BLOG
By Kelly Henwood: Senior Consultant
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the ALPSP #Redux2025 Conference, in partnership with Oxford University Press – and it’s safe to say I’m still digesting the many thought-provoking sessions and discussions that filled those two days. There was a real blend of optimism and realism, as well as a healthy dose of challenge – all wrapped up in a programme that brought people together in meaningful ways.
While the programme was excellent, the informal conversations added another valuable layer. Some of the best moments came from conversations in the coffee queues, the networking events, and the quick chats between sessions – the kind of spontaneous exchanges that conferences like Redux do so well.
Here are some of my highlights and takeaways:
Diamond Open Access: A hot topic
There was a real buzz around Diamond OA – no doubt fuelled by the recent launch of the Open Journals Collective. It felt like everyone had something to say – questions, concerns, cautious excitement. While some organisations are still discussing the model, it’s clear it’s going to be a continued area of conversation. There was a comment from Wiley during one session that they hadn’t yet seen Diamond OA work at scale – an interesting contrast to some of the excitement elsewhere.
AI: The new normal
It’s no surprise that AI was threaded throughout the conference, but it really took centre stage during the excellent keynote, delivered by Chris Leonard. Chris made the case that AI is here to stay – and urged us to stay optimistic. He shared a striking example of how image generation tools had advanced in just two months and challenged us to imagine what that kind of rapid progress could mean for our work.
Can AI support peer review? Could it generate reviews as effectively as the average human reviewer? What about plain language summaries or language translation? It was both challenging and hopeful – a call to reimagine not just what University Presses do, but what they stand for.
Research integrity and ethics
The second plenary on research integrity was a standout for me. The speakers, Jennifer Wright, Maria Delgado, Coromoto Power Febres, and Ralitsa Madsen, tackled tough questions around trust, transparency, and the pressures researchers are facing. It was a powerful reminder of how essential it is to create trust proactively – especially in a time of budget cuts and low staff morale.
There was talk of slowing down – of doing less, but better. Publishers were challenged to live up to their responsibilities, and to be clearer and more consistent in policies and processes. I appreciated the call for humility in research – recognising that not everything works out as planned, and that failure can be valuable too.
Peer review in flux
In one of the parallel sessions, I sat in on a deep dive into peer review – and there was a lot to unpack. Deborah Dixon from OUP shared some survey results that showed nearly a quarter of respondents had used AI in peer review – especially early career researchers.
There were big questions about incentives, expectations, and possible solutions. Reviewer fatigue was a common theme, and many acknowledged that the current model is unsustainable. Could templates help reviewers? Could AI step in without compromising quality – can a robot truly be critical/critically evaluate?
One audience member raised a particularly striking point: peer review is one of the most important parts of the process – so why are we outsourcing it to individuals who are often strangers, often with no training, and sometimes with very little accountability?
Scale, compromise, and the future of TAs
One of the plenaries I attended on day 2, explored the theme of “Scale Wins: How can small publishers survive and thrive” – but it came with caveats. Yes, large organisations can support smaller ones, but there are trade-offs. One size doesn’t always fit all, and individuality can be lost.
Transformative Agreements (TAs) were a key part of this session, with acknowledgment of their value while also noting their limits. Liz Ferguson of Wiley noted that traditional drivers – reputation, impact – still matter more to authors than TAs. And interestingly, there was recognition that research integrity might be the industry’s biggest challenge – but is one that scale alone can’t solve.
Other inspiring sessions
The sessions on exploring business models and SDGs were also highlights – informative, inspiring, and full of energy. I’m looking forward to catching up on the recordings for the impact session I missed due to a parallel track.
Wrapping up: uncertainty and opportunity
The final session led by Anthony Cond of Liverpool University Press and Mandy Hill of Cambridge University Press, brought the conference full circle – an open, honest reflection on where we’re at as an industry. There was a lot of acknowledgment of the uncertain political and financial landscape, but also a strong sense of community and shared purpose.
As Antony put it, “what we do has never been more important.” That sentiment really stuck with me.
This year’s Redux felt like a timely moment to pause, reflect, and ask the big questions. It reminded me that even as we face disruption, there’s energy, creativity, and a desire to do better – together.
