Scholarly Publishing Commons^™

Research "Junkification" Is Caused By Researchers, Not Journals, Simon Sebastian Groome, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Concerns about declining research quality have increasingly been framed as “junkification,” whereby academic output expands in volume while declining in epistemic value. A recent paper by Rhodes and Linnenluecke (2025) attributes this trend to changes in publishing, arguing that research quality erodes as journals and publishers become increasingly oriented toward output quantity and metrics, driven by monetization. In 2009, Nobel Laureate James Watson remarked that scientific publishing in the mid-twentieth century was both easier and of a higher standard than today (Web of Stories, 2017). If publishing is much easier of late, as Rhodes and Linnenelucke (R&L) argued, then how …

Writing As A Process Of Inquiry In Autoethnography For Meaning-Making: Reflections And Some Points For Consideration, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

This article explores writing as a process of inquiry and meaning-making in the autoethnographic tradition, offering reflections on the recursive, emergent, and dialogical/dialectical nature of writing, along with some points for consideration. Drawing on perspectives from qualitative research and narrative inquiry (Riessman, 2008), I argue that autoethnographic writing serves as a method of inquiry and/or discovery, generating ontological, epistemological, and axiological-driven cultural meaning that functions as a site of reflection, interrogation, and re-storying of lived experiences. This recursive, often messy, and reflexive act allows researchers to excavate, analyze, and interpret their lived experiences. Rather than viewing writing as a final-stage …

Reforming Academic Publishing To Support The Sustainable Development Goals: A Call For Leadership, Seán Lacey

Publications

Paywalls and high article processing charges in academic publishing restrict access to scientific knowledge, limiting who can produce, use, and benefit from research. These barriers disproportionately affect researchers and institutions in low- and middle-income countries, reinforcing global inequalities in research capacity and evidence-informed policymaking. Addressing these challenges requires determined system leadership to reform funding models, expand equitable open access pathways, and ensure publicly funded research is freely available. Without coordinated action, the promise of inclusive, globally shared scientific progress central to the Sustainable Development Goals will remain unrealised.

The Impact Of State And Federal Policies On Academic Researchers: Findings From A National Survey, Dylan Ruediger, Chelsea Mccracken, Jonathan Barefield

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Key findings

● State and federal policies targeting divisive concepts or DEI are shaping research agendas at scale and across disciplines. Twenty percent of all respondents, and 29 percent of researchers working in states with divisive concepts or similar laws, reported having avoided certain research topics because of state laws and policies.

● Eight percent of respondents representing a wide range of disciplines reported having had a federal grant cancelled in 2025.

● Eleven percent of respondents reported that federal and state policies restricting research activities are compelling them to seek employment out of state, to leave the academy, or …

Book Review: Social Justice Design And Implementation In Library And Information Science Edited By Bharat Mehra, Ellie F. Kawada

School of Information Student Research Journal

Social Justice Design and Implementation in Library and Information Science, edited by Bharat Mehra, is an engaging volume that explores the pursuit of social justice in its many forms in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS). The included chapters cover case studies of social justice implementation in library services, theoretical frameworks for subversive methods of research and education, and the future of library advocacy for social justice. While the volume is centered on English-speaking countries and lacks the perspective of paraprofessional library staff, the themes and examples presented in the book are invaluable to any LIS students, professionals, …

Decolonizing The Academic Library: Examining The Successful Indigenization Of Ubc And Unm’S Library Services, Emily T. Villars

School of Information Student Research Journal

This article examines decolonization and indigenization initiatives at two academic libraries: the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of New Mexico (UNM). It asks how these institutions have implemented indigenization in their libraries and what lessons can inform broader reconciliation work across North America. Through a comparative lens, it analyzes how national and organizational frameworks, such as the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA-FCAB) Truth and Reconciliation Report and Recommendations and the American Indian Library Association’s (AILA) organizational goals, can shape these efforts. The study highlights three core strategies: decolonizing access and classification, transforming library spaces, and expanding …

Book Review: Academic Librarian Burnout: Causes And Responses Edited By Christina Holm, Ana Guimaraes, And Nashieli Marcano, Brianna Gaffney

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Reflection On Research Limitations And Conclusions, Pearl Kim

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean: Research As A Way Of Becoming, Mehrdad Aliasgari

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Virtual Rock Box – 3d Objects As Teaching/Learning Objects, Amy Reese

Libraries Professional Work

3D models are poised to provide learning experiences that can be equivalent to those provided by physical objects. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, geology professor, Dr. Scott Brande, received NSF funding to enhance teaching rock identification and categorization for introductory undergraduate geoscience classes. He needed an institutional platform to make the 3D models created by his grant discoverable for anyone seeking to utilize them as teaching/learning objects for geology instruction.

This talk will discuss the dilemma faced by the object’s hosting and discovery needs that followed. Discoverability via the library and maintaining object manipulability were both seen as …

Level Up: How The Batch Upload Tool Can Help You Be The Repository Rockstar, Amy Reese

Libraries Professional Work

The batch upload tool can really assist with making you look like a repository rockstar – especially when the content from multiple big projects comes up out of nowhere, all at the same time.

You just need to learn how to lean in to the batch upload tool. This Digital Commons platform feature can help any solo repository manager level up the ingestion process so that large projects don’t need to move at a snail’s pace. It’s all about being savvy when choosing projects, figuring out your workflow up-front, and enlisting the help of your trusted content creators to help …

How Journal Editors Are Addressing Challenges With No-Fee Open Access, Colleen Lyon, Christopher Hollister

All Things Open

No-fee or “diamond” open access embodies the principles of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, particularly openness, inclusivity, and collaboration. This model of publishing strengthens equitable access to knowledge, promotes multilingualism, and democratizes science.

Unique among open access models, no-fee open access eliminates both APCs and subscription fees, making it completely free for both authors and readers. This model is often funded by academic institutions, governments, or non-profit organizations, focusing on equity, inclusivity, and accessibility.

To investigate the efficacy of this model, the presenters administered a survey of North American no-fee journal editors to explore the challenges of managing no-fee …

Greenaissance? Zero-Embargo Funder Mandates And Green Open Access, Josh Cromwell

All Things Open

Recently, several funder-driven Open Access mandates, such as Plan S in Europe or the NIH Public Access Policy in the US, have indicated a desire to shift away from allocating funds for article processing charges (APCs) and have instead called for significantly reducing or eliminating embargo periods on accepted manuscripts (AMs) to make them a viable pathway to compliance for researchers.

This talk will address how these policies can significantly revitalize Green Open Access and open repositories, and will discuss strategies for researchers and librarians to use these new policy changes as an opportunity to share their research openly without …

Make It Make Cents: Creating A Rubric To Evaluate Potential Read-And-Publish Agreements, Olivia Chin, Luke Mcdonald

All Things Open

Negotiating read-and-publish agreements for institutions can be tricky! There are many different aspects to consider: cost, publisher ethics, publishing data, open access discounts, etc. How do you decide which agreements to choose? What are your dealbreakers? In the summer of 2025, the License Negotiation Team from the University of Tennessee Knoxville Libraries created a rubric to evaluate potential read-and-publish agreements with vendors. The rubric allowed us to prioritize our principled negotiations approach and standardize how we approach these decisions. This presentation will demonstrate how academic libraries can create and implement rubrics to address the publishing criteria most important within their …

Exploring The Landscape Of Indian Library And Information Science Journals: A Bibliometric Perspective On Publication Productivity And Authorship Patterns, Shiva Kumara S U, Sampath Kumar Bt

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study aims to ascertain the publication productivity, authorship patterns, and the Degree of collaboration in two Indian Library and Information Science (LIS) journals. The related data was extracted from two LIS journals viz., “Annals of Library and Information Studies” (ALIS) and “DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology” (DJLIT). The study findings show that there is a gradual decline in the number of publications published in both journals from 2015 to 2022. It is also noticed that collaborative research is on the rise in LIS literature and two-authored papers are the most common. The average degree of collaboration …

Jumping Into The Deep End: Lessons Learned From Editing A Book About Open Movements, Abbey K. Elder, Bryan T. Ricupero, Shannon M. Smith

All Things Open

In 2023, we had a great idea: let’s make an open access book about open movements! Little did we know, this experience would change us all as we learned and grew alongside the authors who contributed to our volume, Open Movements: Recognizing Challenges and Building Connections.

Open Movements is about a lot of things: it’s about the institutional initiatives that support open scholarship, the vendors and programs that connect practitioners to the ideals of openness, and the barriers we run into when we try to communicate all that “Open” can be. Despite coming from separate institutions with backgrounds spanning …

Free To Read, Free To Publish: Library Publishing And Global Scholarly Communication, Jonathan D. Grunert

All Things Open

Open access is a right exercised by scholars and their institutions, not a privilege granted by publishers. From this perspective, library publishing is not peripheral to the open access movement but a necessary extension, and when libraries take on publishing roles, they reclaim functions long outsourced to commercial actors and re-center scholarly communication within academic communities. The partnership among libraries, institutions, and researchers is foundational to the production, evaluation, and sharing of knowledge. Library publishing shows that open access can be sustainable and scholar-driven without reliance on paywalls, article processing charges, or exclusivity.

Since 2014, library publishing has evolved from …

Addressing Legal Uncertainties In Article Versions And Institutional Copyright Policies To Support Immediate Public Access To Federal Grant-Funded Publications, Yuanxiao Xu

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

New federal public access policies—mandated by the 2022 OSTP Memo and already adopted by several key federal grant-making agencies—require authors funded by federal grants to deposit peer-reviewed publications for immediate public access. This paper explains how grant- receiving institutions and their affiliated authors can dispel legal uncertainties and comply with the new public access policies. Section I delineates how valid prior licenses enable public deposit of manuscripts notwithstanding later publishing agreements transferring copyright to the journals. Section II discusses the different versions of a manuscript created during the publication process. Section III describes the different types of third-party contributions incorporated …

A National Security Strategy For The Middle East, Vanessa Rice, Rudy Torres, Addy Horgan, Joy Omosa, Mark Westfall

School of Public Policy Capstones

This National Security Strategy addresses the persistent national security challenges the United States faces in the Middle East, a region vital for global energy supply, economic connectivity, and a source of anti-American extremism. Recognizing the failures of past "haphazard experimentation," the strategy proposes a thoughtful, pragmatic plan prioritizing five distinct and congruent interest areas: Maintaining Regional Access, Supporting Regional Stability, Ensuring Energy Security, Defending American Citizens and Personnel, and Preserving and Protecting Western Ideals. The strategy outlines actions such as: countering Chinese and Russian influence through intelligence sharing and defense incentives; containing Iran via a new, permanent nuclear deal and …

Unl Authorship And Open Access Citation Impacts After A Decade (2015-2024): A Preliminary Report On Articles Indexed By Elsevier’S Scopus, David C. Tyler, Pei-Ying Chen, Erica Defrain

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

The authors addressed the following research questions:

• Did the articles with UNL Lead Authors produce more citations than articles with UNL Contributing Authors?
• Did OA, as identified by Scopus at the journal and article levels, generate more citations?
• Were citation totals associated with the number of extra-publisher OA avenues?
• Were some publishers associated with higher citation counts than others?
• Did some subjects, by Library of Congress classification, generate more citations than others?