Shaping the Future of Scientific Publishing

Shaping the Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, LISA 10, Nov. 2025 1 Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE Shaping the Future of Publishing Uta Grothkopf & the LDIS team European Southern Observatory (ESO) Library, Documentation, and Information Services (LDIS) Department 2 Agenda Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE •Background: Publishing in Astronomy and beyond •Collecting Requirements for the (near-ish) Future of Publishing •Role of the main Stakeholders: Researchers, Organisations, Funders, Libraries, Publishers •The way forward: Shaping the Future of Publishing — together! Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, EAS Annual Meeting 2025 3 Background Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE 4 Publishing in Astronomy and beyond Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE •Sharing is in the DNA of astronomy: Manuscripts on arXiv, observational data sharing, exchange of code and software are the norm •Other sciences: Open Access (OA) movement growing. Increased impact on scholarly communication •Astronomy core journals: OA publishing since 2022 (A&A, ApJ, AJ) / 2024 (MNRAS) with different OA models •Major publishers (Elsevier, Springer, Wiley) rely heavily on Article Processing Charges. (APCs: access barrier shifted; enable predatory publishers -> erodes trust in science) •Models without author-facing charges are gaining momentum (thanks to funders, community), but only slowly •Astronomy at a crossroads: •Different models co-exist •Infrastructure, tools, approaches are evolving •Long-term sustainability is uncertain Shaping the Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, LISA 10, Nov. 2025 5 Changing Publishing Landscape — Info Overload Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE New publishing models Funder requirements Copyright & Licenses Evolving Research Evaluation Shaping the Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, LISA 10, Nov. 2025 ? ? ? ? 6 Where do we go from here? How to collect Requirements for the Future of Publishing? Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE To maintain scientific publishing, researchers emphasise “These factors reflect a call for journals to function as guardians of research quality, not just publication venues.” 7 A&A Survey before EAS (Europ. Astron. Soc.) 2025 Meeting: Trends and Challenges in Scientific Publishing Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE 1. Quality and Integrity of Publishing 5. Evaluation of Science 3. Reusability (access to complementary data, code, etc.) 4. Global Publishing Equity 7. Community involvement 2. Editorial Transparency 6. Responsible Use of AI in Publishing How to create quality publishing of the future? Based on survey key take-aways based on (~2,500) survey responses Shaping the Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, LISA 10, Nov. 2025 8 Major Players in Publishing Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE 1. Quality and Integrity of Publishing 5. Evaluation of Science 3. Reusability (access to complementary data, code, etc.) 4. Global Publishing Equity 7. Community involvement 2. Editorial Transparency 6. Responsible Use of AI in Publishing Researchers Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) Science Funders Libraries Publishers Shaping the Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, LISA 10, Nov. 2025 9 How can Stakeholders shape the Future of Scientific Publishing? (identifying concrete actions, not solving the big questions) Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE 16 7. Community Involvement Options to voice community needs Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE • Support society-run or scholarly-driven journals • Advocate for disciplinary-specific needs • Provide feed-back and experience to funders, publishers, colleagues • Enable faculty roles in scholarly societies and field-specific publishing • Develop tools and venues with community for community • Fund communityand scholar-led publishing initiatives • Act as a mediator between researchers and publishers • Provide hosting support for small or community-specific journals • Collaborate with scholarly communities; provide feedback channels • Adapt publishing practices to community norms, values, and needs Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, EAS Annual Meeting 2025 Researchers Organisations Funders Libraries Publishers 17 Final Remarks Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE 18 Strategic Questions 1. How do we ensure quality publishing? 2. What will peer-review look like? 3. How do we embed reusability and Open Science? 4. How do we ensure global inclusivity? 5. How do we apply responsible research metrics? Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE Open Access is a Paradigm Shift. We must get it right (finally)! •We are no longer just adopting Open Access — we are defining it. •There are already too many unintended side-effects. We must do better. •Different OA paths not just economic choices, they represent different values and roles for the community. •Researchers, organisations, funders, libraries, publishers make strategic choices for scholarly publishing. •Let’s build together a collaborative, equitable, community-controlled publishing ecosystem 6. How do we use technology responsibly? 7. How do we ensure community involvement? Shaping the Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, LISA 10, Nov. 2025 8. Who owns and governs our publishing infrastructure? How do we create a persistent, reliable ecosystem for science? 19 Good Science Practice is a Collective Action Data Classification: ESO PUBLIC USE Together we can build the Future of Quality Publishing Thank you! [email protected] Shaping the Future of Publishing, Uta Grothkopf, LISA 10, Nov. 2025