Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry was an open-access, online journal that focused on all aspects of psychiatry, particularly on general hospital psychiatry. During it’s time online, the site played a significant role in psychiatry and mental health research. BioMed Central, an independent publishing house committed to open-access biomedical research, published it.
Overview
Aims and Scope
Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry considered manuscripts on a broad spectrum of psychiatric topics, including neuroscience, psychological medicine, psychopharmacology, forensic psychiatry, psychotic disorders, psychiatric genetics, mood, and anxiety disorders. The journal emphasized a biopsychosocial approach to illness and health and was a strong proponent of evidence-based medicine.
Open Access
All articles published on Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry were made freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication. This open-access policy allowed for the worldwide distribution of high-quality psychiatry and mental health research without any subscription charges or registration barriers.
Article-Processing Charges
Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry levied an article-processing charge for each accepted article to cover the costs of open-access publishing. Discounts and waivers were available case-by-case, and some institutions could cover the publication cost through membership programs.
Indexing Services
Articles published on Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry were included in various indexing services, such as:
- Citebase
- DOAJ
- Embase
- OAIster
- PsycINFO
- PubMed
- PubMed Central
- Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science)
- SCImago
- Scopus
- SOCOLAR
- Zetoc
These services ensured long-term digital preservation and accessibility of the published articles.
Peer-Review Policy
Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry operated a single-blind peer-review system, where reviewers were aware of the authors’ identities, but their reports were anonymous to the authors. Two or more experts typically review manuscripts to evaluate their scientific soundness, originality, and clarity. The Editor-in-Chief and Section Editors made publication decisions based on these reports.
Editorial Policies
All manuscripts submitted to Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry must adhere to BioMed Central’s editorial policies. Springer Nature, the parent company of BioMed Central, remained neutral regarding jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Legacy
Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry’s commitment to open access, evidence-based medicine, and a wide range of psychiatric topics made it a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and academics. Its emphasis on primary research articles and encouraging basic and clinical neuroscience contributions allowed for a rich and diverse dialogue within psychiatry.
The impact of Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry on the psychiatric community continues to be recognized. Its dedication to making high-quality research freely available has set a precedent for open access in the field, and the digital archives continue to serve as a valuable resource for those interested in mental health research and practice.