Phytologia Balcanica, an international journal in plant sciences, has integrated with the ARPHA publishing platform, in a move aiming to strengthen the journal’s commitment to advancing phytological research and expanding its global reach.
Phytologia Balcanica publishes original scientific articles and communications across various plant science fields. Its scope encompasses the taxonomy or biosystematics of plants and fungi, chorology, floristics, evolution, phytocoenology, palaeobotany, palynology, plant anatomy, embryology, ecology, monitoring, and the biology and chemistry of medicinal and aromatic plants.
ARPHA, a platform developed by Pensoft, offers an end-to-end science publishing solution that makes it easy for both humans and machines to access, cite, and reuse research, meaning Phytologia Balcanica will get access to improved publishing infrastructure and benefit from increased visibility and discoverability for its published research.
The journal is published by the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (IBER) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Thanks to IBER’s support, Phytologia Balcanica operates on a white-label Diamond Open Access model, ensuring that all articles are published free of charge. The journal’s editorial team is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dimiter Ivanov, who is affiliated with the IBER.
“Phytologia Balcanica’s integration onto the ARPHA platform will streamline the publishing process for authors and broaden the dissemination of critical research in plant sciences to a global audience. We hope this partnership will strengthen the journal’s role in contributing to biodiversity and ecosystem research worldwide,” said Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder of ARPHA.
The first Phytologia Balcanicaarticles published after the move to ARPHA are already available on its new website.
In August, Pensoft had the honour of welcoming colleagues from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) to the headquarters of the open-access scholarly publisher and technology provider in Sofia, Bulgaria. The visit was marked by engaging discussions on scholarly publishing, future innovations, current challenges in academia and potential collaborations.
The highlight of the meeting was the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Penev, Pensoft’s CEO and founder, and Prof. Dr. Thai Hoang, Vice Chairman of the Scientific Council of Materials Science at VAST and the Editor‑in‑Chief of the Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology.
“This Memorandum of Understanding marks an important step towards fostering international collaboration in scholarly publishing. By combining the expertise and know-how of Pensoft and VAST, we aim to make research more accessible and innovative for communities worldwide,”
commented Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Penev.
“I am very happy to visit Bulgaria and collaborate with Pensoft Publishers. Here, we know Pensoft and the ARPHA publishing platform for their diverse publishing solutions designed for scientific papers, monographs, academic books and more, as well as their professional and efficient work. All this makes them quite prestigious for us. Starting from this Memorandum of Understanding, next, we will explore ways to use the ARPHA publishing platform for the publication of Vietnam’s scientific journals, books and other research outputs.”
Prof. Dr. Thai Hoang said.
Over the course of the visit, the group engaged in an enriching dialogue. Guests from VAST offered an in-depth look at their publication outlets and shared insights into the Vietnamese scholarly publishing landscape, as well as the nation’s rich cultural heritage and natural wonders.
In turn, Pensoft offered a comprehensive overview of the company’s journey of over three decades, starting from the launch of the first Pensoft journals and proceeding to the continuous development of several innovative publication platforms and solutions, including the full-featured end-to-end publishing platform ARPHA. Today, there are over 80 open-access peer-reviewed journals, including both Pensoft-launched titles, and many owned and run by research institutions, universities and learned societies from around the globe.
The visit continued beyond the office with the publisher’s management inviting their guests to a several-day trip around the country that covered the cultural and historic hubs of Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa.
By the end of the visit, both parties agreed that their meeting in Bulgaria underscores their shared vision: to advance open, innovative, and accessible scholarly communication. With the MoU in place, both sides look forward to transforming this mutual understanding into concrete collaborative initiatives.
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With perfect timing, shortly after the visit, one of the VAST delegates: biologist Prof. Dr. Quang Manh Vu (also affiliated with the Hoa Binh University, Hanoi, Vietnam), in collaboration with his Bulgarian and Vietnamese colleagues: Dr. Ivailo Dedov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) and Dr. Tuan Trieu Anh (Hung Vuong University, Viet Tri City, Vietnam) published a study in Pensoft’s inaugural and flagship journal in zoological systematics: ZooKeys. The research paper lists species of slugs and semi-slugs of the superfamily Helicarionoidea the team collected in North Vietnam in 2023. Amongst the collected specimens, the scientists discovered a new-to-science species of semi-slug they named after Pensoft’s Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Penev, who is himself a biologist and taxonomist by background.
“When I found out I had a new species, I had no hesitation on the name: Ostracolethe penevi. I had been looking forward to naming a curious species after my friend Prof. Lyubomir Penev, a man who made the world look up to Bulgarian science, and someone who has helped me a lot through the years,”
“This newly described species deserves a name that reflects the generosity of nature, the advancement of science, and the enduring friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria,”
added Prof. Dr. Quang Manh Vu.
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Additional information:
Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST)
Founded on 20 May 1975, VAST is Vietnam’s largest multidisciplinary research organization, with branches in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Nha Trang, Dalat, and Hue. Its mission spans basic and applied research, the development of high technology, human resource training, and providing scientific advice to the government on pressing national issues.
VAST is known for achieving high output in international peer-reviewed journals; in 2023, more than 2,200 works were published, with nearly 80% in international outlets. The Academy is responsible for several cutting-edge initiatives, including satellite R&D through the Vietnam National Space Center, strategic technology fields aligned with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (e.g. AI, new materials, semiconductors), and large-scale environmental and biodiversity monitoring across the country. Looking forward, VAST has set ambitious goals, including mastering key advanced technologies, increasing technology transfer, enhancing publication impact, strengthening partnerships at home and abroad, and cultivating world-class scientific talent.
Pensoft
Founded in 1992 “by scientists, for scientists”, the academic open-access publishing company is well known worldwide for its novel cutting-edge publishing tools, workflows and methods for text and data publishing of journals, books and conference materials. Back in 2010, Pensoft became the first scientific publisher to introduce semantic enrichments in scholarly publications. Through its Research and Technical Development department, the company is involved in various research and technology projects.
ARPHA Publishing Platform
ARPHA is a full-featured, end-to-end publishing platform for open-access journals, books, conference materials and preprints. ARPHA offers flexible operating and business models, and a wide-range of automated and human-provided services. The ARPHA team places a special focus on its scholarly communication solutions designed to leverage the visibility and outreach of academic output, while prompting inclusivity and engagement.
With a Journal Impact Factor of 0.9 and a Scopus CiteScore of 2.2, Bulletin of Insectology is a gold open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing original research articles, reviews, and short communications in the field of entomology. It is now jointly published by the Department of Agroenvironmental Sciences and Technologies, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna and Pensoft.
Formerly known as Bollettino dell’Istituto di Entomologia “G. Grandi”, the journal has been continuously published since 1928. Over the decades, it has developed under the supervision of eminent entomologists such as Prof. G. Grandi, Prof. M. M. Principi, and Prof. E. Mellini.
Today, the journal continues to cover a broad range of topics related to insect science, including physiology, ecology, behaviour, pest management, and the role of insects in ecosystems. A particular emphasis is placed on integrated pest management (IPM), biological control, pollinator health, the side effects of pesticides on beneficial arthropods, and environmentally sustainable approaches to insect control in agriculture.
Among the first articles to appear since the journal’s transition to ARPHA are:
First record from Italy of the Japanese grape leafhopper Arboridiakakogawana. Credit: De Luigi et al.
“Bulletin of Insectology is an exciting addition to ARPHA’s family of next-generation scientific journals,” said Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder of Pensoft, the company behind the ARPHA platform. “By utilising ARPHA’s publishing solutions, the journal can disseminate important entomological research and continue to grow.”
The move to ARPHA introduces modern publishing features, such as integrated submission and peer review workflows, enhanced discoverability through multiple indexing services, and improved accessibility for authors and readers alike.
With its first ARPHA-published articles now online, Bulletin of Insectology continues its near century-long tradition of advancing research in entomology. Head to the journal website here.
Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) in the Gandoman Wetlands. Photo by Ruhollah Asgari
The newly published articles focus on supporting the sustainable management of the Danube Delta, including an assessment of the impact of pesticide residues on the river and some insights on the potential of earth observation data for monitoring the Delta. The journal also publishes research on the ecology and biogeography of wetland ecosystems in general, such as a study on the habitat and behaviour of the Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia).
Established in 1993, the journal offers a multidisciplinary platform for studies in the fields of ecology, biodiversity, environmental protection, hydrology, ichthyology, ornithology, limnology, and sustainable development related to wetlands and deltaic environments. It is free to publish and open for submissions.
“With the launch of the first articles in Volume 30 of the Scientific Annals of the Danube Delta Institute, now published with Pensoft, we celebrate an important milestone in advancing research on biodiversity, aquatic ecology, and data integration,” said the journal’s Editor-in-Chief Iuliana-MihaelaTudor of the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development.
“This new stage reflects not only the scientific value of the contributions, but also the collaborative spirit that strengthens our community and drives innovation forward.
“As Louis Pasteur once said, ‘Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world.’
“We warmly invite our readers, authors, and collaborators to explore this volume, to share in the exchange of ideas, and to continue building together a future where open science connects and empowers us all.”
The Journal of Applied Sports Sciences (JASS) has transitioned to science publishing platform ARPHA. Making use of ARPHA’s advanced digital publishing infrastructure, the journal aims to enhance the accessibility and visibility of research in sports sciences.
JASS is published by the National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski” (NSA) in Sofia, Bulgaria. Established in 2017, it aims to represent a wide range of scientific publications in sports sciences, providing visibility of the research results and an opportunity to deepen knowledge in the field.
ARPHA is proud to support JASS in its mission to share knowledge and contribute to global scientific progress.
Prof. Lyubomir Penev
The journal covers a broad array of topics relevant to the advancement of sports and physical activity. Key areas include sports and health, physical education, sports management, and physiotherapy. It also seeks to enhance communication among the various disciplines in the field, actively seeking manuscripts with interdisciplinary content and application in sports.
JASS operates under a Diamond Open Access model, ensuring that all research outputs are freely accessible without any article processing charges for authors. Manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer-review process and are published continuously, featuring research outputs, review articles, reports, discussions, studies, and editorial materials. The journal’s complete archive is now available on the ARPHA platform.
“The integration of the Journal of Applied Sports Sciences with ARPHA’s publishing platform facilitates access to research and supports knowledge dissemination in sports sciences. ARPHA is proud to support JASS in its mission to share knowledge and contribute to global scientific progress,” commented Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder of ARPHA.
The latest Journal Citation Reports, released by Clarivate in June 2025, have granted three ARPHA-hosted, open-access journals their first Journal Impact Factors (JIF).
The metric reflects the number of times a journal’s content from 2022 and 2023 was cited in 2024. This total citation count is then divided by the number of “citable” articles (i.e., research and review articles) to estimate the JIF.
This achievement reflects the hard work of the editorial teams and authors at each of the journals, as well as the efforts of ARPHA’s dedicated, in-house indexing team, who help journals apply for important academic indexing databases, including Web of Scienceand Scopus. Indexation in such databases allows journals to become eligible for metrics like the JIF and CiteScore, which are often considered by researchers deciding where to publish their work.
ARPHA’s indexing service includes evaluation of a given journal’s current status against the requirements of prestigious databases, advice on how to meet these requirements, and overall assistance in the application process.
Want to know more? Learn about indexing and numerous other services, both automated and human-provided, offered by ARPHA here.
“The Impact Factor is an important metric for scientific metrics. And we know that not having one hinders especially early career researchers to submit their research to us earlier. Therefore, we are very happy that MBMG has received this important metric, and with a value of 3.1 we’re even more happy that this is a very competitive one.”
Florian Leese, MBMG Editor-in-Chief.
“We are delighted to see the journal receive its first Impact Factor. We expect that both Journal Impact Factor and CiteScore will further increase in 2026. “Thanks to all our editors, reviewers and authors who made this success possible and to IAVS for subsidizing the APCs of VCS during the first few years. We look forward to receiving more high-quality submissions in the fields of vegetation classification and ecoinformatics, the two strongholds of VCS.”
Jürgen Dengler, Idoia Biurrun and Wolfgang Willner, VCS Chief Editors.
“When The International Biogeography Society launched Frontiers of Biogeography under the editorship of Joaquín Hortal in 2009, we had a vision of it becoming an adaptable, independent, society-owned journal with a distinctive place in the journal publishing landscape. The attainment of our first Clarivate Journal Impact Factor is testimony to the hard work by our past and present editors and reviewers, and to the quality and interest level of the work that our community has entrusted to the journal for publication. “Working together with the team at Pensoft we are confident that we can continue to grow the journal as a favoured venue for Open Access publication of cutting-edge biogeographical research.”
Robert J. Whittaker, Frontiers of Biogeography Editor-in-Chief.
Content from more than 30 biodiversity journals published on the ARPHA Platform will now be archived in the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), the world’s largest open-access digital library for biodiversity literature and archives.
A global consortium of natural history, botanical, research, and national libraries, BHL digitises and freely shares essential biodiversity materials. A critical resource for researchers, it provides vital access to material that might otherwise be difficult to obtain.
Under the agreement, over 16,000 articles published on Pensoft’s self-developed ARPHA Platform are now available on BHL. Both legacy content and new articles are made available on the platform, complete with full-text PDFs and all relevant metadata.
Thanks to this integration, content in our journals will become even more accessible and readily discoverable, helping researchers find the biodiversity information they need.
Prof. Lyubomir Penev
More content published on ARPHA will gradually be added to the BHL archive.
The publications will be included in the Library’s full-text search, allowing researchers to easily locate relevant biodiversity literature. Crucially, the scientific names within the articles will be indexed using the Global Names Architecture, enabling seamless discovery of information about specific taxa across the BHL collection.
“Pensoft is pleased to collaborate with BHL in our joint mission to support global biodiversity research through free access to knowledge. Thanks to this integration, content in our journals will become even more accessible and readily discoverable, helping researchers find the biodiversity information they need,” said Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder of Pensoft and ARPHA.The news comes soon after BHL announced it is about to face a major shift in its operation. From 2026, the Smithsonian Institution – one of BHL’s 10 founding members – will cease to host the administrative and technical components of BHL. As the consortium explores a range of options, the BHL team is confident that “the transition opens the door to a reimagined and more sustainable future for BHL.”
Scholarly publisher and technology provider Pensoft welcomes the latest addition to its diverse portfolio of scholarly outlets: the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Scientific Annals of the Danube Delta Institute (SADDI).
The official journal of the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Developmentin Tulcea, Romania, SADDI publishes research in a variety of fields related to the Danube Delta and similar wetland ecosystems. Established in 1993, it offers a multidisciplinary platform for studies in the fields of ecology, biodiversity, environmental protection, hydrology, ichthyology, ornithology, limnology, and sustainable development related to wetlands and deltaic environments.
SADDI is led by Editor-in-Chief Iuliana-MihaelaTudor of the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development.
As a diamond open-access journal, SADDI will be free to read and publish and invites researchers and scientists to submit their manuscripts.
In joining Pensoft, SADDI will get access to improved publishing infrastructure and benefit from increased visibility and discoverability for its published research, making use of Pensoft’s full-featured platform ARPHA, an end-to-end publishing solution that makes it easy for both humans and machines to access, cite, and reuse research.
At the 32nd International Symposium “Deltas and Wetlands” in Tulcea, which will take place on 12–17 May, Pensoft’s CEO Prof. Lyubomir Penev will give a talk how the newly revamped SADDI has changed now that it is powered by the ARPHA publishing platform, and will also discuss how scholarly publishing can help advance Danube conservation.
“The Pensoft team is excited to cooperate with the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development as we support SADDI’s growth and development. We appreciate this new partnership and look forward to seeing the journal thrive using our advanced publishing services,” Prof. Penev said ahead of the event.
Published on Pensoft’s ARPHA platform on behalf of the AASP, SKINdeep features original articles, state-of-the-art reviews, and perspectives offering insights into the mechanisms of skin diseases and their therapeutic relevance. The open-access journal is led by three Editors-in-Chief: Prof. Peter Wolf of the Medical University of Graz, Prof. Johann W. Bauer of the Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg, and Prof. Georg Stingl of the Medical University of Vienna.
“Within the international scientific community, Austria enjoys an excellent reputation in the field of clinical and experimental dermatovenereology. On this basis, it was possible to assemble a remarkable cohort of deputy and associate editors as well as expert advisors from Austria and abroad who will secure high scientific quality of the journal and, together with a dedicated editorial office and publishing house (AASP), can guarantee a very rapid publication of manuscripts, individually or assembled to special topics,” the three Editors-in-Chief said.
By embracing ARPHA’s end-to-end scholarly publishing platform, SKINdeep will benefit from a comprehensive suite of services designed to streamline every stage of the publishing process, from manuscript submission to article publication, indexation, dissemination, and archiving, ensuring a seamless workflow for authors, reviewers, and editors alike.
“We are excited about this partnership and firmly believe SKINdeep will be an impactful and globally accessible academic outlet for publishing high-quality research in dermatology,” said Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder at ARPHA and Pensoft.SKINdeep journal is the second journal published by the Austrian Academy of Sciences Press to utilise ARPHA’s services, after Biosystematics and Ecology moved to ARPHA in 2021.
This change, approved by the SIVS plenary assembly in November 2024, reflects the journal’s mission to encompass a broader spectrum of research articles and better represent the dynamic and interdisciplinary field of vegetation science.
In addition to the name change, the journal has implemented a refreshed Editorial Board, new Topical Collections, and initiatives to support young researchers. Gianmaria Bonari is welcomed as the journal’s new Editor-in-Chief, succeeding the esteemed Daniela Gigante, who served in the role from January 2019 to February 2024.
The new journal name.
For members of the SISV, new publication fee discounts have been introduced. These initiatives aim to foster inclusive participation in vegetation science, particularly for students and researchers with limited financial resources.
A complete publication fee waiver is now available for young member researchers who have conducted their research without external funding, while those with partial external funding can benefit from a 10% APC discount.
Acronym of the new journal name.
Finally, a new social media team of Giovanni Rivieccio and Michele Mugnai will be managing the journal’s Facebook and Bluesky pages, bringing fresh ideas and dynamic content.
An Editorial published on the new journal website provides more information on the changes made, including short bios of the new Editorial Board members and descriptions of the new Topical Collections.
Statement from the Editor-in-Chief Gianmaria Bonari:
“It is a privilege to lead Vegetation Ecology and Diversity as we embark on this transformative journey. Our new name signifies our dedication to embracing the full breadth of vegetation science. With the introduction of new Topical Collections and initiatives to support young researchers, we aim to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment for vegetation scientists. I encourage researchers to engage with our journal and contribute to advancing the open-access society-owned journal Vegetation Ecology and Diversity.”
Statement from the President of the Italian Society of Vegetation Science (SISV), Simonetta Bagella:
“The rebranding of our journal to Vegetation Ecology and Diversity marks a significant milestone for the SISV. This change, approved by our members, aligns with our mission to expand the journal’s scope and enhance its international impact. We are particularly proud of the new initiatives to support young researchers, including publication fee waivers and discounts, which underscore our dedication to inclusivity and the advancement of emerging scientists in vegetation science. We also express our gratitude to Daniela Gigante for her leadership and warmly welcome Gianmaria Bonari as he guides the journal into this exciting new era.”
