GEOG Seminar 4/18: Giovanni Baiocchi, "The Expanding Dark Forest of Research Publishing - Navigating the Complex Landscape of AI-Enhanced Publishing"

Don't miss this seminar with Professor Giovanni Baiocchi from 3:45 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 in  LeFrak Hall Room 1158 and on Zoom.

About The Seminar

Academic publishing has become increasingly fraught with challenges, from predatory journals and the reproducibility crisis to the complexities of open access, journal metrics, and citation manipulation. Journals find themselves woefully unprepared and are scrambling to address a growing array of issues, including the rise of paper-mills and a surge in submissions. The advent of generative AI has added a new layer of complexity, facilitating the rapid creation of vast amounts of text at virtually zero cost. These developments exacerbate already existing hurdles for young researchers striving to publish original ideas. The overwhelming flood of low quality content is exacerbating the challenge of publishing or achieving recognition within genuine academic debates. The proliferation of AI-generated content threatens to overwhelm the academic ecosystem, making it even more challenging for high-quality research to be published and recognized. Many are contemplating foregoing traditional publishing routes or exploring other alternatives withdrawing from publishing. 

This presentation aims to shed light on the urgent issues heightened by AI in academic publishing and propose potential solutions. We invite a dialogue to foster a more equitable, transparent, and impactful scholarly communication landscape, especially addressing the needs and challenges faced by emerging researchers in the new era of generative AI.

About The Speaker

Professor Giovanni Baiocchi is an applied environmental economist whose research primarily explores the global and local impacts of economic activity, encompassing trade, urbanization, diets, mobility, and lifestyles. He has contributed to a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary research, publishing extensively in international multidisciplinary journals. Giovanni Baiocchi is dedicated to educating others about climate change, modern statistical and computational methods, and the nature and practice of science.

Zoom Meeting Info:
URL: https://umd.zoom.us/j/98693426078?pwd=endQem8yOVZIQm9va3YvOTA4dzI2dz09
Meeting ID: 986 9342 6078
Meeting Password: 196182