--- title: JMIR Publications Blog (7) description: Blog posts, white papers and rich media content dedicated to researchers, authors, librarians, institutions, funders in academic and scholarly publishing (7) --- [![JMIR-Publications\_logo\_2020\_blue](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/00%20Marketing/Logos/JMIR-Publications_logo_2020_blue.png?width=550&height=109&name=JMIR-Publications_logo_2020_blue.png "JMIR-Publications_logo_2020_blue")](http://www.jmirpublications.com) Open main menu Close main menu # JMIR Publications # Newsroom Select Category Aging Artificial Intelligence Digital Psychiatry Early Career Researcher Events Industry News JMIR News Libraries Open Access Peer Review Research News Women in Science ![Photo showing man sitting at an exhibit table for JMIR Publications](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/_2026%20ER%26L%20%20blog.png) [Events,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/events) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [What I Actually Learned at ER&L: Open Science, Funding, and the Librarian-Publisher Alliance](https://blog.jmir.org/what-i-actually-learned-at-erl-open-science-funding-and-the-librarian-publisher-alliance) 11 March 2026 4:18 p.m. I had a great time in Austin at the [ER&L Fest](https://electroniclibrarian.org/). The longer I’m in the position of Institutional Partnerships Lead at JMIR, the more I enjoy working with librarians. As a group, they are friendly, thoughtful, and ask great questions. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to me - my mother was a public librarian and I spent many, many hours among the book stacks of her workplaces. [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/what-i-actually-learned-at-erl-open-science-funding-and-the-librarian-publisher-alliance) ![Less Typing, More Talking: How Ontario Doctors are Leading the Ambient AI Revolution](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/2026%20Amanda%20blog%20post.png) [Research News,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/research-news) [Artificial Intelligence](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/artificial-intelligence) ### [Less Typing, More Talking: Ontario's AI Scribe Program](https://blog.jmir.org/less-typing-more-talking-ontarios-ai-scribe-program) 24 February 2026 7:19 a.m. When a patient walks into a doctor’s office today, they might notice something is missing: the frantic clicking of a keyboard. In exam rooms across Ontario, the traditional image of a physician hunched over a laptop is being replaced by eye contact, active listening, and a small, unobtrusive digital assistant known as an **ambient artificial intelligence (AI) scribe**. [Amanda Iannaccio, Managing Editor, JMIR Publications](https://blog.jmir.org/author/amanda-iannaccio-managing-editor-jmir-publications) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/less-typing-more-talking-ontarios-ai-scribe-program) ![Breaking barriers: accessible VR for mental health](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Amandine%20Verstegen%20blog%20(2).png) [Research News](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/research-news) ### [Breaking Barriers: Accessible VR for Mental Health](https://blog.jmir.org/breaking-barriers-accessible-vr-for-mental-health) 18 February 2026 10:21 a.m. Virtual Reality (VR) can be a powerful tool in mental health care, particularly for assisting with relaxation. By immersing users in calming natural environments, VR can effectively lower stress and anxiety. However, despite its potential, high-quality VR relaxation remains largely locked away in specialized clinics. The barriers are clear: stand-alone headsets are expensive, the software can be difficult to operate, and many apps aren't available in local languages. ![Reviewed by Kayleigh-Ann Clegg, PhD](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Headshot.jpg?width=45&name=Headshot.jpg) [Reviewed by Kayleigh-Ann Clegg, PhD](https://blog.jmir.org/author/reviewed-by-kayleigh-ann-clegg-phd) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/breaking-barriers-accessible-vr-for-mental-health) ![Header image for a blog post on peer review it includes a digital badge for accomplishing 200 peer reviews with JMIR Publications](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/20260213%20Peer%20Review%20%26%20Karma%20blog.png) [Peer Review](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/peer-review) ### [Reviewer 101: Qualifications, Sign-up, and Rewards at JMIR](https://blog.jmir.org/peer-review-101-qualifications-sign-up-and-rewards-at-jmir) 16 February 2026 9:51 a.m. Whenever the JMIR Publications team travels to conferences—like APHA or the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)—we are inevitably asked one question more than any other: "How can I become a peer reviewer for JMIR, and what qualifications do I need?" ![Jane Kelly, Integrated Marketing Manager](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-07-20%20at%205.08.33%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-07-20%20at%205.08.33%20PM.png) [Jane Kelly, Integrated Marketing Manager](https://blog.jmir.org/author/jane-kelly) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/peer-review-101-qualifications-sign-up-and-rewards-at-jmir) ![Banner for the upcoming ER&L 21st Annual Library Conference March 1 – 4, 2026 in Austin, Texas](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Copy%20of%20APHA%202025%20Socials.png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Events,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/events) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [3 Conversations I Can’t Wait to Have at ER&L](https://blog.jmir.org/3-conversations-i-cant-wait-to-have-at-erl) 9 February 2026 7:24 p.m. As I am preparing for my trip to Austin for the [ER and L conference,](https://electroniclibrarian.org/) I am thinking a lot about the conversations I have had with librarians over the past year, especially at Charleston in November. [The consistent theme of each conversation was uncertainty](https://blog.jmir.org/beyond-the-big-deals-partnerships-for-equity-impact-in-open-access)—often budgetary, but also regulatory and administrative. Everywhere, libraries are under pressure to do more with less, leaving many to ask: how to manage library budget cuts while transitioning to open access? It’s clear that librarians are no longer just managing collections;  they’re navigating a total systemic shift. [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/3-conversations-i-cant-wait-to-have-at-erl) ![Header card for the blog post that discusses innovations for JMIR](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/2026%20Innovations%20blog.png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [JMIR News,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/jmir-news) [Peer Review](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/peer-review) ### [Leading the Way: A Quarter-Century of Innovation at JMIR Publications](https://blog.jmir.org/leading-the-way-a-quarter-century-of-innovation-at-jmir-publications) 26 January 2026 5:00 p.m. Since its inception in 1999, JMIR Publications has been more than just a publisher—it has been a laboratory for the future of scholarly communication. As one of the world's first open-access publishers, JMIR has consistently pushed the boundaries of how scientific knowledge is captured, shared, and preserved. ![Jane Kelly, Integrated Marketing Manager](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-07-20%20at%205.08.33%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-07-20%20at%205.08.33%20PM.png) [Jane Kelly, Integrated Marketing Manager](https://blog.jmir.org/author/jane-kelly) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/leading-the-way-a-quarter-century-of-innovation-at-jmir-publications) ![Beyond the Big Deals: Institutional Partnerships for Equity and Impact in Open Access](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Librarian%20content%20article%204%20(1).png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Beyond the Big Deals: Partnerships for Equity & Impact in Open Access](https://blog.jmir.org/beyond-the-big-deals-partnerships-for-equity-impact-in-open-access) 14 January 2026 2:25 p.m. If you were in Charleston this past November, you know what I mean when I say the air was thick with purpose, and a little bit of worry. [The Charleston Conference](https://www.charleston-hub.com/the-charleston-conference/) is always a place where librarians and publishers come together to discuss the tough questions facing our industry, and this year highlighted that scholarly communication is evolving against a backdrop of economic, technological, and policy-driven uncertainty. [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/beyond-the-big-deals-partnerships-for-equity-impact-in-open-access) ![Librarian's Guide: Vetting Journals and Avoiding Predatory Publishers](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Librarian%20content%20article%203.png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Librarian's Guide: Vetting Journals and Avoiding Predatory Publishers](https://blog.jmir.org/librarians-guide-vetting-journals-and-avoiding-predatory-publishers) 8 January 2026 8:20 a.m. The landscape of scholarly publishing has grown increasingly complex, and academic librarians managing collections face mounting pressure to navigate this complexity wisely. With library budgets stretched thin, multiple business models competing for resources, and the ever-present threat of predatory publishers exploiting the open access movement, the responsibility of vetting journals has never been more critical, or more challenging. [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/librarians-guide-vetting-journals-and-avoiding-predatory-publishers) ![Based on our record-breaking submissions, here are the five key themes that defined the year](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Top%20author%20stories%20of%202025%20post%202%20(2).png) [Research News,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/research-news) [Aging,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/aging) [Artificial Intelligence,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/artificial-intelligence) [Digital Psychiatry](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/digital-psychiatry) ### [Celebrating our Author Videos: Key Themes in Author Videos](https://blog.jmir.org/reflecting-on-2025-trends-in-author-videos) 30 December 2025 7:57 a.m. As we close out another banner year at **JMIR Publications**, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible growth of our YouTube community. In 2025, our mission to make high-impact research accessible reached new heights through our video series:[**Decoding Digital Health: Author Stories**](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzPrD_telfI4-AQZ-o7pqd038ewpFpcqn). ![Jane Kelly, Integrated Marketing Manager](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-07-20%20at%205.08.33%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-07-20%20at%205.08.33%20PM.png) [Jane Kelly, Integrated Marketing Manager](https://blog.jmir.org/author/jane-kelly) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/reflecting-on-2025-trends-in-author-videos) ![Reflecting on 2025: A Landmark Year for ](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Top%20author%20stories%20of%202025.png) [Research News](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/research-news) ### [Reflecting on 2025: A Landmark Year for "Decoding Digital Health"](https://blog.jmir.org/reflecting-on-2025-a-landmark-year-for-decoding-digital-health) 23 December 2025 4:53 p.m. As we close out another banner year at **JMIR Publications**, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible growth of our YouTube community. In 2025, our mission to make high-impact research accessible reached new heights through our flagship playlist:[**Decoding Digital Health: Author Stories**](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.youtube.com/playlist%3Flist%3DPL_m_vY_U_B3P7n0_tqL5W6_kK9S-D_vG6). ![Jane Kelly, Integrated Marketing Manager](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-07-20%20at%205.08.33%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-07-20%20at%205.08.33%20PM.png) [Jane Kelly, Integrated Marketing Manager](https://blog.jmir.org/author/jane-kelly) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/reflecting-on-2025-a-landmark-year-for-decoding-digital-health) [5](https://blog.jmir.org/page/5) [6](https://blog.jmir.org/page/6) [7](https://blog.jmir.org/page/7) [8](https://blog.jmir.org/page/8) [9](https://blog.jmir.org/page/9) © 2026 JMIR Publications