Read the full article in The Scholarly Kitchen 

The post In the media | The Scholarly Kitchen: “Call for Feedback: STM Task & Finish Group (TFG) Image-type Taxonomy for Alt Text” appeared first on STM Association.

To address this issue, STM has released a report “Recommendations for a Classification of AI Use in Academic Manuscript Preparation” in September 2025. 

Today, we’re announcing an exciting follow-up activity that addresses this issue from a broader perspective through collaboration with key partners in the academic enterprise.

To support a shared understanding of how AI should be disclosed in research, STM is part of a joint harmonisation initiative to work towards a Global Reporting Standard for AI Disclosure in Research, together with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Science Council (ISC), and the Global Young Academy (GYA) as key partners. This initiative will form the focus track of the World Conference on Research Integrity (3–6 May 2026, Vancouver). 

To ensure that the development of this reporting guideline reflects a broad range of perspectives, STM and the other key partners invite their members to contribute through three consultation rounds — the first round is open now through 28 February 2026: Mapping the needs for AI disclosure, yielding a preferred format.  

To that end, we invite STM members and community to participate in the first consultation round, as it is vital that the format of this standard matches current experiences and expectations of the publishing industry. On behalf of the organising partners, we invite you — as an STM Member Organisation — to participate by taking two actions: 1/ review some preparatory reading and discuss it with colleagues (in the editorial office or beyond) and then 2/ submit a summary of your collective reflections via the form below. 

Access the preparatory questions and reading 

Submit your input here by 28 Feb, 2026

All questions and remarks you may have, can be directed to Bert Seghers via email and/or Hylke Koers via email.  

We appreciate your commitment to this important effort to build a shared, global understanding of AI disclosure in research.

The post Global reporting standard for AI disclosure in research: first consultation is open appeared first on STM Association.

This draft is the result of a collaborative effort by STM members to support accessible publishing, with a focus on helping authors and publishers write better image descriptions (alt text). Not only does it help prepare for the upcoming ADA Title II update (coming into effect April 2026), it also supports our shared goal of making scholarly content more inclusive and available to all. 

Why a taxonomy? Because alt text isn’t one-size-fits-all. Describing a chart requires different guidance than a medical scan, photograph, or diagram. The taxonomy provides 15 top-level categories — each with definitions, guidance, examples, and subcategories — to help identify image types and write effective descriptions. 

The TFG, formed in early 2025 through STM’s Standards & Technology Committee, includes accessibility experts and publishing professionals from across the US, UK, and Europe. The group has met monthly to build consensus and develop practical tools for our community. 

Download the draft taxonomy here

Explore the interactive tool that complements the taxonomy

The post Making scholarly images more accessible: STM’s draft taxonomy now open for feedback appeared first on STM Association.

In an article on growing threats to research integrity, Times Higher Education covers STM’s report Safeguarding Scholarly Communication: Publisher Practices to Uphold Research Integrity. The article describes how publishers are increasingly focused on identifying integrity issues before publication—responding to paper mills, AI-enabled fabrication, and coordinated fraud networks—while scaling up research integrity teams and collaborating on shared screening approaches.

THE highlights the STM Integrity Hub as an example of collaboration designed to improve detection capacity across publishers, while noting the continued opportunity to extend benefits to smaller publishers and those operating outside major publishing centers.

Read the full article at Times Higher Education → (subscription required)

Read STM’s report→ available here

The post In the media | Times Higher Education — “Unseen efforts to catch paper mill outputs bear fruit” appeared first on STM Association.

The STM-commissioned report was researched and compiled by research firm Research Consulting, which conducted in-depth interviews with 18 research integrity and publishing experts across 13 organizations. It documents significant capacity building in recent years. Some publishers now maintain dedicated research integrity teams that number more than 100 staff members and screen millions of manuscript submissions annually. They do so using innovative and evolving detection systems that enlist technology, but keep humans at the center of the work. 

This investment has grown in response to two converging pressures. Global R&D spending has nearly tripled since 2000 to roughly $2.5 trillion annually, driving a surge in research output. At the same time, integrity threats have grown more sophisticated, with industrial-scale paper mill operations selling fabricated manuscripts and AI systems capable of generating plausible but false research. 

“When research findings inform clinical decisions, shape policy, or guide technology development, trust is everything. This report shows the scale of what our industry is doing to earn and maintain that trust, infrastructure and expertise that most people outside publishing have never seen, deployed across millions of manuscripts every year,” said Caroline Sutton, CEO, STM Association.  

The report identifies three pillars of publisher practice: capacity (dedicated teams and screening technology), practice (standards, screening protocols, and training), and coordination (shared detection tools and infrastructure). Major collaborative initiatives documented in the report include the STM Integrity Hub, which now includes 49 organizational members, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) with 106 publisher members representing over 14,500 journals, and United2Act, a coalition of 58 organizations coordinating responses to paper mills. 

The report emphasizes that protecting research integrity requires action beyond publishers, across the entire research ecosystem, including institutions, funders, policymakers, and researchers themselves. 

“This report captures something we have never documented collectively before: how publishers across the community, large commercial operations to society publishers and community-based initiatives, are building shared capabilities. But it also makes clear that publishers cannot address these challenges alone. Lasting solutions require collaboration with institutions, funders, and researchers, and reforms to evaluation systems that create pressure to publish at any cost,” said Chris Graf, Research Integrity Director, Springer Nature, and Chair, STM Research Integrity Committee. 

Download the report here

Related: Read “Unseen efforts to catch paper mill outputs bear fruit” at Times Higher Education

The post New report documents publisher investment in research integrity infrastructure appeared first on STM Association.

Now in its third year (building on the legacy of STM Week), this year’s Innovation & Integrity Days reflected a noticeable shift: more dialogue across traditional boundaries, more urgency around shared challenges, and a stronger sense of common purpose in shaping the future of research integrity and innovation — priorities that reflect this year’s theme “Building Tomorrow’s Research Integrity Framework”.

For those unable to join us in London, here are some of the key takeaways and highlights:

Day 1 Recap

Day 2 Recap

Day One: the STM Innovator Fair

The first day of STM’s Innovation & Integrity Days focused on practical progress in innovation — with a keynote, lightning talks, startup pitches and a panel that explored how technology, infrastructure and collaboration are reshaping research integrity.

In the opening keynote, Professor Rachael Gooberman-Hill (UK Committee on Research Integrity; University of Bristol) set the tone by drawing on her extensive experience to frame research integrity not as a checklist, but as the long-term work of building and maintaining trust — informed by context, relationships, and values.

The lightning talks that followed showcased a wave of innovation already underway — not just isolated tools, but signals of how the ecosystem is adapting. Key themes included:

• Workflow integration: Platforms like KGL’s Smart Publish, Proofig’s PubShield, Enago Reports, ReviewerZero and Hum’s Alchemist Review demonstrated how multiple integrity signals can be brought together in a single editorial interface. DataSeer’s SnapShot tool demonstrated how agentic LLM technology can be leveraged to support the editorial process and Scitility, a Vesalius Innovation Award finalist, added to the picture with article-level risk scoring based on co-authorship patterns and retractions.
• Upstream provenance: Solutions like Veridat’s Bench and VeriMe are moving trust signals earlier in the process — capturing the when, where and how of data creation, and validating researcher identity in a privacy-preserving way. This was echoed in Thesify AI’s pitch — using structured feedback and journal matching to support quality at submission.
• Reviewer capacity and quality: ReviewerOne, Global Campus and SinoScholar (MPS) explored ways to strengthen reviewer pools through better matching, recognition and AI-assisted support. Profectus Academy, the Vesalius Award winner, connects here too — using real-world examples to build reviewer-like feedback into the research grant writing process.
• AI-readiness, risk awareness and trust: From Cashmere’s work on preparing trusted content for LLMs to Otto-SR’s systematic review support and Dandelion’s visual literature mapping, the ecosystem is thinking ahead. AuthentiSci, another Vesalius finalist, approached this from the public trust angle — enabling ORCID-verified researchers to rate and contextualise science reporting.

The innovations on display reflected a shared aim: to embed trust earlier, deeper and more systematically into the research process — supporting not just editors and research integrity staff, but researchers, reviewers and the public.

The day also featured Karger’s Vesalius Innovation Award, spotlighting early‑stage innovation focused on trust and researcher support. Five finalists pitched from more than 100 applications worldwide; you can learn more about the winner Profectus Academy and the other finalists here.

A five-year retrospective on GetFTR offered a compelling testimony of cross-industry collaboration delivering results. Originally launched to streamline access to the version of record from discovery services, GetFTR has evolved into critical infrastructure supporting the discoverability and use of trusted scholarly content in a multitude of ways.

The Fair also created space for practical exchange. Between sessions, attendees connected with exhibitors, explored prototypes and surfaced shared challenges. In parallel, in-person Research Integrity Workshops provided case-based learning in a confidential setting — not covered in this report, but an important part of the day’s impact.

The final session, From Pitch to Partnership, explored how stakeholders assess new ventures. Investors, infrastructure leaders and acquirers shared frank insights: what works, what doesn’t, and how mission-aligned startups can grow without compromising their values.

Taken together, the Innovator Fair pointed to a clear direction of travel: innovation that embeds trust throughout the research lifecycle — supported by smart tools, shared infrastructure, and steady collaboration.

Day Two: Research Integrity Day

Held under the Chatham House Rule, Day Two of the programme was framed as a multi-stakeholder dialogue — to surface shared concerns, test one another’s assumptions, and discuss practical pathways forward. The day kicked off with an update on the STM Integrity Hub, highlighting the progress that has been made in 2025, and then featured a series of panel discussions that explored various aspects of the “Building Tomorrow’s Research Integrity Framework” theme. 

Bringing together publishers, researchers, funders, institutional integrity offices, infrastructure providers and volunteer sleuths, the day focused on how to strengthen trust in research amid evolving threats and expectations. Discussions focused on research integrity, governance and operational practice, and did not cover competitively sensitive topics such as commercial terms. Three key themes emerged:

1/ Shared Responsibility, Misaligned Incentives
Participants acknowledged that every part of the research ecosystem plays a role in upholding integrity — but also faces different incentives and pressures. From grant cycles and publication demands to institutional risk management and business models, aligning integrity incentives emerged as a long-term priority. The discussion pointed to the need for collaboration, not just isolated efforts.

2/ Shift Left: Trust Starts Earlier
There was strong support for moving integrity checks earlier in the research lifecycle. By the time a publisher’s integrity team gets involved, behaviours are already entrenched and corrections are very cumbersome. Funders and institutional representatives described very low numbers of formal complaints relative to portfolio size, with only a fraction upheld, and pointed to weak whistleblower protections, fear of reprisals and unclear reporting routes as key barriers. Suggested directions included treating role-modelling and local culture as central (not just formal training), exploring continuing professional development requirements for integrity awareness, and tightening channels and protections so that raising concerns is not perceived as a risk to one’s career. Funders described extending grant periods, building in generous leave extensions and placing greater weight on environment and process rather than on publication counts alone. Participants, including sleuths, also called for better protections for those who raise concerns, and for local research cultures that treat integrity as a shared value embedded in everyday practice, rather than a box-ticking exercise.

3/ Upstream Provenance and Workflow Integrity
Several sessions carried forward last year’s Innovation & Integrity days theme of going “beyond the manuscript”. New safeguards, in addition to checking manuscripts at the point of submission for indications of integrity concerns, are required to establish the veracity and authenticity of research outputs, especially in the age of (Gen)AI. Two options were discussed specifically: strengthening researcher identity verification, and establishing the authenticity of images and data through new technologies. Participants agreed that it will be increasingly challenging for detection to keep pace with manipulation as tools evolve, which requires us to focus our attention on provenance — capturing how and where data and images are created, and embedding that information into research workflows from the outset. Ideas included trusted research environments, data-focused peer review, and stronger signalling of provenance quality, aligned with Open Science principles. In other words, a shift from publishers investigating if something is false or fabricated, to researchers demonstrating that something is real and genuine through trustworthy workflows – requiring collaboration and new workflows throughout the research ecosystem.

A Way Forward
One clear takeaway from both days: technology can support integrity, as proven by the success of the STM Integrity Hub and the many innovators presenting their work, but it cannot guarantee it. Lasting trust depends on governance, incentives, new technologies, workflows, and especially collaboration.

STM remains committed to supporting that progress — convening dialogue, connecting expertise, and championing efforts that protect and enhance the integrity of the scholarly record.

Special thanks to Lynsey Haire, Academic Publishing Operations Consultant, for her expert summary and contribution to this post following STM’s I&I Days in London.

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Want to be sure you don’t miss next year’s event? (Hint: it will be in early December 2026 at the BMA House again!) Sign up for our newsletter so you can be the first to know when registration opens — and when virtual learning opportunities emerge. 

The post A recap: STM Integrity & Innovation Days 2025 appeared first on STM Association.

In early November, STM CEO Caroline Sutton spent several days in Tokyo meeting with funders, government leaders, research agencies, and publishing groups — alongside delegates from STM’s Japan Chapter. As in last year’s visit, the conversations were productive, wide-ranging, and grounded in strong local partnerships. And while open science dominated the agenda in 2024, this year the spotlight had clearly shifted to AI, research integrity, and the evolving policy landscape in Japan. 

Government: A New Five-Year Plan and a Changing Landscape 

One of the most important conversations took place with Professor Kohei Miyazono, the new Chief Executive Member of Japan’s Council for Science, Technology and Innovation. With his background as a journal editor and society president, he brings a nuanced understanding of scholarly publishing to the table. 

Japan’s next Five-Year Plan is expected in early 2026 and may include efforts to reverse the country’s relative decline in research output — potentially with an increase in national research investment. 

Discussions also touched on rising political tensions with China, including a growing concern: inter-governmental research co-funded by China may require that 50% of resulting publications appear in Chinese domestic journals. 

Open science, which dominated last year’s visit, received only brief attention — a sign that, with the national policy now launched, ministries have turned their focus to newer priorities. 

Funders: Open Access Progress & AI Guidance 

Meetings with AMED, JSPS, and JST remained warm and constructive. 

• AMED sees open access expanding gradually under the national policy and is now considering how to guide researchers on use of AI — both in research practice and in grant evaluations.

• JSPS anticipates possible increases to Kakenhi grant funding and has recently issued guidance on AI use.

• JST is introducing GrantsData, a new dataset repository that joins a growing ecosystem: J-STAGE, Jxiv, ResearchMap, and JBM. JST also reported increasing requests from LLM developers seeking access to J-STAGE content for training.

The annual JST/STM Seminar drew its largest audience yet (217 attendees), with a strong slate of talks focused on AI’s impact on publishing, research workflows, and data integrity. 

Copyright & Rights Management: New Conversations and a Broader Table 

This year’s agenda expanded to include both the Agency for Cultural Affairs (ACA) and the Japan Book Publishers Association (JBPA). 

ACA reaffirmed that any AI use of copyrighted works that risks harming commercial rights requires licensing under Japanese law. They are now convening creative industries and rights-holder groups across three working groups to develop a Code of Conduct for AI and copyright — an area where STM has offered continued support. 

Discussions also included updates on: 

• SATRAS, which collects and distributes compensation for educational copying (roughly ¥4.8 billion annually), and

• SARLIB, the new system overseeing library transmissions under Article 31 of the Copyright Act, where publishers may opt their titles out of transmission.

Open Access & National Policy Momentum 

With the April 2025 launch of Japan’s national open science policy, agencies signaled they are now turning attention to other pressing issues such as AI governance and research integrity. 

At the same time, STM data presented during the visit showed an interesting trend: the share of subscription articles is increasing while open access output is tapering, despite a growing number of read-and-publish agreements. 

Factors contributing to this include: 

• Institutions asking researchers to pay additional fees even under existing agreements 

• Restrictions at some universities on publishing in non-Q1/Q2 journals 

• Policy flexibility allowing non-immediate OA when a reason is provided

As a result, many articles may continue to appear in subscription journals for the foreseeable future. 

Meanwhile, NII continues its work on metadata integration and infrastructure development through CiNII Research, connecting institutional repositories across Japan. 

Local Publishing Community & Outreach 

Caroline and the STM delegation also met with JBPA leadership for the first time in over a decade — a meaningful step toward deeper collaboration on copyright, AI, and shared challenges facing publishers globally. 

An STM Japan Chapter meeting was held at Wiley’s offices, and Caroline also gave an interview to Science News, reaching 40,000 readers across Japan’s research community. 

In Summary 

Caroline’s 2025 visit to Japan underscored a clear shift in national and institutional priorities: 

• AI is now the central topic of concern across government, funders, and publishers.

• Open science policy implementation is underway, but attention is moving toward research integrity, infrastructure, and practical impact.

• Copyright and rights management are entering a new phase, with Japan taking proactive steps to clarify how AI and copyrighted content can coexist.

• Engagement with Japan’s publishing ecosystem remains strong, with new bridges being built between STM and national associations.

Overall, this year’s meetings reinforced Japan’s importance as a thoughtful, collaborative partner in shaping the global future of scholarly communication. 

The post Inside STM’s November visit to Japan: key themes, takeaways & what’s next appeared first on STM Association.

This addition comes in direct response to feedback from recent attendees looking for more applied, research-integrity-focused learning ahead of STM Research Integrity Day (10 December). These optional interactive sessions offer just that — a chance to explore key topics in depth the day before, fostering peer exchange and skill-building.

Held in parallel with the Fair’s afternoon session, the 1.5 hour workshops allow attendees to choose from three focused sessions, each designed to unpack essential themes in integrity and trust. You’ll leave with fresh insights, practical tools, and ideas you can apply in your day-to-day work. Registration fee for the workshops is €99.

Take your pick of three expert-led sessions: 

Forensic Scientometrics: Enhancing Research Integrity and Security for the Scholarly Ecosystem 

• Facilitated by: Leslie McIntosh (Research Integrity & Security, Digital Science) and René Aquarius (Radboudumc)
• Explore how forensic scientometrics can be used to uncover and address manipulation in the research ecosystem — and build stronger, more transparent systems of trust. 

Communication and Collaboration with Institutions 

• Facilitated by: Elizabeth Moylan (Wiley), Luigi Longobardi (IEEE), Olivia Nippe (Elsevier) 
• Learn practical strategies for working effectively with institutions when research integrity concerns arise — from knowing who to contact to building stronger partnerships across the ecosystem
  

Helping Your Editors and Reviewers Understand Research Integrity Issues 

• Facilitated by: Sabina Alam (Taylor & Francis), Daniel Acuna (ReviewerZero AI), Jigisha Patel (Research Integrity Ltd) 
• Support your editorial teams and peer reviewers with the tools and understanding they need to identify and respond to integrity issues — with interactive discussion and expert insights.

When: 9 December, 14:30–16:00
Where: BMA House, London (during STM Innovator Fair)

Learn more & register 

 These workshops are open to all I&I Days attendees — whether you’re joining for the full two-day program or just the first day. Make the most of your time at the Fair, and walk away with new ideas and insights, actionable skills, and stronger connections across the community. 

The post New this year: Research Integrity Workshops added to I&I Days lineup appeared first on STM Association.

STM is pleased to welcome

AIP Publishing is a leading not-for-profit scholarly publisher serving the physical sciences community. With a mission to accelerate scientific discovery and ensure the quality and reliability of the scholarly record, AIP Publishing brings a strong focus on editorial excellence and integrity. 

“We’re very pleased to see AIP Publishing join the STM Integrity Hub,” said Joris van Rossum, Program Director, STM Solutions. “The Hub is designed to provide publishers with tools, infrastructure, and community insights to help address emerging integrity challenges. It’s encouraging to see momentum, with publishers like AIP Publishing joining—reflecting a shared commitment across the community to safeguarding the scholarly record.”

Launched in 2022, the STM Integrity Hub provides a secure, cloud-based environment where publishers can screen manuscripts using a suite of integrated tools. These tools—used independently by participating publishers—help identify patterns and signals associated with research integrity concerns. 

Today, more than 35 publishers use the Hub in their editorial workflows, screening over 125,000 manuscripts each month, and intercepting around 1,000 suspected paper mill submissions monthly, based on estimations from participating publishers. 

“We’re committed to investing in initiatives that strengthen confidence in the research we publish,” said Penelope Lewis, Chief Publishing Officer, AIP Publishing. “Joining the STM Integrity Hub enables our editors and authors to benefit from shared tools and insights that help safeguard the quality and credibility of the scientific record.”

Participation in the Hub is voluntary, and publishers maintain full editorial independence in how they use the tools and information it provides. 

Curious to learn more?
Join us in London on 10 December for Research Integrity Day 2025 to hear about the latest trends in research integrity, new approaches to combat paper mills, and recent advances with the STM Integrity Hub.

Learn more about the STM Integrity Hub and its impact

The post AIP Publishing joins the STM Integrity Hub to advance research integrity efforts appeared first on STM Association.

Selected from a record-breaking number of submissions this year, these innovators showcase some of the most promising technologies and ideas shaping the future of trusted research.

Attendees will experience these innovations first-hand—through lightning talks, live demos on the Fair floor, and also experience the Karger Publishers 2025 Vesalius Innovation Award ceremony, spotlighting five outstanding finalists.

Learn more about this year’s theme and selected presenters — and register to join us! >>

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