This fall’s New Directions Seminar (NDS) is just around the corner — hard to believe it’s already September! As one of SSP’s anchor events, I was curious to learn more about what’s in store. Having served on the committee myself for several years, I was personally interested to hear what this year’s leadership is cooking up for NDS attendees. So, I sat down with the current lead co-chair, Jamie Deveraux, a Publishing Editor at Sage.

Is there an overarching theme for this year’s seminar?

Yes — the overarching theme for this year’s seminar is “What Is a Journal in 2030? Co-Creating the Near-Term Future in Scholarly Publishing.” It draws inspiration from a quote by futurist Amy Webb: “The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create.”

That idea has guided the committee as we’ve developed the program and considered the broad publishing ecosystem we want the seminar to address. At a time of continued transformation in scholarly publishing, New Directions allows us to come together and think creatively about the future we want to help shape.

Sessions will explore topics such as translating industry principles into policy and advocacy; navigating the evolving role of editorial judgment in an increasingly AI-enabled environment; and preserving publication quality and research integrity. We hope attendees leave the seminar with fresh ideas and perspectives to bring back to their own areas of scholarly publishing.

After more than 10 years as a 1.5-day seminar held in DC, NDS has some venue changes this year. Can you tell us what prompted the move to a 1-day event in Boston?

Right, it has been a year of big changes for New Directions. With a nod to the many excellent sessions that took place in Washington, DC, we are looking forward to hosting the conference this year in the Boston area.

One of the more significant changes is the move to a focused, one-day program. This decision to pivot from 1.5 days to one full day, with a networking reception built into the on-site programming, was guided by SSP leadership, New Directions Committee discussions, and member feedback from a survey of past New Directions attendees. With so many conferences and events already scheduled for September and October, we wanted to be mindful of attendees’ time and also lower the cost of participation.

As noted, the New Directions Committee also worked closely with the SSP leadership team to bring the seminar to the Boston area. We’re drawing on local researchers and faculty for speakers who don’t typically participate in SSP events. We’re thrilled to host this year’s event in Cambridge and are hopeful that many of our colleagues will be able to join us, whether in person or virtually.

Who is delivering this year’s keynote address?

We are delighted to welcome this year’s keynote speaker, Prof. Xiao-Li Meng, Founding Editor of the Harvard Data Science Review and the Whipple V.N. Jones Professor of Statistics at Harvard University. Prof. Meng brings a remarkable combination of expertise, insight, and curiosity about the future of research and scholarship. His perspective on innovation, AI, data, and how all of this affects the research ecosystem will be a fantastic way to kick off our discussions.

Having served on the NDS committee previously, what did you hope to achieve this year as the primary co-chair (along with Ginny Herbert)?

One of my primary goals is to create a program that encourages meaningful dialogue across scholarly publishing communities. In my experience, the New Directions seminar is where people unite to address big questions about our industry’s future. Ginny and I worked closely with the committee to build a program that is both thought-provoking and practical, bringing together diverse voices and perspectives while creating opportunities for attendees to learn from one another. If participants leave feeling energized, challenged, and connected to new ideas and colleagues, I’ll consider that a success.

Are there any sessions you’re personally looking forward to?

This one-day seminar is packed with powerful sessions. Because we are based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this year, scholars from MIT, Harvard, and other local institutions are joining us. This offers an incredible opportunity for both our in-person and online participants.

I am especially excited for the session “The Journal in 2030: A Product or a Process?” Instead of focusing on business models, this panel and roundtable will explore the future of academic journals. Are they communities, platforms, products, or processes — or all of them at once? Because the session combines expert talks with an interactive discussion, attendees can share ideas and learn directly from peers facing similar challenges.

If someone is on the fence about attending, either virtually or in person, what would you tell them justifies the expense of time and money?

Fair question! New Directions offers something rare: a chance to engage with the forces shaping scholarly publishing. Whether attending virtually or in person, you will hear from industry leaders, join meaningful discussions, and connect with peers facing these same challenges. As our industry evolves, it is an exciting time to co-create the future. I am thrilled to gather with so many brilliant colleagues to get started.

Learn more about the New Directions Seminar agenda and register on the SSP event site.