Sharing and publishing research results is a fundamental part of research and knowledge production. This process relies on critical examination and discussion of the fndings. Historically, the primary goals of scholarly communication were to disseminate, exchange and preserve knowledge through the publication of academic journals and books. Today’s scholarly communication system has increasingly diverged from these original purposes and drifted away from the needs of the communities it is meant to serve. It now presents significant flaws and ineffciencies. It ignores bibliodiversity and multilingualism, imposes high costs on researchers and research performing organisations, restricts the rapid and wide dissemination of research results and (through its structure and operation) threatens core academic values such as trust and integrity.
This briefing describes the current status of academic publishing, highlighting the main factors shaping the system and the key challenges faced by the academic community. It also identifies opportunities for universities to play a leading role in shaping the future of scholarly communication. The active engagement of universities and other stakeholders is key to achieving a just scholarly publishing ecosystem that is transparent, diverse, affordable, sustainable, technically interoperable, and steered by the research community, as outlined in the EUA Open Science Agenda 2025.
| Artificial Intelligence |
| Research Data Curation and Management Works |
| Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works |
| Open Access Works |
| Digital Scholarship |
