Reflections on the ALPSP Annual Conference 2024 by Anna Savage

 ALPSP Rising Star Awards Winner, Anna Savage, Publishing Executive at BMJ Group, looks back at the conference.

The keynote speech of this year’s ALPSP conference introduced the two fundamental challenges with which the scholarly publishing world is undeniably grappling: open access, and Generative AI. The former is perhaps more familiar territory, though far from a worn-out topic. The latter has more recently emerged, however it is nonetheless already deeply embedded in the discourse, debates and decision-making taking place within research institutions, academic publishers, libraries, and funding bodies worldwide.

The keynote was delivered by Jake Okechukwu Effoduh and was entitled ‘Scholarly Publishing in the Era of Open Access and Generative AI’. As an opening to the conference, the session suitably considered that which is on everybody’s minds, and attempted to make sense of the tangled issues inherent in the title. If it were not obvious to conference attendees before they entered, it was soon clear that this is a pivotal time in scholarly publishing. The final impression we were left with, however, was one of optimism, and in my mind this theme pervaded the rest of the conference.

It can be easy to feel pessimistic about the current challenges. The keynote, along with several other conference sessions, highlighted concerns about the potentially underwhelming impact of open access as a funding model, and of the adoption of Generative AI tools so far. Both have been favourably regarded as solutions: the former to address inequity; the latter to tackle inefficiency. Instead we have been presented with new problems which must somehow be addressed. The keynote did not propose to have the answers. What it did was recognise the complexity of the current landscape. The concluding call to action invited us to envision how we can harness the potential of open access and Generative AI tools, empowering us to shape their role rather than being shaped by them.

From the variety of sessions and speakers that followed during the rest of the conference, it became clear that a one-sided approach would likely be ineffective. Solutions must not be sought from scholarly publishers alone because the challenges are not exclusive to scholarly publishers. Yes, open access poses challenges for sustainable revenue for publishers, but it also leads to inequities for researchers - as highlighted in the keynote -  and encourages predatory publishing practices, impacting all stakeholders in the publishing community. Likewise, Generative AI has the potential to exacerbate concerns around integrity, authenticity and bias. There is a risk of undermining the scholarly communication system as a whole, and this cannot be addressed by publishers alone.

The contributions to the conference were, accordingly, highly varied. Speakers included representatives from both large and small publishers, funding bodies, technology providers, consultants and recruitment services, who offered a wide range of perspectives on the current landscape. Many sessions focused on emerging innovations and advancements positioned to address key challenges, such as equitable funding models (e.g., S2O), integrity checks, and sustainable solutions. It was evident that multiple approaches to the same issue can coexist, and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Collaboration between publishers and the broader academic publishing community will be essential as we continue to innovate and overcome emerging challenges.

I am particularly pleased that the Rising Star Award will continue to offer opportunities for early-career professionals to engage with this conference, and to be part of these critical conversations that will no doubt shape our careers in 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

Anna Savage is a Publishing Executive at BMJ Group. 

She works on the day-to-day management and strategic development of a portfolio of hybrid and open access specialist medical journals, collaborating closely with journal editors and partner societies. She is also involved in exploring the potential applications of Generative AI tools at BMJ and the implications for academic journals.