From 10–12 September, publishing professionals gathered in Manchester for the annual ALPSP Conference. It was three days of lively discussion, bold ideas and glimpses into the future of scholarly communication. This year’s meeting was particularly focused on how publishers are adapting to rapid developments in AI, peer review innovation, funding cuts, global inequity and open access requirements. 

I was especially thrilled to attend as one of the winners of this year’s ALPSP Rising Star Award, which was an incredible honour and made even more special by sharing it with a former colleague from Edinburgh University Press. 

AI and the Future of Peer Review 

AI was, unsurprisingly, one of the dominant themes of the conference. Conversations centred on how publishers can harness AI responsibly. Using it, not as a replacement for human expertise, but as a tool to enhance it. 

• AI-assisted peer review tools are being explored across STM journals, including systems that help locate reviewers, check for ethical issues and generate reviewer shortlists. Several publishers are now trialling internal LLMs for these tasks as well.  
• A key topic was the balance between human and machine review; can AI streamline workflows without losing the rigour that defines peer review and our workflows? 
• The concept of co-review was also presented: pairing a senior academic with an early career researcher to review together. This model not only improves review quality but builds mentorship and confidence for junior scholars. 

Building Communities, Not Just Workflows 

Several sessions focused on community involvement in publishing. There was a strong call to meet academic audiences where they are in order to foster genuine partnerships between publishers, societies, libraries and researchers. Publishers were urged to move beyond being content providers and to act as community facilitators. 

Tools such as ATOM, an AI-powered grant search engine that connects research to funding, and Thoth Open, which helps publishers manage metadata and open data usage statistics, reflects this shift towards collaboration and accessibility.  

And speaking of metadata, the incredible metadata Oasis musical was an absolute highlight of the conference. It was a fun and creative reminder that even the most technical aspects of publishing can spark collaboration and imagination!  

Innovation and Open Access: Rethinking Sustainability 

Open access remains at the heart of industry transformation. Speakers emphasised the need for collaboration with scholarly societies in order to develop sustainable OA models that move beyond Book Processing Charges (BPCs), instead exploring library funding schemes and direct partnerships. 

Many attendees advocated for CC-BY licensing as the standard for truly open research, while others discussed the emerging need for new licenses tailored to AI and OA use. The potential of AI to improve discoverability, particularly by analysing and indexing chapter-level data, was another key takeaway. 

There were also calls for bilingual and multilingual OA publishing, with AI proposed as a means to increase language accessibility. Yet panellists noted that institutional reward systems must evolve if multilingual scholarship is ever to thrive. 

Towards a More Equitable and Inclusive Future 

Equity and inclusion were recurring themes, from the need to host conferences in the Global South to diversifying editorial boards and reviewer pools. Delegates called for dismantling entrenched research assessment structures and ensuring more equitable participation in scholarly communication worldwide. 

Critical Reflections 

Despite the optimism, some attendees noted the absence of vital voices such as authors, peer reviewers and end users whose perspectives are crucial in shaping the future of publishing. Their absence served as a reminder that genuine reform must include the full research ecosystem. 

Looking Ahead 

The conference closed with forward-looking discussions about redefining impact, reinventing publishing workflows and even rethinking the eBook format (with several speakers calling for an end to the PDF). There was a shared sense that the industry is on the cusp of reinvention, one that will require coordinated action between funders, universities, governments and publishers. 

The future of scholarly publishing clearly depends on collaboration, inclusivity and community-driven innovation. If we can move away from brand-driven thinking and focus instead on serving researchers and readers, the transformation of our field can be not only technological but remain human. 

About the Author

Isobel Birks is a Commissioning Editor at Liverpool University Press, providing maternity cover across the Modern Languages and Postcolonial Studies list. Before joining LUP, she was Senior Assistant Editor at Edinburgh University Press, where she managed a wide-ranging portfolio across Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies, Ancient History & Classical Studies, and Scottish Studies. She contributed to strategic list development, metadata and workflow improvements, and mentoring early-career colleagues. She co-founded and ran EUP’s first DEI-focused internship programme, chaired a panel at Redux 2024 and co-led the implementation of a new title management system. Isobel is passionate about mission-driven publishing, championing underrepresented voices and supporting authors through every stage of the process. She holds an MSc in Publishing from Edinburgh Napier University and an MA (Hons) in English Literature and History from the University of Glasgow.