SETAC Journals: Preparing for a Sustainable Future
Jen Lynch and Erin Nelson, SETAC, and Jinnie Kim, Oxford University Press
A Publishing Announcement
We are thrilled to announce that Oxford University Press will publish Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (ET&C) and Integrated Environmental Assessment (IEAM) starting in January 2025.
Adapting to Open Access
The landscape of academic publishing is rapidly evolving due to increased pressure from institutions, publishers and funding bodies for open access. This shift necessitates a reconfiguration of the journal business model and growth rates. Traditionally, the SETAC journals were subscription-based, meaning that the cost to publish was covered by the library market. In contrast, open access relies on an author-pays model, which reconfigures the model from a volume-based market rate to an article-based market rate. This transition brings significant changes in income revenue structures. To address the financial implications, the journals could:
- Increase the per article open access rate, which could exacerbate inequity
- Expand the scope of both journals and lower the benchmarks of quality (e.g., allow works that are not novel, as the Public Library of Science [PLoS] journals)
- Engage some combination of both
In the interim, as we cruise toward an open access reality, the journals remain “hybrid,” which allows for open access options, while retaining a traditional subscription-based model.
Challenges in the Publishing Landscape
Changes in academic publishing are happening on a nearly daily basis. Many publishers, including Wiley, have been streamlining article types and modifying workflows to accommodate a higher volume of articles, with a goal of increasing profit and hastening the move to full open access. Authors, who are not intimate with publishing policies or licensing terms, can be left dazed and confused. It is our responsibility at the SETAC journals to ensure a positive experience for our authors, reviewers and editors, from submission to publication. Our manageable submission and publication numbers allow us to provide personalized attention, and we have been focusing significant energy at the journals on enhancing our support systems to maintain high-quality services.
The Role of Publishers
Our publishing partner plays a key role in supporting these efforts. Our publisher has as much interaction with our authors as we do and is responsible for providing the submission system, typesetting the articles, managing the proof process, and issuing the licenses to publish and maintaining the platform that provides access to SETAC members. In addition, we rely on them to provide advice on financial decisions, and they should be invested in developing our journals with us. Ideally, we work as a team to ensure the long-term viability of the journals’ publications program.
A New Partnership with Oxford University Press
Last year, our contract with Wiley was up for renewal, and we used the time to review how various publishers were navigating the challenges and opportunities in publishing. After careful consideration, the SETAC World Council voted to move the journal operation to Oxford University Press (OUP). We are excited for the new partnership and have been working throughout the year to tighten and harmonize the policies and practices at both journals.
OUP publishes more than 500 academic and research journals, covering a broad range of subject areas, three-quarters of which are published in collaboration with learned societies and other international organizations. OUP has been publishing journals for more than a century and, as the world’s largest university press, has more than 500 years of publishing expertise.
OUP is part of Oxford University and as such shares in the same mission-driven priorities of SETAC. They are well aligned to deliver quality-infused, bespoke services to the SETAC community and look forward to continuing to publish top-tier publications and services to our authors, reviewers, editors and readers under the new partnership.
Author's contact: [email protected]