Editorial
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“Reproducibly bad”: How Imperial’s Beyond Open Research project is reimagining ‘quality’
What really matters in research? What practices and behaviours lead to the highest-quality research? How can we recognise and incentivise those good practices? These are some of the questions the Beyond Open Research (BOR) project has been exploring at Imperial College London since 2024. Led by Library Services, the project aims to transform the culture…
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The storytelling imperative for research libraries
The research library’s role in the institutional research enterprise is expanding and becoming more complex. This can leave the research library with the challenge of making its impact visible and communicating its value proposition effectively to institutional stakeholders.
UKSG news
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Call for Participants: UKSG Sub-committees
UKSG is seeking enthusiastic new members to join two of our volunteer sub-committees: Education & Events and Outreach & Engagement. If you’re looking to get more involved in the UKSG community, expand your professional network, and contribute to sector‑wide initiatives, we’d love to hear from you!
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Introducing our new co-Editor of eNews – Jack Macdonald
We are delighted to welcome Jack Macdonald, Library Sales Director at Cambridge University Press, long-time reader of the newsletter, who will now play an active part in the editorials!
Forthcoming Events
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UKSG upcoming events – March 2026
New free webinar – “Why we all need to defend research” plus there is still time to book your place at the annual conference next month in Glasgow
Industry news
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Major Chinese funder to stop paying fees for 30 open-access journals
In a challenge to open-access publishers, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the world’s largest research institution, has told its researchers it plans to stop paying to publish their papers in dozens of international free-to-read journals it regards as too expensive. High-profile, high-fee journals affected include Nature Communications, Cell Reports, and Science Advances.
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US Supreme Court declines to hear dispute over copyrights for AI-generated material (Reuters)
Plaintiff Stephen Thaler had appealed to the justices after lower courts upheld a U.S. Copyright Office decision that the AI-crafted visual art at issue in the case was ineligible for copyright protection because it did not have a human creator.
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Small European publishers and the transition to open access publishing: a 2025 snapshot
An independent report commissioned by Knowledge Exchange argues that open access is not the main threat facing small European academic publishers. Written by Information Power, the report examines how smaller publishers are navigating the shift to OA across Europe
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KnowledgeWorks Global introduces new generation of human-guided, AI-enabled publishing workflows
The expanded Smart Review™ platform strengthens research integrity by integrating AI-assisted oversight directly into peer review and editorial workflows.
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Digital Science partners with HERSA to build security, integrity and trust in UK research
As part of the collaboration, Digital Science will support the development of a new Trusted Research, Education and Innovation Security Hub for UK institutions.
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Content Superpower: UK publishing and the AI licensing market
Content Superpower: UK publishing and the AI licensing market published by the Publishers Association is the first comprehensive account of how books and journal publishers license content for use in AI. The report proves that the AI licensing market is established and growing, with UK publishers’ high-quality content in demand to power AI innovation and scientific…
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ITT – Project to support the transition to open access long-form publications
A new research sector‑led project has been launched to support UK research organisations in implementing open access (OA) for long‑form publications.
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ISNI International Agency launches new guidance to help authors and creators protect their digital identity
New resource explains how ISNI helps authors and contributors strengthen attribution, improve discoverability and ensure their work is correctly identified across global publishing systems.
Resources
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RLUK publishes newly developed resource ‘Developing Inclusive Collections: a self-paced guide on reflective practice’
The self-paced guide supports learners in developing the skills needed to create inclusive and diverse collections, helping institutions become more representative of the communities they serve. It also encourages critical reflection on professional practice, supporting progress and continuous professional development.
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Sound Design collection now live on Bloomsbury Music & Sound
The collection offers professional insight and practice-led and technical content for practitioners, scholars, and students, with key titles on all aspects of sound design practice.
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Enhancing the ESAC Registry: A community-driven step forward for transparency in open access publishing agreements
The OA2020 and ESAC communities mark a new phase in the evolution of the ESAC Registry—a shared, library-driven infrastructure documenting open access publishing agreements between libraries, consortia, and publishers.
People
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eNews 605 – People
Changes at the top of Wolters Kluwer and Springer India and South Asia
Awards
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Clarivate Library Innovation Awards -the 2026 Finalists
The judging panel reviewed over 50 diverse and high-caliber range of entries from 11 countries/regions which demonstrated the innovation, creativity and impact of libraries, and their impact on their patrons, students or communities. From grassroots literacy and outreach programs to enterprise-level automation, analytics and AI, the submissions reveal the breadth of innovation shaping libraries as…
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Applications open for the inaugural Elaine Sykes Open Research Award
Have you been involved in a project or initiative that aims to make research more openly accessible, transparent or reproducible? Whether an academic or professional services member of staff, or a student, the University Library’s Open Research Service wants to hear from you. Any Lancaster students or staff involved in open research are invited to apply…