Ask The Experts

Artificial Intelligence plays an increasingly important role in the publishing lifecycle, from plagiarism checking through supporting peer review to potentially automatically generated manuscripts. During this exciting event, we will hear from three experts in Artificial Intelligence research who will address what AI is, how it can currently support scholarly publishing, and what the future might look like. Concerns regarding privacy and transparency will be discussed as well. Bring your questions and your curiosity to Ask the Experts about publishing and AI!

Librarians answer your questions about collections development. How do librarians decide what materials—books, journals, databases, or other resources—to include in their collections? How do they work within their larger institutions, both in terms of meeting institutional goals and serving users? And how has the covid-19 pandemic changed or influenced their priorities and practices? Viewers will gain a more thorough understanding of the critical role of collections development librarians in the broader scholarly publishing ecosystem.

Much time has been spent talking about access to content, but how does our new "open" world affect those whose voices are heard? How does it affect library workflows? In this "Ask the Experts" event, a panel of librarians will discuss open access as it relates to their acquisition strategies and financial responsibilities. Join us—and bring your questions—to learn how collections development is changing and how that may affect who gets published and how.

During this session, researchers in different stages of their careers will share their perspectives. The panel will cover various topics, including expectations from journal publishers, researchers’ interest and capacity in serving as editorial board members, and support they need to publish their research. The panel will describe the tools and methods researchers use to initiate the publishing process and the criteria they consider when choosing where to publish. The session will further delve into researchers' opinions on pre-prints and examine their thoughts on the feedback they receive during peer review. Additionally, the panel will discuss researchers’ involvement in editorial roles, including remuneration, peer-review requests, how early career researchers can participate in the publishing process, how researchers view participation in special issues or invited content, and researchers’ views on Open Access and Open Access mandates. Additionally, the panel will discuss researchers’ involvement in editorial roles including remuneration, peer-review requests, how early career researchers can participate in the publishing process, how researchers view participation in special issues or invited content, and researchers’ views on Open Access and Open Access mandates.

Journals in all disciplines continue to face ethical issues. Allegations of author misconduct can be time-consuming and frustrating to deal with. This panel will address a number of pressing questions about ethics in publishing: • Are ethical issues increasing in publishing? • What new activities in terms of ethical breaches or concerns should publishers be aware of? • Are there any technical solutions available or on the horizon to detect ethical lapses? • How can scientists be educated about ethical conduct?

Panelists consider a number of questions about this evolving landscape: • What do international publishers need to know about research trends in China? • Is it still important for Chinese researchers to publish in international journals? • How are researchers evaluated in China, and how can international publishers assist them? • How will the latest developments affect submission trends?

In recent years, many groups— from climate-change deniers to anti-vaxxers— have publicly challenged research widely accepted in the scientific community. And although science has always had its critics, trust has reached new lows in an era of misinformation fueled by social media and politicians who doubt the advice of experts. The phenomenon has real-world consequences: in just one current—and pressing—example, doubts surrounding medical research on the Covid-19 virus and the safety of the new vaccines threaten public health efforts to fight the pandemic. How can scientists promote greater public trust in their research? And how can publishers of this research support these efforts? In this Ask the Experts event, attendees will hear from panelists on the latest in efforts to restore trust in science. || Moderator: Anita de Waard | Speakers: Tracey Brown, Richard Sever, Eefke Smit