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This course offers an in-depth and critical analysis of the current scientific publishing system, structured into five thematic modules.
It begins with an overview of how the system works today, exploring topics such as peer review, authorship, open access, and personal experiences across different disciplines.
The second module addresses the issue of predatory journals, examining how they are defined, how they differ from legitimate journals, and what risks they pose to scientific research.
The third module focuses on research evaluation metrics, with particular attention to the balance between the quality and quantity of publications researchers are expected to produce throughout their careers.
The course then moves on to a discussion of research integrity, covering topics such as authorship, questionable research practices, ethics, and informed consent.
Scientific Publishing Unpacked: Foundations, Integrity, and the Future

Acknowledgements

Mauro Apostolico (Digital Library – University Library Centre, Open Science Committee, University of Padua, Italy) collaborated to the activities of the module Exploring ways forward

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand how metric systems and research-output evaluation processes work, their impact on publications, and their influence on researchers’ careers;
• Explain how scientific journals, peer review, and open-access processes operate;
• Distinguish legitimate scientific journals from predatory ones;
• Recognize and apply the core principles of research integrity, including authorship, research misconduct, and ethical considerations;
• Analyze and interpret research metrics and evaluation systems;
• Propose strategies to improve and modernize the current scientific publishing system;
• Engage in informed discussions on publication quality and research evaluation with experts from diverse fields.

PhD students and early career researchers

The course is free of charge. An attendance certificate will be issued to learners who successfully complete the required activities.