Academic publishing

Scholars split on whether reforms – part of a wider relaxation of rules on doctorates – will tackle research fraud or whether they aim at the wrong target

Plos puts warnings on almost 50 papers after alleged reuse of ethical approvals, undeclared conflicts of interest and publication rates equivalent to an article every three days  

Scientific sharing trailblazer hopes detailed tracking of researcher behaviour will help identify stubborn obstacles to more cooperative environment

Five years on from Cambridge University Press’ controversial compliance with a Chinese government request to make more than 300 articles unavailable to Chinese readers, publishers are increasingly self-censoring content on ‘sensitive’ topics. But is the trade-off justified, asks George Cooper

‘Read and publish’ deals must not be the only game in town, critic warns

Nation ‘would do well’ to seek out global expertise for its 2023 national publishing plan, with negotiations expected to be ‘long and protracted’

LSE historian accuses journal of ‘compromising intellectual quality in favour of identity politics’

Building a publishing platform that allows scholars to earn from sales of their papers has put all Pooja Sawrikar’s rage to good use 

Greater efforts need to be made to distinguish predatory journals from those that at least aspire to scholarly standards, says Harvey Graff

Dozens of publishers have disclosed cost data as part of next stage of European-led open access push but ‘big two’ are absent

Region’s biggest transformative agreement ‘an important first step’ in open access ‘journey’

Analytics giant denies accusations it stole data but ends development of MetaDoor platform in settlement with WorldCat

Revealing desk rejection rates, peer review processing times and other useful operational data would do more to correct slipshod journal practices than an ‘author’s bill of rights’, says Jerry Jacobs

Encouraging students to embody their institution’s distinctive values will allow it to present a more rounded view of the true worth of higher education, says Claire Taylor

Changes that pretend scientists do not care about publishing in highly selective journals will end eLife’s crucial role in science publishing, says long-time supporter Paul Bieniasz

Following order of 2025 deadline for taxpayer-funded science to be made freely available to the public, major scientific society warns of costs, especially for women and youth

Tenfold increase in article output should be a research integrity ‘red flag’ for publishers, says Cambridge researcher Nick Wise

Monograph publishing needs partnerships between university presses and scholarly societies, say Helen Beebee, David Teira and Brian Scrivener

Biomedical and life sciences publisher says it wants to focus reviewers’ attention on content of research

Lack of institutional support in meeting the growing demand for data sharing must be addressed, says global study of attitudes towards publishing

New York-based manga comic expert claims withdrawal of Karl Andersson’s controversial paper may ‘stifle innovation and scholarship’ in future

‘Fluffy rationale’, ‘uncooked records’ and ‘kidney disappointment’ are among the nonsensical terms that have exposed bogus scientific papers

Research fraudbuster says publication of six papers with hallmarks of Russian paper mills indicates why periodicals must commit to more post-submission transparency

Eastern authors ‘risk falling behind’ on visibility and rankings if their work remains behind paywall while US moves to open research, scholars warn

It is scandalous that wealthy publishers make academics provide what is, in effect, unlimited legal expenses insurance, says Andrew Tettenborn

Campaigners say academic publishers will have to ‘figure this out pretty darn fast’ as Biden sets 2025 deadline for switch to instant open access

The regulations can be ambiguous, but the masturbation paper furore is a result of supervisors’ and reviewers’ lack of vigilance, says Michelle Shipworth

In holdover from print-dominant era, top 330 academic science titles too often seen as banning or hindering published rebuttals of their articles

Time-honoured standards of professionalism appear to be unravelling. Authors should be entitled to demand better, says Harvey Graff

Analysis of more than 50,000 behavioural and brain sciences articles also suggests their results are less likely to be replicated by others

Sage says it is continuing to investigate article in which doctoral candidate chronicles how he ‘enjoyed’ provocative cartoon images of boys

In some countries, male researchers’ article output appears to have been more adversely affected, according to new study

‘Wanking is not a research method; it is just wanking,’ says professor, as doctoral candidate chronicles how he ‘enjoyed’ provocative cartoon images of boys

Without a fuller embrace of repositories, the transition with be slow, partial and siloed, says Kathleen Shearer

Global poll of nearly 10,000 researchers reveals continued influence of bibliometrics in determining reputation and institutional ties

California continues trailblazing push with major publishers but sees fundamental cost problem still unresolved

If authors are no longer required to justify their fundamental assumptions, where does that leave referees, asks Martyn Hammersley

Both journals and funders need to do more to support the gold route that authors want and open science needs, says Steven Inchcoombe

Letter urges Baroness Hale and Lord Reed to step back from Law Quarterly Review and Criminal Law Review until diversity improved

World’s biggest bibliographic database claims MetaDoor is ‘misappropriating’ its catalogue to drive it out of business

Academics rejected by university presses may turn to hybrid or self-publishers. But Harvey Graff’s experience suggests they should tread very carefully

Big publishers finding switch away from paywalls challenging, says European-led coalition

Lab-by-lab approach determining who gets credit and who doesn’t must be replaced by more comprehensive policies, researchers say

Female scholars grossly under-represented on editorial boards of public health and environmental science publications, says Cambridge-led study

Peer-reviewed open access entry aims to unite field burdened by outside political turmoil and internal disagreements over academic norms

Researchers need to be confident enough to lift the veil on the debate that is at the heart of scientific progress, says Rebecca Lawrence

High costs, opaque contracts and the difficulty of finding peer reviewers all point to the need for a divorce, says Robert Kaplan

The professionalism and collegiality with which editors used to respond to complaints has all but disappeared, says Harvey Graff 

Salim Abdool Karim welcomes increased transparency of research brought about by pandemic but says it has also brought its challenges

Nieces of nation’s incoming justice minister accused of faking research papers to help gain Ivy League admission

Universities seeking significant savings after Elsevier victory

Law experts call for broader effort to improve authors’ copyright interests

Scholars question whether open access platforms could step in to replace dominance of China National Knowledge Infrastructure

As a major publisher and information provider, Elsevier embraces its role in promoting diversity, say Ylann Schemm and Holly Falk-Krzesinski

The president of Seoul National University discusses the existential crisis facing higher education in South Korea

Study finds little ‘substantive’ change between 2002 and 2019 

Worldwide survey of scientists suggests almost two-thirds are now positive about their use

Academics call for rethink of latest Australian security intervention

In developing nations deemed too rich for fee waivers, subscription journals are the only publishing option, say three Brazilian scientists

New citation study overturns long-held belief that science is no laughing matter