Events


Rethink, reimagine, revolutionise


The theme of revolution has been inspired by the rich history of SSP’s 2020 host city of Boston


‘Our world is changing rapidly, and scholarly communication is no exception,’ proclaim the organisers of this year’s SSP annual meeting. The event, which will be held from 27 to


29 May at the Westin Waterfront hotel in Boston, is aimed at exploring a broad range of interpretations of the theme of revolution as they apply to the academic publishing community.


Subjects such as equity and inclusion, ethics, artificial intelligence, and open access mandates provide both opportunities and challenges for the community as a whole – and will be discussed at length during the three-day meeting. Presentations and discussions will be


arranged around the following ‘tracks’: • Tools and technology: The world of scholarly communication will always rely heavily on technology. Session proposals focused on the latest developments in the tools and infrastructure underlying the sharing of scholarship are encouraged.


• Culture of change: Our community is changing in ways big and small, thinking in new ways about diversity, accessibility, and inclusion, to name just a few. Session proposals exploring these shifts and outcomes are welcomed.


This year’s event will take place at the Westin Waterfront hotel in Boston


• External pressures: The business of scholarly communication has been facing major transformations, and more are anticipated. Session proposals designed to collaboratively evaluate possible solutions are especially encouraged.


• Marketing, sales and strategy: The market for scholarly communication continues to grow. Evolving strategies to develop new products, reach new audiences, and find new ways to make research relevant to the world will be increasingly critical.


• Professional development: The SSP Annual Meeting serves as an important source for ongoing learning and education within our community. Session proposals that explore this in particularly innovative ways are especially encouraged.


Pre-conference: journals training day


As well as the main meetings, the SSP has ranged a special series of pre-meeting programming for 2020. Traditionally organisers have scheduled three-hour


educational sessions, to allow for a deeper dive into various topics, on the Wednesday morning prior to the opening of the meeting. This year a new


arrangement has been made www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo


for that day: a day-length training session on the business of journals, geared not just toward early career professionals, but to anyone wishing to learn more about journals publishing.


Delegates will enjoy plenty of opportunities to meet colleagues and share ideas at evening receptions, interactive lunches and other events, while the exhibitor marketplace provides a central area to learn about new products, programs, services and solutions. The organisers said: ‘How will we as


scholarly communication professionals re-imagine ourselves to respond to the changes happening across the industry? ‘Subjects such as equity and inclusion,


ethics, artificial intelligence, and open access mandates provide both opportunities and challenges for the community as a whole. How do we ensure the inclusion of different perspectives and experiences as we forge a future path?


‘In the past decades, great shifts in


revenue models, technology, and market changes have forced revolutions in our industry. Next spring in Boston, we will challenge ourselves to drive the change that we think is necessary to ensure that scholarly communication continues to thrive.’


All in all, the SSP annual meeting comes


highly recommended by all of us at Research Information.


l For more information visit https:// customer.sspnet.org/ssp/AM20/Home


February/March 2020 Research Information 29


Lukas Bischoff Photograph/Shutterstock.com


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