EASE course: Editorial School for Journal Editors

Module 8 – Open science and journal policies

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, 2.00pm-4.30pm (UK time)

Part II of our popular Editorial School for Journal Editors took place in October 2025. Jadranka Stojanovski presented the final module.

The format was a lecture, followed by a moderated breakout session in which small groups considered two case studies, and then a final session to feedback the discussions from the breakout groups and answer further questions from delegates.

Each module was recorded and made available to participants together with handbooks for easy reference.

Module 8 content

Publishing ethics are an increasing concern for the global research community, especially with greater exposure to criticism on the Internet and through social media. Journals and editors are now being judged on both the publishing model which the journal follows, and also on the quality of what it publishes. In particular, issues over transparency and openness are being evaluated by researchers and their funding organizations when deciding where to publish, and which journals to support. In some cases, this has resulted in good journals being viewed as suspicious because their public presence does not clearly describe the publishing processes, editorial safeguards and commitment to balanced publication.

This workshop delegates considered Open Science in its broadest sense, implications for journal editors and the publication of their journals, as well as the policies journals should create and enforce, and how to  monitor them.

Learning objectives

1. Open science – What it means for editors, the journal publishers, and how it can be affected in a way to satisfy the funding agencies
2. Journal policies – Which policies need to be in place, which need to be made public on the journal website
3. Managing social media – How to ensure social media benefits the journal, and how to manage social media problems