ALPSP Annual Conference 2024: A Review by ALPSP Rising Star Awards Winner, Hazel Rowland, Associate Marketing Manager, IOP Publishing
My first ALPSP Conference Manchester 2024
My usual experience of conferences is manning the booth and talking with delegates. Being on the other side of the table was a fun experience, and receiving a Rising Star Award was an honour. You could feel a buzz in the air throughout the week. Everyone was eager to discuss interesting topics and innovations. It was very inspiring.
I found discussions on the accessibility of research extremely interesting. Highlighting barriers such as language, funding, and limited internet access in some regions. Solutions included AI for translation and editing, tailored OA models and initiatives supporting access to research in various formats, especially in the global south.
A debate I found very interesting was on what makes research “impactful”, and the importance of research visibility. Knowing your audience and understanding what the research is for is key in order to determine its impact. For example, local research is integral for sharing important knowledge about specific elements relevant to the local region, but might be understood, or cited less, on a global scale. How can we (and should we) define global impact when research may be highly impactful locally?– a very interesting question. But one that highlighted the importance of knowing your audience and understanding who and what the research is for to recognise its impact.
I cannot leave out the topic of AI ─a regular discussion in more than just scholarly publishing. AI is a tool that we can use to make our industry work more efficiently, more accessible and more innovative. Discussions pointed out that it can be used to analyse and understand our marketing audiences so we can connect the relevant audience with the research. Additionally, it can be used in innovative ways to help identify and detect bad actors in research integrity. AI can also be used to aid accessibility, reducing language and accessibility barriers.
There were discussions on whether AI would be taking over and an inspiring point was made by the opening keynote speaker Jake Okechukwu Effodu, who said “think back to when the internet was predicted to eliminate the need for libraries, or when ebooks were thought to signal the death of print publishing. These technologies transformed but they did not replace, so generative AI cannot replace”. Despite AI’s issues like inheriting bias and regurgitating content, discussions focused on harnessing it for the benefit of scholarly publishing.
About the ALPSP Rising Star Award 2024
This award aims to recognise potential in early career individuals. The winners are given the opportunity and financial support to attend the ALPSP Annual Conference in person and write a short review of their experiences of the meeting. The ALPSP Rising Star Award is sponsored by Publishers' Licensing Services.
The winners of this year's Rising Star Award are:
- Hazel Rowland, IOP Publishing
- Anna Savage, BMJ
- Ella Gibbs, Bristol University Press
- Heather Townsend, Bristol University Press
- Melody (Zhuxin) Zhang, Wiley
ALPSP Annual Conference and Awards
Thank you to all our speakers, sponsors and attendees for making the ALPSP 2024 Conference and Awards such a success. We will be returning to the Hilton Manchester Deansgate Hotel next year from 10-12 September 2025. The call for topics is open until 1 December. For more information, visit our website.
About the author
Hazel Rowland, Associate Marketing Manager, IOP Publishing
Hazel joined the scholarly publishing world in 2017 as a Marketing Assistant for IOP Publishing, and has been continuously developing her knowledge, career and experiences to aid the global scientific community.
