Pre-Conferences​

“Publish or Perish” – Intensifying and qualifying scientific publication of Organic Agriculture research

Image courtesy of 綠光農場

Organic Agriculture (OA) is becoming an important option for policy makers and the public to find solutions for future food chain challenges. This has changed OA from a niche market to a mainstream system. OA impacts are being observed and assessed, more and more often in comparison to other food chain approaches (“conventional farming”).
Today it is clear that OA is a viable option to overcome many environmental and health challenges, but it needs further development (Organic 3.0). Research is the instrument that will improve OA and to deliver reliable information for stakeholders and decisions makers. Research must be published in scientific journals to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the findings.
Unfortunately, many OA researchers are not aware of the importance of scientific publication in peer-reviewed journals, publication standards, technical procedures and research marketing.
Therefore, a large proportion of OA research results are not published in recognized, reliable and respected peer-reviewed journals. This pre-conference is designed especially for junior researchers to meet senior researchers. It will provide a forum for relevant information and the chance to discuss questions in OA research. Future networking of scientists is a complementary target.
The PC will be a mixture of presentations, discussions and group work. Mid- to late-career scientists will explain how to construct a high-quality scientific paper from the introduction till the conclusions.

Objectives
  • To encourage more scientists and other stakeholders to produce and submit relevant, high-quality papers for peer review and publishing in the member journal of ISOFAR, Organic Agriculture (Springer)
  • The workshop will be used to present the journal, share updates, and develop ideas for how ISOFAR members and others can collaborate to increase the volume and quality of published papers
  • Organic farming systems are dependent on adapted and relevant science and research, so plentiful, high-quality published papers are critical for improving organic agriculture across the world 

The direct outcome is a strengthened network among scientists working with organic agriculture, and improved skills to strengthen their activities of scientific publication. We aim for complementary, post-OWC outcomes such as paper writing-groups, voluntarily peer-review, webinars for research project design, groups established to utilise the OA journal for a conference, etc. Additionally, methods for transferring research results to farmers and other stakeholders (dissemination strategies) will be discussed and presented.
The outcomes will be published on the website of ISOFAR. The ISOFAR network will be used to distribute advice for OA publishing.

  • Workshop with participatory methods in hybrid mode
  • About 30 people to participate in person and an additional 50 listeners via webinar
  • There will be presentations by experienced editors, followed by discussions, group work and a plenary session
  • A scientific topic and will cover all aspects of the conference themes.
  • An increased number of high-quality scientific publication is necessary for OA, but publication is more challenging in OA than conventional food systems, because many journal editors and reviewers are specialized in conventional disciplines, are sceptical of OA, and do not understand the OA system and holistic research needs.
  • Hence, a journal is required which welcomes papers from all fields covering OA, and is also open to non-traditional formats of papers, in addition to traditional reviews and scientific IMRAD-papers.
  • There are many examples of good quality papers in the journal of OA which likely would not easily have been published in other journals. This is not due to poor quality, but to the relevance of the topic (e.g. organic consumption and procurement; organic regulations).
  • In traditional topics like animal and soil science, there is a significant interest for OA among traditional, well-established peer-reviewed journals. Several journals have appeared where OA is considered a major topic, but the ISOFAR member-journal, Organic Agriculture (Springer) has a strong position with an active editorial board engaging with ISOFAR members and organic stakeholders worldwide.
  • Hence, the further development of this important journal is an issue that will engage many scientists attending the OWC, and strengthen the scientific approach of the event as a whole.
Key Info

Dates:
1 December 2024
09:00 – 18:00 (GMT+8)

Format:
Language will be English

Organized by:
ISOFAR
(International Society of Organic Agriculture Research)
https://www.isofar.online/
[email protected]

Target Audience:
Scientists from all over the world, who currently conduct or are interested in conducting research in Organic Agriculture and publishing the results in a journal aiming at founding a strong scientific base for the further development of organic agriculture.

Maximum Participants:
The Pre-conference can accommodate 30 participants in person, 50 participants via webinar.

Registration Fee:
Free of charge