Inside the academic publishing pressure cooker: Challenges and possibilities within the ecosystem.

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Title:	Inside the academic publishing pressure cooker: Challenges and possibilities within the ecosystem.
Authors:	Rogers, Marg¹ marg.rogers@une.edu.au, Sims, Margaret² margaret.sims@mq.edu.au, Thorsteinsson, Einar¹ ethorste@une.edu.au
Source:	Issues in Educational Research. 2026, Vol. 36 Issue 1, pix-xvii. 9p.
Subject Terms:	Scholarly publishing, Interdisciplinary research, Gender inequality, Professional peer review, Open access publishing, Scientific community, Mental health, Business ecosystems
Abstract:	This article examines the multifaceted pressures within the academic publishing ecosystem, conceptualized as a "pressure cooker" with nested systems influencing researchers, including individual skills, institutional demands, publishing landscapes, and global contexts. It highlights challenges such as workload-induced mental health risks, gender disparities, difficulties publishing interdisciplinary research, and the tension between traditional high-status journals and emerging open-access or alternative platforms. The article also discusses the impact of administrative burdens, the rise of AI in peer review, and inequities faced by researchers in the global south. Finally, it calls for innovative, sustainable models—such as open-access, no-fee journals with strong editorial support—to better support diverse academics and address systemic issues in scholarly publishing. [Extracted from the article]
	Copyright of Issues in Educational Research is the property of Australia's Institutes for Educational Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	This article examines the multifaceted pressures within the academic publishing ecosystem, conceptualized as a "pressure cooker" with nested systems influencing researchers, including individual skills, institutional demands, publishing landscapes, and global contexts. It highlights challenges such as workload-induced mental health risks, gender disparities, difficulties publishing interdisciplinary research, and the tension between traditional high-status journals and emerging open-access or alternative platforms. The article also discusses the impact of administrative burdens, the rise of AI in peer review, and inequities faced by researchers in the global south. Finally, it calls for innovative, sustainable models—such as open-access, no-fee journals with strong editorial support—to better support diverse academics and address systemic issues in scholarly publishing. [Extracted from the article]
ISSN:	03137155