Judith Barnsby: On Her Career, Open Access, Artificial Intelligence, and Public Trust in Science

Abstract

A leading figure in scholarly publishing for over 30 years, Judith Barnsby has shaped the field by connecting quality with Open Access (OA). Since joining the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) in 2015, she has served as Senior Managing Editor and later Head of Editorial, overseeing the evaluation of journals to ensure high standards and ethical practices. Under her guidance, DOAJ has become an authoritative entity determining the quality of OA journals. In an interview with Eleonora Colangelo (Frontiers) on January 6, 2025, Jonathan Schultz (American Heart Association, Science Editor), and Janaynne Carvalho do Amaral (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Judith reflects on her career and shares insights on what the publishing landscape might hold for the future. She discusses the challenges of predatory publishing, the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI), the possibility of journal obsolescence, the risks to digital preservation, and the need for equity and inclusivity in global publishing, for both researchers and professionals. Eleonora Colangelo: You have had an incredible 30-year career in scholarly publishing and have made a significant impact through your work, with both nonprofit society publishers and service providers. Joining DOAJ in 2015 seems like the perfect culmination of your remarkable career. What initially attracted you to this field, and how did your path specifically lead you to join DOAJ? Judith Barnsby: I never intended to go into publishing. I think many people enter publishing by accident, and I didn’t really have a specific career plan in mind. After graduating, my first job […]

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