What's a Society Journal?

Hi Reader, let’s talk about something that has been essential to the development of the scientific system.

They published the first scientific journal ever (despite it being far different from what we call a journal today).

I am sure many scientists have even published in “them” without realizing it - I am referring to Society Journals.

I bring this up because they might represent one of the best antidotes to predatory publishing and the larger issue of publication pressure.

Journal and Publisher

Society journals are journals that are run by a scientific organization.

What makes them special is that, in contrast to other journals, they are not controlled by companies with a commercial purpose - but by non-profit organizations made up of (senior) scientists.

However, to be precise, we need to differentiate between journals and publishers.

While the journals are run by scientific organizations, the journal issues themselves are often (not always) published by larger publishers.

This means that scientists from the society do the editorial work, whereas publishers provide, for example, the technology and infrastructure to securely host publications on the internet.

This is mutually beneficial because scientists can focus on the science, while publishers can expand their portfolios with these journals.

Why You Should Know About Them

What makes societies so valuable is the deep involvement of practicing scientists in their leadership.

That means there are two main advantages, the first being primarily scientific.

If you look at the IUBMB journals that I take as a common example, they have practicing scientists as editors-in-chief.

They are better able to identify with the challenges faced by scientists submitting manuscripts.

Especially in smaller journals, they are very hands-on, meaning that due to their deeper understanding of how the scientific process works, they are, for instance, better able to assess whether additional experiments are truly necessary.

That also means that rebuttals can often be more reasonable and constructive.

The Second Benefit: Prioritization

Beyond benefits for yourself, society journals play a larger role in the ecosystem. It's their prioritization of rigor that might safeguard science.

The key point is that society journals tend to have fewer commercial priorities and stronger scientific ones when it comes to publishing.

Since the entire journal is run by scientists, it is more likely that peer review is conducted properly - and not, for example, via AI or shortcuts.

Moreover, the profits they generate are reinvested into the scientific community.

In other words, if you publish with a commercial publisher like MDPI or Nature, your money essentially goes to shareholders - people for whom publishing is an investment.

In contrast, with a society journal, the profit is used to fund conferences, events, scholarships, and workshops.

You will struggle to find a society journal with excessively high APCs. This is because their profits go back to scientists and their students.

A Look Back and Ahead

Historically, society journals played a major role in developing the scientific system.

Decades ago, they were among the most prestigious journals. In other words, before journals like Nature became dominant, society journals were the ones receiving recognition and shaping scientific discourse.

They acted as hubs for developing scientists and sharing knowledge across the world.

However, with the rapid growth of the scientific system and the advent of the internet, society journals have, to some extent, lost ground.

This is especially noticeable in terms of marketing (and thus visibility) when compared to commercial publishers.

A focus on rigor and scientific standards also meant less investment in email campaigns, author support in copywriting, corporate design, internal operational speed, or the adoption of innovative publishing practices.

It may also contribute that it is not always immediately obvious which journals are society journals...

From my own experience, I would conceptualize them as being able to target a relevant audience without people (from other fields) necessarily knowing that they exist.

A Concluding Remark

Even if society journals do not always have the highest impact factors, experienced scientists who are deeply involved in the system often recognize their value.

This is especially important when they are serving on funding panels or hiring committees that value rigor in their applicants’ work.

Publishing in a society journal can also be a great way to become part of a community, enabling you to network and communicate science internally.

This is not to say that a society journal is always the best choice, but it is certainly an option that should be seriously considered.

How We Feel Today