FreshEd FreshEd #388 – The State of Publishing in Education Research (Gustavo Fischman)
May 11, 2025
In a thought-provoking discussion, Gustavo Fischman, a Professor of Education Policy at Arizona State University and co-editor of AERA Open, dives deep into the current state of academic publishing in education research. He explores the boom in article submissions and the profit motives of major publishers, while critiquing the exploitative nature of the industry. Fischman also highlights the transformative impact of generative AI on scholarship and the need for improved inclusivity and trustworthiness in research, alongside rethinking the peer review process.
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Massive Growth in Submissions
- Education research article submissions have surged from 41,000 in 2015 to over 150,000 in 2024.
- Growth reflects more diverse authors, increased training, more journals, but also profit-driven publishers diluting quality.
High Publisher Profit Margins
- Major publishers like Elsevier generate profit margins larger than Apple or Google.
- The shift to author-paid open access fees incentivizes publishing more papers for profit.
University Incentives Drive Publishing
- Universities benefit from publishing for rankings, grants, and prestige, driving a publish-or-perish culture.
- This reliance fosters incentives to produce many articles regardless of quality.