Challenges in Scientific Publishing and the Need for Reform

The dysfunctions of scientific publishing stem from researchers being incentivized to publish as much as possible and publishers making more money by publishing more papers. Artificial intelligence is not the solution as it may lead to churning out papers even faster, eroding trust in science. Research should prioritize quality and meaning over quantity and metrics. Publishers' high fees should be rejected. Funders like universities and research councils can alter incentives and reduce publishers' profits.

Examples like SciELO and the Global Diamond Open Access Alliance show alternatives to profit-driven publishing. The academic publishing market diverts research funds to shareholder profits. Open access has been co-opted by commercial publishers, with authors paying high charges to publish. Reforming academic assessment and decoupling it from knowledge dissemination is crucial for sustainable open access.

Academic publishing is overloaded with low-value articles, incentivizing quantity over quality. Generative AI exacerbates these issues. Cambridge University Press is collaborating on a review of the research publishing ecosystem to address these challenges and build a better system.