IOP Publishing unveils new open access environmental journal series

IOP Publishing (IOPP) is launching a suite of new open access (OA) environmental journals, marking the creation of the environmental Research series.

Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability (ERIS) is the first new title to launch as part of the series, joining IOPP’s established OA titles in the field − Environmental Research Letters (ERL) and Environmental Research Communications (ERC).

The Environmental Research series will grow throughout 2021 with the introduction of other sister titles that will collectively cover all major areas of environmental research. Delivering a suite of inter-connected publishing options, all the journals will be fully OA, promote data transparency and be led by a dedicated Editorial Board to ensure rigorous peer review standards and editorial excellence.

ERIS, which is open for submissions now, is a multidisciplinary journal addressing important challenges relevant to every aspect of infrastructure development and sustainability. It will cover broad and inclusive perspectives at global, regional, national and local scales, including current and emerging issues wherever humanity’s influence extends to − from single products to networked systems.

At the helm is Editor-in-Chief Professor Arpad Horvath from the University of California’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.  ERIS will also be guided by an Editorial Board composed of leaders in the field, bringing additional depth of knowledge as they work closely with an in-house editorial team to ensure editorial excellence and that the journal meets IOPP’s rigorous peer review standards.

Commenting on the launch of ERIS, Professor Arpad Horvath said: “With infrastructure and sustainability underpinning many of the most significant societal challenges, ERIS brings together communities extending across environmental research, engineering, the social sciences and humanities. This new OA journal provides a unique venue to present some of the most relevant and cutting-edge advances in infrastructure and sustainability. I look forward to working with the Editorial Board and IOP Publishing as we strive to create a journal with significant value for the community.”

The launch of the Environmental Research Series builds on IOPP’s family of established environmental journals. Launched in 2006, ERL was the first fully OA journal to cover the whole of environmental research. Highly recognised today, it publishes concise, high-impact original research Letters and comprehensive reviews that present important results from across the environmental spectrum. ERC was introduced in 2018, providing an inclusive platform for all types of high-quality research in all areas of environmental science, including negative results, null results and replication studies, provided they contribute to advancing knowledge in their field.

Dr Tim Smith, Associate Director at IOP Publishing said: “In developing this major new open access programme we are taking the opportunity to extend ERL’s established modern publishing ethos and quality values to a new family of carefully selected titles that serve the needs of environmental science today and into the future. Reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of the field and ongoing societal challenges, our aim is to deliver a combination of outstanding publishing service and content that brings together academia, industry and policy makers, and ultimately accelerates progress towards delivering solutions for sustainability development in line with the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. We look forward to rolling out future new titles as the series develops.”

Full details about Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability can be found on the journal homepage.

To find out more about IOPP’s increasing range of OA journals and commitment to open physics, click here.