Celebrating 10 years of JBI Evidence Synthesis online

This issue marks 10 years of continuous online publication for JBI Evidence Synthesis. Our journal’s original mission remains unchanged: to publish and disseminate systematic reviews and protocols of review projects, by both JBI society authors and authors who apply JBI methodology and methods, to inform health care practice and policy. The journal has always been, and will remain, multidisciplinary with its inclusion of topics and fields of endeavor across health care that warrant synthesis of the available evidence. Since its inception, the journal has maintained a hybrid publication format, with some content available only for subscribers alongside content that authors publish as open access. In line with efforts to maximize research efficiency and dissemination, all protocols of planned works published in JBI Evidence Synthesis are freely accessible. Since the online launch of the journal on December 18, 2012, under its former name, JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports (ISSN 2202-4433), our journal has evolved, matured, and achieved significant milestones. Prior to the launch in 2012, JBI systematic reviews were only published and available via the JBI EBP Database (previously called JBI COnNECT+), housed alongside JBI’s evidence-based point-of-care resources, including JBI Evidence Summaries, JBI Recommended Practices, and JBI Best Practice Information Sheets, in the JBI Library of Systematic Reviews (ISSN 1838-2142). Our journal was created to provide a more appropriate and recognizable home for research publications by our society authors that could accommodate indexing in major citation databases and immediately maximize dissemination and potential for impact of the published works. This included works in progress (protocols), systematic reviews of the best available evidence, and brief reports of evidence-based clinical audits to promote the use of evidence in clinical settings and facilitate sustainable evidence-based practices (implementation reports). The JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports was originally published on the open source Open Journal Systems platform, with the entire publishing sequencing, including editorial processing and manuscript production, managed by 5 editorial office staff, including the editor in chief, and with an editorial advisory board of 7 members recruited from across the JBI Collaboration.1 The journal was indexed in MEDLINE in early 2014 and in Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL soon after. We marked a major milestone in 2016 when Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW, Wolters Kluwer Health) approached JBI to publish our journal. Integration into the suite of a large commercial publishing house heralded many changes, including familiarizing ourselves with the new Editorial Manager system (Aries Systems) and electronic journal platform, and releasing all of the production processes to the team at LWW. The evolution of the journal has continued, with some of the most recent developments including the introduction of article collections to help readers navigate the multidisciplinary content; publication of Online First content on the electronic journal platform; the change of name to JBI Evidence Synthesis (ISSN 2689-8381) in 2020; and relinquishing the publication of implementation-focused manuscripts to our partner society journal, JBI Evidence Implementation. In 2021, to comply with major updates to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, the journal began requiring all systematic review authors to complete and submit the full PRISMA 2020 checklist.2 Also in 2021, we were selected for inclusion in the Web of Science Core Collection. Specialist repositories of systematic reviews, such as KSR Evidence3 and Epistemonikos,4 also regularly gather and index the journal’s content. Many dedicated individuals have helped us with these accomplishments. As with all reputable academic publications, JBI Evidence Synthesis only exists and continues to operate thanks to the often-unheralded efforts of thousands of peer reviewers worldwide who volunteer their own valuable time to critique and evaluate submissions. In 2022, the journal engaged more than 570 peer reviewers to assess some 230 submissions, and we have approximately 900 active reviewers in our database. Submissions are first screened by the editorial office, and those deemed appropriate (ie, complete and within scope) are sent for double-blind peer review. Our journal is transparent in its declaration that we do not redact any key details from final reviews that would preclude any industrious peer reviewer from searching for the protocol topic to identify the authors. Indeed, as a part of a complete evaluation of a manuscript, we do rely on reviewers referring to the protocol to establish whether authors have, in fact, deviated from the original protocol during the conduct of their evidence synthesis. Despite the availability of authors’ identities in these instances (ie, single-blind review), our journal policies clearly state that reviewers must report any personal conflicts of interest. We are grateful to our peer reviewers who remain constructive in their approach to manuscript review. As with our peer reviewers, our journal would not be a success without the commitment and support of our panel of handling editors and editorial advisory board members. Concurrent with the evolution of the journal name, our publisher, our scope of content, and the ongoing recruitment of peer reviewers, we established a panel of editors consisting of both society and non-society members with expertise in methodologies of synthesis and across multiple health care and clinical professions and practices, including internal medicine, public health, nursing, physiotherapy, and dentistry, among others. Using the insights from peer reviewers, the editors volunteer their time to ensure the quality of what the journal presents to the world, while at the same time helping authors, many of whom are first-time authors, improve their work and learn through the process. Meanwhile, the journal’s editorial advisory board provides outstanding advice on new initiatives, processes, and insights into the current science and innovations in both synthesis and publishing. Members are from a select group of recognized leaders in synthesis methodologies, experienced journal editors, and clinical experts, some of whom are affiliated with JBI and others who are independent from our society. Over the years, the number of submissions to JBI Evidence Synthesis has slowly yet steadily increased to around 540 per year. Until about 5 years ago, we received relatively few submissions from authors not affiliated with JBI.1 JBI’s investment in the development and science of JBI methodologies of evidence synthesis5 has been accompanied by a remarkable increase in their adoption by researchers worldwide. In 2022, submissions were received from authors in 45 countries, most notably Australia and Canada, as well as Brazil and several European countries. As a result of this wider reach, the proportion of submissions from non-society authors now accounts for approximately 60% of all submissions received and has surpassed those from JBI-affiliated authors. The asymmetric rise in popularity of some JBI methodologies of synthesis is also reflected in our submissions and our table of contents. Currently, scoping reviews and their protocols are the most popular type of synthesis submitted, accounting for 55% of all submissions yet also 74% of all manuscripts that are declined (compared to an overall decline rate of 58%). Authors still struggle with the appropriate application of this type of evidence synthesis.6,7 In February 2020, we published our first special issue with co-guest editors, which focused on hospital discharge planning.8 This was followed 2 months later by an incredibly successful special issue on aging and frailty.9 Another co-guest-edited special issue covering various issues of nursing practice was published in 2021.10 We look forward to publishing our next special issue in 2023, which will focus on education. JBI Evidence Synthesis also provides a ready outlet for JBI’s continued emphasis on advancing methodologies and methods of synthesis, and elaborating on guidance to help authors with their conduct and reporting. Manuscripts on methodological advances in the field of evidence synthesis are especially appreciated by our readers, and these types of submissions are particularly welcomed. Similarly, we aim to present innovations that can help readers better digest the information presented in JBI systematic reviews, for example, interactive GRADE Summary of Findings.11–13 Special themed issues with concentrations of methodology-focused content appeared in October 2020 and April 2022, and we are excited to launch our first series related to methodology and methods in synthesis, with a focus on risk of bias and advances in the JBI critical appraisal tools. Our diverse methodologies are well represented in this issue of JBI Evidence Synthesis, which includes a scoping review,14 a qualitative systematic review,15 and a systematic review of prevalence and incidence,16 as well as a protocol for an upcoming mixed methods review,17 among others. JBI Evidence Synthesis started 10 years ago with humble beginnings and grand aspirations. Since then, our journal has matured into a recognized and respected scholarly publication that transparently adheres to international publishing standards. We publish nearly 200 manuscripts per year, all focused on evidence synthesis and health, and aligned to the ethos of evidence-informed practice and research. In 2022, there were some 550,000 individual visits to the journal platform and approximately 300,000 institutional visits. In the near future we look forward to receiving our first Journal Impact Factor, according to the Journal Citation Reports (Web of Science, Clarivate Analytics). The field of evidence synthesis is constantly evolving, and remarkable progress has been made in improving the science and reporting of this type of research. With the advent of automation and new methodologies, such as living reviews18 and evidence mapping, challenges will arise that demand new innovations in conduct and in our presentation of authors’ work to the world. JBI and JBI Evidence Synthesis are eager to address these challenges across this research endeavor and to promote the work of authors from across the globe. It has been a pleasure to lead the journal, and we look forward to the continued support of our authors, editors, peer reviewers, publisher, and readers who have made the past 10 years of JBI Evidence Synthesis a success.

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