On 22-23 September 2024, the MBEC Journal Forum was held alongside the ICIBEL 2024 event, co-organized by the University of Malaya (UM) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). This forum aimed to encourage students and young researchers to write and publish their scientific work in the Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing (MBEC) Journal without incurring Article Processing Charges (APC).
The MBEC Journal is a highly reputable journal that has been published since 1963 by the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE). From 1999 to 2023, it held a Q2 ranking with a citation score of 0.64 according to the Scimago Journal Ranking, with an impact factor of 2.8.
In his opening remarks, Professor Shankar M. Krishnan, former President of IFMBE, highlighted the history of the MBEC Journal’s publication. "The MBEC Journal has been published since 1963 and serves as the official journal of IFMBE," said Professor Krishnan from San Jose, USA.
Professor Shanbao Tong, Editor-in-Chief of MBEC Journal, added that the journal focuses on publishing across the entire spectrum of biomedical and clinical engineering. "Just a few years after its inception, the MBEC Journal has consistently seen an increase in its impact factor, currently standing at 2.8 and projected to rise to 3.2 this year," shared Professor Shanbao Tong from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.
During the discussion session, Professor Fatimah Ibrahim, one of the MBEC editors, and Dr. Xiaoli Guo, the managing editor, emphasized that MBEC follows a rigorous yet swift review process. “Despite this, we do not charge APC for articles published in MBEC because it is part of IFMBE and MBEC's contribution to the community," said Professor Fatimah. The forum also offered mentorship for researchers needing assistance in preparing their publications.
Dr. Trianna Wahyu Utami, Vice Dean for Research, Collaboration, and Community Engagement at FKG UGM, encouraged UGM researchers, particularly from the Faculty of Dentistry, to publish their work in MBEC. "Many of our research findings at FKG and UGM are relevant and worthy of publication in high-reputation journals like MBEC. Let’s take advantage of the opportunities MBEC offers to guide our young researchers and increase our publications in open-access, APC-free journals like MBEC to contribute to global knowledge," said Dr. Trianna.
The MBEC Journal Forum also contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This forum supports Goal 4 (Quality Education) by providing free access to publications, Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by disseminating global health research, and Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by fostering innovation in biomedical and biological engineering.
Authors: Ika, Christia, Pram
