Just the Biopharma Facts, Please

The term “fake news” has been a hot-button issue recently. By definition, “fake” news is news that is false; this content may be disseminated as “true” to influence opinion or to deceive. In the current political environment, some identify any information that runs counter to their opinions as “fake news.”

Thanks to special-interest online publications and blogs, cable news channels, and even traditional news outlets, finding news that is “real” to you is only a click away. Your “real” news, most likely, is “fake” to those with opposing views. Facts, scientific consensus, and real-word evidence have become secondary to opinion and vested interests in the political arena. Fact-based information, however, is still the foundation for discussions and decisions in science-driven industries. 

The editors of BioPharm International routinely screen pitches from representatives of supplier companies about the importance and capabilities of new products or the quality of the services they offer. Experts at biopharma companies look to promote their capabilities or receive recognition for their achievements. We embrace our role as gatekeepers, sorting through the sometimes overtly promotional pitches to compile objective information and insight about industry trends and developments. We also receive article contributions from industry experts whose primary objective is to share information to help advance the science and technology of biopharmaceutical development. We are grateful for their contributions.

Fact-seeking audience

Readers report that they prefer articles that provide practical descriptions of technical topics, as well as peer-reviewed papers, formats that are the foundation of our coverage. While the editors interview and work with industry professionals for the technical features, we turn to experts to provide the peer-reviewed contributions.

While other publications offer pay-for-publish models or require authors to have their papers reviewed prior to submission, manuscripts submitted to BioPharm International for peer review are double-blind reviewed by the publication’s editorial advisory board using procedures standard for scholarly and technical journals. Thus, this peer-review process validates the credibility of the scientific or technical work described in the paper. The review period typically takes four to six weeks. Accepted papers are scheduled for publication in BioPharm International on a first-accepted basis and usually are published four to six months following acceptance.

: standard data-driven, novel research papers; technical case studies/application notes; topical literature or patent reviews; and science-based opinion papers. All submissions must be original and cannot have been published previously in any format--including company literature or website postings. The paper cannot have been published previously in another language. 

The papers must be objective and cannot promote a company’s products or services. Authors are expected to provide suitable references to published third-party literature to support all statements in submitted papers.

Submission guidelines

The BioPharm International Author’s Guidelines webpage explains the submission process, provides links to the editorial guidelines for submissions, and contact information. The guidelines explain article rights, originality, and licensing; provide instructions for preparing an article for submission; list acceptable file types for figures, tables, and images; and include a style guide for references.

To access this information, visit www.BioPharmInternational.com and click the Author’s Guidelines link on the navigation menu. Or, you can contact me directly at rita.peters@ubm.com.

Article Details

BioPharm International
Volume 30, Number 8
July 2017
Page: 6

Citation

When referring to this article, please cite it as R. Peters, “Just the Biopharma Facts, Please," BioPharm International 30 (8) 2017.