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Re-launch of BMC Genetics to BMC Genomic Data - FAQs

Important Update

From January 2021, BMC Genetics will operate under a new title, BMC Genomic Data (ISSN: 2730-6844).

Why are you making this change? 

BMC has a long-standing reputation as a pioneer for open access and is a market leader in genetics and genomics. We remain passionate about promoting open science and see the sharing of data as central to that mission.  As part of this commitment, as of January 2021 we are re-launching BMC Genetics as BMC Genomic Data and will welcome submissions of descriptions of genetic and genomic datasets under our new ‘data note’ article type, as well as research articles with a focus on open data and data sharing. The scope of our sister title BMC Genomics is being expanded in parallel to welcome submissions of both genetic and genomic research papers.

What types of content will you consider in BMC Genomic Data?

Research articles that include a new genomic dataset or analysis of an existing open dataset are encouraged, as well as database articles that describe a novel biomedical database likely to be of broad utility.

A particular focus of the journal will be descriptions of genetic and genomic datasets under the new ‘data note’ article type. Please see our data note guidelines for more detail.


I have previously published with BMC Genetics  - will my paper(s) still be discoverable in BMC Genomic Data

Yes. All papers published under BMC Genetics will continue to be discoverable and searchable via the journal website and BMC and SpringerLink platforms. This continuity is a priority for us. The DOIs and citation details for published papers will not change and the journal site will remain active after the title change.

Will the journal continue to be indexed under the new title BMC Genomic Data?

BMC Genomic Data will continue to be indexed in PubMed and PubMed Central. In addition, the full text of all articles is deposited in digital archives around the world to guarantee long-term digital preservation. You can also access all articles published by BioMed Central on SpringerLink. We are also working closely with other relevant indexing services including Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) to ensure that articles published in BMC Genomic Data will be available in their databases in the same way as articles published in BMC Genetics.

Are data notes indexed the same way as research articles?

Yes, data notes are fully peer-reviewed and are indexed in the same manner and by the same abstract and indexing services as research articles.

If I publish a data note in BMC Genomic Data, can I still use the data in a future research article?

Yes. Data notes simply describe a set of data and the methods and limitations associated with these datasets. Research articles that present subsequent analyses or conclusions drawn from these data are welcomed at this journal and others in the BMC Series. For full transparency it is recommended that the published data note is mentioned in the covering letter when submitting your research article, and is also referenced in the research article.

What is the benefit of publishing a data note, rather than a research paper that also makes the data available?

Research data often lie hidden until shared via a repository and/or through a research article that uses the data to support conclusions and analyses. Publishing a data note, an article type that has a fast turnaround time and is focussed solely on the datasets, means the data can be shared and described sooner and more explicitly than in a research article, and in a manner that includes a peer-reviewed citable publication, increasing the findability of datasets. It also allows authors to author a publication for datasets that do not present a strong enough conclusion to yet base a research article on, or that are preliminary and aimed at forming a larger body of research in the future.

What is the benefit of publishing a data note, rather than just depositing the data in a repository?

All data described in a data note must be in a recognised repository prior to editorial assessment, but by publishing a data note, authors are presenting important information to researchers who may re-use and analyse the data, such as metadata around the methodology of generating the datasets and their limitations. In addition, a data note allows researchers who use the datasets to cite the data and data note in a way that is recorded by abstracting and indexing services.

Can I publish a data note if the data includes sensitive or confidential information?

Data deposited in controlled access repositories is acceptable for describing in a data note, as are data that have been appropriately anonymised to maintain e.g. patient confidentiality. For guidance on these topics, our Research Data Helpdesk is available for queries.

Who can I contact for any questions or clarifications?

If you would like to find out more, or you have any queries about your manuscript which is currently under consideration in the journal, please contact the Executive Editor, Maria Hodges at maria.hodges@biomedcentral.com.