International Identifier for serials
and other continuing resources, in the electronic and print world

ISSNPublishing Industry

Academic authors ‘shocked’ after Taylor & Francis sells access to their research to Microsoft AI

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Dr Ruth Clemens

Authors have expressed their shock after the news that academic publisher Taylor & Francis, which owns Routledge, had sold access to its authors’ research as part of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) partnership with Microsoft—a deal worth almost £8m ($10m) in its first year.

Academics published by the group claim they were not informed about the AI deal, were not given the option to opt out, and are not receiving extra payment.

 

 

 

ISSNPublishing Industry

Wiley shuts 19 scholarly journals amid AI paper mill problems

Wiley discontinued 19 scientific journals from its Hindawi subsidiary amid a scandal involving fraudulent paper mills. Acquired in 2021, Hindawi was found publishing fabricated papers, leading Wiley to retract over 11,300 papers. Wiley’s CEO Brian Napack departed in October 2023, and the company’s revenue dropped $18 million due to the disruption. The industry-wide problem is exacerbated by AI, which facilitates fraud. Wiley introduced AI screening technology and joined United2Act to combat paper mills. Despite journal closures, Wiley aims to integrate Hindawi into its portfolio, distinct from the earlier shutdowns.
ISSNPublishing Industry

Paper mills are bribing editors at scholarly journals, Science investigation finds

Paper mills are bribing editors at scholarly journals, Science investigation finds
This article exposes a new fraud in academic publishing where paper mills bribe journal editors to accept low-quality or fake research papers. Investigations revealed many editors involved, leading to the retraction of thousands of compromised papers by publishers like Wiley. Despite efforts to combat fraud, the pressure to publish, especially in countries like China, fuels this unethical market. This fraud threatens scientific integrity and increases scrutiny on researchers from affected regions, highlighting the need for more effective measures.
ISSNPublishing Industry

C4DISC unveils focused toolkit for journal editors and publishers to foster diversity and inclusion

Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications

C4DISC (Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications) has launched a groundbreaking resource as part of its expanding Toolkit for Equity Series: the A Focused Toolkit for Journal Editors and Publishers. This latest addition aims to empower editors and publishers in their efforts to cultivate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) within editorial roles and the peer review process. Accessible via the C4DISC website, the toolkit offers actionable recommendations to foster a more inclusive editorial and reviewer community, providing practical guidance for enhancing representation and minimizing bias.

ISSNPublishing Industry

Wiley shuts 19 scholarly journals amid AI paper mill problems

Wiley has discontinued 19 Hindawi journals due to academic publishing manipulation by paper mills. Acquired in 2021, Hindawi faced scrutiny for unethical practices like AI-generated manuscript fabrication. Over two years, Wiley retracted over 11,300 papers and acknowledged an $18 million revenue decline due to these issues. Despite launching AI tools to detect fraudulent content, the industry remains concerned about the impact of generative AI. Wiley’s recent journal closures are part of integrating Hindawi with its portfolio, separate from the earlier paper mill-related closures.

ISSNPublishing Industry

The changing landscape of UK learned society publishing

This study draws on a longitudinal dataset of 277 UK learned societies covering the period 2015-2023 to provide evidence-based insights into the changing landscape of society publishing. It identifies a rapid decline in the number of self-published societies and an increasingly complex outsourcing landscape. New publishing partnerships are emerging with university presses and other not-for-profit entities rather than commercial publishers, while all but the largest UK societies have seen their publishing revenues decline in real terms since 2015. In general, UK learned society publishers are seeing their influence wane as market conditions favour publishing models focused on quantity rather than quality.

ISSNPublishing Industry

Global Scientific & Technical Publishing 2023-2027

Simba Information’s Global Scientific & Technical Publishing 2023-2027 report details the trends impacting the market, profiles leading scientific and technical publishers, identifies mergers and acquisitions that have occurred in the market from 2023-2024, and provides a global forecast of the sector. Journals remain the dominant product form, with a 42% share of revenue, but with a slow pace of growth, just under 2%. The report states that product development involving AI was a significant strategy in the market over 2022 and 2023 with the online content segment fueling growth for publishers.

ISSNPublishing Industry

AIP Publishing, the American Physical Society and IOP Publishing create new ‘Purpose-Led Publishing’ coalition

AIP Publishing, the American Physical Society, and IOP Publishing have joined forces to create Purpose-Led Publishing (PLP), a new coalition with a promise to always put purpose above profit.

The three scholarly publishers are united by their not-for-profit status, with all the funds made from publishing going back into the research ecosystem. As members of PLP, the publishers have defined a set of industry standards that underpin high-quality, ethical scholarly communications.

ISSNPublishing Industry
ISSNPublishing Industry

Springer Nature amplifies early sharing and peer review integration across 1000+ journals

In Review, developed by Research Square, the innovative service which integrates early sharing and increased transparency with the journal submission and peer review process, is now available on over 1,000 Springer Nature journals, including the Discover Journals platform. With the service already integrated across its BMC, Nature and Springer portfolios, the latest roll out means In Review is now available on over a third of Springer Nature’s portfolio, enabling more authors to benefit from the service. You can find a list of the participating journals.