Over the past decade, academic publishing has undergone a significant transformation. The rise of digital tools, growing demands for open and international collaboration, and the need for more efficient publishing workflows have all reshaped how research is created, reviewed, and accessed. Publishers are no longer seen only as service providers, but as partners who help ensure the visibility, integrity, and accessibility of scholarly work.
It is within this broader context that the Sciendo.com platform is being relaunched as Reference-Global.com. At the same time, Sciendo is fully transitioning into Paradigm Publishing Services, under De Gruyter Brill.
From Sciendo.com to Reference-Global.com For many years, the Sciendo.com platform hosted journals, books, and conference proceedings across disciplines. That role now continues under a new identity: Reference-Global.com. The relaunched platform builds on Sciendo’s foundation, combining established publishing practices with modern, AI-driven tools. Enhanced search functions, improved metadata and content structuring for indexing services, and integrated workflows are designed to reduce barriers and strengthen connections across the research community. (For example, the new platform supports automated metadata creation, DOI registration, and advanced search functionality.
What the Platform Offers
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Readers: Immediate access to relevant content through advanced search and AI-powered recommendations, helping users find what matters most.
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Editors: Tools designed to support editorial work, helping structure and present content effectively, meet indexing requirements, and shape how journals are positioned on the platform, while preserving full independence.
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Authors: A clear and intuitive submission process that guides manuscripts from submission to publication. Enhanced visibility and discoverability ensure that research reaches the widest possible audience.
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Librarians: Streamlined subscription management, COUNTER-compliant usage reports, and downloadable metadata (KBART, MARC) to support reliable access, collection management, and resource planning.
A Broader Paradigm The launch of Reference-Global is part of a larger strategy by Paradigm Publishing Services, a division of De Gruyter Brill. Paradigm was created to respond to the evolving needs of the scholarly community, offering flexible services, hosting, and global distribution. Reference-Global serves as its core platform, combining technology, design, and publishing expertise to support the academic community more effectively.
De Gruyter introduced Paradigm in October 2023 to help publishers maintain both accessibility and financial sustainability in a rapidly changing landscape. In its first year, Paradigm consolidated several business units, formed new publisher partnerships, and held collaborative summits with scholarly presses and librarians to address operational and funding challenges facing smaller publishers.
Already, Paradigm has entered high-visibility collaborations; for instance, it is working with the University of Pennsylvania Press to digitize the backlist of the American Philosophical Society Press. The University of South Carolina Press also recently announced its partnership with Paradigm, joining its University Press Library group.
Why This Matters These transitions reflect a broader shift in academic publishing toward integration, scalability, and accessibility.
Reducing operational friction: Many small or independent journals struggle with fragmented systems for books, papers, and conferences. A unified platform reduces that friction through cross-product search, shared user accounts, and streamlined backend workflows.
Boosting discoverability: Automated metadata generation, citation linking, and indexing feeds help journals and articles reach wider audiences and enhance impact metrics.
Lowering cost and risk: Publishers can access robust technical infrastructure without maintaining their own, allowing them to focus on quality and editorial priorities.
Flexible business models: Paradigm supports open access, subscription, hybrid, and “subscribe-to-open” models, giving publishers multiple sustainable options.
Preserving scholarship: Professionally managed infrastructure ensures long-term stability, archiving, and disaster recovery, critical for preserving scholarly output.
Strengthening global equity: Platforms like Reference-Global provide reliable access for emerging-region journals, ensuring broader participation in global research communication.
Looking Ahead For editors and researchers, these changes represent both continuity and expansion. The Sciendo platform continues under the new name Reference-Global, while Sciendo’s operational expertise is carried forward within Paradigm Publishing Services. Together, they create a framework that meets the challenges and opportunities of today’s scholarly landscape.
To learn more about Paradigm Publishing Services, read the Paradigm overview, visit us at reference-global.com, or watch the interview below with Emily Poznanski, EVP Product & Publisher Relations.
Keywords
Scholarly publishing
open access
academic journals
digital platforms
publishing innovation
metadata
discoverability
editorial tools
Katarzyna Granat
Katarzyna Granat is the Marketing Content Supervisor at Sciendo, where she brings over two years of multifaceted experience in content strategy, social media, and data coordination. With a background in both special education and data science, she combines analytical insight with creative communication to support academic publishing and outreach. Katarzyna holds a master's degree in Special Education from Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin and a postgraduate degree in Data Science and Analysis from Uniwersytet WSB Merito Gdansk.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their affiliated institutions, the Asian Council of Science Editors (ACSE), or the Editor’s Café editorial team.
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