Five Trends In The Publishers-Sustainability Nexus
In this article, I present five specific developments which may give us an idea how the relationship between sustainability and scholarly publishers is changing over time.
Guest Post — Classification as Colonization: The Hidden Politics of Library Catalogs
The renaming of “Mount Denali” and “Gulf of Mexico” to the politically loaded “Mount McKinley” and “Gulf of America” reveal the naked truth of what cataloging has always been: a battlefield where meaning is contested and conquered.
Why Should Publishers Conserve Nature?
What role does/could scholarly publishing play in nature conservation?
DEI Under Threat: The Battle for Inclusive Research
With Executive Orders banning mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), what happens to research when these principles are erased? This post explores the risks of a ‘post-DEI’ society—lost data, eroded trust, and weakened scientific progress—and why inclusive research remains critical.
Guest Post — Challenges in Academic Publishing Amid War: ISSN Issues in Ukraine Threaten Research Integrity
Recently, a group of Ukrainian researchers uncovered serious violations in the use of ISSN identifiers by journals operating in temporarily occupied territories, revealing systematic misuse of academic infrastructure and promoting narratives hostile to Ukraine.
Defending the “Walled Garden”: Yes, Academic Libraries Actually Should Focus on the Needs of Their Host Institutions
Academic libraries’ first and most fundamental obligation is to support the work of their host institutions. This doesn’t preclude global engagement, but may put constraints upon it.
Revisiting: Measuring Societal Impact or, Meet the New Metric, Same as the Old Metric
Bringing back a post from 2018, as funders increasingly demand measurements of “real world” impact from researchers. Does this steer us toward the same traps we’re already in from the ways we already do research assessment and is this short-term thinking problematic for the future of science?
Weathering the Storm: What Will 2025 Bring for Academia?
My glass of optimism is usually full. But my glass is leaking now, or maybe it’s broken? The realities of the new political landscape have cast its shadow on the future of academia.
Guest Post: Reflections from The Munin Conference Part Three – Measuring Impact
This is the third and final article in a guest series reflecting on the main themes and ideas gathered and discussed at The Munin Conference at the end of 2024. Today’s focus is measuring impact.
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., and Sage Forge a New Relationship
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., an independent publisher focused on cutting edge biotechnology research, has been acquired by Sage. In this interview, the company’s namesake shares her future vision of the company under Sage ownership as well as her reflections on over 40 years of STM publishing.
The Genesis and Purpose of the Forensic Scientometrics Declaration: An Interview with Dr. Leslie McIntosh
What is the Forensic Scientometrics Declaration, and how did it come about? An interview with Dr. Leslie McIntosh.
Chatting at the Kitchen Table about India’s ONOS Deal
India’s recently announced One Nation, One Subscription plan is in some ways an audacious step into the future and, in other ways, an embrace of the past. What are its implications?
Disruption As an End in Itself: eLife’s Suspension and DORA’s Response
DORA’s reaction to Clarivate’s decision to no longer fully index eLife (and, therefore, not to give it a Journal Impact Factor) seems inconsistent with both its and eLife’s public positions, and based on the mistaken belief that “disruption” is an absolute good in itself.
A Dissonance of Ideals: Openness, Copyright, and AI
Robert Harington attempts to reveal inherent conflicts in our drive to be as open as possible, authors’ need to understand their rights, and a library’s mandate to provide their patrons with the enhanced discovery that comes with AI’s large language models (LLMs).
Guest Post – Driving Change in Ukrainian Scholarly Publishing: An Interview with Ganna Kharlamova
An interview with Ganna Kharlamova, who is working to changing the way scholarly communications and publishing are conducted in Ukraine.