Cambridge University Press (CUP) has released a report urging action “to ensure academic publishing becomes more open, equitable and sustainable”.

Its authors claim that the “global academic publishing ecosystem” will collapse without urgent reform to protect high-quality open access publishing in the era of AI.

The report, ‘Publishing futures: Working together to deliver radical change in academic publishing’, draws on a survey of over 3,000 people across 120 countries with stakes in the academic publishing industry. This includes researchers, librarians, and publishers themselves.

While 86% of people surveyed support an open access approach to academic publishing, just 32% believe the current system can meet future challenges.

‘Publishing futures’ identifies four critical issues with the academic publishing industry: rising publishing volumes, financial unsustainability, widening equity gaps, and challenges in academic reward and recognition.

The report warns against incentivising quantity over quality in publishing outputs, especially where AI is involved. 81% of survey respondents agreed that rising publishing volumes have put the peer review system under pressure.

Managing Director of CUP Mandy Hill explained: “Too many journal articles are being published and this is causing huge strain. The growth in publishing is driven by incentives in the system, and will be exacerbated by AI.”

The report’s recommendations include adapting academic reward and recognition structures to reprioritise quality over quantity, and addressing systemic inequities for authors in low and middle-income countries.

Hill continued: “We can create a system that is open by default and equitable by design. That is how we as publishers can best support research.”

This follows her statement at the Publishers Association Annual Parliamentary Reception last month (9/9), where she declared: “I don’t think there has ever been a more important time for publishers and politicians to be working together.”

“With artificial intelligence, the technological landscape is shifting in a way that means society needs rigorously peer-reviewed research,” Hill added. 

In response to the new report, Cambridge’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, said: “This is a collective action problem of major proportions. Academic institutions, professional societies, research funders, and academic publishers all have important roles to play in the development of a more equitable and sustainable model going forward.”

Alongside the report, CUP have released a form, where stakeholders can submit questions about the report or proposals for collaboration towards improving the publishing sector.