Publishing trends and issues discussed at ISMTE 2020 with LetPub

Under difficult circumstances, International Society of Managing and Technical Editors was able to execute a successful annual meeting in the month of August. LetPub participated in the new virtual format with three total sessions from Dr. Avriel Licciardi, Associate Editor, and Dr. Clark Holdsworth, Research Communications Manager. ISMTE is one of the most significant annual meetings in the scholarly publishing industry as leaders in science dissemination discuss the impacts of new policies and disruptive technology changes within publishing. ISMTE 2020 sets the tone and expectations for the publishing environment over the coming year.

In the “If You Build (Right), They Will Come” session, Dr. Holdsworth presented on the content driving readership. The session addressed the diverse new scientific communications formats, such as video abstracts, plain language summaries, and visual abstracts. Dr. Holdsworth points to the heavy and effective use of infographics during COVID-19 as evidence of what’s to come in the next few years.

"ISMTE 2020 followed up on some important recent events. I think for scientists the actions surrounding open access, public communication of science, and the speed and quality of peer review, are becoming more transparent. ISMTE really solidified that sustained efforts across science and publishing are starting to come to fruition" said Dr. Holdsworth.

As part of the “BREAKOUT 1: Flipping to Open Access? Case Studies and Potential Pitfalls” session, Dr. Licciardi provided attendees with up-to-date knowledge on how open access policies are evolving worldwide, including recent changes in the Plan S initiative, a potential mandate for federally funded research in the United States, and changes to Chinese policy that may impact the scholarly publishing industry. Active discussion, in addition to first-hand information detailing the effects of flipping journals to open access, suggest journals and publishers are trending toward open access business models, many with the researcher and author in mind.

Dr. Licciardi comments, “The ISMTE North American conference was a success. It was both rewarding and thought provoking to participate in this year’s virtual event, especially since ISMTE brought together many talented individuals, institutions, and organizations dedicated to improving the integrity of scholarly communication. It will be a pleasure to attend next year.”

Other highlights from this year’s meeting:

• Integrating Artificial Intelligence Tools into Your Editorial Office Workflows
  Speakers from Writeful, UNSILO, and Clarivate Analytics discuss the integration of AI into editorial workflows as organizations look to pre-screen submissions and improve the review process. The take-home message is that AI is not a one-stop fix, but that testing and iterating small, but effective, AI tools can dramatically improve submission speeds and experiences.
• Reimagining Author and Reviewer Guidelines
  Via a dedicated pre-conference workshop, journal editors brainstormed best practices to eliminate harsh and unfair peer reviews. Feedback on reviewing activity for authors and editors is being implemented for some journals, which is likely to become more commonplace, particularly as the industry explores open peer review policies.

About ISMTE | www.ismte.org
ISMTE serves a unique niche within the academic, scientific, medical, technical, and professional publishing industry -- editorial office staff. Through our newsletter, discussion forum, online resources, and meetings, we connect you with others in the profession. We provide networking and training infrastructure, establish best practices, and study and report on editorial office practices.

About LetPub | www.letpub.com
LetPub, the flagship editorial brand of Accdon LLC, is the only author services company headquartered in the Boston area. LetPub helps authors from around the world publish and share their research. LetPub’s language and scientific editors are leaders in their fields, teach at top American universities, and hold industry-leading credentials such as the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences certification. LetPub editors specialize in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental sciences, geology, humanities, material science, mathematics, medicine, physics, social sciences, and more. LetPub provides expert English editing and research communication services as well as editorial support packages for journals, academic societies, and publishers. To find out more about our expert services and to get a quote visit www.letpub.com.