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Academic & Scientific Media

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.


Essential Resources

Academic media
Best Practice in Publishing

Academic media

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…

Opportunities & Threats: Academic Media
FEATURE

Opportunities & Threats: Academic Media

The task ahead is clear, says Anke Beck: to harness AI not as a threat but as a catalyst.

Scientific / academic media
The Digital Transformation Journey

Scientific / academic media

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.

AI in practice: IOP Publishing
AI SPECIAL

AI in practice: IOP Publishing

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.

BMJ – finding a wider audience
INTERVIEW

BMJ – finding a wider audience

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.

Experts – still valued here
PUBLISHER PROFILE

Experts – still valued here

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

New revenue streams
INTERVIEW

New revenue streams

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.

You’ve got to take risks
INTERVIEW

You’ve got to take risks

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.

Not just rocket science
OUT & ABOUT WITH ALAN GEERE

Not just rocket science

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?


All Articles

Time to get talking about user experience
FEATURE

Time to get talking about user experience

Don’t rush to conclusions about UX issues, says OpenAthens’ Sarah Underwood; take time to understand the problem.

By Sarah Underwood  |  01/03/2026

How to build resilience in the age of AI
FEATURE

How to build resilience in the age of AI

AdvantageCS’s Philippe van Mastrigt has five strategies to safeguard and strengthen your business model in the face of AI challenges.

By Philippe van Mastrigt  |  01/03/2026

Springer Nature announces new journal series Nature Progress
News

Springer Nature announces new journal series Nature Progress

Supported by Nature Portfolio’s in-house editorial expertise, Nature Progress journals will expand access to high impact publishing to more researchers.

25/02/2026

Elsevier expands ClinicalKey AI
News

Elsevier expands ClinicalKey AI

Elsevier has announced it has expanded ClinicalKey AI with full-text knowledge base and technology upgrades to help clinicians make decisions with confidence.

25/02/2026

Emerald Publishing and Purdue University launch new co-branded book series
News

Emerald Publishing and Purdue University launch new co-branded book series

The Emerald-Purdue Research Impact Series will showcase research emerging from one of the United States’ leading public universities.

13/02/2026

IOPP celebrated women on the UN’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science
News

IOPP celebrated women on the UN’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science

IOPP celebrates the women shaping the future of science and scholarly publishing.

12/02/2026

67 Bricks appoints Peter Lake
News

67 Bricks appoints Peter Lake

67 Bricks has appointed former international CEO Peter Lake as a board advisor to support its next phase of growth.

06/02/2026

IOP Publishing signs pledge
News

IOP Publishing signs pledge

IOP Publishing signs the Publishers Association UK Publishing Inclusion Pledge.

03/02/2026

IOP Publishing reduces carbon emissions
News

IOP Publishing reduces carbon emissions

IOP Publishing has announced it has cut its carbon emissions by over a third, driving sustainable change.

15/01/2026

JULAC and Taylor & Francis sign open access agreement
News

JULAC and Taylor & Francis sign open access agreement

This marks the first Taylor & Francis partnership with Hong Kong’s university library consortium which supports open access publishing and global research sharing.

12/01/2026

Taylor & Francis announces expanded scope for PeerJ journal
News

Taylor & Francis announces expanded scope for PeerJ journal

Multidisciplinary open access journal offers new publishing option for researchers in Chemistry, Engineering and Materials Science.

08/01/2026

Jisc and Taylor & Francis sign new UK open research agreement
News

Jisc and Taylor & Francis sign new UK open research agreement

The deal offers researchers expanded OA publishing options and licensing for AI use.

22/12/2025

Frontiers publishes whitepaper on AI
News

Frontiers publishes whitepaper on AI

According to the whitepaper, Unlocking AI’s untapped potential: responsible innovation in research and publishing, most peer reviewers now use AI, and publishing policy must keep pace.

16/12/2025

Scientific Reports reaches publishing milestone
News

Scientific Reports reaches publishing milestone

Springer Nature has announced that Scientific Reports has reached a publishing milestone with over one million authors supported in publishing open access (OA); 6.65m+ citations achieved.

15/12/2025

CAUL and Taylor & Francis announce new OA agreement for Australasian researchers
News

CAUL and Taylor & Francis announce new OA agreement for Australasian researchers

The partnership expands to cover full OA journals, AI use and journal OA conversions.

11/12/2025

751 articles