In the last few years, the combination of digital advancements, changes in researcher expectations, and the availability of knowledge, have resulted in significant changes in the world of academic publishing. The traditional publishing model, particularly the heavy reliance on print journals, prolonged review processes and gated access publishing, are being replaced by more fluid, technology-\ enabled systems. Academic publishing is now firmly focused on publishing research online and allowing researchers to disseminate and promote their work globally in ways that are quick and advantageous. With the continued growth and development of digital tools, several academic publishing systems and methods are being transformed. For academics aiming to publish in the best journals and have a lasting impact in their field, keeping abreast of the online research publishing trends is important.

An important change in academic publishing is the availability of open access publishing. The traditional model of academic publishing is based on subscription journals whereby access to published research is gated and restricted and, in many cases, paid for. Consequently, many people, particularly students and researchers, are unable to access and benefit from the published research. This barrier is removed with open access journals, which publish research articles online and make them freely available. The model is inclusive, and publishes and disseminates research globally. The open access model is now the preferred model used by most researchers, and is supported by funding and publishing the results of research.

Another trend affecting academic publishing is the incorporation of artificial intelligence into the publishing process. More and more editors, peer reviewers, and researchers are leveraging AI to simplify and speed up their workflow with journals. There are a slew of tasks that AI can take over for editors and reviewers, from identifying potential peer reviewers to screening manuscripts to performing citation analyses. Even researchers are able to leverage AI for writing assistance and editing. The integration of AI into publishing processes stands to greatly speed up the entire process of publishing research.

The trend of shortening publication deadlines is also affecting research publishing online. There are typically lengthy delays in traditional publishing systems due to peer review and subsequent revisions. Because of this, researchers’ work could take many months, or even years, to be published. The demand for the fast dissemination of ideas and information has spurred more and more publishers to implement rapid review and online-first publishing processes. This trend is of particular value to research fields of high importance and rapid growth, like research and publishing in health care, technology, and the environment.

The increase in the speed of publication is due, in large part, to preprint platforms. A preprint is a publication in which researchers can share their work online in advance of traditional peer review. These platforms help researchers share their work quickly, and gain feedback from the research community. This is especially necessary when peer-reviewed publications can take months or years. The value of preprint literature is especially evident when scientific work needs to be disseminated quickly, as is often the case in a global crisis. There are concerns regarding the publication of non-peer-reviewed literature, and most researchers have accepted that preprint publication is an integral part of the research communication framework.

Another trend in academic publishing is the increased acceptance of peer review transparency and openness. Long delays and peer review bias are the result of several systems that are often criticized because of their lack of transparency. In the online publication of research, some systems have even begun to adopt a model of open peer review, in which reviewer names are disclosed, or reviewer comment(s) are made public. Transparent peer review systems foster accountability, and allow for a constructive review process. The hope is that the publication system will become more trustworthy as a result of a more transparent peer review system. The trend indicates that, in the upcoming years, researchers may encounter more collaborative and open peer evaluation systems.

In the open research system, the publication of research alongside datasets and other materials/forms that accompany research is increasingly advocated and, in some cases, required by journals and funding bodies. The promulgation of openness and transparency in research and the sharing of datasets is likely to improve the credibility of research. Greater reproducibility will result and interdisciplinary collaborations will be fostered. In the end, researchers’ reputations may be more enhanced by their acceptance of research transparency. More frequently, transparent research may lead to greater citation and increased trust from the research community.

Digital accessibility is changing how we consume academic content. There has been an observable rise in the use of smartphones and tablets integrated with cloud technology to access academic content. As a result, many journals are now creating platforms that are mobile friendly, as well as interactive digital experiences. Research articles of the future might even use videos, podcasts, interactive figures, and data that can change and move to enhance and maintain the interest of readers. These changes will also help audiences, both academic and non-academic, to improve their understanding of findings that are complex.

As a result of altmetrics, academic scholarly influence is also changing. Traditionally, success in the academic world was understood as achieving a certain number of citations in journals of a certain impact factor. The growth of the internet has created new ways to evaluate the influence of published research as the result of social media, mentions in the news, blogs and the general public. Altmetrics help researchers understand how their research has achieved an impact outside of the academic world. Many researchers today are coming to the understanding that their public appeal and audience interaction is just as important as the other academic benchmarks.

Global collaboration is another major factor that is changing academic publishing. The internet has enabled researchers, regardless of where they are situated in the world, to undergo academic collaboration. This is possible due to digital tools that allow co-authors to work together, provide instant feedback and organize manuscripts. International collaboration also has the potential to create innovative research, and result in a great impact.

Ethical concerns around publishing are more prominent in online research. Digital publishing has encouraged predatory journals, which focus on profit rather than the quality of scholarship. Journals provide rapid publication without peer review or an adequate editing process. Researchers have to be more selective when considering journals and are tasked with evaluating publication platforms. Established indexing databases, peer review processes, a quality editorial board, and standards of integrity in publishing will always be key markers for journal evaluation. Recognizing the publication ethics will be increasingly valuable given the need for researchers to stand out in crowded scholarship.

Advancements that personalize the process of journal recommendations and assist in finding journals to publish or communicate research are becoming available, including systems that analyze the research and use keywords to classify the work. These systems are now used by many publishers and academic databases to make such recommendations, and help to eliminate the circumstance of manuscript rejection caused by the use of an inappropriate journal. Moreover, publishing systems may later have the ability to provide publication advice, citation techniques, and even editorial suggestions tailored to the researchers’ needs.

There are also new publishing models that alter funding. Most of the current open access journals have an article processing charge, which has sparked new criticisms of the funding. In particular, researchers in low-resource institutions are challenged to provide funding to publish their work. This has spurred new funding initiatives offered by countries and universities, such as publication grants, fee-waiver programs, and institutional arrangements that broaden the scope of publishing and make more accessible research possible.

As universities have begun developing institutional online repositories and digital publication systems, the importance of academic institutions for the dissemination of knowledge is growing. Most institutions have also begun supporting the faculty and the students for the editing of manuscripts, the training for publication, and the selection of the publication. This support helps simplify the increasingly complicated process of publication and improves the outcome of publication.

There are positive developments, but the competition and the oversupply of information are growing problems. There is extreme competition among researchers because of the large number of manuscripts submitted to publications. In those circumstances, having high-quality and honest research is of primary importance, but strong methodology along with the correct choice of the publication are also essential for success.

Research is changing the academic publishing system. The online trends of research are publications that are the result of technology and an increased focus on research that is made available to the public for free and that is done in a system of publishing that is made to be quick with a peer review process that is made to be transparent. Significant changes are taking place in the communication of scholarship because of artificial intelligence, accessibility of research, publication in a preprint format, new ways of measuring impact, and the changing of the publication system to be ethical. Publishing in this academic system is for researchers who wish to have their work exposed, but for those who wish to have a greater impact, the changes in academic publishing should be considered.