Annual Development Report 2024 of Exploration of Targeted Anti-tumor Therapy

Introduction

Exploration of Targeted Anti-tumor Therapy (eISSN: 2692-3114) is an open-access, peer-reviewed online journal that commenced publication in February 2020. The Editor-in-Cheif is Dr. Nicola Normanno. Now, ETAT has been indexed in PubMed/PMC, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases.

Since its inception, the journal's impact has greatly increased within the oncology community. In June 2023, ETAT achieved its first Scopus CiteScore of 1.7 (CiteScore 2022), and then it increased to 2.8 (CiteScore 2023) in June 2024. As of 2024, ETAT has published 283 articles, garnered 1,335 citations (Source: Dimensions), and assembled an editorial board of 73 distinguished members from 18 countries and regions, with an average H-index of 56. Additionally, ETAT has released 43 special issues covering diverse oncology fields, attracting hundreds of thousands of views and further solidifying its impact in the scientific community.

This report encapsulates the key achievements of ETAT in 2024 and outlines the strategic direction for the journal's development in 2025.

Key Achievements in 2024

The Editorial Office is pleased to highlight the key achievements of 2024:

● Submissions: 223 manuscript submissions

● Publications: 83 research articles across 12 article types

● Special Issues: Launched 9 special issues covering cutting-edge topics

● Editorial Board: 5 new Editorial Board Members from 4 countries, bringing the Editorial Board to 87 members

● Citation: Achieved 1,335 total citations (Source: Dimensions) with an average citation rate of 4.82 per paper as of 2024

● Databases: Indexing in PubMed/PMC, Google Scholar and Scopus, CiteScoreTracker 2024 reaching 3.0

● Successfully collaborated with three academic conferences.

Submissions and Publications

Submissions

In 2024, ETAT received 223 submissions. As illustrated in Figure 1, the majority of the 2024 submissions comprised Reviews (50%) and Original Articles (26%), representing a 12% increase compared to the previous year. Since its launch in 2020, the journal has shown a consistent increase in submissions, rising from 46 submissions in 2020 to 223 in 2024 (Figure 2). By the end of 2024, ETAT had surpassed 700 total submissions, highlighting ETAT's expanding reach in tumor research.

                           Figure 1. Article Types of 2024 Submissions                                         Figure 2. Number of Submissions Per Year

Publications

ETAT published 83 articles in 2024. As illustrated in Figure 3, the publication number of the journal has a steady growth year by year, with a total of 283 quality articles published from its launch to date. Figure 4 shows the types of articles published in 2024. It is worth noting that the proportion of original articles and reviews submitted at 75.8%, approaching three quarters of all submissions. Looking ahead to 2025, ETAT will continue to prioritize the publication of high-quality research, with a particular focus on maintaining a balanced distribution of publication types.

                                   Figure 3. Number of Publications Per Year                Figure 4. Article Types of 2024 Publications

Authors

In 2024, ETAT published 83 articles, contributed from 27 countries, mainly including the USA, India, Italy, and the UK (Figure 5). Notably, the average H-index of contributing authors is 22.5, with 25% of principal investigators’ H-index ≥30. We’re honored to receive contributions from outstanding experts including the Editor-in-Chief Prof. Nicola Normanno (Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS - Fondazione G Pascale, Naples), Prof. Tadashi Matsuda (Hokkaido University), and Prof. Shrikant Anant (University of Kansas Cancer Center), etc.

Figure 5. Corresponding Authors’ situation of 2024 Publications

Popular Articles

Among the 83 articles published in ETAT 2024, the total number of views reached 650,000 and the average number of views was 1,165, with a remarkable increase of 80% by previous year. There are 45 published articles attained over 1,000 views and 9 published articles attained over 50 downloads (Table 1). This strong performance underscores the journal’s potential for continued growth and impact in the years ahead.

Table 1. Most Viewed Articles Published in 2024

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In 2024, the ETAT editorial office, based on citation data from the Web of Science and the professional evaluation from the Editor-in-Chief, carefully selected the award-winning papers based on their scholarly merit and contributions to their respective fields. 

● Diagnostic value of liquid biopsy in the era of precision medicine: 10 years of clinical evidence in cancer

Authors: Vincenza Caputo, Fortunato Ciardiello, Carminia Maria Della Corte , Giulia Martini, Teresa Troiani, Stefania Napolitano *  

View: 4379, Download: 116

● Liquid biopsy and glioblastoma

Authors: Robert H. Eibl *, Markus Schneemann

View: 3637, Download: 68

Manuscript Processing

Reviewers

In 2024, 245 experienced reviewers worldwide actively participated in the review process of ETAT journal, making great contributions to the quality control of journal publication. These experts come from 41 countries around the world, including the United States, China, and Italy et.al, dedicated their considerable time and expertise to safeguard the journal’s rigorous academic standards. The average H-index of these reviewers is about 23. With the rigorous review by these excellent reviewers, each article will receive an average of 3.3 insightful review reports, reinforcing the journal’s dedication to rigorous, evidence-based quality control.

Figure 6. Countries/Regions Distribution of Reviewers in 2024

Manuscript Processing Time

In 2024, the initial review time was 5.9 days, a 26.2% reduction compared to the previous year, and the average time from submission to acceptance decreased by 15.3%. The average time from submission to the initial decision was only 42.6 days, a significant reduction of 30.4 days compared to the previous year. The efficiency of the review process and workflow optimization have provided authors with more timely feedback.

Editorial Board

New Editorial Board Members in 2024

In 2024, ETAT added 5 new editorial board members from Spain, China, the UK, and Japan, including 1 Associate Editor and 4 Editorial Board Members.

The new members have an average H-index of 47. We thank Prof. Yong-Jie Lu and Prof. Seiji Okada for their contributions to the journal through high-quality submissions and the organization of special issues, which have enhanced the journal's global perspective.

                              Dr. Joan Maurel    Dr. Jesus Garcia-Foncillas       Dr. Seiji Okada                Dr. Ning Li                Dr. Yong-Jie Lu

Current Editorial Board

The current ETAT Editorial Board consists of 73 members from 18 countries/regions (23 Associate Editors and 50 Editorial Board Members), with an average H-index of 56. In 2024, 28 members (38%) contributed through submissions, organizing special issues, conference promotions, serving as academic editors, or providing reviews. This active participation is crucial for the smooth operation and development of the journal.

Figure 7. Countries/Regions Distribution of Editorial Board in 2024

Special Issues

In 2024, ETAT launched 9 new special issues and completed 6 special issues. The average H-index of guest editors of the new special issues in 2024 is over 30, ensuring the rigorous selection and publication of high-quality research.

Table 2. Newly Released Special Issues in 2024 (Open for Submission)

The completed special issues focused on exploring new anti-cancer drugs, personalized diagnosis and treatment, AI applications, tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy strategies, and comprehensive treatment methods for non-small cell lung cancer. Welcome to read the articles on more special issues via: https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/etat/Special_Issues.

• Artificial Intelligence for Precision Oncology

• Guest Editors: Dr. Alfonso Reginelli and Dr. Valerio Nardone (University of Campania, Italy)

• Published 15 articles

• The articles in this special issue have received over 50,000 views and 76 citations

    ------------------------------------

• Novel Strategies and Targets for Immunotherapy of Cancer

• Guest Editor: Prof. Seiji Okada (Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan)

• Published 12 articles

• The articles in this special issue have received over 23,000 views and 26 citations

    ------------------------------------

• Biomarkers for Personalized and Precise Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

• Guest Editor: Dr. Arun Seth (University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada)

• Published 7 articles

• The articles in this special issue have received over 16,000 views and 38 citations

Citations and Database Indexing

Citations

In 2024, ETAT achieved remarkable results on citations, with a total of 691 newly added citations on Dimensions (a 107% increase compared to 2023), and the total citation count reached 1335 with an mean citation of 4.82. Since its inclusion in Scopus and PubMed/PMC, citations have gained a strong momentum of growth per year. In addition, the journal's overall citation rate reached 65%, and more than a third of articles published in 2024 have already received citations. It reflects the growing influence of ETAT in the academic community, with its research findings increasingly recognized and valued by scholars worldwide. In the future, ETAT will continue to promote academic exchange and knowledge dissemination.

Figure 8. Annual Total Citation and Mean Citation (Source: Dimensions)

Database Indexing

ETAT is currently indexed in PubMed/PMC, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases. These database inclusions will support ETAT to gain more exposure this year.

From the Scopus database, ETAT has shown significant improvements in its CiteScore and ranking over the past two years. ETAT's CiteScore of 2023 reached 2.8, with a 65% increase compared to 2022's CiterScore of 1.7. In January 2025, the CiteScoreTracker reached to 3.0. This means that over the past year, articles published in ETAT journals have had a wider impact in academia, attracting more attention and citations from researchers.

Additionally, in the Oncology category of the Medicine field, ETAT's ranking improved from 268/366 in 2023 to 251/404 in 2024, an increase of approximately 11.1%. This progress is closely related to the support and contribution of the majority of scientific researchers and professionals. (Scopus preview - Scopus - Exploration of Targeted Anti-tumor Therapy)

Figure 9. CiteScore and Ranking Trends

Promotion

Social Media

In 2024, ETAT's social media influence on LinkedIn experienced significant growth. By the end of the year, the journal's follower count reached 8,457, an increase of 2,788 from the beginning of the year. The number of followers on the journal's homepage increased to 2,739, an increase of 646 from the beginning of the year. A post to promote the participation of editorial board members in conferences and to introduce ETAT received over 1,536 views and 54 likes, effectively expanding the journal's reach and audience engagement.

Conference Promotion

In 2024, ETAT facilitated academic exchange and collaboration through three international conferences by PowerPoint presenting and distribution of promotional materials distributing:

● Marcangolo Conference in Italy (November 29, promoted by Prof. Rossana Berardi)

● 2024 World Conference on Traditional Medicine in Beijing (December 3-4, promoted by Prof. Gautam Sethi)

● The Frontier Interdisciplinary Studies and High-Impact Academic Journals Symposium (December 26, promoted by Prof. Mingzhou Guo)

These events attracted a large number of international participants and significantly strengthened ETAT's connections with the academic community.

Figure 10. Conference Promotion Highlights

Outlook

We are deeply grateful to our authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and readers for their invaluable support and contributions. In 2025, ETAT will continue to enhance its academic reputation and influence by improving article quality, expanding international reach, and optimizing the experience for authors and readers. As the journal's influence continues to grow, we plan to apply for inclusion in more databases.

We are excited about these measures and look forward to working with researchers, editors, and reviewers worldwide. Whether through co-organizing academic events, actively submitting articles, or sharing expertise and insights, we firmly believe that the power of collaboration will drive further advancements in the ETAT journal.

Contact us: etatjournal@explorationpub.com

ETAT Website: https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/etat

Submission Link: https://www.editorialmanager.com/etat/default.aspx

Data Support: The above data is based on statistics compiled by the journal's editorial office as of December 31, 2024.

2024 Annual Development Report.pdf