By Regina M. Nyandoro

On November 21, the Library, in collaboration with the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, hosted a highly informative and engaging webinar titled “Innovations in Academic Publishing: Open Science, AI-Driven Publishing, and Preprint Repositories.” The 45-minute session brought together faculty and staff, reflecting the growing institutional interest in emerging trends that continue to redefine global scholarly communication. The session provided a timely opportunity to deepen the collective understanding of open science, the accelerating adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI), and the expanding role of preprint repositories in research dissemination.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Bhavik Sawhney, a Senior Editor in Life Sciences Advanced Learning at Taylor & Francis Group, offered participants a comprehensive overview of innovative practices influencing scholarly publishing at a global scale.

He began by contextualizing the work of Taylor & Francis Group, highlighting its longstanding commitment to advancing knowledge through high-quality, reputable publishing. He outlined the publisher’s major imprints including: Routledge, a leading imprint in the humanities and social sciences, known for its extensive catalogue of books, journals, and reference works; CRC Press, a premier STM (science, technology, and medicine) publisher recognized for authoritative research texts and academic resources; F1000, an innovative, open-science publishing platform emphasizing rapid publication, open peer review, and transparent research workflows; and Dove Press, a fully open-access imprint offering more than 50 peer-reviewed journals, with particular strengths in medicine, science, and technology. This overview provided valuable context, helping attendees appreciate how major publishers are evolving in response to the dynamic information needs of researchers, educators, and institutions.

One of the central themes of the webinar was the global momentum toward open science. Dr. Sawhney explained how open science seeks to enhance visibility, accessibility, collaboration, and the democratization of knowledge. Participants gained clarity on various open access (OA) models, including Gold, Green, Hybrid, and Diamond OA; creative Commons licensing, particularly how licenses such as CC BY and CC BY-NC affect content re-use; benefits of OA, including increased citations, broader dissemination, and equitable access; and challenges such as publishing costs, licensing complexities, and varying institutional support. The discussion emphasized the role of universities, libraries, and researchers in navigating OA models effectively to maximize scholarly impact.

Another major focus of the session was the influence of generative AI on academic publishing processes. Dr. Sawhney explored the increasing use of AI tools in manuscript writing and structural refinement, peer-review assistance, editorial decision-making workflows, and discovery, indexing, and metadata optimization. While highlighting the potential of AI to streamline workflows and support productivity, he also underscored the risks associated with improper or opaque usage. Issues such as integrity, transparency, authorship ethics, and bias were identified as areas requiring clear institutional policies and guidelines. Participants left with a reinforced understanding of the need for responsible and ethical AI integration in scholarly communication.

The webinar also examined the critical role of preprint repositories in accelerating scientific communication. Preprints allow researchers to share findings rapidly, often months before formal peer review, thus encouraging early engagement and international visibility. Dr. Sawhney explained how preprints contribute to the rapid dissemination of emerging research, increased opportunities for early review and feedback, wider recognition and collaboration, and enhanced transparency and reproducibility. He further advised researchers to carefully review publisher policies on preprint posting to avoid conflicts or complications during manuscript submission.

A particularly practical component of the session focused on improving the discoverability of research outputs. Dr. Sawhney emphasized that effective SEO practices can significantly enhance the reach and impact of academic work. Key recommendations included crafting clear, descriptive, and keyword-rich titles, using strong, well-curated keywords, structuring abstracts effectively to improve search performance, and ensuring high-quality metadata to support indexing across databases. These insights underscore the importance of strategic communication in maximizing research visibility in increasingly crowded digital environments.

The webinar reinforced USIU-Africa’s commitment to supporting innovative, ethical, and accessible research. By equipping scholars with current knowledge and skills, the library continues to play a vital role in strengthening the university’s academic excellence and global presence.