Subscribe to newsletter Hello fellow journalologists, You may have noticed that I’ve retired the Opinion section in this newsletter. There are a number of reasons for this. First, most people are more interested in news than opinion, judging from the click-through rates. Second, the newsletter was getting unwieldy. Third, reading tens of opinions articles every week became a bit too much for me personally. With that piece of housekeeping out of the way, here’s a summary of what’s happened in...
10 days ago • 17 min read
Subscribe to newsletter Hello fellow journalologists, Last year we learned that two of the largest journals — Heliyon (Cell Press / Elsevier) and Cureus (Springer Nature) had been put ’on hold’ by Web of Science. I asked Clarivate for an update on when a decision would be made and received this reply: Details of specific evaluations are confidential. Timelines for re-evaluations are dependent upon the nature and complexity of the case, questions we may have for the publisher, and the extent...
16 days ago • 14 min read
Subscribe to newsletter Hello fellow journalologists, Two weeks have passed since the last issue of this newsletter. Family life has needed to take priority over writing Journalology. Hopefully you’ve been busy with life outside work, too, and this week’s issue will help you to catch up. The scholarly publishing environment is changing fast. Even the most seasoned publisher can benefit from independent advice. I can help you to build a successful portfolio strategy and thrive in an open...
24 days ago • 17 min read
Subscribe to newsletter Hello fellow journalologists, This week’s newsletter starts with a section devoted to US news and opinion, focusing mostly on stories that directly (rather than indirectly) affect our industry. Research Output Trends Over the Past 25 Years On Tuesday I sent you a video that explored how research publishing has changed over the past 25 years. Click the image below to watch it on YouTube. US news and opinion Declaration To Defend Research Against U.S. Government...
about 1 month ago • 17 min read
Hello fellow journalologists, The volume of published research articles has grown rapidly over the past 25 years. I’ve been investigating what might have caused the increase and today I want to share my findings with you, in the form of a video. The video is split into two halves. The first section (22 minutes viewing time) talks you through the impact on article volumes of (1) Covid, (2) the rise of China, (3) the transition to open access, and (4) the possible effect of paper mills. I also...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Subscribe to newsletter Hello fellow journalologists, This week’s scholarly publishing news has been dominated by one topic. I've attempted to summarise some of the key news stories and opinions related to the new US administration’s edicts, as they relate to academic journals. The past few weeks have been disorientating and confusing. Soon the smoke will lift and we will have a clearer view of the challenges that are facing us. Cool heads are needed. So is solidarity. Our industry is based...
about 2 months ago • 16 min read
Subscribe to newsletter Hello fellow journalologists, Sir Theodore "Robbie" Fortescue Fox, who edited The Lancet between 1944 and 1964 noted that there are two types of journal: newspaper journals and recorder journals. We should all be thankful for the role that newspaper journals play in these troubled times. Science and Nature, in particular, play an invaluable news-gathering role, especially during times of political or social upheaval. Scienceinsider has done an incredible job over the...
2 months ago • 12 min read
Subscribe to newsletter Hello fellow journalologists, Welcome to 2025. Many of you will have had some time off and will now be playing catch up. In this issue I’ve attempted to summarise the key news stories that broke over the festive period. There’s a lot to cover, so I’ve dropped the Opinion section to keep this newsletter to a reasonable(ish) length. A new year represents a new beginning. A time to take stock and plan for the year ahead. If you would like to work with me one-to-one, my...
3 months ago • 19 min read
Subscribe to newsletter Hello fellow journalologists, With Christmas fast approaching, this will be the final newsletter of 2024. Thank you for reading Journalology this year; I hope you’ve got some value from it. I’m attending the APE (Academic Publishing in Europe) conference in Berlin January 14-15, so please do say hello if you’re there too. I’m taking part in a panel discussion that will cover one of my favourite topics: “Balancing Quantity and Quality in Research Communication”. Nandita...
4 months ago • 16 min read