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MDPI Academic Video Service: Advancing Visual Scholarly Communication

Encyclopedia MDPI is thrilled to announce significant enhancements to its Academic Video Service, which aim to improve its quality, accessibility, and functionality. Since its launch, our video service has enabled numerous scholars to present their research in a dynamic and visually engaging format, greatly enhancing its visibility and impact. Due to the overwhelmingly positive reception this service has received, we have reached a point where the number of orders we are receiving exceeds our current capacity. In order to maintain the quality of these videos and continue optimizing the service, we have made the decision to introduce a fee. However, to ensure that this service is still a cost-effective option, we have set our prices significantly below the market average. 1. Highlights of the Upgrades to the Service Although the service will now be fee-based, we are committed to providing even more professional and comprehensive support, including the following: One-on-one video production guidance Personalized assistance to ensure your needs are fully met. Scriptwriting and English editing Expertly crafted narratives and professional English editing to ensure your research is presented clearly, accurately, and with impact. High-quality animations Visually engaging animations are created to simplify complex research and captivate your audience. Whiteboard Animations: Clean and minimalist, using hand-drawn illustrations to explain ideas step-by-step. Motion Graphics (MG) Animations: Cartoon Style: Bright, colorful, and approachable, ideal for making technical or scientific content more accessible and engaging. Hand-Drawn Style: Unique and artistic, adding a personal touch to your research while maintaining clarity and professionalism. Customized infographics (optional) We can also create tailored infographics to visually summarize key data or findings, enhancing the clarity and appeal of your video. Native voiceover Native speakers provide voiceovers to enhance the accessibility and reach of your research. Multiple rounds of revision To ensure your video accurately represents your work. Social media promotion Expanding your research's visibility and impact. 2. Why Choose Us? The Proven Impact of Video Abstracts Research shows that a well-crafted video abstract can significantly enhance the visibility and impact of your work. It has been shown to do the following: Increase paper views by 120% （Source: 10.1007/ s11192-019-03108-w） Boost citations by 20% （Source: Wiley Online Library） Improve journal rankings by 33% （Source: Research Square） Raise Altmetrics scores by 140% （Source: Research Square） Our Expertise in Academic Research Backed by MDPI, our experienced production team combines deep academic knowledge with creative excellence. We understand the nuances of scholarly communication and ensure that every frame accurately conveys the value of your research, meeting the highest standards of quality and precision. Collaborations with SCI Journals We have partnered with over 60 SCI journals to create exclusive video series, enhancing the dissemination and impact of published research. For example, our collaborations with Entropy, Remote Sensing, Nanomaterials , Animals , Nutrients, Foods , Sustainability, Cancers, etc., have helped authors achieve greater visibility and recognition for their work. Global visibility The videos are linked to your paper's DOI for maximum exposure. Available Video Services and Their Pricing Video Abstract (up to 5 minutes long): Summarizes the key findings, methodology, and significance of your research paper. Regular Price: 600 CHF Short Take (up to 2 minutes long): Uses original animations to explain the specific aspects of your research. Regular Price: 500 CHF Scholar Interview: A face-to-face discussion offering deeper insights into your publication. Regular Price: 400 CHF Scholar Profile: A brief overview of a scholar’s career, highlighting education, research focus, and key achievements. Regular Price: 500 CHF 3. Video Production Service If you want to see some examples of our videos, please visit https://encyclopedia.pub/video. If you would like to apply for the video service, please click https://encyclopedia.pub/video_service. 4. Others If you have any other questions, please contact office@encyclopedia.pub.

Announcement 14 Apr 2026

What Is an Encyclopedia Entry?

If you are trying to understand a new topic, you probably do not start by reading ten research papers from beginning to end. You may first look for a short explanation of the subject, some background information, and a few reliable sources to follow up on. This is where an encyclopedia entry can be useful. 1. The Role of an Encyclopedia Entry An encyclopedia entry is a structured article that introduces and organizes knowledge about a specific topic. The topic may be a scientific concept, a historical event, a person, a process, or a broader field. The entry does not aim to cover everything. Instead, it gives readers a clear and reliable overview. There is no fixed length or format. A short entry might define a term and describe its main features. A longer one might cover background, development, classification, mechanisms, applications, and related subjects. What matters is how the information is selected and presented. An encyclopedia entry normally draws on existing sources rather than reporting new research. It should have a clear scope and use reliable references, especially for scientific or technical subjects. Its language should also be accessible. Readers often know something about the field, but they are not necessarily specialists in that exact area. 2. Why Encyclopedia Entries Are Useful Consider encountering the term “graph neural networks” for the first time. A dictionary can tell you what the phrase means. To understand the subject, however, you also need to know what types exist, how they work, and where they are used. An encyclopedia entry brings those pieces together. Its main function is to provide a starting point. For students, it can make an unfamiliar concept easier to approach. For researchers, it can help them get oriented in a field outside their usual work. For readers working across disciplines, it can supply the background needed to follow research from another area. References are part of this function. Once readers understand the basics, they can use the cited literature to investigate specific questions in greater depth. 3. How It Differs from Other Academic Content The word “encyclopedia” can make an entry sound similar to other reference or academic publications. There are important differences. A dictionary definition explains the meaning of a word or term. A research article reports original findings and is built around a specific question. A review article examines previous studies, compares findings, and discusses gaps or limitations. A blog article often explores a topic from a particular angle or for a particular audience. An encyclopedia entry has a different purpose. It introduces and organizes knowledge about a topic. It may draw on research articles and reviews, but it does not aim to replace them. 4. What a Typical Entry Includes The structure depends on the topic. For a scientific concept, readers may need a definition, classification, underlying mechanisms, and examples of applications. For a historical event, the focus may be origins, development, key events, and broader significance. A typical entry may include some of the following: Definition: What does the topic mean, and what does it cover? Background: How did the topic develop? Classification: What are its main types or categories? Key concepts or mechanisms: What ideas or processes are central? Applications: Where is the concept used? Related topics: What subjects are closely connected? References: Which sources can readers consult next? There is no need to force every topic into the same structure. The sections should follow the subject rather than the other way around. A useful entry is one in which the organization makes sense to someone reading about the topic for the first time. 5. Why Are Encyclopedia Entries Useful? Finding information is rarely difficult today. Understanding it can be a different matter. A search for a single scientific topic may return hundreds of papers, reviews, websites, databases, and other resources. Someone new to the subject may have difficulty working out where to begin or how the different pieces of information relate to one another. An encyclopedia entry can provide that first layer of organization. It gives readers some basic context before they move into more specialized material. This can be particularly helpful when entering a new research area. A researcher may already have expertise in one field but need to understand terminology or concepts from another. A clear encyclopedia entry can shorten that initial learning curve without requiring the reader to work through the entire literature at once. 6. From Encyclopedia Entry to Deeper Research An encyclopedia entry is a way of bringing established knowledge about a topic together in a form that readers can understand and use. Its value does not come simply from the amount of information it contains. A useful entry selects the information that matters, puts it into context, and points readers toward sources and related topics that can take their reading further. For someone encountering a subject for the first time, that can be an important first step—from a basic question about what a topic is to a deeper understanding of the research surrounding it.

Blog 24 Sep 2026

What to Do After a Manuscript Rejection: A Practical Procedure

Over several months, eight journals rejected the same manuscript of mine—a multicentre real-world study on the renal effects of oral semaglutide in people with type 2 diabetes. It was eventually published as a Letter to the Editor. The useful lesson was not persistence, but that I had spent a year asking what I was doing wrong when the answerable question is narrower: what does this particular rejection tell me, and what is the next action? A rejection is a data point, and, like any data point, it should be read before it is acted on. 1. Triage the Letter Before Reacting Rejections are not interchangeable and do not carry the same amount of information. Desk rejection on scope or priority—no scientific critique, a decision reached within days, an editorial judgement about fit and readership. It says little about the methods and a great deal about the positioning, and the appropriate response is re-targeting rather than rewriting. Rejection after peer review with substantive critique—the most informative letter an author receives. Something in the design, analysis or reporting failed to convince an informed reader, and it must be addressed before the paper goes anywhere else. Rejection after review with thin or contradictory comments—an editorial decision that would have been reached regardless. Extract whatever is concrete and do not spend weeks reconciling reviewers who disagree with each other. A practical marker is the time from submission to decision: days indicates an editorial judgement, weeks or months with a report attached indicates a scientific one. 2. Decide Whether to Repair or to Relocate The question is whether the failure lies in the positioning or in the science. Positioning failure. The work is sound but reached the wrong audience, format or framing. Signals include a desk rejection, language about priority or fit, a suggestion to approach a specialist journal, and no methodological criticism. Reframe and resubmit elsewhere. Scientific failure. The problem lies in the design, the analysis or the strength of the claim. Signals include reviewers questioning the estimand, confounding control, sample or endpoint definitions and, decisively, two independent reviewers converging on the same point. Such defects do not travel: the next journal will identify them too. When a letter contains both, treat it as a scientific failure until proven otherwise. Descending the journal ladder before establishing that the manuscript is sound simply distributes the same defect across more editorial offices. 3. Read Reviewer Comments for Content, not Tone A useful mechanism is deliberately bureaucratic. Wait twenty-four hours, then build a three-column table: the comment verbatim; what it is actually asking, restated in neutral language; the action required and its exact location in the manuscript. Anything that cannot be restated neutrally has not yet been understood, and the table later becomes the skeleton of the response letter at the next journal. Each point can then be classified as a factual error, a methodological objection, an interpretive disagreement, a matter of preference, or a misreading. Factual errors are corrected without discussion; methodological objections are corrected or defended explicitly, never ignored; preferences may be declined politely. Misreadings deserve particular attention: when a reviewer objects to something that was not written, the text has usually permitted the misreading, and subsequent readers will repeat it. 4. Re-Examine the Scientific Decisions That Cannot be Defended Before any resubmission, take each key decision—design, population, exposure definition, primary endpoint, statistical model, handling of missing data, choice of covariates—and write one or two sentences on what it does, what it assumes, and why the alternative was rejected, in your own words and without consulting sources. Any decision that cannot be written out is a gap a reviewer will find, and a response letter is a poor place to discover it. When a reviewer asks why a mixed model was preferred to a simple pre-post comparison, "my statistician suggested it" is not an answer; it indicates a paper whose author cannot defend it. This is not an argument for working alone. The distinction is between delegating a task and delegating comprehension. 5. Revise Before Resubmitting Every Time A manuscript sent unchanged to a second journal will usually produce an unchanged outcome. Revision is not limited to the points reviewers happened to raise: the previous submission demonstrated only that this version failed to convince, not that everything else in it was sound. The following is the minimum list I now work through before a manuscript goes anywhere else. Rewrite the title and abstract for the new journal’s readership rather than the previous journal’s readership. Confirm that the paper answers a question the new journal’s readers actually ask. Account for every reviewer point as corrected, defended, or deliberately declined, leaving none unaddressed. Verify that every number in the text matches the tables and figures, against the source data rather than a previous draft. Check every citation against the source itself, not against memory or another paper’s reading of it. Write the limitations as analysis rather than apology, drafted early enough to still change what is done. Apply the relevant reporting guideline line by line—PRISMA, STROBE, CONSORT, STARD—rather than citing it. Update authorship, contributions, conflicts of interest and data availability for the new venue. Reformat to the new journal’s instructions rather than the previous journal’s. Read the manuscript once as a reviewer, with the journal’s criteria alongside, and write the report you would send. The last item is the one worth protecting. It is uncomfortable, and considerably faster than waiting three months to be told the same thing by a stranger. It comes more easily to those who review for journals themselves: reviewers are rarely searching for reasons to reject a paper, but for reasons to trust its conclusions, and every unjustified methodological choice, undiscussed limitation or ambiguous sentence withdraws a small amount of that trust. Read this way, the eight letters were not eight verdicts on the data, but eight readers who could not find enough reasons to trust what had been written—a problem an author can act on. Triage the letter, decide between repair and relocation, read the comments for content, defend or revise every scientific decision in your own words, and never resubmit a manuscript unchanged. Biography Antonio Maria Labate, MD, is a specialist in Internal Medicine working as an outpatient diabetology and internal medicine specialist at ASST Franciacorta and ASST Mantova, in Lombardy, Italy. He trained in Internal Medicine at the University of Messina and has broad clinical experience spanning internal medicine, emergency medicine, and diabetology. His work focuses on clinical diabetology, cardiovascular and cardiometabolic risk in type 2 diabetes, real-world evidence, and the clinical use of newer glucose-lowering therapies such as GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors. He has authored peer-reviewed articles and congress communications on the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic effects of these agents and serves as a reviewer for several international journals.

Blog 09 Sep 2026

Best Video Abstract Awards

The Encyclopedia platform, together with the journals Biology and Nutrients, launches the Best Video Abstract Awards to increase the visibility and reach of published research and to inspire researchers to explore the power of visual storytelling. Video abstracts have become an increasingly important medium for scientific communication. By integrating narration, visualizations, animations, and experimental footage, they make complex research more accessible, engaging, and memorable. This initiative recognizes video abstracts that are not only scientifically rigorous but also creatively compelling and educational, thereby promoting broader dissemination and deeper community engagement. To learn more about the awards or to participate directly, please visit the event page via the links provided below. https://encyclopedia.pub/best-video-abstract-award 1. Event Duration 9 February 2026 – 2 February 2027 2. Awards Biology Best Video Abstract AwardOpen to video abstracts based on papers published in Biology between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2025. This award will be granted to two video abstracts based on the evaluation of the Award Evaluation Committee. Nutrients Best Video Abstract AwardOpen to video abstracts based on papers published in Nutrients between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2025. This award will be granted to two video abstracts based on the evaluation of the Award Evaluation Committee. Prize For each journal award, the winner will receive: CHF 500 A voucher waiving the Article Processing Charges (APCs) for one journal submission (subject to peer review, valid for one year) A free Academic Video Service production (no matter where the paper is published), valid for one year. An electronic certificate Participant Incentive All participants will receive a CHF 100 discount voucher for the Encyclopedia Academic Video Service. 3. Participation The event will be conducted in three stages. Submission Stage 9 February 2026 – 31 August 2026 Independent Submission Authors may create and submit video abstracts independently using their own tools and creative approach. Professional Support Option Authors who do not currently have a video abstract but intend to apply for the award may opt for the Academic Video Service, which offers a one-stop, end-to-end solution covering script development, animation, voiceover recording, and editing. Please submit your video abstract here: https://encyclopedia.pub/user/video_add?activity=b57ab0910b456a5e4eebd960867ce205 Or place your video service order here: https://encyclopedia.pub/user/video_service_order All video abstracts will be assessed by the editorial team for editorial suitability and overall quality. Submissions that meet the guidelines will be assessed equally. Voting Stage 1 November 2026 – 31 December 2026 Public voting will be conducted during this period. Voting results and video performance metrics, including views, likes, shares, and collections, will contribute to the final evaluation. Winner Announcement 2 February 2027 Final winners will be determined based on a combined assessment of public voting results and a comprehensive evaluation by the Award Evaluation Committee, which carries the primary weight in the final decision. Winners will be announced on the Encyclopedia platform and journal websites. 4. Others If you have any other questions, please contact office@encyclopedia.pub

Announcement 09 Feb 2026

MDPI Books: Expanding Open Access Academic Publishing

Academic publishing continues to evolve with the advancement of open science and digital technologies. While journal articles remain a fundamental format for communicating individual research findings, academic books provide researchers with opportunities to explore topics in greater depth, integrate broader perspectives, and present comprehensive knowledge within a dedicated publication format. To support diverse forms of scholarly communication, MDPI has developed MDPI Books, an open access academic book publishing program that enables researchers, editors, and academic communities to share extensive research contributions and educational resources with a global audience. MDPI Books supports MDPI’s mission to foster open scientific exchange, with open access as a key approach for sharing knowledge. The program includes two main publication outputs: Open Access Books and Reprints. Since the publication of the first Reprint in 2013 and the first original Open Access Book in 2017, MDPI Books has continued to expand its publishing portfolio, contributing to the advancement of open access publishing and the dissemination of scholarly knowledge across diverse disciplines. For more information about MDPI Books and available publishing opportunities, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/books/. 1. What Is MDPI Books? MDPI Books publishes academic books across a wide range of disciplines, providing researchers, editors, and academic communities with flexible publishing options for sharing scientific knowledge. The program includes two complementary publication categories: Open Access Books are original academic publications that present comprehensive research studies, educational resources, and specialized knowledge collections. By adopting an open access publishing model, these books enable broader access to scholarly content and support the dissemination of knowledge worldwide. Reprints compile previously published research articles into dedicated book formats. By organizing related studies into structured collections, Reprints provide additional opportunities to increase the visibility and accessibility of published research. Together, Open Access Books and Reprints provide researchers with different approaches to create, share, and preserve scholarly knowledge. 2. Open Access Books Open Access Books published by MDPI Books contain original academic content and provide researchers with opportunities to present comprehensive studies, educational resources, and specialized knowledge collections in a book format. Compared with individual journal articles, academic books allow authors to explore research topics in greater depth, present broader perspectives, and provide more comprehensive discussions of scientific developments. 2.1. Types of Open Access Books MDPI Books supports different types of Open Access Books to accommodate diverse scholarly communication needs. Monograph A monograph is a comprehensive/in-depth contribution to a single scholarly subject, or an aspect of a subject, written by a single or small group of authors. Both short-form (70–110 pages) or full-length monographs are accepted. This also includes PhD monographs based on doctoral theses from all fields. Edited Books Edited books contain chapters usually written by different authors who are experts in their field. The chapters in an edited volume are original works (not republished works). One or more editors are responsible for the book as a whole. Edited volumes present different viewpoints and experiences on a common theme. Textbooks A textbook contains a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining this branch or a particular sub-branch. It contains detailed information about a subject for people studying that subject. Project Reports A project report is the formalized recording of project progress and project results. PhD Thesis / Dissertations PhD theses can be published open access with MDPI Books, allowing the research to reach a wider audience while maintaining their original academic integrity. They are usually structured into multiple chapters and include a comprehensive literature review, methodology, results, and discussion. They do not undergo traditional external peer review, as they have already been formally evaluated and approved by the author's academic institution as part of the doctoral degree requirements and are clearly declared as PhD theses. Book Series Book series are series of original Open Access Books covering the same subject area. 2.2. Benefits of Open Access Books Open Access Books provide authors and readers with advantages in accessibility, knowledge sharing, and publishing support. Enhanced Accessibility and Discoverability Open access publishing allows scholarly books to reach broader audiences by improving accessibility and removing barriers to knowledge sharing. Through online libraries, indexing services, and metadata dissemination, Open Access Books can achieve greater discoverability and long-term visibility. Published books are available through the MDPI Books Online Library and are indexed through platforms including Google Books, CrossRef, EBSCO, WorldCat, and Scilit. Eligible titles are also submitted to the Web of Science Book Citation Index (BKCI). Comprehensive Knowledge Sharing Academic books provide space for systematic analyses, interdisciplinary discussions, and extensive reviews that may go beyond the scope of individual research articles. By presenting broader perspectives and integrated knowledge, Open Access Books contribute to long-term scientific communication and knowledge development. Author Rights and Publishing Support Authors retain copyright of their work through Creative Commons licensing options. MDPI Books provides support throughout the publication process, including editorial coordination, production services, DOI and ISBN assignment, marketing support, and print-on-demand options. 2.3. Publication Process MDPI Books provides comprehensive support throughout the Open Access Book publishing process, from manuscript submission and initial quality checks to peer review, revision, production, and publication. Following submission, manuscripts undergo an initial assessment, including checks for plagiarism, data integrity, figure permissions, and authorship information. The Editorial Office coordinates peer review and revision processes before accepted manuscripts proceed through professional editing, formatting, typesetting, and proofreading. Published books are freely available online and can also be accessed in print formats through print-on-demand and distribution channels. A complete publication process can typically be completed within approximately 6–12 months, depending on manuscript preparation and review requirements. 3. Reprints In addition to original Open Access Books, MDPI Books provides Reprints, which compile previously published research articles into dedicated book formats. Unlike Open Access Books, which contain original book-length content, Reprints focus on collecting and presenting existing research content. They allow researchers and editors to bring together related articles into thematic collections, extending the reach and visibility of published research beyond the traditional journal format. 3.1. Types of Reprints To facilitate the collection and dissemination of published research, MDPI Books provides several Reprint formats. Journal Collection Reprints Journal Collection Reprints compile articles from MDPI journals, including Special Issues, Topical Collections, Topics, and Proceedings. These collections provide a dedicated book format for completed research collections and are available as digital publications and physical books through print-on-demand services. Custom Selection Reprints Custom Selection Reprints allow tailored collections of published articles to be created according to specific requirements. They can support various purposes, including thematic research collections, teaching resources, institutional publications, conference and academic meeting materials. Article Reprints Article Reprints are professionally produced copies of individual journal articles. They preserve the original layout and typography of published research papers and provide a tangible format for sharing academic achievements. They can support research communication, institutional events, academic promotion, and other professional activities. 3.2. Benefits of Reprints Reprints provide additional opportunities to increase research visibility, organize published studies into focused collections, and support academic communication. Extending Research Visibility By bringing related research articles together into dedicated volumes, Reprints help increase awareness of specific research topics, Special Issues, Topical Collections, and conference contributions. Creating Structured Research Collections Reprints provide a convenient way to organize published studies into cohesive collections, allowing readers to discover related research more efficiently. Supporting Authors, Editors, and Institutions For authors and editors, Reprints provide a lasting representation of research achievements and editorial contributions. For institutions, customized collections can support educational activities, conferences, and academic outreach. 4. Contact For Open Access Books, researchers interested in editing a book volume or book series or in submitting a monograph proposal, can submit a Proposal Form and refer to the Information for Authors for further details. For Reprints, authors, editors, and institutions interested in creating Reprints can contact articlereprints@mdpi.com for further information and support.

Announcement 16 Jul 2026

See what people are saying about us

Shlomi Agmon

Encyclopedia Video provides potential readers with a tool to quickly understand what the work is about. That is important for casualreaders, whose time is thus spared, and for investedreaders, for whom it makes the decision to say "yes, I want to read the paper" much simpler.

School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel

Ignacio Cea

For the video abstracts, the papers and authors could gain more visibility and increase citations. Also, it means a more diverse and interesting way of communicating research, which is something valuable in itself.

Center for Research, Innovation and Creation, and Faculty of Religious Sciences and Philosophy, Temuco Catholic University

Melvin R. Pete Hayden

Thank the video production crew for making such a wonderful video. The narrations have been significantly added to the video! Congratulations on such an outstanding job of Encyclopedia Video team.

University of Missouri School of Medicine, United States

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