Four Core Objectives and Strategic Breakdown
Objective 1: Establish a Specialized and Professional Life Sciences Publishing House (Specialization and Depth)
1. Focus on Niche Areas: Conduct in-depth research to identify 3–5 rapidly developing or underserved frontier subfields in the life sciences (e.g., synthetic biology, gene-editing therapies, computational neuroscience, spatial omics). Position the press as an authoritative voice in these fields and the preferred choice for both authors and readers.
2. Build a World-Class Editorial Board: Invite leading international scientists and prominent mid-career scholars to serve as editors-in-chief, associate editors, and board members. Provide them with sufficient academic autonomy to ensure that the journals’ quality and direction are guided by the scientific community. Uphold a reputation for academic excellence, supported by a fair and rigorous peer-review process.
3. Professionalize the Editorial Team: Recruit publishing professionals with doctoral degrees in the life sciences or strong research backgrounds to serve as editors. Ensure they grasp the cutting-edge significance of the work and deliver professional, efficient author services. Strive for high-quality manuscript handling, outstanding author experience, and long-term loyalty.
Objective 2: Expand the Journal Portfolio to Over 20 Titles by 2030 (Scale and Breadth)
Steady and, Phased Expansion
1. Phase I (Now–2025): Laying the Foundation. Concentrate resources on developing 3–5 flagship journals, ensuring their rapid inclusion in major databases (SCI, Scopus, PubMed) and building a strong brand reputation.
2. Phase II (2026–2028): Cluster Development. Build on the success of flagship journals by expanding into related disciplines through sister journals, special issues, and other formats, creating a cluster effect. Launch 2–3 new journals annually.
3. Phase III (2029–2030): Ecosystem Expansion. Extend coverage across major life science subfields and explore the launch of interdisciplinary journals. Achieve a portfolio of more than 20 journals. Diversify publishing models by combining independent launches with active collaborations with leading domestic and international societies and research institutions. Accept transfers of high-quality journals (journal transfer) to accelerate the development of a comprehensive journal matrix, expand scale rapidly, and enhance influence by leveraging partner resources.
Objective 3: Build a Comprehensive Publishing Ecosystem of Conferences, Journals, and Books (Ecological Integration and Synergy)
Strategic Pathway: Conferences to promote journals, and journals to drive conferences. Each year, host or co-organize 1–2 high-level international academic conferences in the life sciences, with themes closely aligned to the focus areas of our affiliated journals. Use journal platforms to publicize the conferences, attract participants, and solicit submissions. Organize dedicated sessions to highlight outstanding journal papers; facilitate direct exchanges between editorial board members and authors; and establish awards such as the “Best Poster Award,” with winning papers given priority for publication. Publish conference abstracts, special issues, or transform presentations into academic books. This integrated approach will boost journal submissions, enhance influence, strengthen academic community cohesion, and create new revenue streams.
Develop a Diverse Book Publishing Program:
· Monographs: Commission leading authorities to produce in-depth, comprehensive works.
· Proceedings: Select and compile high-quality conference presentations into book form.
· Edited Volumes: Appoint experts as editors to bring together contributions from multiple authors on emerging or high-interest topics.
· Textbooks: Develop advanced teaching materials for popular disciplines.
Together, these initiatives will meet the dissemination needs of scholars at different career stages and establish a complete knowledge production chain spanning "journal articles–conference exchanges–academic books."
Objective 4: Establish POL as a Globally Influential and Recognized Academic Publisher (Branding and Impact)
Pursue Key Academic Metrics: Ensure that all journals are indexed in leading international abstracting and citation databases (e.g., Scopus, ESCI, SCI). Attract high-quality submissions and raise citation counts and Impact Factors (IFs) through targeted professional promotion. Such rigorous academic metrics form the foundation of international influence.
Brand Building and Global Dissemination:
· Professional Promotion: Distribute articles strategically via social media (Twitter, LinkedIn) and academic news platforms (e.g., EurekAlert!).
· Enhanced Research Communication: Produce visual abstracts, podcasts, and video summaries to improve accessibility and broaden dissemination of research outputs.
· Modern Publishing Platform: Develop a user-friendly, state-of-the-art online publishing system that delivers an outstanding reading and submission experience, strengthening brand recognition and reputation among global scholars.
Advance Open Science: Provide Open Access (OA) publishing options, promote data sharing, and enable the rapid and equitable dissemination of scientific findings. This approach aligns with global publishing trends, enhances visibility and citation of published papers, and positions POL as an open, forward-looking, and responsible international publisher.