At 11 AM EST today, I am facilitating The Place of Manuscript Management Systems in a Consolidating Marketplace, featuring @clarivate, @CokoFoundation, @ElsevierConnect, @lisalibrarian, @dworlock. Program is here: nfais.org/index.php?opti… Join for the webinar or follow #nfais.
Gregg Gordon is now speaking about SSRN, Aries, and Elsevier's directions with both. #nfais
SSRN has long seen itself providing "tomorrow's research today" -- years before it would come out in a traditional journal. #nfais
"SSRN joined Elsevier to fill a gap" #nfais 
But the world was a lot more complex than this. Not as linear! #nfais
There has been a slew of manuscript submission and management systems, most of which probably do not exist any more. #nfais
A key challenge is connecting a wide variety of different systems to achieve even supposedly simple use cases, such as funder or institutional notification. #nfais
Aries is spending $6m/year on development. #nfais
Aries has been working to create a more automated system, with an XML workflow throughout the system. Keyword and identifier extraction, reference formatting, etc. They call it LiXuid Manuscript (pronounced "liquid," natch). #nfais
They few this more automated system as shaving off time, money, and effort. My question: Can an improved platform reduced the burden on peer reviewers and thereby encourage review and decrease time to publication? #nfais
Now Gregg is asking what Elsevier is doing as it is "trying to get beyond publishing." The content usage we have been able to count may be down, but that does not reflect all usage. [I agree.] #nfais
Elsevier has been transparent (says Gregg) in its efforts to create a more open content management ecosystem. He cites @lisalibrarian lisahinchliffe.com/2017/02/06/els… #nfais
SSRN's platform is being used to share early stage research from major publications, both those owned by Elsevier (such as The Lancet) and others (citing a material science society). #nfais
SSRN has added channels (they call them "journals") through which scholars can share negative results [which is a key call among those focused on scientific transparency and reproducibility]. #nfais
Beyond this, Gregg offers no predictions about what the future will bring for the manuscript management environment. #nfais
Now, Keith Collier of @clarivate is preparing to offer the @webofscience @ScholarOneNews perspective. #nfais
Here is the Clarivate workflow schematic. The researcher is at the heart of it all but there are other stakeholders including customers like librarians and publishers. #nfais
Web of Science is the "whitelist" of journals and it is increasingly going to be at the core of the Clarivate platform suite. #nfais
Here's where Clarivate's tools and brands fit into this environment. #nfais
"Each journal is a snowflake" -- "Massive service component to support the software platform" to configure the journals to the needs of publishers and editors. WOW. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE EFFICIENCY. #nfais
The editor in chief is the key stakeholder for the manuscript management system and they have to be satisfied to accept your tool, which has been a major impediment. #nfais
Anything we can do to reduce costs -- in terms of time and money -- and enhance the quality and integrity of the peer review is a high priority. Keeping content flowing in is a massive need. Feed the beast. #nfais
Here are major themes in the @ScholarOneNews backlog. Much of this is "table stakes" to keep any system competitive. #nfais
