research aims to develop conceptual insight into the practice and impact of a specific digital phenomenon "viral marketing" on marketing communications agencies. Specifically, it explores the UK, one of the most important hubs in global advertising looking at agenciesr campaign design planning, the roles of creative teams and the management processes through three research objectives: To explicate, classify and explore the changes in advertising campaign planning processes and roles which digital phenomena such as virals have introduced To capture and codify the working models which creative managers employ and the messaging strategies considered and implemented in viral campaigns To develop theoretical models for understanding virals, agency campaign management, creative roles and develop extant frameworks Prior Work: Research into virals has grown rapidly over the last ten years but it is dominated by computing studies of online diffusion. The creative perspective has received little attention. Those studies which do address this viewpoint are principally focussed on the final advert. The voice of the producers of such campaigns creative managers is largely absent from the literature with a single study of campaign measurement. The roles of core teams/functions within the agencies, the criteria for viral creative concept evaluation, the campaign processes and working models are experiencing unprecedented change. Viral campaigns offer a bridge between the "old" and "new" worlds; it possesses the characteristics of TV and the Web. It is important because such viral campaigns have challenged the established models of advertising management and planning. Methods: The study undertakes the first comprehensive evaluation of the exisiting research into viral marketing, locating gaps in the creative design and management. Qualitative methodology through semi structured in depth interviews with creative managers in a range of UK advertising agencies is used to represent their views and responses to viral phenomena as they conceived, designed and reflected on campaigns. Contribution to Knowledge: This is the first study of the pre launch/pre production phase of campaign development. It has clarified a plethora of terms, in so doing developing the SPEED framework to understand the biological metaphor underpinning the phenomena, and finally producing a more accurate and comprehensive definition of the phenomenon. The paradigm funnel evaluation of prior research has tested and extended formal tools to arrive at a state of the art. The current research primarily consists of studies utilising secondary datasets, mainly quantitative this study explores questions not just of what but of why, producing deeper insight than available before. Theoretical contributions: In the final model of viral creative management and design is an overarching conceptual contribution which for the first time represents creative roles, agency management and creative considerations at both pre and post launch campaign phases. The thesis also develops theoretical constructs in specific areas definition from practitioners, construct of campaign zones in viral design, a model of critical factors which facilitate virals, comparative theory of conventional and viral campaigns, characteristics of viral agencies, model of digital brand/agency relationships, a role construct for digital creatives among the main theoretical developments. These led into the final theoretical model.
Antonius Raghubansie
210460622
Reconceptualising the decision making process of postgraduate student course selection
The overall aim of this study was to review and evaluate decision making models and establish if they adequately reflect the journey of prospective full time postgraduate students, in a contemporary media environment. Higher education has become much more competitive (Universities UK, 2016) and postgraduate students are an increasingly important income stream. They are also part of the millennial generation, highly influenced by their peers, technologically savvy and always digitally connected (Euromonitor International 2011) The literature review revealed that whilst general decision making models have developed to a more circular, less linear approach, within higher education, there has been little development. This highlighted a gap in knowledge regarding how millennial postgraduate students approach their course selection decision making. The methodological approach consisted of a social constructionist/interpretivist philosophy. Under an inductive research strategy, seven focus groups (50 people in total) and nine interviews were conducted. These consisted of UK, EU and International students, on marketing related postgraduate courses, at one English post 92 University. Full transcripts were analysed using thematic coding. The results and discussion revealed a number of important points, and led to the construction of a new framework. The circular framework introduced an engage construct, as the research highlighted rational and emotional decisions, and that decisions do not always commence with a wide choice set. Five different application patterns were established, together with highlighting the importance of evaluating the students' pre purchase experience during the application process. Online forums, word of mouth/electronic word of mouth from past/existing students, family and friends are important influencers, as students considered postgraduate study from one month to four years prior to starting a course. Finally, three higher education specific touch point categories were developed: brand owned, partner, social/external.
Angela Towers
115650644
The 11th International Conference on Business Excellence
submission deadline 20 December 2016 extended 10 January Notification of abstract acceptance 5 January 2017 extended 15 January Submission of full paper due for review 10 February 2017 Notification of paper acceptance (with any requested changes) 20 February 2017 Final paper due (with any changes) 5 March 2017 Final Author registration date 10 March 2017 Registration and payment EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT 5 January 19 February 2017 SBE Members SBE Non members Academics 120 euro 160 euro Practitioners 160 euro 200 euro PhD students 80 euro 120 euro NORMAL REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT 20 February 10 March 2017 SBE Members SBE Non members Academics 150 euro 200 euro Practitioners 200 euro 250 euro PhD students 100 euro 150 euro As a first step we require a 300 500 word abstract which is to be received by the 20th of December 2016 extended deadline 10 January 2017. Submissions must be made using the online submission form available at www.bizexcellence.ro/icbe and the final paper should be accompanied by publishing agreements and declaration of originality. Should you have any questions please email us at office@bizexcellence.ro. Details about the payment and the SBE bank account are available at www.bizexcellence.ro. The conference fee includes publication, conference folder, meals during the conference and a trip to the Peles Castle, Sinaia, on the 1st of April 2017. THE 11 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS EXCELLENCE Strategy, Complexity and Energy in changing times "The best way to predict the future is to create it." Abraham Lincoln 30 31 March 2017, Bucharest, Romania Mini Track on Complexity Mini Track Chair: Sarah Sheard, Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Few fields are not concerned with an increase in the complexity of today's problems and systems. Most systems today include technology controlled by software because of the range of capability it can provide, yet software introduces complexity of new types as it solves familiar types of complexity. While research into complexity is proceeding in multiple fields, awareness of the advances made and their application to other fields is lagging. This track is seeking papers related to both broad and specific work in: Complexity research Complexity applications within business related or other fields Economic and legal implications of complexity Complexity management Complexity and risk Measurement of complexity Methods for reducing complexity Other related topics. Academic researchers, doctoral students, industrial practitioners, and government business or management employees are especially encouraged to submit papers on Business Excellence and Complexity Sarah A. Sheard is a Senior Engineer at Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute. Her current work includes both research in the fields of software engineering measurement and process and application of SEI technologies for government customers. She was the PI for a 2 year research effort (2014 2016) for the FAA on ways to measure the effect of complexity on aircraft safety. In 2006 she became a Fellow of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and in 2002 she was awarded INCOSE's Founder's Award (INCOSE) for her contributions to systems engineering and the Council. Dr.Sheard is an INCOSE certified systems engineering professional (CSEP) Dr. Sheard completed her doctoral work in May 2012 at Stevens Institute of Technology, with a dissertation topic of the effect of complexity on systems development programs. Dr. Sheard has worked on systems engineering of satellites and air traffic control. She has written over 40 publications in systems engineering including three awarded "Best Paper" from INCOSE symposia, including "Principles of Complex Systems for Systems Engineering" in 2009. Publication opportunities The conference is organized by Society for Business Excellence and UNESCO Department for Business Administration and will take place on the 30th 31st of March 2017 at The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Faculty of Business Administration in foreign languages (FABIZ) Subject to author registration and payment, all accepted papers for presentation, based on a blind peer review process, will be published in a CD conference proceedings volume with an ISSN and an ISBN, under the Business Excellence Publishing House. Selected presented papers will be published in a conference proceedings volume under the German Publishing House de Gruyter and it will be indexed the following databases: EBSCO, Proquest, ExLibris, OCLC, Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, CELDES, CNPIE, Naviga, and will be submitted for indexation to Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science (WOS) Conference Proceedings Citation Index. In addition, a selection of the best papers will be published in the Management Marketing. Challenge for the Knowledge Society Journal (http:/www.degruyter.com/view/j/mmcks) published by de Gruyter Open, indexed in Scopus, Proquest, Cabell's Directory and other more than 20 international databases, Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research and other prestigious publications. The conference committee will grant for each section the following distinctions: Best paper award and Best presenter award. Submission details Abstract submission deadline 20 December 2016 extended 10 January Notification of abstract acceptance 5 January 2017 extended 15 January Submission of full paper due for review 10 February 2017 Notification of paper acceptance (with any requested changes) 20 February 2017 Final paper due (with any changes) 5 March 2017 Final Author registration date 10 March 2017 Registration and payment EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT 5 January 19 February 2017 SBE Members SBE Non members Academics 120 euro 160 euro Practitioners 160 euro 200 euro Ph.D. students 80 euro 120 euro NORMAL REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT 20 February 10 March 2017 SBE Members SBE Non members Academics 150 euro 200 euro Practitioners 200 euro 250 euro Ph.D. students 100 euro 150 euro As a first step we require a 300 500 word abstract which is to be received by the 20th of December 2016 extended deadline 10 January 2017. Submissions must be made using the online submission form available at www.bizexcellence.ro/icbe and the final paper should be accompanied by publishing agreements and declaration of originality. Should you have any questions about this track please email the mini track chair, Sarah Sheard, at the following address: sarah.sheard@gmail.com, or the conference organisers at office@bizexcellence.ro. Details about the payment and the SBE account are available at www.bizexcellence.ro. The conference fee includes publication, conference folder, meals during the conference and a trip to the Peles Castle, Sinaia, on the 1st of April 2017. THE 11 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS EXCELLENCE Strategy, Complexity and Energy in changing times "The best way to predict the future is to create it." Abraham Lincoln 30 31 March 2017, Bucharest, Romania Mini Track on Digitization of Businesses Mini Track Chair: Florina Pinzaru, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Romania Digitalisation in the era of IoT, cloud and big data changes the profile of the consumers, employees and the practice of management and business administration as we know it: computers and smart connected devices not only modify the way consumers keep themselves informed and buy, but even replace specialists on some jobs and influence, by consequence, the decision making processes. This is why, without fearing a speculative approach, we might ask ourselves legitimately whether the way managers think and make decisions is about to change as the digital economy begins its rein, which is the main topic that the mini track will address. The main topics covered by the hereby call for papers are related to: The Millennials as employees and consumers Digital marketing (SEM, mobile marketing, digital communication) Social Media strategy ERP and cloud systems as part of the business organization IoT and competitive strategies in smart products' markets Associate Professor Florina Pinzaru teaches General Management and Fundamentals of Marketing at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) Bucharest, Romania. She is also Dean of the Faculty of Management of SNSPA since 2011 and Head of The Research Center in Management and Leadership of SNSPA. Florina Pinzaru has more than 10 years of experience as marketer for important Romanian enterprises and multinational corporations in furniture, energy and utilities. Her latest consultancy and research projects are focused on the digital strategies of companies as part of their strategic business approaches. Some of Mrs. Pinzaru most important publications are ,Marketing Handbook: Classic Principles and Modern Efficient Techniques" (in Romanian: ,Manual de marketing: principii clasice si tehnici moderne eficiente" C.H. Beck, Bucharest, 2009 and "Congratulations, You Are a Manager Now!" (in Romanian, "Felicitari, ai fost promovat manager!" Tritonic, Bucharest, 2013. For detailed information about her scientific interests, please see Florina Pinzaru's research profile: http:/www.researchgate.net/profile/Florina_Pinzaru. Publication opportunities The conference is organized by Society for Business Excellence and UNESCO Department for Business Administration and will take place on the 30th 31st of March 2017 at The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Faculty of Business Administration in foreign languages (FABIZ) Subject to author registration and payment, all accepted papers for presentation, based on a blind peer review process, will be published in a CD conference proceedings volume with an ISSN and an ISBN, under the Business Excellence Publishing House. Selected presented papers will be published in a conference proceedin
Alina Mihaela Dima
57846999
Clinical Photography of Skin Diseases
Clinical photography is the cornerstone of proper dermatological documentation whether in case reports, for monitoring patients or for clinical trials and research development. The most important factors to be considered for good clinical photography are clarity and consistency which are achieved via patient preparation, proper lighting and camera settings. Development of new software and sophisticated systems has led to advanced collection of qualitative as well as quantitative clinical data. Introduction Photography is accepted as the standard tool for documentation of dermatologic conditions and treatment follow up in medical practice and research. With the emergence of low cost easy touse digital imaging systems, good quality photography has been made more accessible to practitioners. Primary concerns are controlling lighting and positioning to provide a clear record of the patients' skin condition and assure meaningful comparison of clinical end points. Photography plays an important role in professional communications, practice development, and medico legal issues [1] Applications of clinical photography Documenting conditions and treatments Photography provides a unique opportunity to document the patient's initial presentation which represents a baseline to how the condition progresses with treatment. Photographs taken over time, or at specific end points, provide a medical record that enables clear communications with patients regarding their progress and provides the practitioners with permanent documentation of the efficacy of their treatments. Egyptian Dermatology Online Journal Vol. 11 No 1: 3, June 2015 2 http:/www.edoj.org.eg Monitoring of atrisk patients For patients at risk for melanoma, total body photography, also known as whole body integumentary photography, provides the means of establishing a baseline against which to evaluate changes in the patient's presentation. The basis for this type of photography is a multisection template that divides the body into discrete anatomical areas. This template defines a standardized series of photographs that comprise a "Body Map," consisting of 25 30 photographs. The body map defines both the area of the anatomy to be photographed and the positioning, or pose of the subject for each picture. Professional and business development An archive of clinical images documenting your work can be a valuable asset for your practice. For professional publications or presentations, photography is indispensable. If your practice includes esthetic procedures, clinical photography demonstrating the results can be used in marketing and promotional materials, or simply arranged in a binder to show prospective patients[1] Photographic Techniques [1] The most important factors to be considered for good clinical photography are clarity and consistency. Clarity requires that the feature of interest is distinctly and correctly represented in the photography. While consistency means that in any series of photographs, there are no variations introduced by the photographic process itself. This assures that any differences observed between photographs at different time points, or among different patients, truly represent differences in the subject or procedural outcomes. The most important factors to maintain clarity and consistency are as follows:
Dalia Hossam Ahmed Sany Sadek Amal Wagih M Minhaju Malik
32357627
Open Medicine is indexed in PubMed
Editors' note: This corrected editorial replaces the version published on 5 January 2010, which stated that Open Medicine is indexed in MEDLINE, when in fact it is indexed in PubMed (of which MEDLINE is a subset) Open Medicine currently has an application under review for indexing in MEDLINE. The Open Medicine team is pleased to announce our recent acceptance for indexing in PubMed an official stamp of approval from the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) for the scientific and technical quality of articles published in our journal. Why is this development such an important milestone? PubMed indexing ensures that new and previously published articles in Open Medicine are searchable online (http:/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez) and are archived on PubMed Central, the NLM's comprehensive online archive of nearly 2 million full text articles. The ability to find Open Medicine's articles through PubMed literature searches will make it easier for both researchers and readers to find, assess and download them.1 Indexing by the NLM and accessibility through PubMed Central ensures, in addition to enhanced visibility, the permanence of our publishing record for years to come. As a result of PubMed indexing, we anticipate an increase in article submissions. To date, we have managed the journal with mostly volunteer input despite some logistical challenges in doing so. We remain committed to maintaining a medical journal based on editorial independence, open source publishing and open access.2,3 To sustain this while managing the expected increase in workflow, we are introducing a publication charge for articles accepted by Open Medicine. This fee will be C$1200 for research and review articles and C$300 for commentary and analysis pieces that meet our author guidelines in format and word count. The fee will allow us to continue publishing articles 3 to 4 months after acceptance and eventually to improve turnaround times. We will implement the publication charge for all articles submitted on or after March 1, 2010 that we subsequently accept. Maintaining high standards and making improvements to a high quality medical journal takes expertise and considerable resources. These new fees represent a small proportion of the funds required to produce the journal; Table 1 shows some of our major operating costs. Considerable value is added during the editorial process, which makes articles more readable and absolutely clear in purpose.4 The modest fee covers most of the copyediting costs as well as the production and layout costs required to meet NLM standards; the remaining costs are covered by our editorial team of volunteers. Table 1 Time spent processing research articles at Open Medicine For funded research, we expect that this new fee will not limit an author's ability to publish in the journal. Increasingly, granting agencies such as CIHR (the Canadian Institutes of Health Research) permit funds to cover any reasonable fee that an open access journal charges for the publication of accepted articles.5 In addition, partial or complete fee waivers will be available to authors with little or no means to pay, as is done at other open access journals.6 We believe this may be important for our growing authorship in low and middle income countries. Much has been made of publishers' recent attempts to use questionable methods to increase revenue.7 The misuse of publishing platforms for self interest, whether through advertising revenue or charges for services, is a serious problem in biomedical publishing. Open Medicine will never use fees to solicit manuscripts, and we will uphold our peer review and editorial policies rigorously. Since publication charges will apply only after an article is accepted, the fees will not influence our editorial decisions at either the review or the editing stages. Although many medical journals do not charge fees, they nonetheless incur costs through the publication cycle. How do publishers usually absorb these costs? Typically, they are met through pharmaceutical advertising, post publication marketing reprint fees, subscriptions fees for individuals and university libraries and sponsorship by professional societies. Traditional publishing models are superficially convenient for authors, but we believe they are fundamentally flawed.8 Editors face pressures to publish research that supports the sale of specific products and devices, and to accept advertising revenue and reprint profits.9 Authors may be required to sign over their copyright as well as any revenue resulting from the sale of their intellectual work, a practice that is equally pernicious. Finally, access to a journal's full text is limited to those who are able to pay. The need to re purpose biomedical publishing for greater academic freedom and editorial independence is one of our reasons for being.8 Put simply, instituting publication charges is the price that academics, granting agencies, research institutes and medical schools must be prepared to pay to move toward more equitable publishing models. We call for greater leadership from academic institutions to "walk the walk" by covering publication charges for faculty. As a result, biomedical research can be placed into as many capable hands as possible, thereby releasing its true potential. Although publishing in indexed journals such as Open Medicine is important, we also encourage all authors to "self archive" articles at their local digital libraries and institutional repositories. Self archiving adds a second layer of openness to published medical research because web search engines typically scour these repositories. If you are unsure about how to deposit your research in this manner, speak to your local open access librarian for more information. The growth of Open Medicine and its recognition by NLM would never have been possible without the enthusiastic support of many people. We want to thank our board of directors, editorial board, authors, reviewers, university libraries, and our readers, who have supported Open Medicine and given their time throughout our development.
Open medicine a peer reviewed, independent, open access journal
Sally Murray J T Brophy John R Hoey Stephen Choi Dean M Giustini Claire E Kendall James Maskalyk Anita Palepu