ATR makes a comeback, earns spot in global research directory

The Annals of Tropical Research (ATR) has been officially included in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) as of January 9, 2025. 

Being VSU’s official scientific journal, this recognition boosts ATR’s visibility and credibility, making its research more accessible to scholars and institutions worldwide. 

Established in 1979, ATR has long been a platform for studies on agriculture, ecology, animal health, and environmental science. However, in recent years, the journal struggled due to limited staff, an inactive editorial board, and difficulties in attracting research submissions.

Recognizing the journal’s importance in VSU’s mission to be a global green university, the university administration, through the Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension, and Innovation led by Dr. Santiago T. Peña, Jr., took action to revive its operations. 

The success of ATR’s revival was driven by its Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Harvie P. Portugaliza of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and Managing Editor, Dr. Janet Alexis A. De Los Santos of the Faculty of Nursing, alongside two editorial staff members. 

The editorial team focused on restructuring operations and securing Digital Object Identifier (DOI) registration for published articles to streamline the review process and improve the journal’s website. 

Recognizing that previous attempts to get ATR listed in major indexing organizations were unsuccessful due to unmet standards, the team carefully studied the requirements and best practices of established journals to strengthen their application. 

They also worked closely with an international network of editors and peer reviewers to ensure that ATR met global publishing standards despite limited resources. 

The Road to DOAJ

DOAJ is a globally recognized directory that lists academic journals meeting high standards for openness, quality, and transparency. To be accepted, ATR had to meet key criteria, including having a dedicated website, clear licensing policies, a rigorous peer-review system, and transparent editorial management. 

The editorial team submitted its application for indexing on October 1, 2024. After a thorough review, DOAJ approved ATR’s inclusion in January 2025. 

Being part of DOAJ means ATR’s research articles are now more accessible to a worldwide audience to increase readership and citations. This strengthens VSU’s reputation as a research-driven institution and provides faculty, researchers, and students with a recognized platform to publish their work.

Looking ahead, ATR aims to qualify for inclusion in other major indexing services such as Scopus and Web of SCience to further elevate its reach and impact. 

The revival of ATR and its acceptance into DOAJ mark a new chapter for research in VSU  as this highlights the power of strategic improvements and teamwork overcoming challenges. This paves the way for more groundbreaking research from VSU to reach the global stage. 

This article is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; SDG 13: Climate Change, and; SDG 17: Partnership for Goals.

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