Barriers to Open Access Adoption with Robyn Mugridge

Insights Xchange: Conversations Shaping Academic Research

In the second part of this episode, Nikesh Gosalia and Robyn Mugridge kick off their discussion by addressing the two main barriers that prevent societies from adopting open access — financial risk and differing mindsets. Robyn breaks down the concept of transformative agreements; these are contracts intended to ease the transition toward open access, but their effectiveness remains questionable. Next, Robyn shares her predictions for the future of academic publishing, such as the increasing popularity of short-form content and possibly even a TikTok for science. She thinks that the publishing industry is going to change from the siloed industry it is currently into being more collaborative, encouraging fluid team effort. She talks about the Frontiers for Young Minds program, a current effort by Frontiers to popularize science among the youth. Robyn also acknowledges the role of AI in publishing and how AI can be used to boost publishing quality without replacing human decision-making. Robyn then talks about her personal strategies for staying updated with changes in the industry, from real-life conferences to email newsletters. To wrap up, Robyn shares a key piece of advice for those starting out in publishing: find your niche.

Robyn Mugridge is the Head of Publishing Partnerships at Frontiers in London. A strong advocate for open access, Robyn is a member of the ALPSP Education Committee. She has over 7 years of experience in the publishing industry with different organizations, including the Springer Nature Group and NIHR Journals Library. Reach her through Twitter or her blog mugspubs.com.

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