We also sent team members to three industry conferences, where they learned about new initiatives, participated in engaging discussions, caught up with client and industry partners, and delivered TWO lightning talks. They've returned abuzz with the latest trends and challenges that are reshaping our industry, from the ethical use of AI to the importance of research integrity and the vitality of in-person interactions.
Below, hear the experiences and reflections of our team from three pivotal conferences: NISO Plus, Researcher2Reader, and the London Book Fair. Read about the exciting developments that are steering the scholarly ecosystem into uncharted territories—and if you're gearing up for Q2 conferences like STM or SSP, let's connect and continue the conversation.
NISO Plus
"Having attended both the NISO PLUS Forum last fall and the recent NISO PLUS Conference, I was particularly struck by how far forward the Conference moved the AI conversations started at Forum in the span of just a few months. While the Forum raised numerous questions about the implications of AI on our industry, including concerns about licensing, copyright, and the integrity of the scholarly record, the Conference ambitiously provided a full slate of talks and presentations steeped in experimentation and expertise. With insights from innovative AI tool creators, seasoned copyright law experts, and forward-thinking thought leaders, the event shed light on potential AI futures in our field and provided a forum for discussing ethical and pragmatic AI use.” —Melissa Jones, Content Architect
“Silverchair introduced Sensus Impact to the industry via a lightning talk at NISO Plus (a mere 20 minutes before launch!), generating a lot of immediate interest and sparking ideas for later development. Attendees of the lightning talk asked about our plans to incorporate ROR IDs and other industry standards, as well as what other metrics we could bring in to discourage juicing the numbers, paint an even fuller picture of funder impact, and better represent the contributions of marginalized people groups and geographic locations.
Overall, I noticed that the sentiment towards AI in the information industry has shifted in the last few months from a general fear of the unknown to specific concerns such as climate change, equity, and overreliance on corporate products. Despite fears, there's a glimmering of recognition of AI's potential to complement (not compete with) human expertise, allowing humans to flex intrinsically human skills like creativity and tact.
LLMs pose tons of challenges to traditional (existing) copyright laws, and there were a lot of concerns batted around regarding fair use, content licensing, and reuse.
Finally, research integrity was a major theme, with AI potentially complicating issues around fake content and the need for continuous adaptation. NISO's new CP/LD standard is seen as a potential means to enhance research integrity and machine readability.” —Emily Hazzard, Product Manager
(Hear from other attendees on the NISO blog.)
Researcher2Reader
“I gave a lightning talk on our new AI Lab at R2R, and it was great to see the immediate positive response. I also learned that SciHub and predatory OA publishers remain clear and present concerns for many publishers.” —Walker Swain, Director of Business Development
“Researcher2Reader was a great opportunity to talk to more folks about Sensus Impact; hear firsthand how IOP is pursuing their novel purpose-led-publishing initiative alongside AIPP and APS, along with other thoughtful approaches Antonia Seymour is applying to organizational leadership; and also to catch up with many UK-based publishing friends.” —Hannah Heckner Swain, VP, Strategic Partnerships
“The R2R conference is a always a productive way to start off the year off learning from and collaborating with a diverse set of representatives across the broader scholarly and STM ecosystem (from publishers, funders, academic libraries, etc.). This year, the new lightning talks were interspersed between the sessions and were a great way to pick up key developments and innovation. No surprise that topics that were covered revolved around OA, AI and research integrity, but the standout session for me was the introduction from IOP’s Antonia Seymour who set the tone with a refreshingly open, and inspirational perspective of leadership amongst the rapidly changing researcher-to-reader industry.” —Betsy Donohue, SVP, Business Development
London Book Fair
“London Book Fair continues to remind me that there is nothing like in-person contact, both for focused meetings and general networking purposes. Though we've been largely back in person for a couple of years now, there remains a high level of enthusiasm for this event and others like it, having realized their importance via their absence during lockdown.” —Walker Swain, Director of Business Development
“London Book Fair this year was buzzing with energy behind AI, research integrity, author experience and long-term planning. It was great to re-connect with our clients and partners and to discuss everyone's latest developments. Needless to say, everyone has been busy since Frankfurt!” —Emilie Deliquié, SVP of Product & Customer Success
Find our team at these upcoming events: