Springer Science+Business Media

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Springer Science+Business Media is a global publishing company that publishes books, e-books and peer-reviewed journals in science, technical and medical (STM) publishing.[1] Springer also hosts a number of scientific databases, including SpringerLink, Springer Protocols, and SpringerImages. Book publications include major reference works, textbooks, monographs and book series; more than 88,000 titles are available as e-books in 18 subject collections.[2] Within STM, Springer is the largest book publisher and second-largest journal publisher worldwide after Elsevier, with around 55 publishing houses, almost 6,200 employees and around 2,000 journals and 7,000 new books published each year.[3]

History

Julius Springer founded Springer-Verlag in Berlin in 1842.[4][5] In 1964, Springer expanded its business internationally, opening an office in New York.

The academic publishing company BertelsmannSpringer was formed after Bertelsmann bought a majority stake in Springer-Verlag in 1999.[4][6] The British investment groups Cinven and Candover bought BertelsmannSpringer from Bertelsmann in 2003.[6] They merged the company in 2004 with the Dutch publisher Kluwer Academic Publishers which they bought from Wolters Kluwer in 2002,[7] to form Springer Science+Business Media.

In 2009, Cinven and Candover sold Springer to two private equity firms, EQT Partners and Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. The closing of the sale was confirmed in February 2010 after the competition authorities in the USA and in Europe approved the transfer.

Springer acquired the open-access publisher BioMed Central for an undisclosed amount.

In 2011, it acquired Pharma Marketing and Publishing Services from Wolters Kluwer.[8]

Conflict of interest policy

Springer states that following conflict of interest policy for its journals:

When an author or the institution of the author has a relationship, financial or otherwise, with individuals or organizations that could influence the author’s work inappropriately, a conflict of interest may exist. Examples of potential conflicts of interest may include but are not limited to academic, personal, or political relationships; employment; consultancies or honoraria; and finical connections such as stock ownership and funding. Although an author may not feel that there are conflicts, disclosure of relationships and interests that could be viewed by others as conflicts of interest affords a more transparent and prudent process. All authors must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest. The Journal may publish such disclosures if judged to be important to readers.[9]


It is worth noting that the company makes no commitment to disclose conflict of interest statements.


Affiliations

Science Media Centre received donations from Springer 2009-2013.

Notes