Special Session SS44  3 Jul 2026

AI and Open Access in Modern Astronomy Publishing

Aims and scope

This session will offer the European astronomy community the opportunity to discuss current developments and future directions in astronomy publishing, and to engage directly with a panel of experts, including researchers, editors, librarians, infrastructure experts, data providers and publishers. We aim to discuss how astronomical journals function in practice, how policies and workflows affect authors and reviewers, and how AI, Open Science and other changes are transforming publishing in astronomy, and give practical advice for navigating these changes.

Programme

The session aims to:

  • Discuss the realities of publishing astronomy research today, including journal operations, review processes, ongoing challenges, and open access models.
  • Explore the role of AI in astronomy publishing and research practice, combining editorial and policy perspectives with practical applications, particularly in science writing, while ensuring research integrity is upheld.
  • Look forward to the future of publishing in astronomy, including AI, Open Science, and data publishing.
Our main goal is to have open discussion and obtain feedback from the community. For this, at least 30 minutes will be reserved in each block for a panel discussion with the audience. By combining expert contributions with open discussion, the session will consider the realities of publishing in the age of AI and Open Access, ensuring that integrity and openness continue to guide astronomy research.

Invited speakers

TBA

Scientific organisers

Arūnas Kučinskas (Chair), Chairperson of the A&A Board of Directors
Charlotte Van Rooyen (Co-chair), Director of Marketing and Communications, EDP Sciences
Alberto Accomazzi, Director and Principal Investigator for the ADS and SciX programs
João Alves, A&A Letters Editor-in-Chief
Marc Audard, A&A Executive Committee member
Liz Baker, Head of Publishing, Royal Astronomical Society
Thierry Forveille, A&A Editor-in-Chief
Uta Grothkopf, Head Librarian, European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Johan Knapen, Professor, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC)
Selina La Barbera, Publishing Director Journals, EDP Sciences
Alice Power, Managing Editor Journals, Royal Astronomical Society

Contact

Arūnas Kučinskas arunas.kucinskas @ tfai.vu.lt
Charlotte Van Rooyen charlotte.vanrooyen @ edpsciences.org

Updated on Thu Jan 15 13:30:39 CET 2026
European Astronomical Society