Towards a more sustainable academic publishing system

TL;DR

This paper discusses the problems of current academic publishing, especially profit-driven models, and proposes solutions at individual, community, and publisher levels to create a more sustainable and fair system.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive overview of issues and presents a multi-level roadmap for reforming academic publishing towards sustainability.

Findings

Identifies key issues in current publishing practices.

Proposes actionable solutions for various stakeholders.

Encourages community-driven reforms.

Abstract

Communicating new scientific discoveries is key to human progress. Yet, this endeavor is hindered by monetary restrictions for publishing one's findings and accessing other scientists' reports. This process is further exacerbated by a large portion of publishing media owned by private, for-profit companies that do not reinject academic publishing benefits into the scientific community, in contrast with journals from scientific societies. As the academic world is not exempt from economic crises, new alternatives are necessary to support a fair publishing system for society. After summarizing the general issues of academic publishing today, we present several solutions at the levels of the individual scientist, the scientific community, and the publisher towards more sustainable scientific publishing. By providing a voice to the many scientists who are fundamental protagonists, yet often powerless witnesses, of the academic publishing system, and a roadmap for implementing solutions, this initiative can spark increased awareness and promote shifts towards impactful practices.