PEEER: Publishing for an Ethical and Equitable Environment in Research

Category: Reflections

  • We need communities, not journals

    —

    by

    peeer
    in

    The publication of scientific work is a cornerstone of scientific communication, but over the last century, scientific publishers have become increasingly involved with the scientific process, becoming central actors in deciding who can publish science, who can read science, and what excellent science is. Academic communities around the world have been negatively affected by this…

  • Navigating Scientific Publishing: Challenges and Paths Toward Equity

    —

    by

    peeer
    in ,

    Current changes in scientific publishing are among the most radical in over 50 years, with the range of publishing options rapidly expanding. Publisher-owned journals often dominate the landscape, while rising Article Processing Charges (APCs) and surging Open Access (OA) threaten to leave authors and institutions with few affordable options. These changes increase inequity among institutions…

  • Rethinking Scientific Publishing: A Call for Change

    —

    by

    peeer
    in

    Scientific publishing lies at the core of academic life. It is the main mechanism through which knowledge is shared, careers are built, and progress is evaluated. However, this system has evolved in ways that are not always beneficial. Across disciplines, researchers now face increasing pressure to publish more frequently, in faster cycles, and in higher-impact…

  • Two problems with scientific conferences

    —

    by

    peeer
    in

    Akin to the problems in scientific publishing driven by the ever-increasing influence of for-profit publishers since the 1950s and particularly emphasized in the past two decades, problems are also becoming clearer in the organization of scientific conferences. The consequences have potential to be similarly severe, given the central role of societies and annual meetings, alongside…

  • Publishing is becoming untenable: Can Community-led Open Access provide a solution?

    —

    by

    peeer
    in ,

    A cross-disciplinary group of library staff, researchers, and academic administrative faculty, from early career to full professors and senior professionals, gathered at Universität Zürich (UZH), Switzerland, on 20th February, 2025, to discuss challenges and opportunities in scientific publishing. Bringing their diverse perspectives, and centered on emerging topics in open science, a panel and audience were…