This week, we learn about a new preprint platform launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and F1000, and we read about Jisc’s review of transitional agreements in the UK. We also read about a collaboration between PLOS and Eurodoc aiming to increase awareness of open science among ECRs. Finally, we consider the implications of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation policy refresh and signpost a webinar exploring how publishers maintain research integrity.
To read:
VeriXiv: a new preprint platform via Taylor & Francis | 4-minute read
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and F1000 have announced the launch of VeriXiv, a new preprint server. The platform will support researchers in complying with the foundation’s refreshed open access (OA) policy, which will require all their funded research to be made available as a preprint from January 2025. VeriXiv will conduct rigorous pre-publication checks to support research integrity and transparency. The server will be open to submissions from August 2024.a
Jisc review of transitional agreements via The Scholarly Kitchen | 12-minute read
Ten years after signing its inaugural transitional agreement, Jisc has marked this milestone by undertaking a review of transitional agreements in the UK. The review found that transitional agreements – also known as transformative agreements – have helped the UK transition to OA faster than the global rate but suggested that they may limit innovation in scholarly publishing. In this article, Alison Mudditt (CEO of PLOS) explores the Jisc report as a case study of the successes and limitations of transitional agreements.a
Open science for ECRs via PLOS Blogs | 2-minute read
PLOS and the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers (Eurodoc) have announced a strategic partnership to increase awareness of open science and its principles and implementation. It is hoped that the partnership will increase the adoption of open science while serving the needs of early career researchers (ECRs). More details about the partnership can be found here.
The future of preprints and peer review via London School of Economics Impact Blog | 6-minute read
From 1 January 2025, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will end support for article processing charges and will require authors to deposit their research outputs as preprints. In this article, Richard Sever (Co-founder of bioRxiv and medRxiv, and Assistant Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press) considers the implications of the foundation’s updated policy for the uptake of preprints and the future of peer review.
To engage with:
Webinar: ensuring research integrity in scholarly publishing via Society for Scholarly Publishing
How do publishers maintain research integrity in the publishing workflow? Join Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe (Professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Kim Eggleton (Head of Peer Review & Research Integrity at IOP Publishing), Yael Fitzpatrick (Editorial Ethics Manager at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), Adya Misra (Senior Research Integrity and Inclusion Manager at Sage) and Amanda Sulicz (Publishing Ethics Specialist at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) on 17 April to find out. A Society for Scholarly Publishing account is required for registration to this paid webinar.
Enjoy reading our content? Then make sure to follow us on Twitter/X and LinkedIn for regular updates!
aPaige – a generative AI tool created by Oxford PharmaGenesis – was used to create an early draft of this summary. Paige uses OpenAI’s GPT Large Language Models, securely and privately accessed from within Microsoft’s Azure platform. The AI-generated output was reviewed, modified or rewritten, and checked for accuracy by at least one member of the Open Pharma team. The news pieces included in the weekly digest are curated by the Open Pharma team without the use of AI.
