Academic and scientific publishing runs on a different model from the rest of the industry. Its readers are mostly researchers and clinicians, and its customers are often the libraries and institutions they work for. What it really sells is confidence in the research record.
Open access has become the standard model, moving revenue away from subscriptions towards publishing charges and institutional agreements. Learned societies that switched early have used the change to build data and analytics products around their journals. Where research comes from is changing as well, with a growing share now produced in Asia.
However, it is a common misconception that open access somehow reduces the importance of the publisher. In reality, it is the opposite.
Niels Peter Thomas Academic media
AI raises the stakes. Fabricated papers test peer review on an industrial scale, and publishers are building integrity tools while deciding on what terms to license their content to AI developers.
Science also reaches general readers through magazines and specialist journalists, who face many of the same pressures as the rest of the press.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on academic and scientific media, from open access and research integrity to medical journals, institutional sales and science journalism, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
We asked Niels Peter Thomas, chief executive officer of BMJ Publishing, what does best practice publishing look like in academic media? This is what he said…
The task ahead is clear, says Anke Beck: to harness AI not as a threat but as a catalyst.
Sara Sharman, head of content services, Institution of Engineering and Technology, tells Ciar Byrne about how the scientific / academic media sector is managing the digital transformation journey.
Laura Feetham-Walker, head of publishing strategy and performance, tells us how IOP Publishing is using AI now and where she sees the best opportunities for future development.
Pandemics, climate change, health inequality are all existential threats that require expert trusted analysis, and that is why BMJ’s content is increasingly in demand beyond its traditional audience.
With all the current talk around ‘post-truth’ and ‘alternative facts’, with people like Michael Gove saying they’ve “had enough of experts”, the newly rebranded Emerald Publishing – part of Emerald Group – is sticking to its core values. As Tony Roch
Mark Allen Group is a big believer in print… and a big believer in digital too! As Matt Cianfarani tells Ciar Byrne, digital publishing is opening up lucrative new revenue streams for the group’s healthcare titles.
Catherine de Lange of New Scientist was crowned Editors’ Editor of the Year at the BSME Awards. Here, she talks about her trend-spotting tricks, the “pub test” the team employ for stories & how she’s running a 70-year-old publication like a start-up.
With big issues like AI and robotics, climate change and space exploration, it’s difficult to keep science off the front pages. But what does all this mean for the science journalists and writers who are forever adding context and explanation?
Professor Sharon Cameron, a consultant in gynaecology and sexual and reproductive health, has been appointed as the new Editor-in-Chief of the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health.
Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press have announced the results of a joint, global survey into the future of the scholarly monograph.
Professor Debra Nestel has been appointed as the new Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Simulation & Technology Enhanced Learning (BMJ STEL).
BMJ has added a new title to its expanding portfolio of more than 70 specialist journals, with the launch of BMJ Surgery Interventions & Health Technologies.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology chose AdvantageCS to power its webshop and sales order processing and went live in August.
Air Business continues its commitment to keeping its customers’ data secure through gaining BS 10012 (Personal Information Management System) certification for distribution and subscriptions.
Emerald Publishing has appointed Alice Fleet as its Technology Director as the company continues to drive its digital innovation strategy.
Single sign-on provider OpenAthens revealed a new user-centred identity at the CILIP conference in July.
Cambridge University Press is to expand their provision of open research services with the launch of its own early and open content platform Cambridge Open Engage.
The IET has announced the release of Inspec Analytics, a research intelligence tool to help research professionals explore global trends in physics, engineering and technology research.
BMJ has added a new title to its expanding portfolio of more than 70 specialist journals, with the launch of BMJ Neurology Open.
A new open access journal from Cambridge University Press will explore the transformative effect of data science on engineering.
BMJ is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Kazakhstan to implement its Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Training Initiative.
Does your CEO know what your subscriber retention rate is? The chances are, probably not. But, according to Julian Thorne, author of our Guide to Retention Strategies for Publishers, this number should never be far from his or her (or your) mind.
Emerald Publishing has acquired Mental Illness journal from PAGEPress Scientific Publishing.
