JMIR Publications has launched a name for papers analyzing misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation generated or perpetuated by scholarly publishing. The brand new e-collection might be hosted by JMIR Metascience and Analysis Integrity.
Relatively than specializing in public misinformation, the gathering will goal threats rising from throughout the analysis ecosystem. Consequently, the writer famous that these threats embrace compromised peer assessment, manipulated information, and deceptive abstracts. Moreover, predatory publishing, quotation manipulation, paper mills, and the misuse of synthetic intelligence (AI) instruments signify crucial considerations.
Addressing rising threats to analysis integrity
JMIR warned that downstream penalties of misinformation in scholarly publishing can erode public belief in science. Consequently, these points can result in dangerous real-world selections in scientific apply or well being coverage.
The velocity and scale at which scientific content material is now produced and shared amplifies these dangers. Evolving publishing fashions equivalent to preprints and open peer assessment can turn into avenues for unvalidated AI-generated materials. Moreover, social media dissemination instruments speed up this unfold. Consequently, this will increase the chance of distributing data that has not been adequately vetted. However, the scholarly group is actively growing detection instruments, instructional frameworks, and coverage interventions to counter these rising threats.
Proposing options throughout the publishing ecosystem
The writer is especially considering work that proposes, evaluates, or critically examines options developed by stakeholders throughout the business. Submissions might cowl mechanisms by which deceptive content material enters the literature. Furthermore, papers can handle the detection, correction, and retraction of misinformation by post-publication assessment.
Extra matters of curiosity embrace misinformation in non-peer-reviewed content material and predatory publishing practices. Moreover, analysis evaluation incentives and infrastructure-based options involving publishers, funders, and establishments are key themes.
JMIR additionally welcomes evidence-based thought items on future publishing ecosystems that mitigate misinformation. As well as, research measuring the influence of social media in amplifying deceptive claims are inspired. Acceptable codecs embrace authentic analysis, systematic opinions, scoping opinions, coverage analyses, viewpoints, analysis letters, and tutorials.
Renewing UK flat-fee open entry agreements
Individually, JMIR Publications has renewed its Flat-Price Limitless Open Entry Publishing Settlement with six UK universities by Jisc. Newcastle College, the College of Leeds, and the College of Manchester have prolonged their participation. As well as, the College of Nottingham, the College of Southampton, and the College of Warwick have renewed.
The settlement replaces particular person article processing prices (APCs) with a single publishing subscription. Consequently, this mannequin eliminates administrative and monetary obstacles for researchers selecting open entry. Corresponding authors affiliated with the six establishments can publish throughout JMIR’s portfolio of over 30 gold open entry journals for gratis by 31 July 2027.
Dennis O’Brien, VP of Communications and Partnerships at JMIR Publications, mentioned the renewal endorses open entry publishing subscriptions as a sustainable and scalable path ahead for open science. “By transferring away from particular person, transactional APC billing, we’re establishing a extra predictable and equitable publishing surroundings,” he mentioned.
