Academic publishing

Decision to downgrade 271 journals on quality and operating model concerns sparks debate

Editors at Leiden Journal of International Law affirm commitment to Palestinian self-determination after uproar over contentious article

Higher ratings for AI-authored abstracts should not obscure the need for engaging prose with a ‘human touch’, says study co-author

One Nation One Subscription deal agreed with major academic publishers after five years of negotiations, but some believe academia is moving on

Publishers used to recognise that theirs was a relationships business. But now the road to immortality is much lonelier, says Adrian Furnham

But we must be sure to protect research and future subscription budgets, as well as building a sensible authentication system, says Cathy Foley

Forcing changes to the peer-review process would probably come with unforeseen and unwanted consequences, says Sheldon H. Jacobson

As pre-Wikipedia resource enters its 25th year, pioneers eye new applications as well as new languages

NWO initiative seeks to address concerns about sustainability of free to read, free to publish model

Tailored guidance, standards, tools and infrastructure are needed to make data more accessible and interoperable across the globe, says Daniel Keirs

In this age of widespread mis/disinformation, non-scientists need help to better grasp which claims bear rigorous scrutiny, says Gary Atkinson

Open access champions make ‘the perfect the enemy of the good’ by opposing chief scientist’s plan

Quantitative approach could help junior contributors ‘raise their voice’ and get due credit, researcher proposes

Publishers used to provide authors with better service – and royalties. But open access cooperatives offer a ray of light, says Harvey Graff

Allowing Big Tech to train AIs on academic output will only exacerbate the threat posed to teaching and research, says Martyn Hammersley

Even the ‘predatory’ label gives an undue level of legitimacy to operations that lack all the typical accoutrements of journals, says Steve Hochstadt

The British Museum learned it was wrong to brush off a whistleblower. Universities and journals should do the same, says David Sanders

Forcing UKRI-backed researchers to publish their papers as preprints would save £40 million annually and ‘accelerate scientific progress’, says thinktank

If the choice is between impact factor and maintaining the content’s integrity, there is little contest

Difficult conversations about how the REF’s post-2029 open access books mandate will be financed cannot be avoided, say experts

Rethink on Research Excellence Framework’s demand that submitted monographs should be freely available follows fierce condemnation of a policy described as ‘unaffordable’ and ‘excessively bureaucratic’

We need a mechanism whereby academics can build a public reputation as referees and receive career benefits for doing so, says Randy Robertson

Fed up with a lowly position on the author list? If so, getting creative with surnames could be the solution, a study suggests

Researchers claim that Taylor & Francis kept details of deal quiet, but company insists that citation and limits on verbatim quoting will be sacrosanct

‘There’s an assumption that if you pay for something, it is going to be better quality than if it’s free,’ says librarian involved in Hong Kong collaboration

Institute of Physics Publishing is making innovative efforts to broaden the referee pool beyond the usual suspects, says Laura Feetham-Walker

Extending embargoes and permitting more exceptions are likelier than a full U-turn, suggest academic publishing experts

Platform must overcome cost and participation hurdles, but would benefit readers and researchers, experts say

If the best books aren’t REFable, UK research will appear artificially weak, say Heather Widdows, Fiona Macpherson and Simon Kirchin 

Chapter of Sexual Misconduct in Academia was previously withdrawn after academic claimed he was identified

British Academy urges Research Excellence Framework leaders to pause open access plans as sector bodies highlight ‘crushing costs’

Editors and production staff say final offer is insufficient given recent inflation rises and publisher’s profits

A fixation on publishing in ‘academic comic books’ is subverting the values permeating business schools, conference hears

‘Excessively bureaucratic’ and ‘unaffordable’ rules on open access proposed for the next Research Excellence Framework should be discarded, say university executives

Months after Harvard Law Review rejected analysis of Gaza genocide allegation, Columbia’s version does the same

Researchers say emails suggest disapproval of social media posts on transgender issues contributed to rejections

Policy expert told he would have to cover publication fee himself post-retirement alleges ‘blatant age discrimination’

Survey indicates that researchers are poorly prepared for upcoming shift to free-to-read model

Global survey of peer reviewers reveals deep distrust towards ChatGPT, with some calling for a complete ban on its use in research and academia

These initiatives don’t demand extra funding, undervalue publisher input or create institutional or disciplinary divides, say Anthony Cond and Jane Bunker

Universities in countries that speak Dutch or German found to have higher research performance scores than those in Japan 

Extra costs linked to proposed new Research Excellence Framework rules could send art history departments to the wall, warns Francesca Berry

Proposed changes to how scholars publish show little awareness of how they will profoundly reshape academic life, says David Lund

US’ biggest charitable foundation, with focus on global health, abandons APCs in favour of preprint repositories

Generative AI firms should stop ripping off publishers and instead work with them to enrich scholarship, says Oxford University Press’ David Clark

Poll of researchers finds little support for pulling scholarly papers of those found guilty of objectionable personal behaviour

Researchers say precariously employed academics will lose out if universities are required to stump up fees for open access

While critics decry ‘attack on academic freedom and integrity’, publisher says new blood prevents journal from becoming ‘insular’

Requiring OA publication would have left bookshops’ history sections narrower in scope and the preserve of a select few authors, says Rory Cormac

Editors express concern over dating of soil samples ‘not associated with manmade features’, but authors attack ‘unjust retraction of groundbreaking research’

Changing funding rules could shift the dial on open science, Australian paper argues

Swift clarification of exemption for mass-market books follows claims that REF open access requirements would destroy publishing opportunities for scholars

Extension of journal mandate to monographs designed to ‘make research more open and equitable’, but has historically been a source of controversy

London Book Fair discussion dominated by concern over large language models using published works without citations or remuneration to authors or publishing houses

Investigation follows publishing controversy that saw chapter detailing allegations withdrawn by Routledge

Deal ‘an important step in PeerJ’s evolution’, co-founders say

Jisc review finds UK ahead of global average on open access, but questions whether purportedly temporary measures are proving effective at driving change

Open peer review has ‘potential to be more thorough, inclusive and collegial’ than traditional journal-led route, funders and publishers say

Article on MeToo movement in Iran named researcher, who denies wrongdoing, as ‘serial abuser’

Power relations would be more equitable if all leading disciplinary journals and books were published in multiple languages, says Simon Marginson