FAQs

Answers

1. What are the benefits of publishing in TSACO?
  • Open Access – all articles published in TSACO are freely available to a global audience on a number of databases, with the copyright retained by the author
  • Compliance with funder Open Access mandates – publishing in TSACO enables you to fulfill the Open Access requirements of funders such as the NIH, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Wellcome Trust and Research Councils UK, including using the CC-BY license
  • Rapid publication – all articles are subject to stringent peer-review and fast turnaround times, ensuring prompt publication through our continuous publication policy
  • Trusted international brands – TSACO maintains the scientific and international reputation of BMJ
  • High readership visibility – bmj.com hosting makes sure papers are noticed; exceptional articles are press released
2. Is TSACO indexed? As a new journal TSACO is not yet indexed. It is our aim to apply for indexing as soon as it is appropriate.
3. How do I submit? Manuscripts should be submitted via the TSACO online manuscript submission site. Your article will not automatically be transferred to TSACO if rejected from Journal of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery; however you can submit your paper to TSACO via the journal submission site and include your previous Journal of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery manuscript ID. This will enable us to obtain your previous peer review records and expedite your manuscript. Your article will not automatically be transferred to TSACO if rejected from another BMJ Journal; however, you can choose TSACO as an alternate journal when submitting your article. Please email the editorial office at info.tsaco@bmj.com for help or more information on submissions.
4. What is Open Access and an Article Publishing Charge (APC)? Open Access stands for unrestricted access and unrestricted reuse. Open Access publishing strives to facilitate the development of new medicines and healthcare, by disseminating ideas and discoveries efficiently, effectively and equitably. All articles published in TSACO are Open Access, so are freely available online in a permanent universally accessible repository. The APC covers the costs of the publication process (which would traditionally be covered via subscription fees), including:
  • Rigorous peer-review through a maintained online submission system
  • Production costs, such as copy-editing, typesetting and preparation for online publication
  • Continuous hosting of the article online, available worldwide
  • Marketing efforts to increase the article’s exposure
5. What APC applies to TSACO? TSACO levies an APC that reflects the true cost of the services provided. The standard APC for an article is $2,100 USD (excluding VAT for UK and EU authors). The APC for Challenges in Acute Care Surgery is $500 USD (excluding VAT for UK and EU authors). Payment of the APC may be made online by credit card, or by bank transfer following receipt of an invoice. Members of The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) and sister societies; the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST), Pediatric Trauma Society (PTS) and Western Trauma Association (WTA) are eligible to receive a discounted APC as part of their member benefits. Discounted rates consist of USD $1,750 USD (excluding VAT for UK and EU authors). Members must ensure to enter their Membership ID Number on submission to receive this discount. Check with your institution before paying the APC. Your publishing costs might be covered through BMJ’s Open Access Programme, or you may be eligible for a discount. General information about BMJ’s Open Access Programme, including copyright policies and institutional memberships, is available via our author website. Articles publish online after the APC is received. TSACO does not refund APCs.
6. How do I pay?  The submitting author must confirm at the time of submission that they will organise payment should the article be accepted for publication. Prompt payment is advised as the article will not be published until payment is received. Payment can be made by any of the following methods:
  • Immediate payment online via credit card using a secure payment form as soon as the manuscript has been accepted.
  • An invoice can be raised. Following receipt of an invoice, payment must be made within 30 days.
7. Does TSACO offer discounts and waivers on the APC? We appreciate that some authors do not have access to funding to cover publication costs. The journal will accept part payment where only limited funds are available, and offers a waiver to authors unable to pay on request. No payment information is requested before an article is accepted, so the ability to pay cannot affect editorial decisions. TSACO offers a 100% waiver to corresponding authors from institutions based in Hinari Group A countries and a 50% waiver to authors from institutions based in Hinari Group B countries. View the full list of Hinari Group A and B countries here  . Members of The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) and sister societies (the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST), Pediatric Trauma Society (PTS) and Western Trauma Association (WTA) are eligible to receive a discounted APC as part of their member benefits. Discounted rates consist of USD $1,750 USD (excluding VAT for UK and EU authors). Members must ensure to enter their Membership ID Number on submission to receive this discount. Check with your institution before paying the APC. Your publishing costs might be covered through BMJ’s Open Access Programme, or you may be eligible for a discount. General information about BMJ’s Open Access Programme, including copyright policies and institutional memberships, is available via our author website. Please note that only one discount code will be honored per article.
8. Which funding agencies allow direct use of grants to cover the APC? If you received a grant to conduct your research, your first enquiry should be to whoever disburses the research funds. Much research funding is now granted on the condition that any resulting articles are published Open Access and are deposited in PMC – publishing in TSACO means that you meet both of these criteria. To help authors complete these requirements, many funders will permit payment of APCs from grants or have separate funds available. The Open Access Directory contains a list of universities that have funds for researchers to pay APCs. The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) has something similar – both mainly cover US institutions and are not comprehensive. The Compact for Open Access Publishing Equity is a collection of universities who have pledged their support to establishing durable mechanisms for underwriting the APC model. Alternatively, contact your librarian to find out what support your institution offers. General information about BMJ’s Open Access programme, including copyright policies and institutional memberships, is available via our author website.
9. How do I subscribe? TSACO is an Open Access journal and is therefore free to access for anyone with an internet connection. There is no print edition.
10. Does TSACO impose any copyright restrictions and who retains copyright of the Open Access articles? Publishing in TSACO enables you to fulfil the Open Access requirements of various funders. Articles are published under a Creative Commons license to facilitate reuse of the content. The standard license is CC-BY-NC, unless the funder (such as the Wellcome Trust and Research Councils UK and Austrian Science Fund, FWF) mandates that it should be their preferred CC-BY license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Authors retain copyright.
11. What is the time to publication? TSACO aims to provide authors with a rapid peer review service. Continuous online publication ensures papers are published as soon as they are ready. All phases of the process can be tracked via our online systems. For time sensitive articles, we offer a fast track process available upon request.
12. How is the article cited? TSACO publishes online though is assembled into issues and volumes; articles will be referenced by their unique article number (Digital Object Identifier or DOI) as opposed to a page number.
13. How do I sign up to email alerts about articles published in TSACO? You can subscribe to receive TSACO email alerts. Options available for TSACO are:
  • Electronic table of contents alerts
  • Alerts when an article is cited
  • Alerts if corrections are posted to a specific article
  • Alerts if a letter is published in response to an article
You can also sign up for RSS feeds that will update you when new content is published.
14. Who do I contact if I would like more information about TSACO? For all queries please contact the editorial office at info.tsaco@bmj.com.