April 19-22, 2026
Sheraton Royal Orchid Riverside
Bangkok, Thailand
Sheraton Royal Orchid Riverside
Bangkok, Thailand
RESIDENTIAL JOURNAL COURSE
The International Journal Course Asia is an intensive four-day residential programme designed to give early-career journal publishing professionals a complete, connected understanding of how scholarly publishing works. Through expert-led teaching, interpersonal and cross-cultural skills development, and a hands-on live case study, participants gain confidence, strategic awareness and practical tools they can apply immediately. Held in Bangkok and co-delivered by ALPSP and Dixon & Straub, the course accelerates capability across the entire journal lifecycle. Previously the IJC course has been organised by Dixon & Straub in cooperation with the STM-association. As of 2026 IJCasia partners with ALPSP.
STRUCTURE
1. Journal publishing
At the core of the programme is a focused, practical curriculum dedicated entirely to scholarly journal publishing. Over four days, participants build a clear understanding of the full publishing cycle — from editorial strategy and peer review to production, business models, metrics, research integrity and AI. The emphasis is on clarity and coherence: understanding how…
2. Interpersonal skills
Publishing is a people business. Editors, reviewers, authors and society partners all bring different expectations and communication styles, shaped by personal preference and regional culture. Throughout the course, participants explore their own style using tools such as the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator, and learn how this interacts with global communication norms. This helps them recognise how…
3. Case study
To bring everything together, participants work in teams on a practical case study that runs across the entire course. They design or reposition a journal, develop a strategic plan, and pitch their proposal — drawing on everything from editorial development and workflows to metrics, business models and interpersonal skills. The case study provides a safe…
Who should attend?
This course is designed to meet the needs of early career publishers looking to advance their careers. To gain the most benefit from the course, participants should have one to three years of scholarly publishing experience. Those with more experience can use this as an opportunity to refresh their knowledge and gain inspiration for taking the next steps in their career. Course content is well suited for professionals working in editorial, sales, marketing, or content management roles in particular. In contrast, those working in other roles such as finance, production, product development, technology, or customer service will benefit from gaining a broader understanding of how their role sits within a broader context.
▪ Learnings ▪
Journal publishing
A solid understanding of scholarly communication is the foundation on which every other skill in academic publishing rests. In this module, we walk participants all aspects of a journal – from commissioning and submission through peer review, production, publication, and post-publication evaluation. The aim is not simply to list the steps, but to help participants…
Editorial strategy & journal development
Whether you’re responsible for a single journal or a group of titles, long-term success depends on clear strategy rather than reactive fixes. This module focuses on how journals are positioned, developed, and sustained over time—balancing editorial mission, market realities, and financial constraints while maintaining a strong and credible identity. We explore how journals evolve, how…
Production workflows & operational efficiency
Production workflows are often underestimated because they operate “behind the scenes”, yet they determine how reliably a journal delivers on its promises to authors, readers and editors. In this module we unpack the path from accepted manuscript to published article, looking at handovers, quality checks, vendor relationships, formats, and the increasingly mixed reality of Word,…
Peer review & integrity
Peer review and research integrity sit at the heart of scholarly communication, yet for many publishing staff they remain partly opaque. In this module, we look closely at how peer review is supposed to function, how it actually functions in practice, and where the main integrity risks lie. We cover reviewer selection, editorial decision-making, conflicts…
Business models & open access
Open Access is no longer a side-topic; it is central to how journals are financed, evaluated and governed. This module introduces the main OA business models – APC-funded, transformative agreements, Subscribe-to-Open, diamond OA and hybrid approaches – and looks at the practical consequences each model has for authors, institutions, publishers and societies. We move beyond…
Bibliometrics & journal performance
Bibliometrics influence far more decisions than most early-career professionals realise. In this module we examine the indicators commonly used to judge journal performance – citation-based metrics, usage data, altmetrics and newer measures – and place them in proper context. Rather than treating metrics as either gospel or irrelevant, we show how experienced publishers read them:…
Interpersonal skills
Scholarly publishing is, at its core, a relationship business. Editors, society officers, reviewers, authors and internal colleagues bring different personalities, incentives and cultural backgrounds to the table. In this module we focus on the interpersonal and cross-cultural skills that make those relationships work over time. Drawing on established frameworks used in our long-running courses, we…
Innovation & AI in Publishing
We look at concrete use cases across the workflow and discuss how organisations are experimenting while trying to preserve integrity, fairness and trust. We also address the anxieties that AI creates – for editors, reviewers, authors and staff – and suggest ways to talk about these tools without either dismissing them or overselling them. Finally,…
Case study
The case study is the signature element of the course: a high-intensity team exercise in which participants design a new journal or reposition an existing one and then pitch their proposal to a panel. This module introduces, supports and debriefs that experience. Working in small groups, participants draw on everything they have learned during the…
▪ Organisers ▪
ALPSP is the international trade association for scholarly and professional publishing. It supports learning and professional development across the publishing ecosystem, helping organisations and individuals understand how scholarly communication works, why it has evolved as it has, and how to navigate change with confidence, integrity and shared standards. Please find information about sponsorhip opportunities here.
Dixon & Straub is a strategic consultancy specialising in scholarly publishing. We work at the intersection of learning, strategy and practice, helping publishing professionals develop clear judgement about journals, portfolios and systems. Our teaching is grounded in real-world experience, connecting theory to the decisions people face every day.
Register
We would be delighted to welcome you to Bangkok during April of 2026. The International Journal Course Asia has shaped the careers of hundreds of publishing professionals, and we believe this edition — co-organised by ALPSP and Dixon & Straub — will be one of the strongest yet. If you’re ready to sharpen your skills, broaden your perspective and invest meaningfully in your development, we’d love to have you with us. Register now and secure your place for 19–22 April 2026.
Places are limited to preserve an interactive, workshop-style format.