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Academic Publishing News
@acadpubnews.bsky.social
1.1K followers 290 following 2.6K posts
News, views & research from and about the world of academic publishing. (🦋 by @bookseditorial.bsky.social)
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acadpubnews.bsky.social
This article on "non-traditional research outputs" brought to mind Homer Simpson's question about Duff's new ideas beyond Duff, Duff Lite and Duff Dry (substituting Academic Publishers for Duff) www.altmetric.com/blog/beyond-...
November 17, 2025 at 10:46 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
VitalSource issue "best practice" advice on Equitable Access for Textbook Publishers suggesting that "misaligned practices" (e.g. bypassing faculty) "create compliance risks and jeopardize the credibility of affordability models"
At VitalSource, we value your commitment to providing high-quality content to faculty and students. As we continue to expand Equitable Access (EA) programs, it is important to reinforce best practices for content adoption to ensure transparency, compliance, and trust across all stakeholders. Key Policy Reminder Publisher adoptions must be initiated directly by faculty. Neither VitalSource, Barnes & Noble, nor any other channel partner may substitute, override, or assume faculty decisions on course content. It is the publisher’s responsibility to work with faculty to secure adoptions. What This Means in Practice • Publishers cannot add or substitute content into EA programs without explicit faculty adoption. • EA programs are not an avenue for publishers to add incremental content, resulting in increased store fees, without faculty engagement. • For avoidance of doubt, all content decisions and changes – in both EA and IA programs – must begin with the faculty and follow established adoption processes. • Some schools have additional policies that publishers must follow. These policies may include but are not limited to: Dean / Curriculum-level approval on adoption changes; approval for mid-year adoption changes; adoption around optional materials. Why This Matters VitalSource is seeing growing scrutiny of EA programs by institutions, faculty, and students. Misaligned practices—such as bypassing faculty or suggesting content can be added without cost impact—create compliance risks and jeopardize the credibility of affordability models. Recently, institutions have taken decisive action against vendors for practices perceived as misleading, and we want to ensure our partnerships remain aligned with faculty trust and institutional expectations. Next Steps Please review your current adoption practices with your teams and confirm that your processes support faculty-led decision making. If you have questions about this guidance or need clarification on what is
October 10, 2025 at 6:13 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Behold! @stmassoc.bsky.social's new (and "living") classification of the various possible uses of AI, including GenAI, in the preparation of manuscripts scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/09/23/g...
Tabular classification of a range of defined AI-assisted activities for publishers of academic research to consider.
September 29, 2025 at 8:11 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
"the artwork conceptualises responsible AI through the metaphor of soaps engraved with key phrases ... It captures the everyday, social nature of the decisions that affect responsible AI in practice and the slipperiness of its language." sheffield.ac.uk/news/univers...
Constant Washing Machine by Blast Theory.
September 26, 2025 at 10:15 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
The Current State of Academic E-Book Business Models: Access Strategies and Budgeting Realities

A Research Report from @ithakasr.bsky.social

doi.org/10.18665/sr....
There are enormous disconnects between the library and publisher communities on academic monograph publishing. While the two have come together on a variety of important open access initiatives, beyond this there are very different conceptualizations of a shared reality. For example, while university presses and other academic book publishers are experiencing an enormous squeeze in the transition to digital production and distribution, libraries are concerned that digital distribution is resulting in acquisition models that are unsustainable or unreliable to manage. Many libraries procure e-book content through a mix of acquisition methods that meet their local demands for content, budgeting and staffing needs. Faculty and researcher demand remains paramount for institutions, and libraries remain committed to ensuring both perpetual access and preservation. The majority of librarian interviewees believe that evidence-based acquisition models provide an especially efficient way to allocate money. Several libraries reported that they have moved away from demand-driven acquisition models due to the significant maintenance required for libraries to engage with these programs. Traditional item selection as facilitated by subject liaisons, however, still accounts for a significant volume of monographic acquisitions at some institutions. Some libraries identified that a major challenge to acquiring e-monographs was the lack of experienced staff who understand how to navigate the complexities of acquisitions across publishers and aggregators. Standardization across publisher contracts and licenses would help streamline the acquisitions processes and reduce the amount of staff capacity required to facilitate acquisitions. A few librarians said that since e-books are being licensed so differently and under so many different models to present, they have defaulted to print. Libraries have not invested in talent development for monograph strategy to the same extent they have for journals under the banner of scholarly communication. Publishers and librarians see value in open monographs initiatives. Several publishers spoke about the importance of these initiatives, including Direct to Open, Fund to Mission, Opening the Future, Path to Open, and University Press Library Open, although at present they have not yet been able to scale to cover all academic book production. Librarians see real promise in these models to increase access to open scholarship, support small and university presses, acquire diverse content, open content to broader readership, and promote responsible financial models. Moving towards more open content is a strategic priority for some institutions. While libraries generally indicate that higher portions of their budgets are being spent on purchased content at present, several participate in one or more flip to open programs. As it remains difficult to acquire and to ascertain quality of open monographs outside of these programs, however, institutions are not always able to fulfil this strategic goal in practice. Consortia are viewed as increasingly critical by publishers in equalizing opportunities for readership and publication. Several publishers mentioned the importance of working with consortia, especially those that represent a range of institutions including community colleges, to ensure broad access to publications. Publishers are also pursuing closer collaborations with library consortia to implement read and publish-style agreements for monographs. Across our interviews, perspectives were mixed on whether authors place value on their e-monographs being openly available. While a number of interviewees say that increasing numbers of authors are prioritizing publishing open access and want to reduce barriers to readership, particularly to researchers located in other parts of the world, author opinions on open access are often field- or discipline-specific. Some believe that open access content is lower in quality. Introducing new models and advocating for adoption requires significant time investment on the part of publishers. Publishers reported that new business models require concerted and cyclical efforts to bring awareness and adoption to the library market. In addition, balancing financially sustainable operations while making e-books available to a wide range of libraries with variable staffing and budgetary configurations is difficult. New business models introduce new challenges—both pragmatic and ideological—for publishers and libraries. Over the course of this research, Clarivate announced that it was moving away from transactional sales and towards a bundled subscription model for e-book sales. It is clear that the business models for how books will be distributed going forward will have an enormous effect on the sustainability of scholarly publishers and their ability to continue producing monographs of the type that this report examines. Interviewees believe that generative AI will likely have a large, but as of yet unknown, impact on electronic monographs in the future. While interviewees did not speculate on what this impact would look like, there was a sense that it would be transformative and affect how readers engage with long-form electronic content.
September 9, 2025 at 1:00 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
"The University of Technology Sydney has suspended new enrolments for 146 courses across six faculties as it prepares for a controversial redundancy program to save $100 million." www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...
In short: The University of Technology Sydney says it needs to cut 400 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of the workforce, as part of a cost-cutting initiative to save $100 million. After ABC News revealed high levels of psychological distress among staff facing the axe, UTS rolled out advice to support their wellbeing. Staff say the health advice, which includes making time to wash delicates and brush their teeth, "de-legitimised" their concerns.
August 14, 2025 at 3:44 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Organised scientific fraud: "a booming industry" www.the-independent.com/news/science...
Observed and forecasted growth rate of paper mill papers found outpacing corrective measures (Richardson et al, PNAS)
August 11, 2025 at 9:32 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Elsevier midyear results:

Revenue: ↗️+3%
Profits: ↗️+4%

"driven by volume growth" with bets laid on "AI" enhanced content platform;

"Disposals and the reduction in profit contribution from print ... combined to reduce group adjusted operating profit by 2%"

www.relx.com/~/media/File...
Screenshot of page four of "RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS TO 30 JUNE 2025"
July 29, 2025 at 9:12 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Informa CEO Bets on AI to Accelerate Growth www.wsj.com/business/med...
Informa CEO Bets on AI to Accelerate Growth The events and academic-publishing group sees AI as a way to save time, make its services more appealing and generate more revenue from content in its archives Story by Najat Kantouar Informa has built an internal AI platform that it uses for tasks such as product creation, screening, event curation and marketing planning, CEO Stephen Carter said. Informa aims to accelerate its top-line growth in the coming years with help from artificial intelligence, its chief executive said. The U.K. events and academic-publishing group sees AI as a way to save time, make its marketing services more appealing to customers and generate more licensing revenue from content sitting in its archives. “AI will enable us to spend less time on tasks that can be accelerated and more time on work that can be more impactful and improve the differentiation of our products,” Chief Executive Stephen Carter said in an interview. The company, owner of the Cannes Lions advertising festival and Taylor & Francis academic publishing house, has built an internal AI platform that it uses for tasks such as product creation, screening, event curation and marketing planning, Carter said.
July 29, 2025 at 8:53 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Informa, owner of Taylor & Francis, release half year results. Is this a new brand/logo for T&F?

https://youtu.be/02_R8aiUAKw?si=wSUpFWENbsWeeHU5
Slide showing "continued strong demand for specialist knowledge" driving "underlying revenue growth of 3% to 4% which amounts to £329m in total for the first half of 2025 Slide showing taylor & francis as a "specialist academic research, advanced learning and open reseearch outfit.
July 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
The UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) has launched new guidance to help researchers navigate the research integrity challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI). ukrio.org/ukrio-resour...
Embracing AI with integrity supports researchers in using AI tools responsibly – whether for writing assistance, data analysis, prediction, or other research tasks. It responds to growing concerns about AI’s impact on research integrity and offers practical advice to help researchers uphold ethical standards and good research practice. Who it’s for This guidance is suited for researcher practitioners at all career stages and across disciplines, as well as research leaders, managers, and administrators. Key integrity risk areas The document offers insight and recommendations across five core areas: Breaching laws, regulations, and conditions Ethical considerations Protecting the research record Research dissemination Creativity and critical thinking Scope This document provides guidance informed by research integrity principles. It is not a substitute for legal advice, technical training in AI, or guidance on research misconduct procedures.
July 15, 2025 at 10:06 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Latest Journalology Newsletter covers Springer Nature's first AGM (since their 2024 IPO), in particular focusing on the "remuneration" report...

www.ir.springernature.com/media/docume...

ck.journalology.com/profile/home...
There’s a certain voyeuristic (masochistic?) pleasure in seeing how much the top executives earn from their team’s labours. However, in many ways the non-financial targets that the Springer Nature Management Board were set are of more general interest, because they give an insight into the priorities of the shareholders of a large publisher. For example, Harshavardhan Jegadeesan, the Chief Publishing Officer, was assessed on the following non-financial targets, in addition to the generic financial ones: • Full OA revenue growth and improved turnaround time (he achieved 90% of the target) • Market performance and usage of AI in publishing process (he achieved 150% of the target) • New Senior leaders successfully onboarded and publishing volumes increased in key regions (he achieved 66% of the target) Rachel Jacobs, the Group General Counsel, had the lowest performing achievement target of the Management Board. She was only awarded 50% for the target ’Representation goals and customer satisfaction’.
June 11, 2025 at 12:01 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Sure, but as their report (URL shared earlier) shows their registered office is in Berlin.

Anyway, here's to the last of the weekend!
CORPORATE INFORMATION Springer Nature is a leading global research, health and educational publisher, home to an array of respected and trusted brands providing quality content through a range of innovative products and services. Springer Nature is the world’s largest academic book publisher, publisher of the world’s most influential journals and a pioneer in the field of open research. Springer Nature is a listed partnership limited by shares, incorporated in Germany with its registered office in Berlin (registered address: Heidelberger Platz 3, 14197 Berlin, Germany). As a partnership limited by shares management and control are strictly separated. The corporate bodies of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA are the Supervisory Board, the general shareholders’ meeting and the general partner, Springer Nature Management Aktiengesellschaft (GP), Berlin.
June 8, 2025 at 8:30 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
"an ego-level contagion classifier"
Professor Drink off The Simpsons
June 2, 2025 at 7:56 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
vLex, the global legal intelligence platform, and Taylor & Francis, (the Informa division which owns Routledge) have agreed a partnership that will integrate legal books into their "AI-powered legal research assistant, Vincent" newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/vlex-partner...
Image of Vincent, a mythic, noble man-beast and star of "Beauty and the Beast" - an American fantasy drama television series thatran in the late 1980s
May 16, 2025 at 12:08 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
🎵Here come old Springer he been merging up slowly
He got Palgrave Macmillan he now Springer Nature
He got share price down YTD
Good news though for Holtzbrinck he just do what he please
Springer Nature! Right now...🎵

[apol to The Beatles and Journalology]

www.springernature.com/gp/advancing...
The primary purpose of the merger between Springer and Macmillan Science and Education was to generate a return for the shareholders. They have likely benefited handsomely, although the share price has recently taken a battering, falling 35% YTD (year-to-date) according to the Springer Nature investor’ webpage. By contrast, RELX (which includes Elsevier) has increased by +11% YTD and Wiley has increased by 2.3%. RELX and Wiley are more diversified businesses than Springer Nature, which perhaps explains the difference in performance. This is presumably bad news for BC Partners, a private equity firm that will look to divest its shares (on behalf of its investors) over time, but it could be good news for the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group if it wants to increase the percentage of stock it holds (it currently has 50.6% according to the Springer Nature website)
May 12, 2025 at 8:59 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Invasion of the ‘journal snatchers’: the firms that buy science publications and turn them rogue www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Still from the horror movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
April 28, 2025 at 12:49 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
The International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (@stmassoc.bsky.social) presents a classification of ways that AI can be used to assist with preparing academic manuscripts. s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/stm.offloadm...
The International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (STM) recommendations for a Classification of AI Use in Academic Manuscript Preparation
April 28, 2025 at 12:46 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Pleiades Publishing and Springer Nature, having extended their publishing partnership five years ago, are now in a legal dispute regarding alleged "wrongful tactics that have come to light"

pacer-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/119/638425/1...
Springer Nature's plan amounts to a fraudulent "bait-and-switch" that is precluded by New York law and the parties' agreements. Yet, when confronted, Springer Nature refused to agree to truthfully describe to customers the scope of content that will and will not be included in its offerings after December 31, 2026. Springer Nature's plan to defraud Pleiades' customers is only one of Springer Nature's wrongful tactics that have come to light. Pleiades has learned that Springer Nature is planning to use its long-term contract negotiations with libraries and universities to misappropriate the value of Pleiades' journals after the parties' separation through several tactics, including the following: (a) Springer Nature intends to prematurely engage in unilateral customer negotiations with respect to contracts for the period after the parties' separation date; the parties' contracts preclude all parties from engaging in unilateral customer negotiations for this period until January 1, 2026. (b) Springer Nature is planning to employ pricing in its contracts that artificially shifts the value of Pleiades' journals to Springer Nature's products and offerings, creating the perception that Pleiades' journals are less valuable, while failing to take steps required of Springer Nature to promote and preserve the value of Pleiades' journals. (c) Springer Nature is structuring new customer contracts to restrict or eliminate the customers' ability to obtain a partial refund once they learn that Pleiades' journals will no longer be accessible on Springer Nature's platform—the information that Springer Nature is now hiding from them.
April 14, 2025 at 1:37 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
"Of course, software can be universally reviled and still marketed as useful and necessary. (The learning management system, for example.)" @audreywatters.bsky.social 2ndbreakfast.audreywatters.com/who-cares-to...
Image of Microsoft's "Office Assistant" (AKA "Clippy") offering to "help". The title of the image is "Clippy as Pedagogical Agent"
April 7, 2025 at 12:43 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
March 20, 2025 at 8:33 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
every week there's an "AI tool"
Or a "transformation".
Or a "gamechanger"

[HT: @researchinfo.bsky.social;
@chrishavergal.bsky.social]

www.researchinformation.info/news/elsevie...

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ai-tool...
Screenshot of Homer, Lisa and Bart Simpson watching "Night Boat" on TV and snarking about its predictable nature.
March 12, 2025 at 7:25 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
RELX (owner of Elsevier) slide deck for investors following the release of their latest financial results www.relx.com/~/media/File...
Slide titled "Delivering Insights and Analysis to Customers" Slide titled "We help validate, improve and disseminate science" Slide titled "Strong article volume growth" Slide titled "Leader in quality"
February 24, 2025 at 10:51 AM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
RELX annual report shows flat bottom line for Elsevier but "underlying growth" of 4% driven by volume growth while 90% revenue from digital (pdf) https://www.relx.com/~/media/Files/R/RELX-Group/documents/press-releases/2025/results-2024-pressrelease.pdf
February 13, 2025 at 9:56 PM
acadpubnews.bsky.social
Executive Orders from the new far right political leadership in America, an evolving tracker for non-profit organizations: www.councilofnonprofits.org/files/media/...
Table of Contents: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Federal Government Immigration LGBTQ+ Environment Census and Community Engagement Other
February 3, 2025 at 7:54 PM