This week, we signpost a survey seeking input on the future of open access publishing and a webinar on how efforts to improve researcher identification could help combat research misconduct. We read about a handbook aimed to improve relationships between patient organizations and pharmaceutical companies, ICJME’s suspension of their list of compliant journals and Clarivate’s efforts to reduce the influence of retracted research on journal impact factors. Finally, we read an interview on how publishers can ensure high-quality fast-tracked publications.
To engage with:
The future of OA via OASPA
Since the 1990’s, open access (OA) publishing has been steadily increasing. In 2023, nearly 60% of articles, reviews and conference papers were published as gold, green or hybrid OA. However, recent data suggests that this steady growth may be slowing down. The Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA) has launched their Next 50% project, which aims to “collectively reassess what ‘open’ truly means and chart a bolder and more comprehensive path forward”. To get involved, read the Next 50% project primer document and respond to their survey by 11 July.
Verify researcher identities to uphold research integrity via ORCID and STM
The production and publication of fraudulent research papers has long been a problem for the research community. The emergence of AI has made it is easier than ever to produce fake manuscripts, posing a growing threat on research integrity. To combat this, the International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (STM) has introduced the Researcher Identity Trust Framework. Join this webinar co-hosted by Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) and STM on 3 June to discuss the current landscape of research integrity and learn more about STM’s innovative framework.
To read:
Guidance for industry and patient organization partnerships via ABPI and Patient Information Forum | 1-hour read
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and Patient Information Forum have published a handbook to help create successful, fair and ABPI code-compliant partnerships between health charities and pharmaceutical companies. The handbook outlines a range of activities –including disease awareness campaigns, advisory boards, product launches and social media initiatives –with the goal to “deliver better experiences and outcomes for patients”.
ICMJE withdraws list of journals claiming to follow its recommendations via ICMJE | 1-minute read
Previously, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provided an online list of journals that claimed to follow the ICMJE recommendations for conduct, reporting, editing and publication of scholarly work in medical journals. As of April 2025, ICMJE has suspended this list owing to the inability to verify its accuracy – which is especially important amid a rise in predatory publishing practices. Read an annotated version of the updated ICMJE recommendations reflecting this change.
Retracted articles will no longer contribute towards journal impact factor via Research Information | 3-minute read
In recent years, retractions of journal articles have been increasing. Clarivate, the primary publisher of Journal Citation Reports, announced that citations to and from retracted articles will no longer contribute to their annually published Journal Impact Factor. By making this change, Clarivate hope to uphold research integrity by ensuring that retracted content does not distort impact factors. Read the original article from Clarivate here.
Maintain quality in accelerated publications via The Publication Plan | 7-minute read
At the recent 2025 European Meeting of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals in London, the session on sustaining publication quality in a fast-paced world explored the rise in expedited publishing and the standards of articles with quick turnarounds. In this interview, Sam Cavana (Head of Publishing Solutions at Taylor & Francis) shares insights into the factors driving the uptake of accelerated publishing, the steps being taken to ensure publication reliability and integrity, and the ways in which AI is being used to speed up the editorial process.
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