This week, we read about how Sci-Hub and other recent industry trends may be transforming scholarly publishing. We read about whether publishers should invoice authors for article retraction costs and about the first open access book agreement in the Middle East. Finally, we highlight a webinar hosted by DIAMAS and PALOMERA on how to fund open access publishing of learned society journals and books.
To read:
Sci-Hub drives access revolution via ManuscriptEdit | 2-minute read
Shadow library Sci-Hub was founded in Kazakhstan by Alexandra Elbakyan in 2011 in response to the high cost of paywalled research papers. Since its creation, the repository has illegally amassed over 80 million research articles and is used worldwide. The platform splits opinion – it is lauded by some for broadening access to publicly funded knowledge, but it has come under heavy scrutiny by others for violating copyright, reducing publisher revenue and posing cybersecurity issues. This blog argues that Sci-Hub has had a disruptive yet positive impact on publishing, which has coincided with a shift towards open access (OA), accessibility and inclusivity. Read it and see if you agree!
Transformative trends in scholarly publishing 2024 via HighWire | 7-minute read
Over the last 12 months, the scholarly publishing industry has had to adapt to two major shifts: a surge in OA publications and a huge uptick in the use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI use has expanded exponentially, improving the efficiency, reliability and accuracy with which data are analysed, peer-reviewed and disseminated while making the publication process more accessible. In addition, demand has increased for micropublications and other ‘snackable’ interactive formats for the dissemination of findings. Greater demand for democratic access has created a wide range of OA model options. This blog post neatly summarizes these recent trends and leaves the reader with a poignant call to action: “embrace these changes, address the inherent challenges, and leverage the myriad of opportunities … [to] … ensure a more dynamic, inclusive, and impactful scholarly publishing landscape”.
Should publishers invoice authors for retraction costs? via The Scholarly Kitchen | 8-minute read
Who should bear the financial burden if a scientific publication has to be retracted? Would imposing financial penalties on authors encourage them to be more careful and thorough, or would it disincentivize them from coming forward with errors in their published papers? In this opinion piece, Roohi Ghosh (Ambassador for Researcher Success at Cactus Communications) and Chirag Jay Patel (Head of Sales and Business Development [Americas] at Cactus Communications) discuss the costs associated with retraction of a scientific publication and debate the complexities of who should shoulder the financial burden associated with maintaining both the integrity of scientific research and trust in the scientific community.
First Springer Nature OA book agreement in the Middle East via STM Publishing News | 2-minute read
The Qatar National Library consortium has become the first consortium in the Middle East to enter into an OA book agreement with Springer Nature. This deal strengthens the partnership formed by the joint transformative agreement made in 2019. Students and researchers from academic and governmental institutions in Qatar will now benefit from access to over 2250 journals from Springer Nature for the next 3 years and be able to publish their own research OA. The deal marks progress towards the library’s commitment to support OA by providing publication opportunities to all researchers in Qatar.
To engage with:
Make the life of a learned society publisher easier via Publication Forum
Representatives from the European DIAMAS and PALOMERA projects are hosting a webinar with fellow learned society publishers to brainstorm how best to fund OA publishing of journals and books. Both projects have carried out research into the financial sustainability of OA and diamond OA and the complex relationship between learned society publishers, their hosting organizations, and their members or journal subscribers. Partners from the projects will share their insights on potential revenue streams for diamond OA publishing and cost-saving strategies for OA journal and book publishing. If you miss the live session on Tuesday 10 September 2024 (14:00–15:00 CEST), a recording will be made available after the event on the DIAMAS and PALOMERA webpages. Register here to attend.
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