Another Robust Year for SIAM Publications

By Kivmars Bowling

2023 was a vibrant year for SIAM Publications, with the realization of key initiatives around new technologies, research integrity, and global outreach. It was also heartening to witness the lively return of in-person interactions at conferences, where our book acquisition editors and journal editorial board members engaged in fruitful discussions with the community.

Submissions to SIAM’s renowned journals were consistently strong, and surging journal article downloads once again reflected the content’s high quality. Following similarly robust growth in 2021 and 2022, 2023 saw a 15 percent increase in downloads; a SIAM journal article is now downloaded once every 24 seconds. This growth was driven in part by ongoing upgrades to the SIAM Publications Library. In addition to the existing PDF format, we introduced Extensible Markup Language (XML) versions of nearly all new SIAM journal articles last year, which offers readers an additional onscreen viewing option that is responsive to different digital devices.

New Online SIAM Bookstore

In December 2023, we reached another major milestone with the launch of our new online SIAM Bookstore within the SIAM Publications Library (see Figure 1). This integration provides far greater reach and exposure for SIAM books, especially given the extensive global audience that visits the platform each year. The bookstore includes several exciting new features:

• Single Sign-on: SIAM members can now secure their year-round 30 percent member discount on SIAM books by signing in with their existing my.siam.org credentials (members should use the same email address that is associated with their account). Indeed, any registered user on the SIAM Publications Library will use SIAM login credentials; two sets of login details are no longer needed.
• E-books for Individuals: For the first time, you can now purchase online access to SIAM’s e-book titles right from the bookstore. This feature makes the books continuously and easily accessible, though PDF download is not available.
• Print and E-book Bundles: Users can buy both the print and e-book versions of certain titles in one transaction. Members receive a 35 percent discount and nonmembers receive a 20 percent discount on bundled list prices. 
• Predictive Search: Finding your next read has never been easier. Our predictive search feature anticipates your queries and provides instant suggestions as you type. 
• Textbook Browse: You can now easily browse all SIAM textbooks in one place. 
• Personalized Recommendations: Our advanced recommendation system learns your reading preferences and suggests books and other content that is tailored just for you.
• Guest Checkout: Nonmembers and new customers can now use a guest checkout for added speed and convenience.

SIAM’s outstanding book collection encompasses more than 600 titles on applied mathematics, computational science, and data science that are written by renowned authors. The funds from SIAM book sales go towards supporting our community of researchers, educators, and students through conferences, individual member benefits, SIAM Career Fairs, the SIAM Job Board, and more. So be sure to explore the new bookstore today! It is easier than ever to find books that will be indispensable to your research, teaching, or learning endeavors.

If you have an idea for a new book project, please contact Elizabeth Greenspan (executive editor of SIAM Books) at [email protected]. SIAM publishes high-quality monographs and textbooks and is also seeking proposals for more general interest books.

Finally, SIAM sincerely thanks those book authors who have graciously donated all or part of their royalties this year to support the SIAM Student Travel Fund. Your generosity ensures that the next generation of applied mathematicians and computational scientists can attend and present their work at future SIAM conferences.

Research Integrity, Artificial Intelligence, and Reproducibility

The topic of research integrity has become increasingly prevalent across scholarly publishing in light of growing challenges that are associated with large language models, paper mills (fraudulent organizations that produce fake manuscripts and data and sell authorship), image manipulation, and reproducibility. SIAM is actively engaged in discussions and pilot projects across the industry, and SIAM Publications took two specific steps in this arena last year.

First, after extensive consultation among various publications committees, we published the SIAM Editorial Policy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in October 2023. SIAM extends its sincere thanks to all of the volunteers who contributed valuable feedback throughout this process. The policy states that SIAM authors are permitted to use AI for tasks like language polishing or editing, but any use must be fully documented and acknowledged. Authors assume full responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, originality, and copyright of any submitted content. SIAM recognizes that the existing policy will undoubtedly require subsequent revision over time with the continued development of technology and conversations on acceptable use.

Second, the SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing (SISC) started to offer reproducibility badges in early 2023. Authors who make their code and data available in a permanent public repository or via SISC supplementary materials may request a “SISC Reproducibility Badge: Code and Data Available” at the time of manuscript submission (see Figure 2). More than 10 published articles already display the badge; this paper serves as an example.

SIAM is currently assessing additional tools and procedures to preserve research integrity and help make science more reproducible and impactful. However, the greatest defense against integrity issues is the people who are involved in the SIAM editorial process: the many SIAM editors and reviewers who perform outstanding work and vigilantly apply their expertise, as well as the SIAM staff who deliver industry-leading levels of copyediting and production quality control. So let me thank everyone who participates in this process and contributes to its discerning robustness.

Editor-in-chief Transitions

2024 brings editor-in-chief (EIC) transitions for three of SIAM’s journals: the SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems (SIADS), SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization (SICON), and SIAM Journal on Mathematics of Data Science (SIMODS). We extend our utmost appreciation to the outgoing EICs for their outstanding leadership over the past six years and welcome their successors (see Figure 3). Particular thanks go to Tamara Kolda of MathSci.ai as the founding editor-in-chief of SIMODS, which has already developed into an outstanding, highly regarded journal under her capable guidance.

Request for Input: Developing Skills for Early-career Researchers

As research quality around the world continues to grow, SIAM must engage young scientists and position itself as the global voice for applied mathematics, computational science, and data science. To that end, the Society hosted two webinars in June 2023—one in English and one in Mandarin—for early-career journal authors and reviewers in Asia. Both webinars addressed a variety of relevant questions: “How do you submit to SIAM journals?” “What makes a good SIAM article?” “How do you write a strong review?” and “What should you think about as a new reviewer?” These trainings followed in the footsteps of a popular in-person event on the same topic at the 2022 SIAM Annual Meeting.

Howard Elman of the University of Maryland (SIAM’s Vice President for Publications) and Susanne Brenner of Louisiana State University (associate editor of the SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis and a SIAM Past President) led the English webinar, while Qiang Du of Columbia University (editor-in-chief of the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics) and George Yin of the University of Connecticut (then-editor-in-chief of SICON) hosted the Mandarin event. SIAM is grateful to these individuals for taking the time to share their expertise and advice.

In light of the clear demand for this type of training, SIAM is currently assessing the prospect of creating a bank of online resources to guide researchers on key professional skills. But what topics should such resources cover? If you are a student or early-career researcher, what would you find most useful? If you mentor students and early-career researchers, what would help them develop the necessary skills to build a successful career in academia or industry?

Students and SIAM members have already suggested the following topics to me: How to craft a good article abstract, how to write a solid peer review, how to create a compelling conference poster, how to deliver a successful conference presentation, and how to avoid plagiarism and comply with publication ethics. If you have ideas for possible topics, please record your thoughts on this Google Form and indicate whether you are willing to collaborate with SIAM to create or test such resources; this will help gauge interest among the SIAM community.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

In May 2023, SIAM began to ask journal authors, editors, and referees for gender and diversity information on a voluntary, opt-in basis. The peer review system prompts users to share this data when they create or update their profiles, and authors and referees receive email links that encourage them to do so. Only SIAM staff can see the data, and only in the aggregate on an anonymous basis (not for individual users). SIAM does not utilize this information to make publication decisions, nor do we share it with third parties.

To date, SIAM has received 1,536 responses about gender, 1,351 responses about ethnicity, and 1,397 responses about race. We encourage authors, editors, and referees to complete their profiles so that we can establish a baseline picture of the diversity within SIAM journals. SIAM will then use these records to identify trends and measure the progress of activities that are designed to strengthen equity, diversity, and inclusion within the organization.

SIAM Journals and Open Access Funder Mandates

All SIAM journals are already fully compliant with the European Plan S and U.K. Research and Innovation funder mandates via green open access routes. More information is available online. 

In 2022, the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy released a new public access policy called the Nelson Memo. A key change from the 2013 Holdren Memo was the elimination of the 12-month embargo for federally funded work. In 2023, several U.S. federal agencies released drafts and sought public consultation for their respective updated public access policies, which will go into effect by the end of December 2025. At this point in time, the drafts indicate that SIAM authors will be able to comply with the policies by depositing a copy of their accepted manuscript in the relevant federal agency repository (also known as the green open access route). We will provide confirmation once the federal policies are finalized.

Please Recommend SIAM Journals and E-books to Your Libraries

The continued health of SIAM’s high-quality publishing program—and the health of many SIAM programs for the global research community—relies heavily on institutional support in the form of journal subscriptions and library e-book purchases. Large commercial publishers dominate library budgets, so it is very important for librarians to hear from you if you support and appreciate the rigor and quality of SIAM publications. Please reach out to your librarian and recommend that they subscribe to SIAM journals and e-books for your research and teaching needs. Your voice as a faculty member or student makes a tremendous difference.

It is also important to note that librarians always look at full-text downloads as a key metric when deciding which resources to renew. Remember to access SIAM journals from within your campus IP range or institutional VPN whenever possible; every downloaded SIAM article shows your librarian the value of and demand for SIAM resources.

Thank you to everyone in the SIAM community who devotes their time and energy to ensure the outstanding quality of SIAM publications. And thank you to those who read and engage with our content. I look forward to talking with more of you at one of the upcoming SIAM conferences this year. And of course, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] with any ideas, questions, or comments.

Kivmars Bowling is the Director of Publications at SIAM.