Cactus Communications and Taylor & Francis Pioneer Collaborative AI Solution for Scholarly Publishing

Cactus Communications (CACTUS), a science communication and technology company, is partnering with leading academic publisher Taylor & Francis to unveil Paperpal Preflight for Editorial Desk, an innovative AI tool revolutionizing editorial workflows.

Cactus Communications, under its Cactus Labs division, has consistently been at the vanguard of developing publishing solutions for top-tier publishers and societies. Similarly, Taylor & Francis, renowned for scholarly publishing, is actively incorporating AI to advance editorial processes.

This tool, a first of its kind, is designed to enhance the efficiency of authors, editorial teams, and reviewers through advanced AI technology. It is crucial to note that throughout the editorial process, Paperpal Preflight for Editorial Desk will support and complement the human editorial teams and not replace them. All the final decisions will be made by experienced editors. The introduction of AI based tool is focused on three key areas: research integrity, technical compliance, and language quality.

Nishchay Shah, Chief Technology Officer, Cactus Communications, shares insights on the collaboration, “Our joint efforts with Taylor & Francis in 2023 have fine-tuned our offerings, highlighting areas where our technology can be impactful.

The partnership between CACTUS and Taylor & Francis is now advancing beyond its initial phase, marking a substantial commitment to integrating AI into scholarly publishing. In 2024, they will introduce Cactus Language Checker and Paperpal Preflight for Editorial Desk, featuring comprehensive checks for language, technical accuracy, and research integrity. These tools will evaluate manuscripts, signalling those that require editorial attention. This will enable researchers to enhance their post-submission experience, expedite manuscript evaluation, and offer improvements for authors to review.

Nikesh Gosalia, President, Global Academic and Publisher Relations, Cactus Communications said, “Our strategic partnership with Taylor & Francis is poised to alleviate the concerns of both publishers and researchers, offering innovative, technology-led solutions that enhance efficiency and address critical pain points in scholarly publishing.”

Stewart Gardiner, Global Production Director at Taylor & Francis, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration: “Working with Cactus Communications has been a positive experience. These technologies are relatively new, and Cactus Communications has been admirably proactive in meeting our needs by piloting solutions with selected journals and portfolios. I am particularly excited to see the impact of this expanded collaboration and to report on the feedback from our many stakeholders.“

This partnership represents a stepping stone towards greater achievements in STM (scientific, technical, and medical) publishing. The introduction of the Paperpal Preflight for Editorial Desk signifies a commitment to a new era of efficiency and authenticity in scholarly publishing.