Taylor & Francis, in collaboration with the University of Tsukuba, has announced the expansion of the Japan Institutional Gateway (JIG), a pioneering open research publishing platform. Under a newly signed memorandum of understanding, the initiative now extends beyond Tsukuba and its affiliated institutions to welcome submissions from universities and research organizations across Japan through the newly launched All Japanese University Area (AJUA).
This expansion aims to accelerate the Japanese government’s promotion of open research by enabling nationwide participation and supporting the publication of English-language books authored by University of Tsukuba researchers.
JIG distinguishes itself through three innovative approaches:
• Publishing in Japanese: Unlike most international journals, JIG accepts submissions in Japanese for humanities and social sciences. This ensures that research on Japan’s history and society can be indexed in global databases such as Scopus, making it accessible to international scholars.
• Rapid publication: Once quality checks and formatting are complete, articles are published open access within days or weeks, allowing timely dissemination of research on current social issues.
• Open peer review: Papers are first published publicly, after which experts worldwide provide evaluations under their real names. This transparent process enhances credibility and helps prevent fraud, particularly in the era of generative AI.
By opening access nationwide, JIG is evolving from a pilot project into a comprehensive academic gateway for Japan. Taylor & Francis and the University of Tsukuba emphasized that this initiative will broaden the global reach of Japanese scholarship, strengthen credibility, and contribute to reshaping academic publishing worldwide.
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