About the Journal

About the Journal - Description (for Gnosis)

Gnosis is a diamond open access journal publishing evidence synthesis for global health equity. We publish complete meta-analyses, methodological innovations, and evidence updates in exactly 400 words - where the abstract is the paper - with specific focus on evidence relevant to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Mission

Most systematic reviews and meta-analyses are conducted in high-income settings, analyzing trials from wealthy populations, with little consideration of transportability to resource-limited contexts. Gnosis addresses this evidence gap by prioritizing:

Meta-analyses of interventions feasible in resource-limited settings
Evidence from LMIC populations and healthcare systems
Transportability analysis: how findings from high-income trials apply to developing country contexts
Cost-effectiveness relevant to constrained health budgets
Implementation considerations for low-resource settings

Our 400-word format serves clinicians and policymakers in developing countries who need rapid, accessible evidence without bandwidth limitations, subscription barriers, or time to read 8,000-word papers.

The Name

Gnosis (γνῶσις) - from Greek, meaning "knowledge" or "deep understanding" - represents evidence-informed wisdom accessible to all. In Islamic tradition, Irfan (عرفان) carries the same meaning: knowledge that illuminates and guides action. We chose this name to reflect our commitment to democratizing evidence synthesis for the global community.

Focus and Scope

Priority topics:

Infectious diseases (tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, neglected tropical diseases)
Maternal and child health interventions
Non-communicable disease prevention in resource-limited settings
Essential medicines and generic formulations
Task-shifting and community health worker interventions
Low-cost diagnostic strategies
Implementation science in LMICs
Traditional medicine integration where evidence-supported

We publish three article types:

Meta-analyses (400 words): Complete evidence synthesis with explicit consideration of applicability to LMIC settings, including cost, infrastructure requirements, and local evidence when available
Methods papers (400 words): Innovations in transportability assessment, evidence synthesis for resource-limited settings, or methods addressing LMIC-specific challenges
Evidence updates (400 words): Rapid incorporation of new LMIC trial data into existing meta-analyses

Why This Matters

The global evidence gap:

90% of health research funding goes to diseases affecting 10% of the global population
Most RCTs exclude populations typical of developing countries (co-morbidities, malnutrition, co-infections)
Systematic reviews rarely assess whether findings transport from trial populations to real-world LMIC contexts
Paywalls prevent clinicians in developing countries from accessing evidence
Bandwidth limitations make downloading 50-page PDFs impractical in many regions

Gnosis's approach:

Diamond open access - no fees for authors or readers
Minimal bandwidth - 400 words loads instantly on slow connections
Practical focus - every paper must address feasibility in resource-limited settings
Rapid dissemination - 48-72 hour peer review enables timely evidence for outbreaks, policy decisions, and guideline development
Global South representation - editorial board majority from LMIC institutions

Open Access Policy

Complete diamond open access:

No article processing charges (APCs)
No subscription fees
Immediate publication under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0)
Authors retain copyright
Pre-print posting encouraged
Mirror sites in multiple regions for improved access

This model ensures researchers in low-income countries can both publish and access evidence without financial barriers.

Copyright Notice

Authors who publish with Gnosis retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0).

This license allows others to share, copy, redistribute, adapt, remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source.

Authors may enter into additional arrangements for non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version (institutional repositories, books, personal websites) with acknowledgment of initial publication in Gnosis.

Reporting Standards

All meta-analyses must include:

Explicit discussion of applicability to LMIC settings
Assessment of intervention feasibility (cost, infrastructure, expertise required)
LMIC-specific subgroup analyses when data permits
Cost reporting in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms when applicable
Adapted PRISMA 2020 reporting standards

We encourage reporting:

Training requirements for implementation
Essential equipment or infrastructure needs
Transportability metrics and external validity assessment
Local context considerations

Sponsorship and Independence

Gnosis receives no pharmaceutical or industry funding. We are supported by institutional commitment to global health equity. All funding sources are publicly disclosed. Authors must declare any sponsor involvement in study design, analysis, and manuscript preparation.

No conflicts with commercial interests. Our editorial independence ensures evidence serving LMIC populations is never compromised by profit motives.

Privacy Statement

Names and email addresses entered in this journal site are used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

Manuscript submissions, peer review communications, and editorial correspondence remain strictly confidential. Published articles are publicly accessible, but reviewer identities remain anonymous unless explicitly disclosed.

All articles receive persistent Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) through CrossRef (we are in the process of applying for this) ensuring permanent accessibility and citability regardless of platform changes.

Indexing and Visibility

Gnosis is indexed/registered in:

Google Scholar
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
Seeking inclusion in: PubMed Central, Scopus, Web of Science
Regional databases: African Journals Online (AJOL), SciELO, LILACS

We actively pursue inclusion in databases serving LMIC researchers and will update this list as indexing expands.

Languages

Currently published in English with plans to expand abstract translation to:

French (Francophone Africa, Haiti)
Spanish (Latin America)
Portuguese (Brazil, Lusophone Africa)
Arabic (Middle East, North Africa)

This will improve accessibility across major developing regions.

Article Processing Charges

Zero. None. Never.

Gnosis operates as a true diamond open access journal:

No fees for authors to publish
No fees for readers to access
No hidden charges
No waivers needed

We believe financial barriers have no place in global health evidence synthesis.

Peer Review Policy

Open to all: We welcome submissions from authors worldwide, with particular encouragement for researchers from LMIC institutions
Rapid review: 48-72 hour turnaround standard
Fair evaluation: Authors from developing countries receive equitable treatment
Constructive feedback: Reviews focus on improving evidence quality, not gatekeeping
Transparent process: Single-blind review with option for open peer review

Gnosis exists to serve the 80% of the global population living in low- and middle-income countries. Every editorial decision, every policy, and every publication prioritizes:

Equity - Evidence accessible to all, regardless of geography or income
Relevance - Findings applicable to real-world resource-limited settings
Rigor - Methodological standards that ensure trustworthy evidence
Rapid dissemination - Speed that serves urgent health needs
Independence - Freedom from commercial interests that could bias evidence

Gnosis: Knowledge for Global Health Equity