Last updated: April 2026 · 8 min read · Audience: Authors, students, early-career researchers · Reading level: Introductory
Introduction
Predicting the future of any field is difficult, but several current trends in academic publishing are clear enough to identify. This page surveys the trends most likely to affect authors over the next several years.
None of these trends has fully arrived. All are partial, uneven across fields, and contested. The discussion below is descriptive, not advocacy.
Five trends
| Trend | Direction | What it changes for authors |
|---|---|---|
| Open access standardisation | Increasing share, especially driven by funders | More authors face APC questions |
| Preprint integration | Wider acceptance, normalised in more fields | Earlier citability; faster knowledge spread |
| AI in authorship and review | Use growing; norms still being formed | Disclosure expectations rising |
| Registered reports | Expanding beyond psychology/medicine | Pre-registration of methodology before review |
| Transformative agreements | Replacing some subscription deals | APCs covered for affiliated authors |
What each trend means
Open access standardisation
Funder mandates (Plan S in Europe, NIH Public Access Policy in the US, similar in other regions) increasingly require open-access publication. The result is more open-access publishing, more APCs, and more transformative agreements. Subscription publishing is not disappearing but is shrinking as a share.
Preprint integration
Preprints are now widely accepted in most fields. They provide an immediately citable version of work while the journal process continues. Some journals offer integrated preprint-to-publication workflows; reviewer overlap between preprint feedback and journal peer review is increasing.
AI in authorship and review
AI tools are being used by authors for writing assistance and by reviewers for analysis. Most major publishers have issued guidelines: AI cannot be a listed author; AI use in writing must be disclosed; reviewers must not paste manuscripts into public AI tools. Norms are still solidifying.
Registered reports
Registered reports submit the methodology for peer review before the data is collected; the resulting article is accepted on the methodology's strength rather than the result. The format is growing in psychology and medicine and is being piloted in other fields. It addresses replication concerns directly.
Transformative agreements
Institutions and publishers are increasingly bundling subscription access with APC coverage. Affiliated authors at participating institutions publish open-access at participating journals without paying. The agreements simplify the cost question for authors at well-resourced institutions; they do not help authors elsewhere.
Decision guidance for authors
None of these trends require immediate action from individual authors. The practical implications: check institutional transformative agreements through your library; consider preprint deposit alongside journal submission; disclose AI use; and pay attention to registered-report options where available in your field.
Example scenarios
Scenario: a master's student starting research now
Students starting research today should expect open access to be the dominant model by the time they publish. Becoming familiar with preprint deposit, APC waiver programmes, and institutional transformative agreements early saves cost and time later.
Scenario: a PhD researcher considering registered reports
PhD candidates whose research design is settled before data collection can consider registered reports as a publication path. The format guarantees acceptance based on methodology strength, removing some publication risk. Available journals are still limited but growing.
Scenario: an early-career researcher using AI tools
Authors using AI for writing assistance should disclose the use per the target journal's policy. Most journals now require disclosure; the disclosure does not penalise authors. Failing to disclose, however, can be treated as a misconduct issue.
What to do next
Stay informed but do not over-react to trends. The fundamentals — peer review, indexing, scope fit — remain stable. Authors targeting EP Journals Group venues can submit through the central form.
Frequently asked questions
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Related reading and next steps
- Submission portal — Submit a manuscript through the central form
- Journals list — Six peer-reviewed journals across disciplines
- Understanding open access
- Understanding APCs
- Open access vs subscription
- Publishing in engineering
Editorial enquiries
Questions about this guide or about preparing a manuscript for submission may be directed to the editorial office. Where a query relates to a specific journal in the portfolio, please indicate the journal abbreviation in your message.
Email: editor@ep-journals.org