Academic Publishing Workshop with University of Southampton Malaysia Held on 24 October 2025, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
MDPI recently conducted a successful Academic Publishing Workshop in collaboration with the University of Southampton Malaysia. The session was designed to equip researchers and PhD students with advanced skills in publication strategy and navigating the future of scholarly communication. The session provided valuable insights to faculty and students alike, ensuring they remain competitive and ethical in the global research landscape.
Strategic Insights on Publication Trends
The workshop kicked off with Dr. Nicholas Cho presenting an in-depth session on “Web of Science—Publication Trends and Hot Topics Identification”. This segment focused on empowering researchers to utilize the Web of Science platform strategically.
Dr. Cho demonstrated practical methods for analyzing global research data, allowing attendees to identify emerging research fronts and pinpoint “hot topics” that are attracting high-impact attention. This training is crucial for making informed decisions on where to focus research efforts and selecting the most appropriate journals for submission.
Navigating the AI Revolution in Publishing
Following the data-driven segment, Ms. Stefania Hetrea led a timely and critical discussion on “Artificial Intelligence in the Scientific Publishing Industry: New Challenges”. Ms. Hetrea provided a comprehensive overview of how AI tools, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), are reshaping the publishing process.
The session addressed both the opportunities AI provides for efficiency and the crucial ethical and practical challenges it introduces. Key discussions focused on maintaining academic integrity and understanding evolving publisher policies regarding the use of AI-generated content.
The collaborative workshop, successfully hosted by the University of Southampton Malaysia and delivered by MDPI, offered a potent blend of strategic data analysis and forward-looking guidance on ethical publishing.
The expertise shared by Dr. Nicholas Cho and Ms. Stefania Hetrea provided attendees with the tools necessary to enhance their research impact and confidently navigate the evolving world of scientific publishing.