Understanding author choices in the current conservation publishing landscape.

Area of Science:

• Conservation Science
• Academic Publishing
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Conservation science benefits from diverse author representation, especially from countries where conservation efforts are concentrated.
• Existing barriers and biases in academic publishing can impede research dissemination and author career progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how seven journal attributes influence authors' decisions on where to publish conservation research.
• To identify differing publication preferences among distinct demographic groups of conservation authors.

Main Methods:

• A discrete choice experiment was employed, surveying authors who had published in conservation journals.
• Data from 1038 respondents were analyzed using multinomial logit and latent class models to identify preferences across demographic groups.

Main Results:

• Three demographic groups emerged with distinct publishing preferences: older/younger authors from middle-income countries, and younger authors from high-income countries.
• Cost to publish and double-blind review were consistent factors across all groups; authors from middle-income countries showed higher willingness to pay for society-owned journals.
• Journal scope and open access were more influential than impact factor for two demographic groups. Scarcity of respondents from low-income countries (2%) indicates significant representation barriers.

Conclusions:

• Journal attributes significantly impact author choices, with notable demographic variations.
• Reducing open access fees, offering double-blind review, and supporting local studies are recommended to enhance inclusivity.
• Academic societies must critically assess their journals' role in supporting conservation professionals and promoting equitable research participation.