We need to talk—and listen: The power of community conversations

‍

The Kriyadocs team thrives on conversations with the scholarly publishing industry. Whether during conferences, webinars, panel discussions, or meetings, over the years, we have seen one theme surface at each interaction — community collaboration.  

‍

One of the most frequently shared sentiments is the need for the community to continue talking about things that matter, foster collaboration, and work together to find solutions.  

‍

The scholarly publishing community is a dynamic and growing network of publishers, editors, societies, technology providers, researchers, and institutions, all working toward a shared goal: advancing the dissemination of knowledge. And within this network there’s an ongoing exchange of ideas, opinions, and solutions geared toward solving pressing problems.  

‍

This has shone through at our Publisherspeak conference series as well as at the Academic Publishing in Europe (APE) Conference in Berlin. Furthermore, initiatives like MECA that proposes a common means to smoothly transfer manuscripts among workflow systems; United2Act, a joint effort by COPE and STM to help the community tackle the growing problem of paper mills; the Joint Commitment for Action on Inclusion and Diversity in Publishing led by the Royal Society of Chemistry; and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing developed by COPE, WAME, DOAJ, and OASPA also illustrate the combined efforts of the community to offer solutions that solve common problems.  

‍

However clear the need for a strong ongoing dialogue, the real challenge lies in translating these discussions into meaningful actions. Speaking and listening are key here.‍

Listening to the community is the key differentiator

‍

While speaking and listening are complementary actions, they play very different roles, specifically in the context of interactions among the scholarly publishing community. When you meet a publisher who wants to know more about you or a peer who seeks your perspective, speaking is about sharing insights, presenting ideas, and showcasing solutions. But listening is where the real value lies. It’s about tuning in to the underlying pain points and opportunities for meaningful change.  

‍

Listening (whether through direct customer conversations, collaborative problem-solving at events, feedback loops built into core processes, or simply through data) helps co-create solutions that directly address specific challenges. For us, at Kriyadocs, listening to the community is the foundation of how we build solutions that truly work. It enables us to build workflows that are not only efficient but also aligned with the broader mission of the scholarly publishing community: to support the dissemination of knowledge. ‍

Building for the community, with the community

‍

Scholarly publishing is constantly evolving. This is why keeping the dialogue open is so important. When you listen with the intent to understand, you build trust, uncover hidden issues, and create solutions that are functional, collaborative, and transformative. For smaller publishers, seamless integrations, affordable pricing, helping them to support local user requirements, and reliable support can be game changers. Larger publishers may prioritize flexibility, adding value for their user communities, and supporting a complex array of end-to-end publishing workflows.

‍

The collaboration between Kriyadocs and Medwave, a Chile-based medical publisher, is a great example of understanding specific, local customer needs. Medwave’s user community of authors, editors, reviewers and readers all use Spanish as their first, native language. But Medwave also recognised the need to publish its content in English, to help improve the reach and discoverability of its researchers’ work. Kriyadocs worked with Medwave to create an automated workflow for delivering bilingual content with simultaneous publishing in Spanish and English, including the assignment of separate DOIs. More details on this collaboration are available here.

‍

Regardless of the scale or specific needs, what remains constant is the need for a technology partner who genuinely listens, evolves, and co-creates solutions alongside publishers.  

‍

As technology providers in a rapidly evolving industry, the Kriyadocs team recognizes that platforms could be seen as commodities. What really differentiates one from another is how well it serves the end user. This goes beyond technical features; it’s about adaptability, transparency, and the ability to evolve alongside our customers’ needs. This is why we don’t just offer a platform; we build relationships. The conversations we have with publishers, editors, and industry stakeholders directly inform our approach. Whether it’s enhancing discoverability, ensuring smooth integrations, or developing features that simplify complex workflows, every decision is rooted in what we hear from the community.

‍The future is collaborative and communicative

‍

The scholarly publishing ecosystem is in a state of continuous transformation. However, one thing remains constant: the importance of engaging with the community in a way that fosters trust, collaboration, and shared progress. At Kriyadocs, we have come to realize that by engaging in these conversations and by actively listening, we have been able to build tools and services that don’t just solve problems but anticipate them. And in doing so, we are not just supporting publishers; we are helping them strengthen their own connections with the communities they serve. ‍

Ready for a conversation? We are ready to listen!

‍

Get in touch with us to learn more about how Kriyadocs’ innovative solutions can enable you to serve your community better.