|
|
Weekly News Digest
 |
November 13, 2025 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today.
CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.
|
Cengage Group and AWS Band Together for Generative AI Solutions in Schools
Cengage Group is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to combine AWS’s AI technologies with Cengage Group’s learning design expertise to deliver new generative AI solutions for improving learning outcomes, empowering educators, and prepping students for the workforce. This collaboration includes the now-in-beta AI Leveler Tool, which “allows K–12 educators to adjust and personalize the reading level of instructional content for each student. The tool is now being piloted,” the press release states. For more information, read the press release.
Boydell & Brewer Gets on Board With the Opening the Future OA Publishing Model
Boydell & Brewer adopted the Opening the Future (OtF) program “to fund open access publishing at the press. In partnership with Fulcrum and Lyrasis, this collaboration aligns with Boydell & Brewer’s commitment to expanding open access publishing in a sustainable way, ensuring that more high-quality content can be made accessible globally.” Boydell & Brewer is “the first non-University Press to take up the OtF model, opening the pathway for other mission-driven, scholarly publishers.”The news item continues, “The program enables libraries to invest in open content without placing a disproportionate burden on any single institution. It increases their local collection through perpetual, DRM-free access to curated backlist books at discounted prices. Titles available are on medieval history and literature, music, African politics and economics, and film and theatre across the Hispanic, Lusophone, African, and Germanic worlds. The membership revenue is used only to produce new OA monographs, enabling greater equity for authors that don't have funding of their own.” For more information, read the news item.
'7 Reasons to Think Social Media Has Peaked' by John Herrman
John Herrman writes the following in “7 Reasons to Think Social Media Has Peaked” for New York magazine: The numbers tell a story of stagnation and perhaps the beginnings of general decline: Time spent on social media peaked in 2022, led by steep usage decreases among young people. The decline ‘is not just the unwinding of a bump in screen time during pandemic lockdowns,’ the report says, tracing a ‘smooth curve up and down over the past decade-plus,’ and corresponds with higher numbers of users suggesting they open apps reflexively, just ‘to fill spare time.’ … Teens say they’re cutting back. Facebook reported losing users for the first time back in 2022. … Snap is officially losing users in North America, X got Elon’d, and third-party tracking firms suggested that TikTok, that last social platform to truly break through, started stalling in 2023. For more information, read the article.
The Scholarly Kitchen Compiles Its Coverage of Creative Commons
David Crotty writes the following in “Revisiting: Years and Years of Creative Commons Confusion” for The Scholarly Kitchen blog:Last week, Lisa Hinchliffe offered a helpful post that aimed to clear up some of the recent confusion around the use of Creative Commons licensed materials for AI training. These licenses, which have been around since 2002, seem to remain poorly understood by many in the scholarly communications community. We’ve been writing about these licenses, what they mean (and don’t mean) since at least 2012, and I thought it might be helpful to collect them in once place. For more information, read the blog post.
CABI Introduces SDGenie Prototype Tool for Matching With the SDGs
CABI launched SDGenie in beta, which is a “prototype tool that explores how text, such as research abstracts, can be matched to specific targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGenie (beta) is free to use and offers researchers a new way to identify detailed targets—rather than goals alone—and, therefore, to make their work more relevant to the SDGs. There are 169 targets, which define actionable priorities. Together with indicators, they help to measure progress towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.” “SDGenie (beta) came out of a really exciting period of exploration—asking how we can make the contribution of research to the SDG targets visible in a clear and meaningful way,” says Gary Leicester, publishing data lead at CABI. “The beta is already useful, but it’s also the beginning. I’d love people to try it, push it, and help us shape the next iteration as we work toward 2030.” For more information, read the press release.
Clarivate Unveils the Most Highly Cited Researchers for 2025
Clarivate published its Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list. “This annual list recognizes researchers whose contributions have demonstrated broad and significant influence in their fields,” the company states. “The list offers valuable insights into the global landscape of top research talent and identifies trends across countries, regions and institutions.” Key takeaways include the following:- The U.S. leads globally with 2,670 awards, making up 37% of the global total. …
- One in five awards is designated to researchers based in Mainland China. It holds second place with 1,406 awards (20%). …
- The U.K. ranks third with 570 awards (8%), followed by Germany (363), Australia (312), and Canada (227).
- Switzerland returns to the top 10, while Hong Kong SAR continues to grow its number of awards, rising from 134 in 2024 to 145 this year, claiming a 2% share of the global total.
- This year’s Highly Cited Researchers work in 60 countries and regions, yet 86% of awards are concentrated in just 10 of them—and 75% in the first five. …
For more information, read the press release.
Publishers Weekly Spreads the Word About a New Study of Writers' Views of AI
Jim Milliot writes the following in “New Report Examines Writers’ Attitudes Toward AI” for Publishers Weekly:The study, ‘A.I. and The Writing Profession,’ collected response from 1,481 working writers comprised of 1,190 writing professionals and 291 fiction authors. The analysis was supplied by author and former Forrester Research executive Josh Bernoff. The majority of all writers think that AI poses both a threat and an opportunity. 61% reported using AI tools, which they say increase their productivity by an average of 31%, but only 7% of respondents have published AI-generated text. For more information, read the article.
Kudos Hires a New Managing Director
Charlie Rapple writes the following in “Kudos Appoints Dr Fraser Macleod as Managing Director to Accelerate Growth in Life Sciences” for Kudos:Kudos, the platform for showcasing research, is delighted to announce that it has appointed Dr Fraser Macleod as Managing Director. Fraser is a medical communications leader and joins the company following more than a decade working in leadership roles in med comms agencies, most recently at IPG Health and Open Health. Fraser joins Kudos as the company continues its growth in healthcare communications, supporting pharmaceutical and biotech companies as they seek to increase transparency around their research and development. He has a strong track record of delivering business growth and leading innovation in how research is communicated. For more information, read the blog post/press release.
ZDNET Analyzes New AI in the Workplace Survey From McKinsey
Lance Whitney writes the following in “Is AI a Career Killer? Not If You Have These Skills, McKinsey Research Shows” for ZDNET:The excitement and obsession around generative AI is impacting organizations in several ways, not the least of which is in the workforce. As with any new technology, AI has caused many professionals to fear that they may be replaced by a bot. At the same time, the need to succeed with AI is leading companies to hire more engineers and other professionals who can work with the technology. ‘The State of AI in 2025: Agents, Innovation, and Transformation,’ a new report from management consulting firm McKinsey, examines how organizations have adopted and plan to adopt AI, and how this is impacting their hiring and firing practices. For more information, read the article.
Send correspondence concerning the Weekly News Digest to NewsBreaks Editor
Brandi Scardilli
|
