Providing MAHE a centralized open access publishing hub to engage the global academic community: an F1000 case study

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is one of India’s leading academic research institutions and a global leader in education and research. 

MAHE’s research objectives are to: 

• Enhance interdisciplinary collaboration 
• Advance impactful research that solves societal challenges 
• Promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship 

MAHE needed a centralized open research publishing hub for affiliated research to engage with the global academic and open research communities.

The challenge: globalization of the research landscape

Since its inception in 1956, MAHE has produced noteworthy research. With over 60 years of expertise and campuses in multiple countries, MAHE has a vast amount of knowledge to share. In sharing this knowledge and research, it is paramount for MAHE to have the ability to track the usage and success of their publications. MAHE also encountered challenges regarding how to communicate with the broader research community.

MAHE required an innovative publishing solution to realize its vision: “to nurture and promote research activities of global standards” and achieve its objectives.

The solution: the MAHE Gateway

In 2021, MAHE partnered with F1000 to launch a dedicated Gateway on F1000Research. 

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence, encourages the culture of open research where the research carried out by the fraternity of MAHE can be accessed without any paywall. The MAHE Gateway helps in achieving the same through barrier-free publications.

Dr Santhosh KV
Deputy Director – Research (Technical), MAHE

Gateways are dedicated spaces on a Platform led by expert advisors to support open research and transparency in publishing. In addition, the MAHE Gateway provides affiliated researchers with a place to rapidly publish their work on critical societal issues by hosting a range of article types. 

This includes a Research Article by Priya Rathi et al. that investigates patient treatment pathways of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) cases in coastal South India. The authors probe this important topic to help develop approaches to improve diagnoses, access to care, and treatment of DR-TB. So far, the article has received: 

• 1,777 views 
• 158 downloads 
• Two approved peer review reports 

The results: rapid, centralized, and diverse publication

The MAHE Gateway symbolizes trailblazing organizations publishing high-quality research openly and at pace. Since the Gateway launch, article submissions have increased from 5 articles in 2020 to 21 articles submitted in 2021. In the first 8 months of 2022, the Gateway has:  

• Received 83 submissions
• Published 68 articles
• Achieved a 89% acceptance rate

Speed of publication 

Gateway authors can count on efficient turnaround times from submission to publication and peer review. As a result, MAHE can increase the reach of its affiliated research internationally, which is imperative to sharing research that could help solve critical global challenges in real time. 

Facilitating engagement and collaboration 

The MAHE Gateway continues to provide opportunities for engagement and communication with global academic and open research communities by offering the option to: 

• Peer review research transparently 
• Comment on published papers 
• Easily share papers with interdisciplinary communities 

Supporting researchers from all subject areas 

The Gateway showcases a broad portfolio of high-quality research affiliated with MAHE, and encourages submissions from all three MAHE faculties: 

• Health Sciences 
• Science, Technology and Management 
• Humanities, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences 

Furthermore, Gateways powered by F1000 publish reviewer names and reviewer reports alongside articles, and research undergoes rigorous editorial checks before publication. This helps MAHE achieve their mission by ensuring integrity, quality, and transparency at every stage of the publication process. 

Helping authors tell the full story of their research 

The MAHE Gateway publishes different article types across a wide range of scientific, academic, and clinical disciplines. MAHE-affiliated researchers benefit from publishing a wide range of research outputs. For instance, some researchers may choose to publish a Study Protocol before their project begins and a Research Article once complete. Others may take advantage of our more unique article types, including Software Tool Articles, or other available options. By enabling authors to publish at every stage of the research lifecycle, researchers can receive recognition for all aspects of their work. 

Furthermore, researchers have the freedom to choose the format that best suits their research story and findings. For example, Data Notes allow authors to share valuable contextual information about original research datasets in a highly discoverable way, enabling other researchers to find, access, use (and reuse) the data. Data sharing not only supports reproducibility but also opens avenues for related research across disciplines. 

What’s more, with F1000’s ongoing partner support MAHE can track the impact of its research outputs, providing insights into readership and usage of its publications. 

Looking ahead 

The speed of growth of MAHE Gateway isn’t showing signs of slowing down. High-quality research continues to be submitted, published, cited, and shared across the world. As a result, the MAHE Gateway is a prime example for other research institutions interested in showcasing their research on a global stage. 

Are you looking to maximize the impact of your institution’s research?  

Book a consultation today to learn more about our unique publishing solutions to support your open research journey.