Skip to content

[ Publishing Workflows ] July 14, 2022

The risk and reward balance in scholarly publishing

The world of scholarly communication is wide and full of incredible breakthroughs, those bold ideas that will push our society forward. But how can we find the balance between maintaining tradition and embracing disruption in scholarly publishing?

Urgent calls to change are everywhere

As market forces shift, scholarly publishing must adapt. Uncertain revenue streams–from changes to conferences or open access mandates–meet new and faster ways to share information outside traditional publishing.

 

Simplifying workflows does not equal loss of quality 

Peer review is an integral part of the research process. In its ideal state, it is an objective evaluation of quality, accuracy, and impact. But the process is slow, complex, and often differs from organization to organization. A simplified and more transparent process can save time and help the broader reading community understand how science is evaluated.

We also need systems in place that enable sharing science more quickly and with greater agility than traditional scholarly publishing, while still providing integrity checks. Early-stage research is the home for these changes.

 

Incentive systems don’t support collective progress

One of the barriers to sharing science earlier is the risk of publicly disseminating in-progress work, which may be challenged upon further review. There are concerns about extreme reactions on the internet and the career impacts of sharing work that is later disproven. 

This incentive system needs to change. Science only moves forward with collective progress and efficient collaboration. Sharing in-progress science or early-stage research saves researchers time and allows them to connect on new ideas earlier. Furthermore, the overall scientific ecosystem has a positive results bias, and embracing the value of negative results will ultimately improve science’s ability to lead to breakthroughs.

 

The technology solutions shaping the future

A close-knit partnership between scholarly publishing and technology organizations holds the key to change that puts the needs of the researchers first while boldly exploring changes that the industry needs.

 

Flexibility and integration open a world of possibilities

Imagine the resources you can open up with more efficient workflows and integrations between all of your platforms. That’s the potential of technology. 

You need in-platform editorial dashboards, peer review workflows that you can configure to your unique needs, and technology that prioritizes a simple user experience. With the power of Morressier’s solutions, societies and associations can save time–and, by extension, financial resources–while sacrificing none of the quality that gives your community’s research value. Technology organizations bring the ability to streamline and integrate processes to the table.

 

Digital transformation and the power of community

Technology’s ability to connect– across geographies and communities– is unparalleled. Embracing digital transformation can revitalize the member community, opening it up to new groups who are often marginalized. 

Building those diverse communities demands new infrastructure. The next generation of members also demands a global, diverse community. With technologies that help researchers build their profiles and manage their latest early-stage research, you’re enabling future collaborations. Chat features lead to interactive conversations around the latest research that inspire and grow your members' career network.

 

Conclusion

There’s no denying change is hard, but we’re at a point where we can no longer wait and see how the industry evolves. The societies and associations that thrive in the future will be the ones that embrace new ideas and partnerships and those that can experiment with creative and flexible new technology solutions. 

promoting transparency to support research integrity