September 15, 2026
Cambridge, MA + Online
Location
MIT Schwarzman College of Computing
51 Vassar Street (Building 45)
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Description
“The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create.” – Amy Webb
As scholarly publishing stands at a pivotal moment of transformation, this seminar invites participants to actively shape what the journal of 2030 will become. Moving beyond passive prediction, we will explore how stakeholders can collectively define the structures, standards, and values that will guide the next era of scholarship. Through a series of forward-looking discussions, from translating core principles into policy and advocacy with key stakeholders, to examining the evolving role of editorial judgment in the age of AI, we will confront both the opportunities and complexities of this transition. Together, these conversations will challenge us to reimagine not just what journals are, but what they should be, and how we can intentionally build that future.
Agenda
Tuesday, September 15
| 8:00am – 8:55am | Virtual Networking |
| 9:00am – 10:15am | Welcome and Keynote Keynote Speaker: Xiao-Li Meng, Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Data Science Review and the Whipple VN Jones Professor of Statistics, Harvard University |
| 10:25am – 11:15am | Editorial Judgment in the Age of AI |
| 11:25am – 11:55am | From Principles to Policy: Advocacy, Stakeholders, and the Future of Scholarship |
| 11:55am – 12:55pm | Lunch |
| 12:55pm – 2:25pm | The Journal in 2030: a Product or a Process? |
| 2:35pm – 3:25 pm | The Integrity Toolkit |
| 3:35pm – 5:00pm | Publishing Landscape in 2030 |
| 5:15pm – 6:30pm | On-site Social Hour |
View session descriptions and speaker details below.
Accommodations
If you are coming from out of town, SSP has arranged a courtesy rate at the Lark Hotels 907 Main at a rate of $279/night for a king room + taxes (approx 14.5% or $40/night). The hotel is located about a 12 minute walk from the venue. The deadline to reserve the courtesy rate has been extended to Friday, July 24! Space is limited. Here is a list of additional hotels near the venue.
Registration
The early registration deadline is August 25, 2026.
In person registration includes coffee, lunch, and the reception on September 15, access to the event via SSP Engage, and access to session recordings for 90 days.
Individual virtual-only registration includes access to the live-stream, access to the event via SSP Engage, and access to session recordings for 90 days.
Organizations that purchase a group watch party can have unlimited viewers watching in one location on one device. Organizations will be given one login to access session recordings for 90 days.
Registration Fees
The early registration deadline is August 25.
Note: Individuals at SSP Sustaining Organizational Members are eligible for a 20% discount and individuals at SSP Partnering Organizational Members are eligible for a 10% discount on registration fees.
In-Person Registration
| MEMBERS | NON-MEMBERS | ||||
| Early | Regular | Early | Regular | ||
| Regular | $355 |
$390 | $415 |
$450 | |
| Librarians/Students/Researchers/Funders | $255 |
$275 | $295 | $325 | |
| Low/Middle Income Country | $255 | $275 | $295 | $325 | |
Virtual Registration
| MEMBERS | NON-MEMBERS | ||||
| Early | Regular | Early | Regular | ||
| Regular (Single Viewer) | $150 |
$170 | $185 |
$205 | |
| Librarians/Students/Researchers/Funders (Single Viewer) | $90 |
$100 | $105 |
$115 | |
| Low/Middle Income Country | $90 | $100 | $105 | $115 | |
Discounted Bulk Registration Packages (Virtual)
| MEMBERS | NON-MEMBERS | ||||
| Early | Regular | Early | Regular | ||
| Package of 3 | $390 |
$450 | $480 |
$520 | |
| Package of 5 | $565 |
$665 | $720 |
$840 | |
| Package of 10 | $980 | $1,155 | $1,220 | $1,335 | |
| Package of 15 | $1,135 | $1,335 | $1,400 | $1,540 | |
| 16+ Users | Contact us for pricing. | ||||
| Group/”Watch Party” Rate (Unlimited Viewers via Single Login/Location) | $530 | $620 | $640 | $745 | |
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors, Silverchair and The MIT Press.
Additional opportunities are available. Contact Christen Pruitt at cpruitt@sspnet.org for more information.
New Directions Seminar Working Group
Ginny Herbert, Clarke & Esposito, co-lead- Jamie Devereaux, Sage, co-lead
- Janaynne Carvalho do Amaral, University of Illinois
- Matthew Cannon, Taylor & Francis
- Betsy Donohue, Wiley
- Karen E. Harvey, AIP
- Nicola Hill, American Association for Cancer Research
- Jennifer Kemp, Stratos
- Lauren Kmec, AAAS
- Avriel Licciardi, Wiley
- Rebecca McLeod, Harvard Data Science Review
- Marie McVeigh, Elsevier
- Jessica Miles, The Informed Frontier
- Jonathan Schultz, American Heart Association
- Jennifer Workman, Wiley
Refund/Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received in writing prior September 1, 2026 will be issued a refund less a $30 processing fee. Allow up to 10 business days for the processing of refunds. No refunds will be processed for cancellations less than two weeks before the event. SSP encourages you to send a substitute in your place if you cannot attend.
No refunds will be processed for cancellations less than two weeks before the event. SSP encourages you to send a substitute in your place if you cannot attend or to convert your registration to the virtual attendance option which will offer all content on-demand as well as some content live-streamed.
Registrations can be converted from in-person to virtual at any time before September 15, without any additional fees. Registrant will be refunded the difference in the registration rate.
Cancellation or Format Change by SSP
SSP reserves the right to cancel any program or session or to change the format of the meeting to virtual. In the event of cancellation, SSP will refund registration fees, but is not responsible for any costs, damages, or other expenses of any kind, including and without limitation, transportation and/or hotel costs incurred by registrants. Speakers are subject to change without notice. In the event the format changes to virtual only, in-person attendees will be refunded the difference in the registration rate or they can cancel their registration less a $30 processing fee.
Accessibility
SSP is dedicated to making the 2026 New Directions Seminar as accessible as possible. We wish to ensure that as many participants as possible can meaningfully engage with all program content, whether in person or online. All attendees and speakers are asked to join us in supporting and implementing accessible practices.
If you have additional questions about event accessibility, please contact info@sspnet.org.
Waiver
In person attendees must adhere to SSP’s Infectious Disease Waiver.
Code of Conduct
In person and virtual attendees are required to review and adhere to the SSP Code of Conduct.
