SciScore Version 3 beta Released with New Statistics Module and Author/Reviewer Dashboard

September 20, 2024

SciCrunch Inc is pleased to announce the release of SciScore Version 3 beta with significant improvements. We’ve listened to our users; many authors reached out to us wanting to know how we calculate the score and how to improve their results. Additionally, several publishers expressed interest in a tool to check for statistics requirements during the peer review process. In response, we’ve implemented the following notable improvements:

A redesigned report interface featuring a new cover page that provides an at-a-glance summary of how well the paper adheres to rigor and transparency guidelines.
Comprehensive explanations and suggestions throughout the report to help users improve their scores and understand the scoring rationale.
We have added a brand new statistics module. Our AI checks the statistical methods used and guides expected reporting practices.

“The SciScore Version 3 beta update will bring along a major improvement for our users with an easy to interpret cover page. At a glance they will be able to see where they don’t adhere yet to policy guidelines and we’ve create a brandnew statistics module to help researchers to provide the right information on their reporting.”
Anita Bandrowski, CEO of SciScore

We look forward to receiving your feedback on these improvements.

What’s New in Version 3

What is new?

SciScore boasts a set of 4 cover pages:
- human studies cover,
- animal studies cover,
- other study cover page,
- a ‘0’ score cover page;

These cover pages are intended to provide a quick overview of how the manuscript submitted to SciScore fared in context with additional help information and links to the appropriate checklist

Contextual help has been placed throughout the report in the column on the right, “How to improve”
Scoring constraint rules were added to improve the relevance and significance of the SciScore
SciScore has moved sections, oligo probes and incorrect RRIDs have moved from Table 3 to Table 2
Table 3 is now entirely devoted to statistics, where SciScore reports on the most common statistical tests and adds information about what should be reported for each test as well as a quick reminder of the assumptions that should be satisfied for each test

What has improved?

Enhanced recognition and parsing of statements about data
- We would like to thank the ODDPub team (Ridel et al, 2020; DOI: 10.5334/dsj-2020-042, RRID:SCR_018385) for their work, based on which we have been able to update the deposited data classifier
Enhanced recognition of the following entities: antibodies, organisms, cell lines, software tools, and statistical tests
- For organisms, antibodies, and cell lines we now recognize more common patterns typical of “control” reagents. As more people use these we do the “RRID lookup” for authors, but we still ask that authors remain vigilant, only they know which reagents and other resources they used
Enhanced recognition of code repositories
Enhanced recognition of antibodies within large lists or mentioned by catalog number
Enhanced recognition of software tools to include a new set of URLs available from the RRID web-portal

SciScore to check for adherence to experimental rigor and reporting requirements in several American Heart Association journals

September 20, 2024

An earlier pilot project found that the use of SciScore, an AI-based tool, to evaluate submitted manuscripts was effective in improving several aspects of rigor of research articles, prompting the expansion of SciScore to more titles.

The reproducibility crisis in scientific research is a many-sided problem involving ingrained practices, both in laboratory and publication practices. Fortunately, some of the root causes of irreproducibility are known and being addressed by scientists and editors alike through a steadily increasing number of recommendations and requirements used to address different aspects of rigor and reproducibility in the scientific literature, e.g., MDAR, ARRIVE, CONSORT, and RRID standards.

SciScore, a product of SciCrunch Inc., provides authors and reviewers with both a score and a supporting report of the submitted manuscript to identify if key areas of reproducibility and transparency have been addressed or not [MK1] in the manuscript. It will look for evidence of randomization, blinded conduct of the experiment, sample size estimation, whether sex is included as a biological characteristic, animal/cell line authentication or contamination, verify the identity of the antibodies used, and various other guideline-specific items.

SciScore, an automated and multifaceted tool based on artificial intelligence, evaluates scientific manuscripts for adherence to several key reporting criteria for rigor and reproducibility. To improve the reproducibility of the research published, SciScore is now integrated into the American Heart Association’s journal submission workflow. Results from the initial pilot, which ran over a year’s time for the Association’s Circulation Research journal, showed that the average monthly scores for submitted manuscripts rose dramatically by 4% month-over-month, which helped the journal to improve its rigor and reproducibility.

“SciScore helps editors point out the places where authors may have omitted a bit of detail about their study,” says Anita Bandrowski, CEO of SciScore. “I know that most researchers, when asked about methodological details, are happy to supply needed information. It is great that SciScore can alert authors and reviewers in advance where things might be missing. It is like spell check but for reagents.”

Moving forward, the following American Heart Association journals will have SciScore integrated in their journal submission process: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology (ATVB), Circulation Research, Stroke, Hypertension, and Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology.

Further reading on reproducibility crisis

Further results with SciScore

New tool to assess equity in scholarly communication models

September 19, 2024

A new online tool designed to assess the equity of scholarly communication models is launched today at the OASPA 2024 conference. The “How Equitable Is It” tool, developed by a multi-stakeholder Working Group, comprising librarians, library consortia representatives, funders and publishers, and convened by cOAlition S, Jisc and PLOS, aims to provide a framework for evaluating scholarly communication models and arrangements on the axis of equity.

The tool, which was inspired by the “How Open Is It?” framework, is targeted at institutions, library consortia, funders and publishers, i.e. the stakeholders either investing or receiving funds for publishing services. It offers users the opportunity to rate scholarly communication models and arrangements across seven criteria:

Access to Read
Publishing immediate Open Access
Maximizing participation
Re-use rights
Pricing and fee transparency
Promoting and encouraging open research practices: data and code
Promoting and encouraging open research practices: preprints and open peer review

Key objectives

One of the primary ambitions of the Working Group was to develop something practical to help stakeholders assess scholarly communication models and arrangements on the axis of equity and to make this information available in ways which would facilitate easy comparison between different models. Rather than prescribing the outcome, users can rely on their own judgment as to how models or arrangements rate against equitable criteria: no pre-populated database of models, journals or arrangements sits behind the tool.

Robert Kiley, Head of Strategy at cOAlition S and one of the co-Chairs of the Working Group, commented: “While there is broad consensus that a model in which neither the author nor the reader pays a fee is more equitable than a subscription or APC-based approach, determining which other components make one model more equitable than another is challenging. The Equity Tool launched today helps users consider a range of criteria to move away from inequitable article-based models and arrangements to facilitate more equitable participation in knowledge sharing”.

Roheena Anand, Executive Director of Global Publishing Development & Sales at PLOS, and another of the Working Group’s Chairs, added: “We’re delighted to be launching this beta version of the Equity Tool. One of the strengths of the working group is its representation of multiple stakeholder views: funders, librarians and publishers. Many robust conversations between members led to this initial iteration, and we look forward to getting more feedback from the wider community”.

Anna Vernon, Head of Research Licensing at Jisc and also a co-Chair of the Working Group, expressed enthusiasm about the tool’s potential impact: “At Jisc we are keen to use this tool to inform our community’s investment decisions in scholarly publishing”.

How the tool works

Based on the above-mentioned criteria, the “How Equitable Is It” tool prompts users to consider to what extent the model (and associated funding flow) they are assessing facilitates (or restricts) equitable participation in knowledge sharing. Users score each criterion on a scale from “least equitable” to “most equitable,” receiving an overall equity score upon completion, along with a summary of their responses. A detailed description of the criteria and their definitions is available at: Framework_criteria_definitions.pdf

Feedback sought

The current release of the “How Equitable Is It?” tool is a beta version, open for comments and improvement. Stakeholders in the academic publishing ecosystem are encouraged to test the tool and provide feedback until the 28th October 2024 via the form https://coalitions.typeform.com/Equity-Feedback to help refine the criteria and increase its utility. The Working Group will review all input and publish a revised version in early 2025.

Update on UKRI’s journey to open access

September 18, 2024

UKRI provides updates on the open access policy, including monitoring and evaluation, monographs book chapters and edited collections and technical requirements.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is working collaboratively with stakeholders to support implementation of its open access policy. The policy applied since April 2022 for research articles and since January 2024 for monographs, book chapters and edited collections.

Monitoring and evaluation

UKRI published an externally commissioned report on the development of a set of baseline values for open access research articles, against which future progress can be assessed. The work was undertaken by Research Consulting and Sesame Open Science.

The baseline values show a steady increase in alignment with UKRI’s policy requirements in the years preceding the policy.

In 2022, the year the policy started, 63% of articles acknowledging UKRI funding were fully policy compliant. This means they were available immediately at the time of publishing, via a journal or repository with a licence allowing reuse.

In the wider UK this figure was much lower at 39%, largely driven by lower uptake of an open access licence.

The underpinning analysis was based exclusively on open data sources and the data and code have been made available to enable reuse, in line with UKRI’s commitment to open research.

The report outlines key observations and lessons learned to inform future monitoring and evaluation.

UKRI will consider these and other outcomes of this work in its ongoing monitoring and evaluation work, including the 2024 light-touch review of the UKRI open access policy for research articles.

Monographs, book chapters and edited collections

UKRI is pleased to announce it is partnering with the OAPEN Foundation to provide open infrastructure services for monographs and edited collections. This will improve discoverability and preservation, as well as support monitoring and evaluation.

UKRI has also initiated a series of projects to develop tools and resources for stakeholders.

Researchers

For researchers, UKRI has commissioned Insights Media to develop case studies that demonstrate the opportunities of publishing their monographs and edited collections open access.

Research organisations

For research organisations, UKRI is funding a project collaboration led by:

Together, they will develop implementation strategies, establish a forum for good practice exchange, and develop resources for researchers and open access professionals.

Publishers

For publishers, UKRI has commissioned Information Power to develop a toolkit that can support learned society, subject association and smaller specialist publishers to transition to open access business models.

This project is in partnership with:

Research information landscape

Working with MoreBrains Cooperative, UKRI has published further clarifications on the technical requirements of its open access policy for research articles.

These requirements are intended to help publishing and repository systems improve the open access research information landscape by:

making articles findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable
reducing burden associated with monitoring and managing research

An ongoing project

This work is part of an ongoing project to:

engage with repository and publishing communities on their state of readiness to meet the policy requirements
develop pragmatic next steps that can guide UKRI’s work and that of other stakeholders

Through engaging with stakeholders, UKRI and MoreBrains identified a need to provide further clarification on elements of the technical requirements set out in the policy.

The final outputs from this project will be published later in 2024.

Clarivate Launches Generative AI-Powered Primo Research Assistant

September 18, 2024

Transforming library discovery with Academic AI that provides users a new and easy way to find trusted content

Clarivate Plc, a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today launched Primo^TM Research Assistant. Developed in collaboration with partners from the library community, the new generative AI-powered library discovery solution offers a seamless experience for students and researchers. It provides immediate answers to natural language queries and offers expansive visibility into sources and references.

Yariv Kursh, Senior Vice President at Ex Libris^TM, part of Clarivate™ said: “Primo Research Assistant harnesses responsible academic AI to ensure that students and researchers have access to reliable and trustworthy sources, helping to nurture their curiosity and confidence to push the boundaries of knowledge. By partnering with the community, Clarivate is committed to responsibly applying AI, identifying where AI brings most value and developing best practices.”

Primo Research Assistant, part of Primo Discovery solution, is built based on a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture and grounded in the Ex Libris Central Discovery Index (CDI), which contains over 5 billion records from thousands of publishers, aggregators and repositories.

Key features include:

Semantic search and natural language queries: Users can interact with the system using everyday language, making the search process more intuitive.
AI-powered answers with references to sources used: The tool provides immediate answers based on the top five abstracts, with links to the full text and the complete result list.
Search suggestions: The assistant offers suggestions to help users expand their topics and delve deeper into their research.
Non-English query support: Users can ask questions and receive answers in multiple non-English languages.

To ensure the product was designed to fit the needs of librarians and their end users, the product was created in close partnership with development partners. The Primo Research Assistant beta program began in June 2024 and featured 18 institutions across 10 different countries/regions. The group of beta testers includes representatives from various cultural and language backgrounds and reflects the diversity of the global academic community.

Summon Research Assistant, first announced in June 2024, will launch in Q1 2025.

Indiana University selects Symplectic Elements as faculty activity reporting system

September 18, 2024

Digital Science, a technology company serving stakeholders across the research ecosystem, is pleased to announce that Indiana University has selected Symplectic Elements as its new faculty activity management and reporting system.

This strategic decision marks a significant advancement toward the university’s goals of streamlining the management and reporting of the work and accomplishments of its faculty.

Indiana University is internationally known for outstanding research and its world-class degree programs, from business and health to STEM and the arts at its flagship campus in Bloomington, the expanding campus in Indianapolis and across the state through its seven regional campuses. It also operates the largest medical school in the United States.

Given the expansive variation of scholarship and teaching, a faculty-driven initiative determined the need for a new system to better address the needs of the diverse schools and colleges within the university organization. Symplectic Elements was selected as it is designed to meet the diverse needs of academic institutions.

“From selection to implementation, the transition to this tool has been a model of shared governance at work at Indiana University,” said Willie Miller, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at IU Indianapolis, who serves on the implementation committee.

He went on to state, “Symplectic Elements has features that align with faculty values and the university’s priorities. It has the potential to improve the usability and equity in our systems of faculty review, connect IU faculty closer to each other for collaboration, and increase the visibility of faculty work externally, thereby strengthening the university’s reputation as a powerhouse of research and discovery.”

Symplectic Elements’ intuitive interface and powerful data integration capabilities will facilitate a smooth transition ensuring historical data is accurately migrated and preserved. The university will also utilize Symplectic Elements to underpin a new public profiles portal, opening discoverability across researchers and research outputs throughout all campuses.

IOP Publishing expands its open access environmental portfolio with Environmental Research: Water

September 18, 2024

IOP Publishing (IOPP) is launching Environmental Research: Watera new open access (OA) journal which offers an interdisciplinary forum for researchers working to achieve water sustainability globally. Environmental Research: Water is the ninth journal in IOPP’s expanding Environmental Research series, which is built on its renowned journal Environmental Research Letters.

The journal covers all aspects of the hydrosphere, exploring the connection between physical, chemical, biological, and ecological processes that govern water sustainability, as well as the evolving relationship between humanity and water. The journal launch is timely, with water research more than doubling in the past decade amid growing water scarcity. Unicef predicts over 700 million people could be displaced by 2030 due to the crisis.

IOP Publishing has appointed two world-leading scientists to lead the journal as co-Editors-in-Chief. Michelle van Vliet, Professor of Water Quality and Sustainable Water Systems at Utrecht University, and Martina Flörke, Professor of Engineering Hydrology and Water Management at Ruhr-University Bochum, will combine their expertise and deep knowledge of the field. They will work closely with an in-house editorial team to ensure editorial excellence and that the journal meets IOPP’s rigorous peer review standards.

Professor Flörke said: “Freshwater is a vital resource, playing a pivotal role in human well-being and biodiversity. However, the quantity and quality of our freshwater resources have undergone significant modifications because of human activity and climate change. This has resulted in water scarcity and deterioration in water quality, which ultimately poses risks to human and ecosystem health.”

Professor van Vliet added: “In the face of climate change, population growth and anticipated food and water insecurity, innovative transdisciplinary solutions are needed to adapt to and prevent the occurrence of catastrophic events. Environmental Research: Water serves as an outlet for the dissemination of scientific findings and the promotion of novel and impactful developments within the water sector, society, and policy circles.”

Dr Tim Smith, Head of Portfolio Development at IOP Publishing, said: “Water management is crucial to addressing global societal challenges and Environmental Research: Water will serve as a much-needed resource to unite academia, industry, and policymakers to drive sustainable solutions. We’re excited to have two such prominent scientists to lead the journal in representing this important field, building further on the high standards and international reputation of IOPP’s evolving Environmental Research Series of OA journals.”

Authors publishing in Environmental Research: Water will benefit from free OA publishing throughout 2025, with all article publication charges covered by IOPP.

Authors publishing in Environmental Research: Water are not only supporting the advancement of physics in the broadest sense but also invest in the community they are a part of. All funds generated by IOP Publishing go directly to the Institute of Physics to make physics accessible to people from all backgrounds.

IOPP has joined forces with the American Physical Society and AIP Publishing to create Purpose-Led Publishing (PLP), a new coalition with a promise to always put purpose above profit. For more information, please visit h ttps://www.purposeledpublishing.org/.

Taylor & Francis Announces Enhanced Model for Collaborative OA Books Funding Initiative, Pledge to Open

September 18, 2024

Backlist book access for institutions supporting new collections on key global issues

Taylor & Francis has launched the second year of Pledge to Open, its collaborative funding initiative for open access (OA) books, with additional benefits for pledging institutions. Following the success of the pilot phase, organizations are invited to support seven new book collections on key contemporary themes, including children’s health, AI, and migration.

Pledge to Open is an innovative diamond OA model, designed to support publication of books that are both free to read and free to publish for their authors. With each themed collection focused on a global issue, Pledge to Open maximizes the opportunity for important new books to reach a wide and diverse audience and drive real-world impact.

Taylor & Francis confirmed in August that enough pledges had been received in the first year of the initiative to make 26 books open access. The Pledge to Open pilot was supported by 24 institutions around the world, including research-focused universities and smaller institutions.

The enhanced model has been informed by conversations with a range of partners, who helped identify elements which would make Pledge to Open suitable for a greater number of organizations.

Additional features now include the ability of pledging libraries to choose perpetual access to 50 backlist titles per collection from a selection of 1,000 books related to the collection themes. Pledging prices have also been adjusted and there are now preferential rates for organizations who support every collection.

Emily Farrell, Global Commercial Director for Open Research at Taylor & Francis, said: “We are very grateful to everyone who gave us useful feedback on the pilot and we’re looking forward to engaging with our partners about how the new enhancements make Pledge to Open an even better fit for their open research priorities.”

Seven collections of 10 books are now available for institutions to support: Artificial Intelligence; Biotechnological Solutions; Children’s Health and Welfare; Global Security; Migration and Asylum; Social Movements and Activism; and Sustainability in Practice.

Nicola Parkin, Director of Books Editorial Services at Taylor & Francis, explained: “The breadth of interdisciplinary research published under our Routledge and CRC Press imprints gives us the perfect opportunity to curate book collections which will benefit from the Pledge to Open approach and support scholarship that’s engaging with today’s most crucial challenges.”

Organizations interested in receiving more details about Pledge to Open should contact: pledgetoopen@tandf.co.uk

ResearchGate and Copernicus Publications announce new Journal Home partnership

September 18, 2024

ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and Copernicus Publications, a highly innovative open access publisher, today announced a new partnership to increase the reach and engagement with Copernicus’ research through Journal Home.

Copernicus has been publishing leading, peer-reviewed, open access journals since 2001 and has led in the development of new approaches to scientific quality assurance, such as its Interactive Public Peer ReviewTM model. Through this new Journal Homepartnership, Copernicus aims to further advance scientific discussion and engagement through ResearchGate’s 25m+ researcher members.

All version-of-record content from the journals subscribing to Journal Home, including backfile and new articles, will be available on the ResearchGate platform. Additionally high visibility with relevant researchers globally will be ensured through dedicated journal profiles, and prominent journal branding on all associated article pages and other relevant touchpoints throughout the ResearchGate platform.

Authors will also benefit from their work being automatically uploaded to their profiles on ResearchGate, increasing the visibility of their work within their networks as well as providing a new way to engage with readers, as well as track and understand the consumption and citation of their work.

“We’re pleased to be collaborating with ResearchGate to further increase the visibility of our journals, researchers, and processes with new readers and potential authors,” said Johannes Wagner, Business Development Manager at Copernicus. “Journal Home provides a great way for our authors to increase engagement with their work, as well as building a greater understanding of who is reading and citing their articles. After discovering on ResearchGate, readers can find the entire history of a manuscript disclosed, including comments by reviewers, editors, and the public. We believe this partnership is a great opportunity to encourage new communities to participate in our public discussions, reinforcing trust and integrity in scholarly communication.”

“We’re delighted to partner with another vanguard of open science innovation,” said Sören Hofmayer, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at ResearchGate. “Copernicus stands as a strong example of successful innovation within our industry and we’re excited to work with them to deliver even greater engagement with its content through Journal Home.”

Charlesworth Partners with JAMA Network to Boost Visibility of their Publishing Program in China through WeChat

September 18, 2024

Charlesworth, an expert in the Chinese publishing market, is delighted to announce its collaboration with the JAMA Network to enhance the visibility of their publishing programme in China. As part of this strategic partnership, Charlesworth will establish a WeChat account for the JAMA Network, allowing them to more easily commicate with researchers and medical professionals in China.

The JAMA Network brings together JAMA with 11 specialty journals and JAMA Network Open to offer enhanced access to the research, reviews, and opinion shaping the future of medicine. By partnering with Charlesworth, the JAMA Network aims to broaden its reach and effectively engage with the Chinese audience.

“China serves as a crucial research hub with a rapidly expanding medical community,” said Brian Shields, Publisher, JAMA and the JAMA Network. “Collaborating with Charlesworth enables us to effectively communicate the value of publishing with the JAMA Network to researchers in China and ensure that their important work reaches a global audience.”

“We are excited to partner with the JAMA Network. Through this partnership, we will help JAMA to localise its communication strategy to deepen their engagement with China based researchers and practitioners. ” said Michael Evans, CEO of Charlesworth.

Springer Nature plans Frankfurt IPO in latest test of market

September 13, 2024

Springer Nature, publisher of science journal Nature and Scientific American, said on Thursday it plans an initial public offering (IPO) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange that could be completed by the end of the year.

The German academic research publisher said its planned IPO will consist of a 200 million euro ($220 million) capital increase and a sale of existing shares. Holtzbrinck Publishing Group and BC Partners currently own 53% and 47% stakes respectively.

Springer Nature also intends to pay a dividend of 25 million euros ($27.5 million) for this year, and thereafter an annual dividend of around 50% of annual adjusted net income.

Reuters last week reported that Springer Nature could announce its intention to list in the coming days and previously reported an IPO could value the company at up to 9 billion euros ($10 billion) including debt.

Primary proceeds from the listing are intended to reduce Springer Nature’s debt further and optimise its financing structure, a term sheet seen by Reuters showed.

Its annual report shows its financial leverage ratio has been cut to 2.9 times, from 4.6 times in 2019.

Springer Nature CEO Frank Vrancken Peeters told Reuters there was good investor momentum and that this gave its shareholder BC Partners an opportunity to exit its investment.

“This first step of the process is confirmation of the company’s journey,” he said.

The secondary structure of the deal – the placement of existing shares from the holdings of BC Partners – will be determined in due course, CFO Alexandra Dambeck said.

Springer Nature’s IPO plans will be watched closely by other companies planning listings in Europe, after gains by new offerings this year from Swiss skincare firm Galderma (GALD.S), opens new tab and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners (CVC.AS), opens new tab.

Morgan Stanley (MS.N), opens new tab, Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), opens new tab and JP Morgan (JPM.N), opens new tab are leading Springer Nature’s IPO, alongside bookrunners BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), opens new tab, Commerzbank (CBKG.DE), opens new tab, Goldman Sachs (GS.N), opens new tab and UniCredit (CRDI.MI), opens new tab.

Springer Nature postponed its previous IPO plans in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023, it reported group revenues of 1.85 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of 511 million euros.

Sauce – https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/springer-nature-announces-plans-list-frankfurt-stock-exchange-2024-09-12/

PLOS and DTH-Lab partner to increase youth participation in science

September 11, 2024

The Public Library of Science (PLOS) and the Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DTH-Lab) today announced a strategic partnership between the organizations to increase youth participation in science to include mentorship opportunities, amplifying youth voices in scientific publishing and building a body of research in digital health citizenship with a mini-collection.

“This strategic partnership with DTH-Lab will ensure that youth is empowered to shape the medical knowledge system. We, in the business of knowledge validation and dissemination, have failed to address the age-old issues in healthcare: lack of systems and design thinking training among clinicians, human biases in decision-making, power structures within legacy systems, perverse incentive structures (financing, academia),” said Leo Anthony Celi, Editor-in-Chief, PLOS Digital Health.” “We have suffered from failure of collective imagination because everyone thinks alike. We, in academia, cannot see the whole picture because our blind spots overlap. We need people with different blind spots so we can begin to see the image in the jigsaw puzzle. If everyone is thinking alike, then everyone is not thinking. This is where the perspective of the youth can make a huge difference.”

“We are excited to partner with PLOS to strengthen our mission to extend opportunities for young people to help shape scientific research and policymaking for improved health futures,” said Aferdita Bytyqi, Executive Director, DTH-Lab. “This is a timely collaboration that aims to diversify youth voices and cultivate youth leadership. PLOS is an exemplary partner that will bolster the promotion of young thought leaders on issues related to digital and health governance.”

The DTH-Lab’s cohort of Regional Youth Champions (RYC) are key partners who help support young people at the local and regional level to become informed and enfranchised digital health citizens through concerted efforts that capture and reflect their diverse views and experiences. In addition to the RYC cohort, the DTH-Lab has a youth network of over 300 young people from around the world.

The partnership will include:

Mentorship Opportunities- PLOS’ Digital Health editorial board to provide mentorship opportunities from experienced academics to Regional Youth Champions, including the RYC alumni network. This will include training and guidance in engaging in peer review, as well as opportunities to serve as reviewers on articles submitted to the journal after completion of the training.
Amplifying Youth Voices in Scientific Publishing- PLOS will invite RYCs to review and write commentaries on papers about research that is relevant to young people’s health and well-being. This could also include a joint editorial between the DTH-Lab and PLOS Digital Health to encourage more diverse and intergenerational perspectives in scientific research.
PLOS Digital Health Mini-Collection on Digital Health Citizenship- A mini-collection from young authors that will showcase commentaries and opinion pieces focused on building a body of research and diverse perspectives on the concept of digital health citizenship and its application in different contexts. Submissions to the mini-collection will undergo the typical peer review process.
Tools and Resources for Early Career Researchers- The DTH-Lab and PLOS Digital Health will produce tools and resources specifically for young people looking to engage with scientific publishing around digital health. These may include webinars, videos and other publications on topics such as an introduction to the academic publishing world, how to review a scientific paper and how to write an impactful article.