The famous scientific publication Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), issued by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), has recently gone through a brief suspension, causing alarm within the research community. This occurred after an announcement made in April indicating that the journal would cease accepting new submissions due to financial constraints at the NIH and its National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the organization responsible for EHP. Nonetheless, Chemistry World has disclosed that the journal is prepared to move to a new private publisher shortly.
At present, EHP is in the midst of shifting to a more effective operational framework, which the NIH claims will maintain its capacity to disseminate top-tier research. Although its website went down in December due to lapsed contracts, the content remains secure and has been globally backed up through the LOCKSS Program, a digital preservation effort. The complete archive of EHP‘s articles is anticipated to be available once the transition is complete.
As a prominent publication in areas such as experimental toxicology, epidemiology, and exposure science, EHP has made its mark as a groundbreaking open access journal dedicated to offering free and unfettered access to its scientific articles for more than twenty years.
Concerns persist among researchers like Jamie DeWitt, an environmental and molecular toxicologist at Oregon State University. She emphasizes that EHP is vital for discussions around public and environmental health, particularly as it frequently tackles emerging and urgent issues in the discipline. DeWitt points out that its association with NIEHS provided a chief editor who was actively engaged in research related to environmental health science, which may not be assured with a third-party publisher.
Cost concerns
DeWitt voices her worries regarding the possible repercussions of shifting EHP to an external publisher, which may manage multiple journals, potentially diminishing the focus given to EHP. Even while recognizing the existence of reputable publishers, she remains apprehensive about the journal’s future and its level of commitment compared to when it was managed by NIEHS.
Sven Jordt from Duke University’s environmental health program resonates with these apprehensions, stressing EHP‘s important role in publishing significant analytical chemistry research, including studies on PFAS contamination. He expresses concern over the journal’s public influence and its ability to raise awareness if it transitions to a commercial publisher, which might involve article processing fees for authors. Jordt foresees that the transition process could take several months, involving tasks such as establishing a web repository and creating a new editorial board and reviewer network.