91ÁÔÆæ

Author: Siobhan Bates

As an early career health services researcher, you face the critical challenge of how to balance advancing your career with making a meaningful difference to vulnerable communities. The collection in demonstrates how focused, open access research can bridge the gap between academic discovery and real-world impact. This collection accelerates research impact by shaping policy, informing practice and raising awareness about pressing health challenges. 

Research that reaches beyond academia

The collection comprises 15 articles exploring healthcare delivery for individuals experiencing homelessness. Topics range from barriers to health care access and innovative health service models to mental health, chronic disease management, and evidence-based policy recommendations. 

The collection's impact extends far beyond traditional academic metrics. Published between April 2024 and August 2025, the collection generated meaningful impact of over 34,000 views. Two articles also gained significant media attention in Canada. Lucie Richard's research on healthcare costs for homeless populations informed a Globe and Mail editorial, reaching approximately 22 million Canadians monthly and sparking engagement from 280 commenters. While the Hope Standard spotlighted Cole Kennedy's study on brain injury, mental health, and substance use, emphasising policy-oriented recommendations for housing solutions tailored to individuals with brain injuries.

Real-world solutions

The collection showcases research with practical, actionable insights that policymakers and healthcare providers can implement immediately. Consider these examples: 

• Mobile diabetes screening: Researchers proposed expanding point-of-care screening through community partnerships. This approach increases access to chronic disease care and engages underserved populations directly in their environments. 
• Integrated care teams: Multidisciplinary, patient-centered models combining physical and behavioural health services reduce emergency department visits and improve mental health outcomes through consistent, coordinated support. 
• Community-informed priorities: Stakeholder-generated recommendations were used to guide healthcare services for individuals with brain injuries and co-occurring conditions, ensuring care is relevant, inclusive and responsive to complex needs.  
• Training for hostel staff: Articles highlighted the importance of providing hostel staff with targeted training in emotional support and person-centred approaches, especially for older residents with cognitive challenges. 
• Tackling violence and abuse: Research promoted trauma-informed care and coordinated interventions to recognise and address normalised violence and abuse among homeless populations. 
• Rethinking patient experience: Research redesigned healthcare feedback tools to emphasise kindness, compassion, safety, equity, and efficiency, which captures patient priorities and improves care delivery.

Contributing to global goals

This collection supports UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good health and well-being) and 11 (Sustainable cities and communities). Early carrier researchers (ECRs) aligning their research with these global frameworks enhance visibility and demonstrate commitment to addressing humanity's most urgent challenges.

What makes BMC collections different

BMC has pioneered open access publishing for over 25 years, anticipating trends that are now industry standards—open access, open science, open data, and transparent peer review. BMC Collections embody four core principles that authors value: 

• Trust: Rigorous peer review ensures trusted reputation among academics and decision-makers. 
• Community: Collections foster diverse engagement and collaborative networking. 
• Support: Streamlined submission and dedicated editorial teams guide authors throughout. 
• Inclusivity: Collections welcome diverse research perspectives traditional journals might overlook.

The collection at a glance

• 15 articles exploring healthcare delivery for people experiencing homelessness 
• Over 34,000 views collectively across all articles 
• Published: April 2024 – August 2025 
• Media coverage: informed The Globe and Mail editorial (22 million monthly reach) and The Hope Standard 
• Focus areas: Barriers to care, innovative service models, mental health and substance use, chronic disease management, policy implications 
• SDG alignment: SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) 

Authors share their experiences

Researchers who published in the collection emphasise the strategic advantages. Lucie Richards noted that submissions closely aligned with collection themes have higher probability of review. Richards also highlighted that collections help readers discover related research more easily, especially within niche or emerging topics. 

Cole J. Kennedy described how the collection attracted broader, interdisciplinary attention from health authorities, advocacy groups, and media. The focused topic helped bridge gaps between fields, making it easier for practitioners and researchers in related areas to discover and engage with the content. This strategic exposure led to invitations for presentations, media coverage, and meaningful community engagement.

"The themed collection attracted attention from a broader, interdisciplinary audience, including health authorities, advocacy groups, and media outlets. This strategic exposure led to invitations for presentations, media coverage, and meaningful community engagement."

— Cole J. Kennedy

Haitham Jahrami praised the streamlined submission system and clear guidelines that simplified manuscript alignment. The peer review process was efficient and constructive, leading to timely acceptance. He also found publishing within the collection beneficial due to scope alignment and a lower risk of rejection compared to general submissions. 

Guest editor perspective 

Megan Armstrong found curating the collection rewarding, particularly the thematic focus enabling easy access to relevant research. Despite challenges in securing peer reviewers for niche topics, Armstrong valued the novelty and practical relevance of submissions, many of which addressed real-world solutions. The experience fostered meaningful engagement within the research community and enabled conversations around emerging topics. Armstrong highlighted the balanced mix of established researchers (Andrew Hayward, Penny Rapaport) and early-career scholars, underlining how guest editing builds community and advances research.

"The thematic focus made it easier for researchers to find relevant articles on homelessness and healthcare in one place. I recommend guest editing as a good way to build community and advance focused research."

— Megan Armstrong, Guest Editor

Distinguished contributors 

The collection features contributions from internationally recognised experts, including Prof Andrew Hayward (University College London) who helped to shape COVID-19 emergency housing efforts that protected tens of thousands of homeless people; Prof Stephen W. Hwang (University of Toronto), a physician and researcher known for his pioneering work on homelessness and health; and Prof Jill Manthorpe (King's College London) who was made a CBE in 2022 for services to social work and social care research. 

Why publish in the BMC Collection? 

BMC Collections offer distinct advantages: 

• Faster publication: Efficient editorial workflows allow research to address urgent challenges in real-time. 
• Thematic cohesion: Readers can easily find related articles on specific topics, increasing discoverability and engagement. 
• Enhanced visibility: Open access ensures research reaches practitioners, policymakers and communities worldwide, maximising citation potential. 
• Targeted promotion: Coordinated marketing campaigns across social media, professional networks, and academic channels ensure work is published and actively promoted. 
• Policy influence: Research in focused collections is more likely to reach policymakers seeking evidence-based solutions. 

Your research can make a difference 

This collection demonstrates that publishing with BMC creates important change for vulnerable populations while advancing your research career.  

Ready to join a community of researchers making a real-world difference? Visit 91ÁÔÆæ Collections to explore open calls for papers and discover how your research can contribute to solving society's most pressing health challenges.
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