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Academic publishing from proposal development to future trends
Hyderabad, 10th September 2025: Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Hyderabad, had the privilege of hosting Mr Rajesh Dey, Senior Commissioning Editor at Taylor & Francis Group, India, for an engaging session on "Academic publishing from proposal development to future trends."
Mr Dey began with a thought-provoking question, "Why do academic publishers still exist if AI tools can write and publish a research paper?" The audience responded by underscoring the publisher's important role in providing validation, global distribution, and research integrity. He answered the need for publishers by stating that there have been considerable changes in policies and regulations in the last 15-20 years, and the process has become very complex. He then traced the journey of publishing, mentioning that Taylor & Francis, founded in 1836, is now a publicly listed company, and it has become an umbrella company with 80-plus companies under it. He then explained the role of imprints, outlining them as distinct branding identities within publishing houses.
The discussion then transitioned into the trends in academic publishing, including open access, data transparency, open science, and the impact of generative AI. He pointed out the evolving nature of copyright; authorship rights remain inalienable while commercial rights may be transferred to publishers. He also touched upon shifting policies regarding publishing in the USA, Europe, and India.
Among the many challenges the publishing industry is facing, he highlighted the reproducibility crisis, rising retraction rates, and ethical misconduct like paper mills as the most prevalent. He noted that organizations like NASA and the World Bank advocate transparency through open science. He also mentioned that the retraction rate may decrease significantly because of open science's openness and access.
Talking about artificial intelligence, he stressed the need for responsible use of AI and advised leveraging it as a supportive tool rather than a substitute for authorship.
The session concluded with practical guidance for researchers on choosing suitable publishers through platforms like Think, Check, Submit, and Journal Finder. A heartfelt vote of thanks was delivered by Prof (Dr) Mahesh Ramalingam and Prof (Dr) Musarrat Shaheen, expressing gratitude for the informative session.
