Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Directive Publications?
Directive Publications is an independent open-access publisher of peer-reviewed journals in medicine and the sciences, based at 30 N Gould St, Ste R, Sheridan, WY 82801, USA. We are a member of Crossref (member 29803, DOI prefix 10.52338), our journals are registered with ISSNs, and all articles are published open access under the Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY 4.0).
How can I check that Directive Publications is a registered publisher?
You can check us in independent public records rather than taking our word for it: our Crossref membership (member 29803, DOI prefix 10.52338), the ISSN Portal for the ISSN shown on each journal page, and our Wikidata entry (Q140566552), which lists our official website and profiles. Where an editor has an ORCID iD, their profile page on this site links to their public ORCID record.
Are your journals affiliated with other journals that have similar names?
No. Our journals are published independently by Directive Publications. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any society, association or publisher whose journal has a similar or identical name. Before you submit anywhere, check that the ISSN and the publisher name on the journal page match the journal you intend to submit to.
Why do some lists and websites raise concerns about Directive Publications?
Some independent lists of questionable publishers, and some journal publishers, have raised concerns about Directive Publications, mainly because several of our journal titles are similar to the names of established journals. Our journals are not affiliated with those journals or with the societies and publishers that own them. We do not claim an impact factor, we do not claim indexing we do not have, and we publish our peer review, fee, ethics and corrections policies in full so that anyone can check our practices directly. If you have a concern about a specific journal or article, please contact us: we look into every report and correct the record where needed.
Does Directive Publications have an impact factor?
No. None of our journals has a Journal Impact Factor from Clarivate, and we do not claim or display one on this website. If you see an impact factor quoted for one of our journals, it is not a Clarivate Journal Impact Factor. Our Metrics & Impact Factor Policy explains which metrics we never claim and how to check any metric you see.
Is Directive Publications indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science or DOAJ?
No, and we do not claim to be. Our article metadata is openly available through Crossref, OAI-PMH and JATS XML, which supports discovery in services such as Google Scholar and OpenAlex. See Indexing, Discovery & Archiving for details.
How does peer review work at Directive Publications?
Every research article is evaluated through double-blind peer review before it can be accepted. We seek at least two independent expert reviewers for each research manuscript, the handling editor makes the decision, and authors may appeal a decision to the journal's Editor-in-Chief. The full process is described on our Peer Review Process page.
When do authors pay?
Submission and peer review are free. An article processing charge (APC) becomes payable only after a manuscript is formally accepted; if a manuscript is rejected, nothing is owed. The APC, its payment and any waiver have no bearing on editorial decisions. See Article Processing Charges for details.
How do I submit a manuscript?
Read the Author Guidelines, then submit online through the Submit Your Manuscript page on this website.
What if I can't pay the APC?
Full and partial waivers are available. Request one at or before submission — see Fee Waivers & Discounts. Waiver requests are handled separately from the editorial decision.
How long does review take?
Timelines vary by journal and the availability of reviewers. We aim to handle every manuscript efficiently and keep authors informed of progress.
Do I keep the copyright?
Yes. Authors retain copyright, and articles are published under CC BY 4.0 — see Copyright & Licensing.
Is the content free to read?
Yes. Every article is fully open access, free to read, download and share with attribution.
Does every article have a DOI?
Yes. As a Crossref member, we assign a permanent DOI to every published article.
How can I become a reviewer?
Apply through the Become a Reviewer page on this website. Reviewers assess manuscripts under our double-blind model, described on the Peer Review Process page.