The fifth decade.

As the journal transitions from fourth to fifth decade, its fourth and fifth Chief Editor discuss its role in the research process.

Publishing in the Open Access and Open Science era.

Our research activities would be better served if they were communicated in a manner that is openly accessible to the public and all researchers. The research we share is often limited to representative data included in research papers-science would be much more efficient if all reproducible research data were shared alongside detailed methods and protocols, in the paradigm called Open Science. On the other hand, one primary function of research journals is to select manuscripts of good quality, verify the authenticity of the data and its impact, and deliver to the appropriate audience for critical evaluation and verification. In the current paradigm, where publication in a subset of journals is intimately linked to research evaluation, a hypercompetitive "market" has emerged where authors compete to access a limited number of top-tier journals, leading to high rejection rates. Competition among publishers and scientific journals for market dominance resulted in an increase in both the number of journals and the cost of publishing and accessing scientific papers. Here we summarize the current problems and potential solutions from the development of AI technology discussed in the seminar at the 46th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan.

Open Access for Open Science.

The EMBO Journal and EMBO Reports join EMBO Molecular Medicine, Molecular Systems Biology and Life Science Alliance as Open Access journals from 2024. Full Open Access at EMBO Press completes another step towards the goal of an integrated Open Science approach for the dissemination of highly selected and curated science.

Constructive correction.

A fundamental tenet of the scientific process is that science is self-correcting. Efficient correction of the scientific literature requires a more nuanced set of policies and tools that lower the bar to author self-correction. The community has to embrace correction as a signal of scholarly quality.

A selective journal.

The stringent selection criteria applied at EMBO Reports result in the publication of around 16% of submitted papers. What do we select for and why is this a service to the scientific community? A counterpoint to EMBO Reports (2023) e58127.

Survival of the Wealthiest?

A number of promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates may pass approval this month. However, the pandemic will only be brought into check through an equitable, epidemiologically informed distribution policy. The health emergency provides a unique opportunity for a new paradigm to mitigate between global health, national and commercial interests.

Rubble to Rouble: how can science respond to war?

The unprovoked war on Ukraine has left many in the global scientific community, including Russia, shellshocked. We need to persuade the Kremlin to return to a rules-based international order, while supporting Ukrainians, but also Russian scientists facing both internal and external sanctions.

Publishing unpredictable research outcomes.

EMBO Reports welcomes 'Independent First Confirmation' studies for important findings. The editors will also consider well-developed null data on pivotal open questions in the biosciences, and studies that refute prominent published claims.

Peer Review beyond Journals.

The EMBO Journal has extended its Transparent Process beyond journal confines to post referee comments alongside preprint versions of papers and to partner with Review Commons, a pre-journal peer-review platform for Refereed Preprints in the life sciences.

Self-correction prevents withdrawal syndrome.

The scientific research paper remains the primary mode for documenting scholarly achievement in a stable, citable manner, yet the toolkit that allows for changes and corrections to research papers limits the optimal dissemination of reliable research findings.

Registered animal studies and null data.

EMBO Press encourages to document or pre-register animal experiments on the new Animal Study Registry to increase reproducibility and efficacy of animal research.

Review Commons-pre-journal peer review.

EMBO Press and ASAPbio launch Review Commons, a platform to provide authors with journal-independent peer review of their manuscripts and preprints.

Reproducibility blues.

Research findings advance science only if they are significant, reliable and reproducible. Scientists and journals must publish robust data in a way that renders it optimally reproducible. Reproducibility has to be incentivized and supported by the research infrastructure but without dampening innovation.

Impact fact-or fiction?

The Journal Impact Factor dominates research assessment in many disciplines and in many countries. While research assessment will always have to rely to some extent on quantitative, standardized metrics, the focus on this single measure has gone so far as to hamper and distort scientific research. The Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), signed by influential journals, funders, academic institutions and individuals across the natural sciences, aims to raise awareness and to redress the use of non-objective research assessment practices.