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February/March 2021 Issue 112 Preprints, peer New dawn for Call for CISPC 2020 review and a publishing in equitable report and pandemic Russia open access reflections

In a pickle? The growing importance of digital preservation

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Leader: Tim Gillett Research Reasons to be information cheerful? l February/March 2021 Issue 112

Peer review, preprints and a pandemic 4 Rebecca Pool asks: will coronavirus leave preprints and peer review inextricably entwined?

Finest preserve 10 A trio of writers investigate the growing importance of digital A new year has rolled around, and preservation there’s no doubt that many of us wish that it brings fresh opportunities, CISPC 2020 delivers real-world interaction 14 hope for the future and, of course, There was high praise for the fourth iteration of the annual event – rapid progress away from what has this time held in an entirely digital format been, for many, a fairly ghastly 12 months. New dawn for Russia? 18 Covid-19, and all that the pandemic The Russian Federation has declared 2021 as a year of Science has entailed, has had a drastic impact and Technology – which predicts an increase in the sphere of on the scholarly communications scientific publications, writes Julia Peregudova industry – no more so than in terms of its annual events programme. Open access needs to be equitable 20 First the cancellation of a plethora of conferences and exhibitions around There is no easy answer, but some routes through the maze are the globe in 2020, before organisers becoming visible, writes Tasha Mellins-Cohen pivoted to ‘virtual’ get-togethers and a new world of Zoom presentations, APE shines under new management 22 discussion panels with participants Annual event a success as it moves to the virtual world strewn across the world, and the ever- present danger of ‘photobombing’ Live in London (and everywhere)! 23 partners, children and pets. Organisers of Researcher to Reader event planning ‘live and Our very own event CISPC 2020 continuous’ conference this year was no exception, and for those unable to attend the event we are News 24 carrying a four-page report – along A menagerie of missives from around the scholarly with a short review of APE 2021 communications industry (held in mid-January) and a preview of February’s Researcher to Reader Suppliers directory 29 event to be held in London and online. We are delighted to associate ourselves with these two top-notch conferences. We also have features on peer review, digital preservation, the need for equity in open access publishing – and a report from Russia, where scholars and publishers are hoping

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Peer review, preprints and a pandemic Even before the Covid-19 pandemic preprint servers, research clangers Rebecca Pool asks: struck, staff at MIT Press were noticing emerged and withdrawals, retractions will coronavirus a problem with preprint servers. Over and expressions of concern followed. For time, more and more preprints were being example, in late January 2020 a bioRXiv leave preprints published and drifting into mainstream preprint from a group of researchers and peer review media, even government, in ways from the India Institute of Technology that weren’t always helpful and were reported HIV insertions in the spike of inextricably sometimes even misleading. Sars-CoV-2 that were not present in past Then came coronavirus. As Nick coronaviruses. The researchers also entwined? Lindsay, director of journals and open speculated these had been placed in the access at MIT Press, puts it: ‘These issues virus intentionally. Then around a week were exacerbated as the sheer volume later, a ResearchGate preprint from a of research we were seeing on bioRxiv, researcher at the South China University medRxiv and other preprint servers was of Technology and colleague, proposed immense. Literally thousands of preprints that coronavirus ‘probably originated from were going out there with no review, and a laboratory’. we started to see some really troubling In each case, the papers were re-drawn things take place.’ following outrage from the research Amid the torrent of data released onto community. The Chinese government

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and World Health Organization have since “A ResearchGate students, selects potential Covid-19 condemned such reports, but these now preprint… proposed preprints for review, from preprint servers infamous publications undoubtedly fuelled such as medRxiv, bioRxiv, SSRN, with help the already widely-circulating coronavirus that coronavirus from Covid Scholar. This text-mining tool conspiracy theories at the time. Herein lies ‘probably originated was developed by Berkeley Lab materials the problem with preprints. scientists to help researchers wade ‘With such examples in mind, myself from a laboratory’” through mountains of Covid-19 literature. and Amy Brand [MIT Press director] The chosen preprints are then sent put our heads together and asked, how to RR:C19’s pool of reviewers, who will can we help here?’ says Lindsay. ‘As we Stefano Bertozzi at the University of answer key questions such as is this talked, it became clear that this was a California Berkeley, quickly followed. preprint reliable and trustworthy, should big opportunity to have a positive effect Described as an ‘open-access overlay it be taken seriously, how might it be used on the public understanding and trust journal’, the publication aims to accelerate to further our knowledge in fighting the in science, and also offer a service to the peer review of Covid-19-related pandemic? mainstream media, researchers, scholars research preprints to advance findings Lindsay says, this isn’t traditional peer and clinicians that needed a preprint and prevent the dissemination of false or review. RR:C19 is trying to balance the verification that wasn’t yet happening.’ misleading news. need for rigour with rapid response, and as Rapid Reviews: Covid-19 (RR:C19), To speed up the process, the editorial such, preprints should be published, with headed up by public health Professor team, including an army of graduate two finished reviews, within two weeks. g

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g ‘Since we launched RR:C19, we’ve seen until the paper is published elsewhere, that the preprint servers link [preprints] so unfavourable review will not influence back to our reviews - so they clearly see a eventual publication. Weigel anticipates need for review,’ highlights Lindsay. ‘And that within the next ‘two years or so’, a publications such as The New York Times public preprint review will become the are also picking up our reviews and using default. And in line with RR:C19’s New York them as evidence.’ Times experience, he adds: ‘By allowing For Lindsay and many in scholarly Songquan Deng_8/Shutterstock.com reviews to be attached to your preprint, publishing, this wider understanding of the you can show a journalist that your work preprint is critical. As he puts it: ‘Faculty has been reviewed and there’s a higher understand the difference between a chance that the world will take notice.’ preprint and a published article, but for In the meantime, eLife has been plenty of others it’s difficult to understand instructing its editors and reviewers to what the difference actually is. write reviews for a public audience. ‘We’ve ‘We need to engage in efforts to been working very hard on our reviews – ensure people understand that there is a reviews for the public need to be written profound difference between the preprint in a different way than those for just the and published article.’ author,’ says Weigel. ‘New guidelines for Nic Marsh, senior researcher at The review start with an evaluation summary... Peace Research Institute Oslo (Prio), Massachusetts Institute of Technology these are going to be so much easier for agrees. Since the onset of the pandemic, someone from outside of research to Marsh has also noted how more and more understand.’ preprints are being used more broadly “We need to… Weigel also reckons preprint review will than ever before. ‘The public doesn’t ensure people be significantly faster than traditional peer always know the difference between a review – and he is certain review quality peer-reviewed journal and a predatory understand there is will not suffer. ‘We have a large cadre of journal, or even a preprint server – if it a profound senior editors who are committed, as well looks like academic research then it can as amazing staff... not all journals have be really difficult for someone to spot difference between this luxury, which is why we can afford what’s high-quality and what isn’t,’ he says. the preprint and to be bolder,’ he says. ‘Initially we will However, he points out that pandemic- need to work with reviewers to do things related preprints have been more widely published article” differently, but once other journals see this used to further research: ‘I’ve seen some works well, habits are going to change.’ really significant findings first published With ‘publish then review’ in place, as a preprint and quite senior researchers continue to hold importance for many Weigel and eLife colleagues hope to using this a route to publication. It years to come. But for now, will the likes of eventually create a system of curation is important to note that research RR:C19 and similar endeavours such as around preprints that replaces journal not published in academic journals the rapid review of Covid-19 Registered titles as the primary indicator of perceived is commonly reviewed by peers for Report submissions by PeerJ, PLOS research quality. publications – and such non-anonymous Biology and other journals, help to deliver ‘Of course we believe in peer review reviews can be very useful. the current need for speed? and for a while we hope our [publish then Professor Detlef Weigel, director of the review] model will co-exist with traditional Understanding change Max Planck Institute for Developmental peer review,’ says Weigel. ‘But in 20 years I Researchers at Prio seek to understand Biology and eLife deputy editor, thinks so. believe this will all move to the publish then the processes that bring societies Late last year, eLife announced that review and curating model,’ he adds. ‘It’s together or split them apart, and in recent come July it will only review manuscripts down to culture change. A new generation months Marsh has been investigating already published as preprints, and will of scientists, students and postdoctoral peer review and the societal impact of focus its editorial process on producing researchers are getting used to putting different forms of Covid-19 research public reviews to be posted alongside the their research onto preprint servers.’ publications. His study, based on a preprints. The open access publisher’s That change aside, who will pay for Covid-19 Reddit forum comprising some new ‘publish, then review’ model follows these emerging models of preprint 300,000 members, indicates that preprints in-house analysis that indicated around review? While MIT Press’s Lindsay is and other non-peer-reviewed publications, 70 per cent of papers under review were keen to extend preprint review to other such as press releases, are widely read already available as preprints. fields, primarily climate change, he does and are now challenging peer-reviewed As Weigel says: ‘I wouldn’t say our move wonder where future funds will come from. publications as a means of disseminating to this model is tied to the pandemic, but ‘The Patrick J McGovern Foundation has research. certainly the vast volumes of Covid-19 been incredibly generous but we are still ‘With the pandemic there’s a clear papers appearing on [preprint servers] working on a sustainable business model need to get information out as quickly have pushed us towards this.’ that will allow us to keep Rapid Reviews as possible,’ he says. ‘This underlines eLife is phasing in public review, with going,’ he says. that even though many publishers have authors currently retaining a degree of And eLife finds itself in a similar accelerated the publication process, it’s control over when the review is published. predicament – the publisher is a not-for- still perhaps too slow for a pandemic.’ If editors decide a paper is not appropriate profit business but has expenses. Clearly ongoing debate on the role of for the journal, they will allow authors to ‘How to make money out of all of this peer review in the research lifecycle will postpone the posting of the public review really is the elephant in the room,’ says g

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For a free trial, or more information, visit www.ebsco.com/mathscinet Contact your local EBSCO office: https://www.ebsco.com/offices Sponsored content Product Spotlight under peer review at the journal. And undoubtedly like many, Gillett is also watching eLife’s latest ‘publish, then review’ model with interest. ‘It is possible that the nature of peer review will change over the next couple of years, as we find new ways for preprint platforms and journals to complement each other, but it’s really important that research undergoes some form of peer review,’ he says. ‘Whether it’s a preprint or accepted manuscript, researchers ultimately need BIOSIS Previews – The to have a trusted method of quality World’s Premier Life assurance, and this is something that we, Sciences Research g as publishers, can deliver.’ Database Weigel. ‘Funders and libraries might So, in the time of Covid-19, what next say, “these organisations are producing for peer review? Trust was the theme of Produced by the Web of Science Group, a something valuable and we, as a Peer Review Week 2020, which, for Lou Clarivate company, BIOSIS Previews® is an community, are willing to pay for it” but it’s Peck – its steering committee co-chair expansive index to life sciences and biomedical research from journals, books and patents. It a big hurdle.’ from scholarly communications specialist covers pre-clinical and experimental research, consultancy The International Bunch – will methods and instrumentation, animal studies Tradition and transparency remain as important as ever. ‘The peer and more. Still, for many in the world of peer review, review process is built on trust,’ she says. Comprehensive Coverage tradition largely remains. 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For keeps: finest studio/Shutterstock.com Yeti preserve Here are three slices of the digital preservation pie. Doing nothing is not an option

Keeping up with digital preservation Deciding to do nothing about preservation could be a disaster, says Paul Stokes

Introducing digital preservation to an undertaking routine maintenance that “Luckily, physical organisation is not a task for the faint- required power to the building to be cut documents and hearted. and switched to a backup system, which There’s data to be found, people to failed. The backup to the backup (big objects still existed convince, policies to be written… and batteries) came online and lasted about 40 – but it all had to be that’s before a single system has been minutes, which wasn’t long enough. More procured or a single byte preserved. than 70 terabytes of data was lost. digitised again” However, there is no time like the present Luckily, physical documents and objects and this is the ideal time to make a start. still existed – but it all had to be digitised Delaying is not really an option because again. But when the project finished, the of the alarming hike in the amount of data archaeologists discovered, to their horror, that is being created. According to the Rescuing the bronze age in York that their irreplaceable data was running World Economic Forum, an astonishing Failing to adapt to rapid change of on obsolete technology using outmoded 90 per cent of the world’s data has been systems and technology is another software and file formats. Some of their generated in the last two years alone. risk to consider when preserving magnetic media was also corrupted. It says that 2.5 quintillion bytes of data data – something that York University Luckily, a team of specialists managed to are produced by humans every day and understands only too well. retrieve most of it. 463 exabytes of data will be generated It’s often put about (in archaeological Getting started with preservation can be each day by humans by 2025 – that’s the circles at least) that archaeologists a daunting thing but to ensure access to equivalent of 212,765,957 DVDs per day! destroy their primary evidence as they digital materials is maintained in the long discover and catalogue it. There’s no run, it’s important to ensure all systems Sometimes a backup is not enough going back for a second bite of the cherry. are equipped to keep up with technology Failure to preserve data properly can After archaeologists had finished work and organisational change. pose a significant reputational risk and on almost 180 sites in north-east London, One means of automatically keeping could result in the loss of unique and all that remained were the archives stored systems aligned and ‘speaking to each irretrievable knowledge, as the server in vaults of local museums. Those archives other’ is to use clever tools, such as Jisc’s crash in 2016 at the Memorial University in included data from many unpublished Preservation. This tool automatically Canada shows. excavations, with very impressive Bronze reformats files, so they are readable with In July that year, staff at the Queen Age material discovered on the banks of new and yet-to-be-invented software. Elizabeth II library at the university were the River Thames. Once in the Preservation system, the

10 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info Feature

files are automatically ‘recognised’ and most common cause of data loss is user So what to do now? processed according to pre-set rules into mistakes (at least it was in 2003, 2009 and Preservation is about identifying and an appropriate format that is as future- 2015). managing risk. There are several questions proof as possible. It is not uncommon that users will to answer to help: has a data asset survey unintentionally move files or delete been completed? Who is generating data Nothing human is alien content inadvertently. and who uses it? Where is it stored, and However, no matter how cleverly Strict user policies that separate what is it worth? Finally, put policies in technology is deployed, there’s no ‘archives directories’ from ‘working place to manage the preservation process. absolute defence against human error, directories’ where users can still edit and which remains one of the major risks to actively work with content, can protect Paul Stokes is senior co-design digital content. After hardware failure, the against this risk. manager at Jisc

Why digital preservation has become more important in the time of Covid-19 A crisis requires rapid decision-making. Keeping a record of them is crucial now more than ever, says William Kilbride

Digital preservation is not going to this process is well documented and with better digital skills. Technological do itself and it’s not going to go away, authenticated as its produced, because solutions have developed faster than especially in light of the global pandemic. the last thing we need is anti-vaxxers the skills and policy development in We need to act quickly to make sure that disrupting the implementation of a cure. the community. I believe that we need digital materials will be available for the Preserving this research information to prioritise the human element. Once long term. can then be subject to the most robust we have that in place it will reveal the When the UK went into lockdown, scientific scrutiny, because there’s going weaknesses of the technology and everyone pivoted to digital in the space to be all sorts of people who will try and opportunities within the data that we are of two weeks. Teaching, learning and find fault with it. Dependable, reliable, not currently fully exploiting. research are now taking place online authentic data is essential to demonstrate and informal collaboration and video that the creation of a vaccine isn’t a hoax. Best practice by design conference tools such as Zoom, Another element that needs addressing WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams have Preservation needs continuous is how we keep records. Preservation is become the platforms where key, history- assessment a global ubiquitous challenge. Instead of making decisions take place. What the global search for a vaccine trying to solve the question of obsolesce This raises the question: how do we also demonstrates is that the volume, at the end of a data lifecycle, we should be preserve these more informal platforms, complexity and importance of data is looking to move preservation upstream. and are we keeping record of these growing. For instance, when we look back It would be much better to build in historic materials in times of crisis? on the history of the webpage, we see that preservation at the point of creation, or web archiving has evolved tremendously. when it comes out of the machine. Rapid decisions In the 90s, HTML code was embedded to We are currently talking to archivists The pandemic has prompted companies, write and design pages. and librarians, but we will need to engage universities, local authorities, non- Preserving this data involved making a the people upstream who design and departmental public bodies and quangos copy of the code and storing it somewhere imagine digital infrastructures to integrate to make decisions rapidly, affecting the safe. Since then the internet has evolved preservation at the outset. Software and health, income and wellbeing of billions of into a complex entity with all sorts of healthcare organisations will need to talk people around the world. personalisation and audio and video files. to IT companies to solve this design flaw, Think of the hourly WhatsApp messages and take responsibility for their data in a from Downing Street and what they mean Skills will drive innovation different way. in terms of a process of decision-making. The sector is in great need of researchers We see companies and institutions It all has to be accountable, as it is subject spending more time looking at the to the Public Records Act. depreciation of their furniture than the “The technology we value of their data. If data is a valuable Routes out of lockdown now need to capture commodity, we ought to include it on Digital preservation will also play a key role the balance sheet and get the auditors in shaping a route out of the current health and preserve web to assess it. Data has become incredibly crisis. To get out of the pandemic we content has changed valuable but it only appears on balance need a vaccine that works and is trusted. sheets as a liability – not an asset. The research into a vaccine needs to be and is changing as reproducible quickly with lots of eyes on it. technology evolves” William Kilbride is chair of the In this post-truth era, it is crucial that Digital Preservation Coalition g

www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo February/March 2021 Research Information 11 Feature

Applying international standards to special collections Two librarians from the National Library of Scotland share their experiences with Faye Holst

Reaching people via the internet has revolutionised everything we do, from ordering a takeaway to spreading news and views to worldwide audiences. Previously, the first port of call in the search for specialist knowledge was a f11photo/Shutterstock.com library. Now, with the internet, knowledge is increasingly democratic and open. However, in an era of increasing expectations and decreasing budgets, disclosing and disseminating knowledge online in a cost-effective way has become a daily challenge for many librarians. As Gill Hamilton, digital access manager at the National Library of Scotland, says: ‘People often want our content, which is great, but it takes us weeks and weeks to bring together and collect the content. While we’d like to participate in projects The National Library of Scotland that make our collections more visible, it can be a real challenge to make it happen.’ Most collections need reformatting and ‘When we brought our in-house ‘We have a digitisation selection aligned with widely recognised standards standards in line with international schedule, which factors in the library’s that ensure collections are compatible standards last year, we did so for digital priorities, and we always look to highlight with other institutions’ content banks and scholarship purposes, so that researchers diverse audiences, or materials that are digital infrastructure. could use our data in machine learning and particularly focused on Scottish subjects. ‘There is a myriad of different digitisation data mining exercises. We never thought But, ultimately, the amount of material we programs, and the standards for storing that internationalisation of our content can make available through initiatives such would enable us to join international as the community collections programme “Disseminating programmes,’ Ames says. is very small, which is always really Hamilton adds: ‘We’re always interested frustrating,’ continues Ames. knowledge online in in extending the reach of our collections, A 2012 survey conducted by Research a cost-effective way because people don’t necessarily come Libraries UK, showed that ‘hidden’ to the National Library of Scotland to find collections remain an immense problem for has become a daily things. But by putting our content on a UK libraries. The survey found that 18.5 per challenge” major platform like JSTOR, which is used by cent of materials are uncatalogued. many researchers and academics, will really Gaining maximum exposure is import, help make our collection more visible.’ says Ames: ‘We want our collections to be digital collections are all over the place The National Library of Scotland has featured on as many platforms as possible. at the moment,’ says Sarah Ames, digital uploaded six collections on the JSTOR Each platform has different audiences and scholarship librarian at library. platform. The Encyclopaedia Britannica there’s no point having collections if people To help university libraries expose (1768-1860), papers from the Edinburgh can’t access them and can’t use them.’ their collections to larger audiences, Jisc Ladies’ Debating Society, A Medical The work undertaken by the National has partnered with global research and History of British India, Scottish school Library of Scotland highlights a change, teaching platform, JSTOR, which provides exam papers 1888-1963, materials from concludes Hamilton: ‘Our old strategy was access to more than 12 million academic geographical dictionary the Gazetteers of all about making more content available journal articles, books and primary Scotland, and editions of The Spiritualist digitally. We are working towards making sources in 75 disciplines. newspaper. one third of all our content digitally available The partnership gives UK higher The choice to include these collections by 2025, the library’s centenary. Our new education institutions (HEIs) the in the Open Community Collections strategy is all about ‘good reaching people’. opportunity to add their digitised content was a practical one, explains Ames: ‘With that in mind, we’re now looking to to JSTOR’s Open Community Collections ‘Unfortunately, what we make available make our collections available for platforms programme, which enables libraries, openly often comes down to practicalities. such as Wikipedia. It’s great to reach museums and cultural organisations Copyright assessment is massively time- millions of researchers through JSTOR, but anywhere to reach a global audience of consuming and we had already done that if we are to reach the rest of the world, we academic teachers and students. for these collections. need those sorts of platforms, too.’

12 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info Have an opinion? Now you can share it with the Viewpoints Research Information community available online

The Modern Language Skills need an upgrade as Springer Nature Education Association Releases digital techniques take hold Podcast Series ‘Literary Topics’ Royal Society of Chemistry Springer Nature EBSCO, MLA By Richard Kidd, Head of Chemistry Author Insights: The Future of Data at the Royal Society of Education with Professor Rupert The Modern Language Association Chemistry Maclean (MLA) is pleased to announce the release of “Literary Topics,” the Our understanding of the universe Education and schooling is always a hot fifth subject-area module for use in and scientific research are inexorably topic, but particularly at the current time conjunction with our free teaching linked, of that there is no debate. As we during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resource Understanding the MLA improve our knowledge in one area, the has had a profound impact on the ways International Bibliography: A Free Online other inevitably benefits. in which education and schooling is Course delivered to learners.

Best practice for effective Indexed by Experts, MLA The role of health care searching for literature International Bibliography is professionals in a changing reviews a Global Collaboration sector EBSCO, IFIS Publishing EBSCO, Modern Language Springer Nature Association In a webinar with Research Information, The health care sector is undergoing a given in November 2019, Rhianna The MLA International Bibliography is significant change, moving away from Gamble and Carol Hollier of IFIS known around the world for the quality a system of caring for the sick to early presented on the topic of literature of its indexing. Mary Onorato, Director intervention, prevention and supporting reviews in food science of Bibliographic Information Services of wellbeing. and Publisher, MLA International Bibliography, shares the secrets of its success

The Importance Using the MLA International Latest trends in AI of MathSciNet to Bibliography to Guide the and robotics Mathematicians Research Process Springer Nature EBSCO, Mathematical EBSCO Artificial Intelligence has long entered Reviews, MathsSciNet our workplace and home. It is used in In a recent webinar presented by robotics, where collaborative robots Leading subject indexes provide critical Research Information, Angela Ecklund deliver parts and perform repetitive or information to academic researchers, and Farrah Lehman Den of the Modern even dangerous tasks. enabling them to conduct a thorough Language Association (MLA) shared review of literature with speed and an overview of the free online teaching efficiency. tools developed for use with the MLA International Bibliography. Claire Buck, Professor of English at Wheaton College, also described how she integrates the Bibliography into the curriculum to engage students in the research process.

Research information www.researchinformation.info/viewpoint Feature 2020

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR OPEN RESEARCH emojoez/Shutterstock.com Virtual event delivers real- world interaction There was high praise for the fourth iteration of CISPC – this year held in an entirely digital format

More than 120 delegates from an array of institutions and countries around the world joined the organisers of CISPC for the first virtual version of the event. Despite the pandemic – and a busy industry calendar in terms of the number of events on offer in late autumn – CISPC attracted not only a pleasing array of delegates but also an intriguing, international set of presentations and lightning talks, a series of virtual workshops, and a rousing panel discussion to round off proceedings.

The speakers were: • Rachel Bruce, head of open science, UKRI; • Martin Jagerhorn, FAIR Funder Workflow; • Tom Jakobs, National Research Fund Luxembourg; • Michelle Urberg, Maverick Publishing; • Liz Bal, director of open research services, Jisc; • Phil Gooch, Scholarly; • Steve Carlton, University of Manchester; • Anita Schjøll Brede, Iris.ai; • Alenka Prinçiç and Frederique Belliard, Technical University of Delft; • Ian Bruno, Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre; • Danielle Apfelbaum, Farmingdale State ’Of course there were a few teething College, New York; and problems at the outset, but by the time the first All hail the sponsors! • Barbie Keiser, president at Barbie Keiser Inc. presentation started we were into the swing of things, and delegates quickly worked out their CISPC is reliant on sponsorship in order to remain viable, and the organisers were The event as held over two days, with short, way around the online system, ReAttendance. delighted to have attracted support from snappy 20-minute sessions that ran pretty- ‘Our speakers were able to replicate the no less than seven industry organisations much like clockwork thanks to the team at feeling of a live, in-person presentation, with representing different areas of scholarly partner organisation Info International. the opportunity for questions-and-answer communications. The sponsors for CISPC 2020 were: Host Tim Gillett said: ‘Naturally, having sessions at the end of each morning and ISSN, Royal Society of Chemistry; Clarivate never organised a digital event before, we afternoon. Analytics, Digital Science, MyScienceWork, were somewhat nervous about how the event ‘Of course, it also gave our delegates the EBSCO and the Company of Biologists. would pan out. In fact, it worked an absolute chance to dip in and out of sessions, press Our media partner was the European treat and Imagine we will consider delivering the pause button, and watch sessions at their Database of Libraries, and CISPC 2020 was organised in partnership with Info at least part of any future CISPC events leisure if they were not able to catch them live. International. Many thanks to them all! digitally. All in all we were delighted with how it went.’

14 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info Feature

Open to discussion After two days of CISPC 2020, the event closed with a panel talk rounding up the main themes. Here are some of the questions posed by moderator Tasha Mellins-Cohen – and a selection of the panellists’ comments

How would you like to see scholarly communications bodies work together to create an ecosystem that works for everybody?

Alenka Prinçiç: This is a really complex question, and it will take time. Looking at the funding situation in the EU, with the funds that are available there are geographical limitations to openness, which is actually contradictory to what we are trying to achieve. We are missing chances to increase collaboration – how can we engage Asia, Africa, and bridge the gap to emerging countries? Citizen science is certainly something that can help to bridge the gap, but we need to practice what we preach a little more in terms of inclusivity. However, I believe that the younger generation are already there in many ways, and we just need to support them in that.

Rachel Bruce: We have as set of aligned policies emerging quite strongly in the global There was high praise from delegates sessions on technology and artificial north, but perhaps they don’t really fit in as well. intelligence, describing them as ‘inspiring’; with other environments. We commissioned One wrote: ‘Just to say that it was the first while another described CISPC overall as a research into developing countries to enable time I’d attended this event – really enjoyed it ‘beautiful and inspirational event’. High praise us to develop our policies an d perspectives, and would attend again. The programme was indeed, and the organisers were delighted at and it was fascinating to look at the results great, the sessions were just the right length the number of delegates who attended CISPC of that. You are to a certain extent limited and (once I’d figured out the platform) online 2020 after having signed up to the event in in terms of levers, but perhaps certain delivery worked.’ previous years. conditions around policies should be less Another said: ‘Don’t change anything! There were, in particular, many compliments stringent or more open. We need to look at I applaud the successful use of the virtual for workshop sessions on ‘Libraries in a different solutions around the world, such platform. It worked really well, especially Covid World’ on the Monday afternoon, and a as the Diamond OA model in South America, considering it was likely the first time most of closing panel discussion on Tuesday (report and learn from them. But developing policies us have organised or attended a conference opposite), for which moderators Helen that apply around the world, and taken into in this way.’ Clare and Tasha Mellins-Cohen deserve the account different situations around the One delegate was full of praise for the highest praise. world, is a very complex matter! g

www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo February/March 2021 Research Information 15 Feature

“We need to look at different solutions around the world, such as the Diamond OA model in South America, and learn from them”

g Barbie Keiser: Merely paying lip service Ian Bruno: Think about this across the whole and researchers need to work to those to the Global South isn’t going to work. research cycle, I’ll make three points. As standards. If we were to include local institutions, the start, when data starts to be generated, researchers, and particularly local publishers systems need to put in place to ensure How would you go about dealing with at the start of the conversation, we would that the right things are being captured at the recent explosion in different types have a much better product in the end. the time they are generated. We need to of content and bringing all the different make it easy for that to happen. It’s also aspects of research back together? We’ve heard a lot over the last couple of getting researchers to think about when days about FAIR data, open data, and there they have data, that should deposit it Phil Gooch: In some ways we are doing it have been frequent acknowledgements that somewhere and perhaps publish it, even if in reverse, by taking an entire article and researchers need to understand whether it’s under embargo. There’s an interesting deconstructing it. There are some new the data is trustworthy or useful. How role, at the point at which something is platforms that encourage people to write would you like to see open methodologies going to go public, about enforcing editorial in a more modular way, such as publishing embraced within your fields? standards – publishers need to be explicit the methods section as an object, writing a literature review separately. The challenge is getting authors to think that way; you don’t write papers in the order that it appears at Reigning cats and dogs the end. In humanities the research output is the scholarship, so it’s hard to split something like that into different chunks that you can write and publish separately. But from a technology angle its very interesting and there is a lot of value in making different parts of research available individually.

Michelle Urberg: If we could decouple our dataset from our writing, that would be fabulous. Phil’s right, the writing is the object; the book is still the hallmark in terms of humanities publishing, but there is a lot of work behind the scenes and none of that is valued. If credit could be given to that work, and it could be organised in a way that makes whatever you are studying more accessible, I am all for that. Let’s start the revolution!

Danielle Apfelbaum: You need to bring a community with you when implementing an OA policy or trying to change the research cycle, it’s just a question of figuring out what that incentive should be. What speaks A chief consequence of public announcement cat Trixie slinked onto her to people, what brings them along – it’s the pandemic on industry during a presentation desk, while just seconds definitely not the same in every community. events has been the move from a university in the later fellow moderator to online conferencing, and Netherlands – and a pet Kirsty Merrett’s German Martin Jagerhorn: We have to look at things all the associated issues it invasion that nearly brought Shepherd Dog Chachi in context. We shouldn’t be trying to drive throws up. chaos to the end of day one followed suit and barged CISPC 2020 was no during a workshop feedback her way into shot – causing things from the top-down, there are a lot of different, with a couple of session. hilarity among the rest of forces in place: the publishers want to retain small technical hiccups At the precise moment the panel: Tasha Mellins- their revenue and have a sustainable way that passed off without conference host Tim Gillett Cohen, Ian Bruno, Faye Holst forward, not every country wants to go along any long-lasting trauma, a uttered the words: ’That and Lou Peck. with Plan S – a fact that we cannot neglect. presenter’s child walking brings us to the end of the ‘They know it’s time to go,’ From a technical point of view we are trying past her computer while first day,’ Helen Clare’s quipped Kirsty. ‘They are to see that if we want to reduce unnecessary playing a recorder, a loud seven-year-old tortoiseshell saying goodbye – hurray!’ costs and the friction that we have in the

16 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info Introducing Jamboard!

whole system, then we quickly get into technical areas like PIDs, and establishing where possible standards that work across the industry – things that are essential but unfortunately are still some way away.

Has Covid changed your strategic planning?

Ian Bruno: A lot of the market that we serve is the pharma sector, which is exactly who you turn to in a pandemic, so in terms of that Organisers, delegates, decks were uploaded via other messages relating to there is still a lot of value in our services. presenters and moderators the StreamYard app, the suggestions made by their We are being cautious because we are still at CISPC had to get their workshop breakout rooms group members, which were heads around an impressive were delivered using Zoom then passed digitally to the not sure the longer-term economic impact; array of technology in order – and the note-taking for the session organiser Helen of course we perceive that there will be to make the event a success discussions was completed Clare. Helen was then easily some vulnerability in academic circles. We’ll – none more so than during on a piece of technology able to group comments, do what we can to make sure people have the workshop sessions called Jamboard. suggestions and questions access to the data that they need. on the Monday afternoon, Essentially a collaborative by theme – and provide an entitled ‘Librarian Strategies clipboard that can be informed feedback session Alenka Prinçiç: We launched a new roadmap in a Covid World’. shared between a number for delegates. and an open science programme in 2019/20. The session was delivered of operators, Jamboard The moderators agreed In terms of what we want to achieve over the through the ReAttendance allowed the CISPC 2020 that Jamboard had proved to next four of five years not much has changed, conferencing platform, moderators to attach be a simple but very useful presentations and slide ‘virtual post-it notes’ and piece of technology. but of course our priorities and some of the outcomes have changed a lot. There have also been some delays. Of course we are offering more services online, and many of “Publishers have budget cuts and are no longer going to be our services have been strengthened - and also realised that able to pay staff too do a lot of the manual our endeavours towards open science have work around open access and administering been accelerated. they are going to article processing charges. This will be a need to have a chance to institutions to see if they can work Phil Gooch: With respect to your earlier more cost-efficiently. question about the Global South, maybe stronger digital as a result of the pandemic there’s more transformation” Danielle Apfelbaum: As an academic of a desire forepeople to learn more about librarian, on our campus the biggest impact science and research in general; we’ve has been the limitation in terms of access seen a lot more interest from students and to physical materials, as well as the fact that researchers in Latin America and Asia- productivity of different groups researchers, our budget is completely frozen – for nobody Pacific. It has made us realise that a large part and what that means in the longer term. We knows how long, at this point! of our market is going to be in these regions, will also be looking at the lessons learned – in It has been tough but in terms of our and less in Europe and the UK. terms of the positives and negatives – of the strategic planning it has allowed us to last year. double down. The situation has brought Rachel Bruce: As a funder, we have been visibility to many of the things we were monitoring activity in terms of impacts Martin Jagerhorn: Due to Covid, a lot of already doing, such as educating our across the innovation sector and the people have tuned to preprint archives and campus about open access, and openly- research sector, negotiating funds and I think going forward this will have a big licensed materials. rescue packages, looking at ways in which impression. It has forced many of our faculty members we can pivot our research funding, extend Publishers have also realised that they and instructors to really think about how the grant funding timelines, and trying to look are going to need to have a stronger digital production and dissemination of different collaboratively and in an agile manner across transformation, and obviously move more materials impact how are able to acquire interdisciplinary research. We’ll be looking at towards open access. them or not acquire them. It has opened up a ways in which we can continue to gather data We are also seeing from the universities dialogue about things that open access has and information, and tracking the impact on that we are working with that they are facing the potential to solve.

www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo February/March 2021 Research Information 17 Analysis and news

New dawn for Russia? The Russian Federation has declared 2021 a year of Science and Technology – which predicts an increase in the sphere of scientific publications, writes Julia Peregudova Anton Balazh/Shutterstock.com Anton

language and then the author needs to “We will do find a certified specialist, who will translate According to the SCImago Journal & it into academic English. It’s not as easy everything possible Country Rank, Russia was 10th in the as it seems and, moreover, the next step to raise the impact list of countries in terms of published would be proofreading by a native English documents in 2019. However, there are speaker. of Russian and CIS many obstacles that non-English speaking Even such a simple thing like formatting scientists” authors face before successful publication an article according to the journal’s in international journals. guidelines can cause frustration. As While some researchers need to a matter of fact, writing a cover letter, deceive scientists with the promise of concentrate only on manuscript content, submitting a paper, communicating with the publication in an incredibly short time. They the majority of CIS (Commonwealth of editor and many other steps in publishing approve any papers, including poor quality, Independent States) countries struggle include compulsory knowledge of a foreign because there is no peer-review process. with the language-related problems. language. All the additional work, done by In fact, the authors often put their career Firstly, not so many people have at least different professionals, costs an unknown at risk, wishing to save some money and an intermediate level of English. Secondly, amount of money and takes quite some time. In the worst case, such agencies basic knowledge of the foreign language time. Besides, where to find all these do not provide a contract – they just take is not enough for writing a high-quality people? Are they trustworthy? the money and disappear, leaving no academic paper with complicated guarantees behind. terminology. Thirdly, what are the chances Help or fraud? Why do people fall for these false that, for example, someone with a PhD Due to high demand, many fraudsters promises? Bureaucracy might be the in oncology from Kazakhstan possesses provide fast publishing services in answer. excellent English language skills? predatory journals. In addition to violating The Ministry of Education and Science of Usually, the article is written in a native publication ethics, such organisations the Russian Federation obliges universities

18 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info Analysis and news

“Even such a simple thing like formatting an article according to the journal’s guidelines can cause frustration”

The year 2020 showed us how difficult it is for authors not to get into the predatory journals. Scopus has made its checks more thorough and extended deadlines, because a huge number of journals came under investigation, or even got cancelled from the database. People who have never published their manuscripts in international databases before, do not always have an idea of what an article should look like to be sent to a good journal. So, often the customer’s expectation and reality do not coincide: an unfinished or inappropriate article with a request, for example. After charge- free preliminary examination we advise the authors what can be done, warn them about the timing, so later they will not have problems with the university administration. We also provide them with general requirements for articles of Scopus and Web of Science. World Sci Publ focuses specifically on the quality of published articles, so we carry out a number of mandatory works aimed at compliance with the norms of international publication. Each manuscript goes through: • Preliminary examination; • Translation by a certified specialist in to publish a certain number of works in from post-Soviet countries and make academic English; international scientific databases such as the publication process comfortable, • Pre-submission review; Scopus and Web of Science. A few CIS transparent and understandable, thereby • Proofreading; countries have the same system. Thus, the contributing to the development of science • Targeted journal selection; researchers are pushed to publish more and co-operation of researchers from all • Formatting according to the journal’s than they can, so overall quality of the over the world. We focus on IT solutions, guidelines; manuscripts might suffer. customer service and quality of provided • Consulting in submission; and The saddest part of the rush is that the services in general. • Help with contacting editors. authors must provide the university with a Unlike fraudsters, we have legal We notify the author about the work done report in a short period of time, especially obligations to authors, so they can be sure and all documentation and improvements if they have a grant. However, the scientists of our reliability. The prices of our services can be tracked in the author’s personal often cannot correctly estimate time of are fixed and do not come as a surprise account, online. There are no other publication and start working on it too late, for clients. We respect publication ethics examples of such a service at the moment not taking into account several peer-review and strictly follow the rules. An exclusive in the post-Soviet countries. circles their paper may need. partnership with a Dutch editing service We strongly believe that the publication provides European quality and necessary process for people who cannot speak Why are we different? specialists, while Russian-speaking client English eventually will become easier. For World Sci Publ is a progressive scientific support during all the publication stages our part, we will do everything possible publishing house with its own package of helps to understand the process – this gives to raise the impact of Russian and CIS services for the promotion of scientific us an advantage on the market. scientists on the world’s scientific arena. articles for thousands of authors from So far we are not as popular as Enago

Russia and CIS countries. Today we help or Editage, but I am sure that in a couple of Julia Peregudova is editor and scientists from 13 countries. years we will grow and come closer to big head of the business development Our goal is to raise the level of scientists success. department at WorldSciPubl

www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo February/March 2021 Research Information 19 Analysis and news

Open access needs to be equitable There is no easy answer, but some routes through the maze are becoming visible, writes Tasha Mellins-Cohen TP71/Shutterstock.com

“ €9,500 per article… their funding status. In that world the is far beyond the persistent ‘logic’ of our prestige economy In Issue 111 of Research Information – notwithstanding the excellent work done Steven Inchoombe argued that ‘we are on reach of many by Dora signatories – would create an the threshold of an accelerated transition institutions, even in academic underclass of authors locked to OA publishing’. out of fee-taking, high-profile journals due I doubt many would argue with that, high-income to lack of funds. There is no easy answer, or with the desirability of a transition to countries.” but some routes through the maze are open access (OA). That said, there is a becoming visible: clear need for funders, publishers and • Publishers must do more to ensure their institutions in high-income countries to models created and piloted by members OA models are accessible to funders consider the implications of this on less of the Society Publishers’ Coalition offer and institutions in low- and low-middle well-funded researchers and institutions. a glimpse of a more equitable option for income countries; Consider ‘read and publish’-type institutions with funds to transition. • Funders in high-income countries transformative deals. For some the Even these, however, will not work need to consider the effects of their fees are simply too high – the recently for everyone. Today more than 10,000 mandates on the rest of the world; announced deal between Springer Nature institutions in low- and low-middle income • Institutions should consider researchers and the Max Planck Digital Library, offering countries can access paywalled research without grant funding when creating OA in Nature-branded journals for a base from around 180 publishers through the local OA mandates; and fee of €9,500 per article, is far beyond Research4Life initiative, either for free • All parties ought to engage with the reach of many institutions even in or at a nominal cost, and in most if not initiatives like AmeliCA that are creating high-income countries. For others, a cap all paywalled journals there is no fee for new infrastructures to facilitate open on the number of OA articles brings with publication. In an entirely OA world, could scholarship, with no paywalls and no it a need to either cherry-pick authors to and would publishers subsidise entire author fees. maximise the impact and influence of the regions of the world in this way? Or would We have made real progress towards OA in institution’s research, or create a system we find that read fees have been replaced recent years. Let’s work together to make that requires authors to time submissions by even higher publish fees? sure we don’t leave anyone behind as we carefully to avoid being published behind We face a fundamentally inequitable continue the journey. a paywall (the recent suspension of the scenario in which researchers are forced Wiley /Jisc deal springs to mind). to choose a publication venue based Tasha Mellins-Cohen is founder and While not a panacea, the cost-neutral not on the nature of their work, but director at Mellins-Cohen Consulting

20 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info VIEW FOR LIVE WEBINAR: FREE* The Future of the Search Engine Wed, Feb 17, 2021 3:00 PM GMT Sign up to watch

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Presenters Philip Ditchfield, Director, Deep SEARCH 9 Natalie Pilote, Patent and Scientific Analyst, Novartis

It seems like a generation ago since the physical organizations to quickly build their own library disappeared, to be replaced by corporate intelligence systems, dynamically sourcing information hubs, where search was transferred freely available content from the surface and from expert searchers to the scientist and end- deep web. Based on user-defined algorithms, user at their desk. unbiased and in real time. This approach has been quickly adopted by some of the world’s Powerful, yet complex, online databases leading pharma companies and can be applied morphed into user-friendly curated systems across other corporate verticals and academic that provide insight and reliability but also, by research. definition, human bias. Join us on 17th February when Philip Ditchfield, At the same time, the end-user’s reliance on DS9 Director, explains the story behind Deep public search has been alarming (even across SEARCH 9, why the approach of a tech company, circumspect R&D-centric corporations) although headquartered in the Black Forest, is disrupting these general-purpose search engines (powered the status quo. Then hear from one of DS9’s by secret algorithms) primary focus is to drive ad early adopters, Novartis, to understand why they revenue whilst serving up content alongside. chose to implement DS9 and the results they’ve experienced. Deep SEARCH 9 has redefined the search engine with the potential to change the entire

*Registration required *Registration information landscape. DS9 tech enables

Research information www.researchinformation.info/webcasts News/event

Success as APE event goes virtual STM reasserts the Organisers of the Academic Publishing in Europe (APE) event in importance of research data Berlin report that the conference was a great success in its first year in a virtual format. Newly under the new auspices of the Berlin Institute for Scholarly

Publishing, the organising team wan wei/Shutterstock.com reported that there were various technical glitches on the first day – almost inevitable when introducing a new format – but that the traditionally strong programme and a plethora of expert speakers more than made up for any teething problems. Many of the sessions were filmed at APE’s traditional home, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. At the time of going to press most of the sessions have been optimised for audio and video and are now available to view for delegates – they will be available in high- quality format until the end of the year on the Morressier platform. Anyone who missed registering The international publishers’ organisation working alongside publishers and partners for the conference but who might STM has reaffirmed its commitment to to boost the effective sharing of research be interested in this year’s topics promoting and supporting the wider data. Over the course of the 12-month can purchase an archive ticket: sharing of research data with the project, the number of journals with data https://ti.to/ape2021.eu/ape2021 establishment of a permanent research policies (of participating publishers) grew The Berlin Institute for Scholarly data programme. by 7 per cent, while the number of articles Publishing will use surplus At the 16th Academic Publishing in that contained data availability statements funds from this and future APE Europe Conference (APE) held in January, (DASs) rose by 5 per cent. Conferences towards developing STM’s director of research integrity STM says it is aiming to continue to a series of training courses Joris van Rossum explained how the build on these foundations, by exploring and seminars for early-career programme will emphasise how research how research data sharing can positively publishers and early-career data is crucial to advancing Open Science impact the wider scholarly ecosystem – professionals who work for and research, while highlighting how from funders and research institutes to research funders. the improved sharing of data promotes data repositories, data services and wider The APE organising team transparency, reproducibility and leads international collaborations (such as the would like to thank sponsors, to additional opportunities for scientific European Open Science Cloud). STM’s co-sponsors and media partners discovery and collaboration. new research data function will also seek – and the event’s new patron, the STM highlighted how publishers to advance progress on AI and how data Berlin University Alliance, for its connect researchers, their research and can be ‘AI-ready’, as well as widening support. the wider world and how they innovate to support for open science and FAIR data Visit www.researchinformation.info add value into an increasingly digital and principles. for further reports and interviews interconnected environment. In doing so, Speaking of the establishment of the from the event they have created vital data infrastructure research data division Ian Moss, STM’s and founded programmes that assist CEO, said: ‘Publishers have held a long- researchers to share, cite and link their standing commitment to sharing data, and data with all forms of research output. STM is continually expanding our efforts to The continued development of these ensure that the wider sharing of research initiatives will play a vital role in making data, the adoption of leading-edge tools science more transparent and improving and increasing transparency continues. the reproducibility of research, as well as ‘I am delighted that Joris will be heading having the potential to be a driving force up our new research data programme for scientific discovery, he said. and leading the further development The establishment of STM’s new of community standards and principles Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of research data programme follows around which the wider sharing of Sciences and Humanities Research Data Year in 2020, with STM research data can be best achieved.’

22 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info Event preview R2R conversation goes online

Researcher to Reader promises ‘live and continuous’ conference

This year’s Researcher to Reader (R2R) conference – normally held in London – will be completely virtual. As usual R2R, which will be held on 23-24 February, will offer workshops, Q&A sessions, debate and networking – and also additional online sessions for the benefit of R2R’s normal venue is BMA House in London delegates in American time zones. The event will kick off with a ‘Participant Perceptions’ session to determine exactly • New funding models for open access “For all that we have what the R2R Community thinks about monographs; been preparing on the scholarly communications landscape • cOAlition S rights retention strategy; and – hosted by Rob Johnson, founder and • Covid-19 rapid review and preprints. the timetable and director at Research Consulting, and Event founder Mark Carden explained that processes, content is Danny Kingsley, a scholarly communication a key message for delegates is that ‘sitting consultant and visiting fellow at the at home watching some webinars, however of course key” Australian National University. interesting, is not the same as participating Conference participants are asked in a conference’. to give their opinions on key scholarly He said: ‘R2R has always been a as you can see in the programme. I think communications issues in a live interactive conversation, not a lecture, and it will be the China interviews will be particularly survey. the same for 2021, but online. We will be interesting, and I’m looking forward The anonymised results will be shared on completely live and absolutely continuous to hearing insights from early-career the fly, to give a picture of the views of the for two days; people can grab a break when researchers from all around the world. R2R community, and to provide qualitative they can, but we will be relentlessly carrying ‘All this is a lot of work and quite and quantitative information on a range of on without them. We will have live video expensive to do, with more tech, loads of hot topics. The consolidated survey results networking in virtual rooms, live Q&A, fully- professional AV support and a huge amount will be available at the end of the conference. interactive workshops, our debate, and all of preparation and rehearsal. But we are Further sessions include: a panel on the normal elements of our varied and lively aiming to deliver the same value as R2R inclusivity; a series of interviews with programme. always delivers, just in an online format. We representatives of China’s scholarly ‘We are also doing ‘Lightning Posters’ in are using a world-class online platform to research and communications sector to get the breaks (that’s just like a poster session, make sure navigation is smooth and delivery their views on key trends and developments but with a 10-minute speed-dating ethos). is reliable. to watch out for in 2021 and beyond; a We have also announced a series of free ‘Online is different, but we are not cashing series of workshops on subjects such online pre-sessions, so anyone can meet in by just trying to get five times as many as ‘new models for open access’, ‘who the presenters and moderators and discuss people to watch some speeches on TV at decides what is good academic writing, their planned sessions in the weeks before half the price. We still want to be the R2R and ‘an anti-racist framework for scholarly the event.’ that more than 96 per cent of participants communications’. Sponsors and media partners for the say is valuable and relevant, with a couple Further keynotes and debates will include: 2021 Conference include The Royal of hundred people discussing scholarly • Current trends in research integrity, taking Society of Chemistry, Atypon, Wiley, Aries, communications with each other, as usual. into account the lessons from the current Karger, Ringgold, Ebsco, Mosaic, Research ‘I don’t think anyone else in this space has pandemic; Information and Retraction Watch. our commitment and ambition. It is going to • Resolved: journal publishers should pay Carden added: ‘For all that we have been be absolutely immense and intense!’ academics for providing peer review; preparing on the timetable and processes, • Diversifying eBook readership through content is of course key, and we have some For more information and to register for open access; really great topics that we will be covering, the event, visit https://r2rconf.com/

www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo February/March 2021 Research Information 23 News

Springer Nature unveils alternative Archmotion/Shutterstock.com OA route

All authors submitting to Nature and the Springer Nature has delivered on its and individuals who subscribe to the Nature research journals have had the commitment to enable gold OA publishing journal. Articles that the Nature journalists option to publish open access since the in all its owned journals by January. and editors create and commission, start of the year. Springer Nature also began an OA such as highly-valued news and views Springer Nature had previously pilot in January. It initially covers six articles, which provide readers with an announced that German authors would be journals and offers authors the chance expert summary of scientific advances as able to publish their primary research open to publish in one of a number of Nature reported in recently published papers, will access in Nature and the Nature research portfolio journals, while only submitting continue to be available to institutions and journals, thanks to a ground-breaking once, reducing time and uncertainty individuals who subscribe to the journal. agreement with the Max Planck Digital and increasing efficiency for all. Authors Alison Mitchell, chief journals officer, Library (MPDL). While highly effective willing to opt-in to the pilot pay an said: ‘At Springer Nature we have been in transitioning articles to open access, editorial assessment charge and have committed to driving the transition to transformative agreements like this can be their manuscript guided through the OA for 20 years. This is why, using our complicated and take time to put in place. submission process by a Nature research experience, we have been able to come up So Springer Nature announced late last editor who offers extensive feedback, with a range of options to enable authors year that all authors seeking to publish OA to publish OA in our highly selective titles. in Nature and the Nature research journals “We have come up While transformative agreements are the will no longer have to wait. with a range of biggest driver of OA transition and largely It mean authors will be able to publish avoid the need for significant additional Gold OA when submitting to Nature and options for authors funding from authors themselves, these the 32 Nature primary research journals to publish OA” take time for institutions to put in place and will be afforded the same APC as and are not suitable for all organisations. MPDL, which is €9,500. As such, these are I am delighted that we are now able to the first highly-selective journals to offer including external peer review, in the form open up this opportunity to all authors and their authors an immediate OA publishing of an editorial assessment report. also to experiment with brand new ways option in this way. Research published in If authors then publish in one of the of helping our authors succeed via the Nature and the Nature research journals participating journals, they pay a top-up guided-OA pilot. is, the company says, downloaded by fee, which for a Nature research journal ‘In addition, and in recognition of institutional users more than 30 times means a reduced total APC of around our shared goal of gold OA, we have more than papers in a typical journal. €5,000. Authors that opt out when they submitted these titles, along with all Springer Nature says dedicated in-house receive the editorial assessment report or the other journals we own and the vast teams promote the research articles are not accepted for publication, can use majority of journals we publish on behalf widely, achieving around 10,000 mentions their report to help them get published in of partners, to cOAlition S for registration in policy documents, generating over another journal. as transformative journals and inclusion in 100,000 news stories around the world Authors will still be able to choose the Journal Tracker Tool. With a clear OA and attracting more than three million to publish their work via the existing option in place for the Nature portfolio, mentions on Twitter during 2020. traditional route, where authors can this should ensure cOAlition S-funded This OA option is positive news also publish without paying an APC and their authors can be made aware of all Springer for Plan S-funded authors, as it means primary research is available to institutions Nature’s gold OA options.’

24 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info News

Jisc launches Plan S-compliant repository

Jisc has launched a multi-content Jisc’s research repository, which repository for storing research data allows us to meet funder and publisher and articles that will make it easier expectations for open data, aligning with for university staff to manage the our commitment to open research and our administration around open access dencg/Shutterstock.com signature to the San Francisco Declaration publishing. on Research Assessment, supporting The repository offers simple, cost- responsible research assessment and effective ways to manage, store and share accountability. Jisc has worked closely digital research outputs, and will allow with us to align their research repository institutions to meet all Plan-S mandatory with our workflows, and to ensure that our requirements and other funder and connectivity requirements are met. Jisc’s publisher mandates for open scholarship. support around integration with our CRIS Developed with input from the research has been particularly responsive to our sector, the research repository allows Liz Bal, Jisc’s director of open research customisation needs.’ institutions to manage open access services, said: ‘We are delighted to offer The research repository is a fully articles, research data and theses in a institutions this service for the long-term managed ‘software-as-a-service’ single system. The service is the most management of all their digital research provision, which is hosted on a secure interoperable system on the market and outputs, from articles, datasets and cloud platform. Included in the service is a permits integration with a wide range of theses, to metadata-only records and ‘FAIR checker’ to make sure research data Current Research Information Systems outputs that normally can’t be added to is ‘findable, accessible, interoperable and (CRIS), research management systems subject or funder data repositories.’ reusable’. and digital preservation systems. This Cardiff University’s research data In support of open research, Jisc makes it easier to report against funder manager Kellie Snow said: ‘Cardiff also offers research systems connect, mandates, creating automated workflows University recognises the significant a preservation service and research that transfer data objects and metadata, social and economic benefits associated repository plus: a single service to which reduces re-keying information with free and open access to publicly- manage, store, preserve and share digital between systems. funded research. That’s why we welcome research outputs.

Physics societies unite in support of OA

Major physics societies, which Optical Society (OSA), and the support physical science Society of Rheology. researchers with the publication In a joint statement the of more than 75,000 peer- societies detail how they have

reviewed journal articles each long embraced open science Shaiith/Shutterstock.com year, have joined forces to and OA to research results. show their commitment to Their proactive engagement, open access (OA) for physics such as the launch of high- research. quality OA journals, switching The group comprises 16 hybrid journals to full OA and societies: the Acoustical Society establishing transformative of America, the American agreements, has contributed to Association of Physicists an average annual growth in OA in Medicine, the American physics articles of more than Association of Physics Teachers, 25 per cent, compared with an the American Astronomical overall average annual growth in Society, the American physics articles of around two Crystallographic Association, per cent. the American Institute of Having supported open cOAlition S Rights Retention transition, pointing out that Aeronautics and Astronautics, publishing in physics for Strategy, could undermine the adjustments to the global flow of American Institute of Physics, decades, the group says its viability of high-quality hybrid funding will take time. American Physical Society, common ambition is that all journals and the important The group also acknowledges AVS Science & Technology OA models provide financially role they play in balancing OA the strong culture of sharing of Materials, Interfaces, and sustainable support for author expansion with the researcher’s results before peer review via Processes, the Chinese choice and the quality of peer- freedom to publish where they preprint platforms, and calls Physical Society, European review and publication upon choose. for funders to increase their Physical Society, Institute of which excellent physics research It stresses the need for recognition and encouragement Physics, Institute of Physics and relies. broader international financial for this practice in physics as a Engineering in Medicine, the The statement highlights how support for OA to be in place complement to peer-reviewed Laser Institute of America, The policies, such as the proposed before hybrid journals can fully journal publication.

www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo February/March 2021 Research Information 25 News

Brave New World research study garners industry support

A group of industry organisations have them with their learning and development signed up for involvement in a ‘Brave New requirements for improved performance World’ research study organised by Kudos. in academia. Brave New World is a timely The project will provide publishers, project that will complement our own societies and providers of related services market intelligence, and capture how the with vital insights to shape strategies market is shifting.’ using desk research, interviews and Shari Hofer, SVP of marketing at Wiley, surveys to reveal the implications of explained: ‘Wiley has a 360° role in the Covid-19 for research funding policy, information sector, supporting researchers university budgets and practices, and as well as societies and professionals. We researchers’ workload and workflows. understand how these stakeholders are The project’s newest headline sponsors impacted by environmental drivers, such are Cactus Communications, Wiley as changes in funders’ priorities, policies and STM, who join the Royal Society of and processes, and the Brave New World Chemistry and Kudos in steering the study is one of many sources of insight we project’s scope and direction. Other will use to shape our publishing services research partners include the American and support for the research community.’ Chemical Society, American Society for Matt McKay, director of communication Microbiology and the BMJ. at STM, said: ‘Our role in supporting Dina Mukherjee, marketing director at the academic publishing sector means Cactus Communications, said: ‘For some we always need to be up to speed with years we have been expanding our scope the latest issues. This need is acute in of services and products for researchers. the case of Covid-19, which potentially As part of this initiative, we introduced represents the biggest disruption to our R – researcher.life – an ecosystem of sector for a generation. Brave New World tools, solutions and support that aims is well timed to provide us with critical to not only enable the researcher with insights into how the pandemic will affect intuitive technology for greater speed in research funding and dissemination, and research and publication, but also equip how publishers need to respond.’ Andrii Vodolazhskyi/Shutterstock.com

Wiley announces Hindawi acquisition

John Wiley & Sons has its own publishing platform, a fully digital, user-friendly as part of Wiley’s Research bought Hindawi for $298m. and a low-cost infrastructure. publishing process that gets business. He said: ‘We are Wiley says the purchase adds Wiley says its acquisition of life-changing, peer-reviewed driven by a mission to advance ‘quality, scale and growth to Hindawi unlocks significant discoveries out into the world openness in research, working the company’s open access and profitable new growth faster and more efficiently.’ with researchers, publishers publishing programme’. by tapping deeper into the The addition of Hindawi’s and institutions to build a Open access is a rapidly fast-growing OA market and by journals doubles Wiley’s gold vibrant ecosystem that helps growing scholarly publishing delivering innovative publishing (pure) OA journal portfolio this community thrive. With model that allows peer- services to researchers, and will increase author Wiley’s commitment to Hindawi reviewed articles to be read societies and institutions retention by giving researchers and OA, we are excited to and shared immediately, around the world. For the fiscal more options to publish in accelerate scientific discovery, making important research year ending December 31, Wiley titles, the company collaboration, and innovation broadly available. Hindawi 2020, Hindawi was projected to said, adding that Hindawi’s to maximise the impact of has played a critical role in generate approximately $40m technology combined with research.’ advancing gold open access, in revenue with year-on-year Wiley’s innovative platforms Ahmed Hindawi, Hindawi’s an OA model in which validated growth of 50 per cent. and services will enhance co-founder, said: ‘We have articles are made immediately Brian Napack, Wiley CEO the publishing experience for worked hard with our partners available for reading and re- and president, said: ‘The authors, editors and reviewers. to build one of the world’s use following the payment of a acquisition of Hindawi enables The deal will also strengthen largest fully-OA publishing publication fee. Wiley to move faster towards Wiley’s growing position in platforms. The combined Hindawi, privately held and our goal of meeting the world’s the global research industry, strengths of Hindawi and Wiley headquartered in London, urgent, escalating need for particularly in China – the fast- will continue to support the has a portfolio of over 200 knowledge. Hindawi is a growing research market. evolving needs of the research peer-reviewed scientific, true pioneer in the industry, Paul Peters, Hindawi’s CEO, community in new and technical, and medical journals, empowering researchers with will continue to lead Hindawi innovative ways.’

26 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info News Sabino Parente/Shutterstock.com

SciCrunch announces Luxembourg collaboration

The Luxembourg Centre for Systems community has widely acknowledged development of a pre-publication check, Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of that the reproducibility crisis needs to be said Dr Christophe Trefois, R3 team leader. Luxembourg is partnering with SciCrunch. addressed in order to guarantee trust in This internal verification is aimed at The LCSB will be one of the first the published literature and best use of monitoring the compliance with the academic institutions to use the firm’s valuable resources. latest standards and high quality of all SciScore – an automated validation Early on, the LCSB recognised manuscripts written at the LCSB, through tool for scientific articles – as part of its reproducibility as a key topic and decided a series of checks addressing issues such internal quality control process. It will to tackle the issue by implementing as plagiarism, data protection and source contribute to further enhance the rigour measures to promote research quality. code quality. SciScore, through its rigour and reproducibility of the publications Grouped under the umbrella of the check, will be one of the main components written by LCSB’s researchers. Responsible and Reproducible Research in this pre-publication pipeline. Scientific research always faces new (R3) initiative, they include state-of-the- Anita Bandrowski, founder and CEO of challenges and, with the increasing art IT infrastructures, GDPR-compliant SciCrunch, said: ‘Part of recent research is volume of data, the complexity of new data processes and tools for high- not reproducible due to flaws in reference tools and the fast pace of modern quality scientific computing code. ‘A material, unreliable source identification, science, ensuring that experiments can be particular emphasis has been placed on a and similar issues,’. ‘Our solution helps repeated and results validated is as crucial standardised publication workflow which flag these issues before scientific articles as ever. Over the past years, the scientific will now be complemented through the become part of the permanent record.’

Chorus deal ‘enhances open research audit process’

Chorus, the non-profit to support the discovery of data feed, Chorus used a Chorus will be encouraging our membership organisation, research. combination of manual and members to get involved with is now using Get Full Text By using GetFTR to automated processes to GetFTR.’ Research (GetFTR) technology automate the metadata feed audit whether article and GetFTR launched its pilot in to speed up and enhance their from millions of individual conference proceedings late 2019 and has since been open research audit process. Versions of Record (the versions of record or accepted welcoming partners, building The organisation is applying definitive version of a journal manuscripts were open on a and evolving the service after the GetFTR API to further article), Chorus is now publisher’s website. feedback from all scholarly automate the gathering and supported in scaling the ‘Using GetFTR complements community sectors. GetFTR’s checking of key data on auditing of some of its largest our own auditing process, as it primary purpose has been journal articles and conference publisher members, including can rapidly check our records to increase speed and ease proceedings from multiple the American Chemical against a publisher’s access of accessing research by publishers, supporting Society, Elsevier, Springer control systems, without making it clear which content its mission of advancing Nature, Taylor & Francis Group interacting with the HTML of researchers can access sustainable, cost-effective and Wiley. Additionally, GetFTR multiple publisher sites. across different publisher and public access to content will enable Chorus’ reporting to ‘While it doesn’t fully replace research platforms. reporting on research funded be more timely, as its auditing Chorus’ own audit processes The GetFTR service is now by public organisations. process gets faster. (because not every publisher being used by six publishers For GetFTR, this means its Howard Ratner, Chorus is using GetFTR and because and eight integrating technology is being used in executive director, said: it doesn’t yet support open partners. Find out more at increasingly innovative ways ‘Before integrating the GetFTR Accepted Manuscripts), getfulltextresearch.com.

www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo DecemberAugust/SeptemberFebruary/March 2018/january 202120192018 Research Information 27 News

UK collaboration to accelerate global open access

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Hannah Hope, OA project manager Wellcome and Jisc, the not-for-profit at Wellcome Trust, said: ‘We believe research and education technology the OA Switchboard has the potential provider, are among the first organisations to streamline the management of open supporting the establishment of Open access publishing for all parties. We Access Switchboard. look forward to working with Jisc and

It’s an independent body that will help Kurpas/Shutterstock.com Viktoria UK institutions to incorporate the OA the research community transition to full Switchboard into Wellcome’s OA reporting and immediate open access and simplify processes.’ efforts to make open access (OA) the And Yvonne Campfens, executive predominant model of publication of director of the OA Switchboard, added: research. ‘Other industries have tackled similar Led by the Open Access Scholarly form this partnership to enable shared problems successfully a long time ago, Publishers Association (OASPA), the infrastructure, bringing transparency, which gives me confidence that we can OA Switchboard is a not-for-profit efficiency and cost effectiveness to the apply this to the OA ecosystem. However, collaboration between funders, OA ecosystem. to address challenging topics around institutions, consortia and publishers ‘The OA Switchboard has the communication and data across different to provide essential infrastructure, potential to enable a breakthrough in stakeholder groups, and to implement a standards and back office services. The the transformation to open access, cost-effective collaborative infrastructure OA Switchboard will support information supporting it as a predominant model of solution, transparency is key, and an sharing as well as help reduce barriers research publication.’ independent neutral intermediary is to the OA market. It aims to allow Liam Earney, Jisc’s executive director indispensable.’ funders, publishers and institutions to of digital resources, added: ‘This The newly-founded OA Switchboard streamline their communications, improve working relationship underscores Jisc’s became operational on 1 January. Jisc transparency of data collection and commitment to driving a sustainable and is working with the OA Switchboard storage, and reduce costs. equitable transition to OA. Crucially, it to explore how UK institutions can UKRI, Wellcome and Jisc are all will enable institutions to have clearer, best benefit from the shared data and represented on OA Switchboard’s board of automated reporting of OA publications, infrastructure this service will provide. directors. and it will help foster the inclusion of Institutions are encouraged to get involved Rachel Bruce, UKRI’s head of open more publishers in the transition to OA, by contacting Yvonne Campfens, project research, said: ‘We are delighted to regardless of size or business model.’ manager.

Interdisciplinary research community launched by Jisc

Jisc has announced the Jisc, explained: ‘We are Helen Clare, senior launch of a digital research excited to launch this digital e-infrastructure strategy community to explore how research community group, manager, said: ‘Policy and technology and innovation can which will support the sector technology are both changing help improve current research to respond to new policies so quickly that bringing w_key/Shutterstock.com practices. that affect research such as together the community is The organisation says the recent UK Government’s the most effective way to the new support for leading Research and Development respond to these changes, research will have global Roadmap, National Data learn from one another and impact, by cutting across Strategy, UKRI’s Corporate influence the research agenda. we can best create equitable disciplines, mission groups Plan, and the announcement We’ll be bringing together access and agree core and geography, and is a of a new research funding different parts of the research competencies for researchers, direct result of Jisc’s new agency. The community community to share and show including those currently not research strategy which aims will provide a safe space for best practice to shape the recognised and rewarded, to increase wider engagement professionals active in the future of research.’ but that may support a more with research and alignment research process to assess Anne Boddington, visiting generous, inclusive research with the needs of the sector. technology solutions that can professor at Birmingham City sector.’ Researchers, research enhance research excellence University, and REF 2021 sub- The collective wisdom leaders, research managers and efficiency, as well as the panel chair for art and design, of the community will be and other professionals in culture, skills and processes to said: ‘I’m optimistic about the shared with the wider world the field, such as developers, achieve these objectives.’ potential of this group and through various forms of software engineers, library The group met for the first look forward to playing a part communication. The first and IT staff, can all join the time online in December, and in shaping collective action for output from the group is a community. will meet quarterly, led by the advancement of research webinar, which will present Victoria Moody, Jisc’s a community council of 18 and research careers. I’m priorities and potential research strategy lead at research experts. particularly interested in how activities for the community.

28 Research Information February/March 2021 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info Suppliers’ Directory Suppliers’ Directory

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