Editorial

At the Microbiology Society, our vision is a world in which the science of microbiology provides maximum benefit to society. Reflecting the vast diversity of microbes, the wide array of fields of microbiology research intersect with many other disciplines across the natural and social sciences.

Global research publisher Taylor & Francis is marking 15 years of STAR (Special Terms for Authors and Researchers). This important initiative helps individual researchers who are not currently affiliated with an institution or research organization by providing access to the latest research.

IOP Publishing (IOPP) is strengthening its support for open science by requiring authors publicly share the research data underpinning articles in two of its journals: Environmental Research: Food Systems (ERFS) and Environmental Research: Climate (ERCL). Papers submitted with data inaccessible will only be accepted if there is compelling legal or ethical justification. The new policy represents a pilot aimed at fostering greater access to research data, with potential expansion across other journals in IOPP’s Environmental Research series.

As the national academy of science for the UK, the Royal Society supports open access and open science to maximise the dissemination and re-use of research outputs. Looking back on the Royal Society journals’ progress over 2024, I am pleased to report that we have increased our open access output from 66% in 2023 to 71% across the research journals.

IOP Publishing (IOPP) is delighted to announce the recipients of its Outstanding Reviewer Awards 2024. These annual awards recognise reviewers whose peer review reports have been exceptional over the past year and acknowledge the crucial role of peer review in maintaining the quality and integrity of research. 

Charlesworth, a leading provider of author engagement and workflow solutions, is pleased to announce the integration of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) with the Charlesworth Gateway using the Aries Editorial Manager WeChat Paper Status Notification plug-in service.

1,000 institutions in 53 countries are now participating. We have agreements with 20 library consortia, and we have recently renewed our agreements with BIBSAM, CAUL and Jisc. We have seen growth in many regions given the support of consortia representatives and regional partners.

Since 2010, MDPI has run its own online submission system. More recently, we have made the software, with accompanying publishing services, available to other publishers as JAMS (Journal and Article Management System). We are now delighted to announce the launch of JAMS Journals, a standardized platform for operating open access journals at low cost.

Molecular Connections (MC), a global leader in technology-driven content solutions and digital transformation for the scholarly publishing industry, has announced its acquisition of Editorial Office Ltd (EOL), a premier provider of high-quality peer-review and publishing support services.

2024 was an eventful year for the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and its membership of research libraries and archives in major public and private universities, federal government agencies, and large public institutions in Canada and the US. ARL’s 2024 impact report enumerates the vibrant engagement of the Association’s membership that empowers and advocates for research libraries and archives to shape, influence, and implement institutional, national, and international policy and develop the next generation of leaders.

The Royal Society of Chemistry has agreed a new three-year Open Access publishing agreement with Couperin, a consortium of French Higher Education and Research establishments. The agreement represents the expansion of a longstanding and successful partnership, building on the success of the previous agreement, from 2022-2024. The members of the agreement include the leading universities in France.

Elsevier, a global leader in scientific information and analytics, and The Carolina Consortium opens in new tab/window, a leading advocate for academic collaboration and access to knowledge, are pleased to announce a new Read and Publish (R&P) agreement for 2025. The three-year agreement underscores the Consortium’s commitment to empowering its member institutions with seamless access to scholarly content and sustainable publishing options.