Special Session SS12  24 June 2025

The Future of Scientific Publishing: Strategies and Challenges for Astronomy

Aims and scope

The primary goal of this session is to create a platform for an open, interdisciplinary dialogue on the current landscape and future directions of scientific publishing, with a particular focus on astronomy. This session is driven by the Executive Committee and Editors of the Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A) Journal which belongs to astronomers and where most European astronomers publish freely and in open access. However, we emphasize that this session is organized to be a more open session that can include discussion from and for other journals in astrophysics.

Programme

This session aims to:

1. Foster communication among stakeholders: Bring together key stakeholders?researchers, editors, publishing policymakers, publishers, librarians, funding agencies, and other members of the astronomical community - to share insights and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in scientific publishing.

2. Address current trends in publishing: Examine the ongoing transformations in scholarly publishing, such as open access, the role of preprints, evolving peer review models, and the increasing use of digital platforms.

3. Discuss the impact on the astronomy community: Explore how changes in the publishing landscape specifically affect the field of astronomy, considering both opportunities and challenges for authors, institutions, and publishers.

4. Explore the particular view of astronomers on open access: Understand the specific view of researchers in astronomy - a traditionally open subject area with a long history of collaboration and exchange of research output - on open access publishing.

The first block (0900-1030) will consist of three talks on "SCIENCE PUBLISHING TODAY AND TOMORROW", with the views from a publisher, an editor, and a librarian.

The second block (1315-1445) on "SCIENCE PUBLISHING: A COMMUNITY'S VIEW" will present first the results of the A&A community survey. Then we will have a panel discussion where the audience can interact with the panelists.

Invited speakers

The list of speakers are:

  • João Alves, Letters Editor-In-Chief of Astronomy & Astrophysics
  • Selina La Barbera, Publishing Director Journals, EDP Sciences
  • Uta Groethkopf, Head Librarian, ESO
Panelists:
  • Alberto Accomazzi, Director and Principal Investigator for the ADS and SciX programs
  • João Alves, Letters Editor-In-Chief of Astronomy & Astrophysics
  • Selina La Barbera, Publishing Director Journals, EDP Sciences
  • Uta Groethkopf, Head Librarian, ESO
  • Peter Coles, Editor-in-Chief, Open Journal of Astrophysics
  • Alice Power, Managing Editor of MNRAS

Scientific organisers

  • Arunas Kucinskas (Co-Chair) - Chairperson of the A&A Board of Directors
  • Charlotte Van Rooyen (Co-Chair) - Director of Marketing and Communications, EDP Sciences Paris & UK
  • João Alves - A&A Letters Editor-in-Chief
  • Marc Audard - Executive Committee member of A&A
  • Uta Grothkopf - Head Librarian, European Southern Observatory (ESO)
  • László Kiss - Vice-Chairperson of A&A Board of Directors
  • Selina La Barbera - Publishing Director Journals, EDP Sciences

Contact

Arunas Kucinskas (arunas.kucinskas @ tfai.vu.lt)

Updated on Tue Jun 10 17:12:54 CEST 2025