As part of our ongoing program of events for journal editors and society officers, we recently held an editorial seminar at the Society of Chemical Industrys headquarters in London on the topic of Journal Publishing in a Fast-Changing Time. The program was put together by a team of Wiley Blackwell colleagues with input from some of our key society partners – Catherine Hill (Head of Publications, British Ecological Society), Hannah Hope (Society & Science Officer, British Society for Immunology), Cornelia Schnelle (Director of Publications, The Physiological Society), and Catherine Souch (Head of Research & Higher Education, Royal Geographical Society).
Attended by 45+ editors and managing editors from across the spectrum of disciplines some from as far afield as Iceland and Switzerland! the seminar started with a panel of senior Wiley Blackwell colleagues setting the scene for the day. Bob Campbell (Senior Publisher), Philip Carpenter (VP & Managing Director, Social Science & Humanities), Liz Ferguson (Editorial Director, Life Sciences), and Lorna Berrett (Director, Society Product Management) provided an overview of the political landscape in the UK, EU, and beyond, with a particular focus on Open Access (OA); the Wiley Blackwell colleagues also gave attendees a look at how Wileys technology roadmap is evolving to meet changing market needs.
This was followed by a legal update from Sue Joshua, Wiley Blackwells Legal Director, which looked in more detail at OA and copyright, including a review of the various Creative Commons licenses. After lunch, attendees had the choice of attending breakout sessions on OA, led by Liz Ferguson with Verity Emmans (Managing Editor) or Social Media, led by Catherine Hill and Davina Quarterman (Web Publishing Manager); and Peer Review, led by Tom Gaston (Managing Editor) and Hannah Hope, or Metrics with Jenny Neophytou (Bibliometrics Analyst). The last session of the day was a lively panel discussion on Author Engagement with Catherine Souch, Philip Steer (former Editor-in Chief, BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology), and Sarah Watson (Commissioning Editor).
The day ended with a very well-attended cocktail and networking reception. Feedback was very positive to quote one attendee: it was great to get together with colleagues and realize that we share problems and worries, and it was reassuring to see that Wiley is aware of the challenges of the current climate and is lobbying for our industry.
For more information or to request an invitation to the next editorial seminar, please contact your Journal Publishing Manager or email societypublishing@wiley.com.