Gone are the days of spending a day to submit an article to be published. A new journal is challenging established methods in biomedical research publications. Pathogens and Immunity streamlines the current research publication process–a well-recognized source of frustration for biomedical researchers–from one day to five minutes.

“There is a real need for a research journal that is designed primarily to serve the interests of researchers and that’s what Pathogens and Immunity will do,” said editor-in-chief Michael Lederman, MD. “Most journals have so much bureaucratic red tape in their submission process that it can take an entire day to submit an article. Our goal is to cut through that clutter.”

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Pathogens and Immunity, an online, open-access journal, has simplified the submission and review process to be more effective and accelerated. The journal’s senior editors, noted researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, are revising the standards of biomedical publications in immunology and infectious diseases. Among the first to have implemented this new streamlined approach, the journal features:

• Rapid, five-minute, submissions process;
• Authors may submit manuscripts in any format that is recognized by the National Library of Medicine, unlike most journals that only accept one format;
• Authors can include reviews from other journals and their responses to these reviews with their submissions;
• Senior editors will decide within four days whether or not to send a paper out for review;
• Reviewers are paid for rapid reviews.

“The more time we can save researchers from doing non-research related tasks, the better it will be for everyone, including all the people waiting for medical breakthroughs for themselves or their loved ones,” Lederman said.

The editors have other important goals in mind. The journal’s website will be a platform offering other features that serve the interests of investigators with expertise in immunology and infectious diseases. Such features will include online surveys aimed at identifying outstanding problems and targeted discussion of controversies in the fields of immunology and infectious diseases.

The editors have engaged a prestigious international board of more than 100 scientists to serve as associate editors. The journal website, paijournal.com, launched in January and is accepting submissions for review. The first issue of Pathogens and Immunity is expected in summer 2016.

Pathogens and Immunity is funded by a grant from the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation.