Special Issue Wiley

With seismic shifts in the research publishing landscape, how do societies need to adapt for their members? Embracing ‘openness’ in every sense – championing collaborative, diverse and inclusive communities, and advancing research that is accessible to all – is the key to societies remaining sustainable in an open future and staying at the heart of their communities.

Taking a 360-degree view on ‘openness’, we dive into insights from this year’s Wiley Society Member Survey, to explore what matters to members, and how societies can deliver the support they need now and in the future.

As we transition towards Open, societies, publishers and institutions all have a part to play in breaking down barriers and improving equity in Research Publishing. So how can we go about achieving this goal? This is where R4Life comes in. We talked to Sarah Phibbs, Director of Publisher Partnerships, to find out about the work they are doing and how publishers and societies can work with them to break down barriers to open access.

How can societies shape their strategies, to make the most of opportunities in open access and position their journals for an open future? And what role do transformational agreements (TAs) play in those strategies; how can societies use TAs to develop and enhance the way that they deliver for their communities?

In this episode, we hear from the Tri-Societies (the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America). They share their own perspective on OA and the role of TAs in helping them to achieve their goals. Thanks to Matt and the Tri-Societies for sharing their insights!

How do we develop journals, so they are fit for an open future? We don’t just need to adapt our workflows and infrastructure, we also need to adapt our mindset. Evolution and Ecology is an open access journal, launched by multiple societies working together. Their philosophy and innovative mindset have helped them to succeed in the current market and to deliver for authors via their Refer & Transfer network. But it has also helped them to build the foundations for them to thrive in an open future.

Why is it important that societies communicate their impact and value to their communities? And how can you approach this exercise effectively? To help overcome the challenges of declining membership, societies need to communicate their role and all the work they undertake to their communities effectively, to build transparency and understanding of who they are and what they do. Not only that, but reflection is an important aspect of successful strategizing, and exercises to articulate your impact helps you build accountability and ensure you’re staying relevant.

FENS is the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies. Such a large organization has its work cut out, to capture all the work they do and distill it in an engaging format for their communities. So how did they approach this exercise and what did they learn from the experience? Jackie Jones, Associate Editorial Director here at Wiley, had a conversation with them to find out more.

Thank you FENS, for sharing your insights!

What’s the secret to successfully launching an open access journal? And what are some of the opportunities available to us, through which we can innovate and collaborate? In this episode, we hear how two societies launched an open access journal with Wiley, and how they achieved success.