Vision 2030: Scholarly Publishing Headlines from the Future

In his book The Future is Faster Than you Think, Peter H. Diamandis predicted that “we’re going to experience twenty thousand years of technological change over the next 100 years.” In this blisteringly fast-moving world, where technology trends evolve apace and disruption is the daily standard, it has become close to impossible to know what comes next, how it might affect us, and when.

As this volatility permeates the academic publishing landscape, the KGL team were recently given the fun—albeit rather challenging—task of becoming futurists for the day. We asked our colleagues a simple question: If you could read the scholarly publishing industry news headlines of 2030 what would they say?

The assignment was designed to examine what the future might have in store for us and what could potentially be the trends that define the next five to ten years. With varying levels of sublime to ridiculous, realistic to idealistic, and scary to hilarious, the responses to the exercise gave a fascinating insight into how we see the future of academic publishing unfolding.

From likely outcomes, such as AI changing the peer review landscape beyond all recognition, to wilder concepts, like the emergence of VR powered journals and posthumous publishing, the team’s collective imagination didn’t disappoint. Here are some of our favorite selected headlines and synopses:

1. AI-driven peer review systems gain widespread adoption

In a groundbreaking shift, AI-powered platforms now perform 90% of all peer review for academic journals. With technology companies finally addressing AI’s bias issues, publishers and academics now have greater confidence in the process and are celebrating improved accessibility and efficiency.

2. The death of the Impact Factor?

The once dominant Impact Factor, that was traditionally used as a measure of scholarly journal prestige, has been replaced by new, more holistic metrics. These new systems of measurement take into account researcher collaboration, real-world impact, and public engagement, shifting the academic world towards a broader evaluation system beyond citation counts.

3. AI-powered translation allows journals to go global

As AI translation becomes increasingly advanced and reliable, journal publishers have started to publish scholarly work in multiple languages simultaneously. The advanced translation tools are now being used to ensure that research is accessible globally, reducing language barriers and accelerating the speed of scientific discovery beyond borders.

4. AI bot published as lead author for the first time

In a move that has had the academic community up in arms, a journal has labeled an AI system as the lead author of a research paper. The controversial decision has angered many academics who consider the technology to be a direct threat and are concerned about ethics, authorship and the increasingly blurred lines between human and AI-originated research.

5. Mixed reaction to inaugural holographic academic conference

Are traditional academic conferences a thing of the past? A new breed of conference, where holographic projection technology allowed speakers and attendees to gather in shared virtual spaces, took place this week. Academics from around the world presented research, interacted with 3D visualizations and engaged in debates as though they were physically present, all the while sitting in their own homes. Many praised the exciting technology and format, while other attendees felt the atmosphere was “flat.”

6. World’s first VR journal launches

A major milestone was reached this week as the world’s first fully virtual reality journal was launched. This pioneering publication allows readers to step inside the research itself, experiencing experiments, simulations and data visualizations first-hand in a three-dimensional space. This innovative journal marks the dawn of a new era in scholarly publishing, where traditional paper and online formats could be replaced by more immersive and interactive alternatives.

7. Posthumous publishing breakthrough: deceased academic’s work finally completed

The first-ever posthumous research paper has been published, created directly from the mind of a deceased scientist. Using advanced neurotechnology, researchers were able to extract and preserve the complex neural patterns and thought processes before she passed away, allowing her unfinished work to be completed and shared post-mortem. The widely celebrated development sparked some controversy and debate in academic circles around intellectual property, consent and the future of posthumous academic contribution.

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