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JMIR Publications has launched a call for papers examining misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation generated or perpetuated through scholarly publishing. The new e-collection will be hosted by JMIR Metascience and Research Integrity.
Rather than focusing on public misinformation, the collection will target threats emerging from within the research ecosystem. Consequently, the publisher noted that these threats include compromised peer review, manipulated data, and misleading abstracts. Furthermore, predatory publishing, citation manipulation, paper mills, and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) tools represent critical concerns.
Addressing growing threats to research integrity
JMIR warned that downstream consequences of misinformation in scholarly publishing can erode public trust in science. As a result, these issues can lead to harmful real-world decisions in clinical practice or health policy.
The speed and scale at which scientific content is now produced and shared amplifies these risks. Evolving publishing models such as preprints and open peer review can become avenues for unvalidated AI-generated material. Additionally, social media dissemination tools accelerate this spread. Consequently, this increases the risk of distributing information that has not been adequately vetted. Nevertheless, the scholarly community is actively developing detection tools, educational frameworks, and policy interventions to counter these emerging threats.
Proposing solutions across the publishing ecosystem
The publisher is particularly interested in work that proposes, evaluates, or critically examines solutions developed by stakeholders across the industry. Submissions may cover mechanisms by which misleading content enters the literature. Moreover, papers can address the detection, correction, and retraction of misinformation through post-publication review.
Additional topics of interest include misinformation in non-peer-reviewed content and predatory publishing practices. Furthermore, research assessment incentives and infrastructure-based solutions involving publishers, funders, and institutions are key themes.
JMIR also welcomes evidence-based thought pieces on future publishing ecosystems that mitigate misinformation. In addition, studies measuring the impact of social media in amplifying misleading claims are encouraged. Acceptable formats include original research, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, policy analyses, viewpoints, research letters, and tutorials.
Renewing UK flat-fee open access agreements
Separately, JMIR Publications has renewed its Flat-Fee Unlimited Open Access Publishing Agreement with six UK universities through Jisc. Newcastle University, the University of Leeds, and the University of Manchester have extended their participation. In addition, the University of Nottingham, the University of Southampton, and the University of Warwick have renewed.
The agreement replaces individual article processing charges (APCs) with a single publishing subscription. Consequently, this model eliminates administrative and financial obstacles for researchers choosing open access. Corresponding authors affiliated with the six institutions can publish across JMIR’s portfolio of over 30 gold open access journals at no cost through 31 July 2027.
Dennis O’Brien, VP of Communications and Partnerships at JMIR Publications, said the renewal endorses open access publishing subscriptions as a sustainable and scalable path forward for open science. “By moving away from individual, transactional APC billing, we are establishing a more predictable and equitable publishing environment,” he said.