Promoting Open Collaboration in Scientific Research, Connecting China and the World — An Interview with Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of *Nature*

In recent years, China’s scientific research community has achieved major original results in multiple disciplinary fields, and the number of high-level international journal papers and international patent applications has led the world for five consecutive years. As an internationally renowned academic publishing institution, Springer Nature (for which *Nature* is the flagship publication) has increasingly valued exchanges and cooperation with China’s scientific research community. Recently, to fulfill its own commitments and continuously support the development of China’s scientific research community through its journals, books, and services, Springer Nature established a China Academic Advisory Committee in Beijing and held its inaugural forum.

近年来，中国科研界在多个学科领域取得重大原创成果，高水平国际期刊论文数量和国际专利申请量连续5年世界领先。作为国际知名学术出版机构的施普林格·自然（《自然》是其旗舰刊物），也越发重视与中国科研界的交流合作。日前，为践行自身承诺，持续通过旗下的期刊、图书和服务支持中国科研界发展，施普林格·自然在北京成立中国学术顾问委员会，并举办首届论坛。

On the occasion of the committee’s establishment, Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of *Nature* and Chief Editorial Advisor for the *Nature* portfolio of journals, accepted an exclusive interview with our reporter in Beijing. She emphasized that China is making tremendous progress in many disciplinary fields and predicted that this trend will continue to strengthen in the future.

委员会成立之际，《自然》总编辑暨《自然》系列期刊首席编辑顾问玛格达莱娜·斯基珀在京接受本报记者专访。她强调，中国正在很多学科领域取得巨大进步，预计未来这一趋势还将不断强化。

1. Establishing a Platform for Exchanging Ideas Among All Parties

1.建立各方交流思想的平台

Discussing the starting point for establishing the China Academic Advisory Committee, Skipper explained that the scientific research ecosystem is composed of many different participants, including academia, academic publishing institutions, regulatory bodies, public funding agencies, charitable funding agencies, policymakers, research managers, civil society, and academic societies. “As an academic publishing institution, it is very important for us to maintain close contact with other relevant parties in the scientific research community. We need to understand the challenges, opportunities, and needs each faces. Establishing the Academic Advisory Committee and its forum provides us with a platform for exchanging ideas.”

谈到此次成立中国学术顾问委员会的出发点，斯基珀介绍，科研生态系统是由许多不同的参与方构成的，包括学术界、学术出版机构、监管机构、公共资助机构、慈善资助机构、政策制定者、科研管理者、民间社会及学术团体等。“作为学术出版机构，我们与科研界其他相关方保持密切联系是很重要的。我们需要了解各自面临的挑战、机遇以及需求。建立学术顾问委员会及论坛为我们提供了一个交流思想的平台。”

Scientific research is a global undertaking, but each country faces unique challenges and priorities within its specific research ecosystem. Therefore, since 2021, Springer Nature has established Academic Advisory Committees in the United States, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and other regions, with each committee holding in-person meetings annually on different themes.

科研是一项全球性的事业，但每个国家都面临着其特定科研生态内的独特挑战和优先事项。因此，自2021年以来，施普林格·自然已在美国、欧洲、非洲和拉丁美洲等地设立学术顾问委员会，各委员会每年就不同主题举行线下会议。

For example, this newly established China Academic Advisory Committee consists of 25 leading figures from institutions and organizations including scientific research, research funding, policymaking, and corporate research and development. They will help Springer Nature deepen its understanding of China’s scientific research ecosystem to better meet the needs of different groups within it, while also sharing professional perspectives and international viewpoints from the publishing institution and its editors with all parties.

例如，此次新成立的中国学术顾问委员会由25位分别来自科研、科研资助、政策制定、企业科研等机构和组织的领军人物组成。他们将帮助施普林格·自然加深对中国科研生态的了解，以更好满足其中不同群体的需求，同时也向各方分享来自出版机构和编辑的专业观点和国际视角。

“We had long planned to establish an Academic Advisory Committee in China, and we are very pleased to see this vision become a reality. China has become and will continue to be an important participant on

“我们很早就计划在中国设立学术顾问委员会，很高兴看到这一愿景变为现实。中国已经成为并将继续成为全球科学舞台上的重要参与者。”斯基珀介绍，中国学术顾问委员会旨在帮助推动中国科研领域的重要优先事项，它也是施普林格·自然全球学术顾问委员会网络的重要组成部分。这些委员会遵循集团“共促进步”的使命，以推动全球科研及其传播为共同目标。

According to the introduction, based on the principle of diversity, members of the China Academic Advisory Committee will rotate every three years to ensure the continuous absorption of fresh perspectives and insights. At the same time, groups such as early-career researchers and female scientists are fully represented in the committee.

据介绍，本着多元化的原则，中国学术顾问委员会成员将每三年轮换一次，以确保持续吸收新鲜的观点和见解。同时，处于职业生涯早期的科研人员、女性科学家等群体都在委员会中获得了充分代表。

In response, Skipper stated that the more diverse the scientific research community, the better and more comprehensive the scientific output, so diversity in all aspects is very important. For example, the advisory committee brings together representatives from different disciplines. Additionally, there is a clear trend that the private sector is increasingly interested in and engaged in scientific research, and this diversity is also reflected in the advisory committee. "We have also invited some early-career researchers to participate in the inaugural forum. This is because they have very unique focuses and also face different challenges and opportunities."

对此，斯基珀表示，科研界越多样化，科学产出就越好、越全面，因此各方面的多样化非常重要，例如顾问委员会汇聚了来自不同学科的代表。另外，有一个明显的趋势是，私营部门日益对科研感兴趣并从事科研，这方面的多样性也在顾问委员会中有所反映。“我们还邀请了一些处于职业早期的研究人员参加首次论坛。这是因为他们有着非常独特的关注点，也面临着不同的挑战和机会。”

"Scientific research is actually a social human endeavor; it thrives only when cooperation exists. This cooperation should be a cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral, and global collaboration in the broadest sense," Skipper said.

“科研实际上是一项社会性的人类事业，当存在合作时，才会蓬勃发展。这种合作应该是一种最广泛意义上的跨学科、跨部门及全球范围的合作。”斯基珀说。

2. China's Scientific Research Progress Is Tremendous and Will Be Even Greater

2.中国科研进步巨大且将更大

In fact, Springer Nature's cooperation with China has a long history. As early as 1985, its flagship publication *Nature* published a 24-page special issue on China, focusing on China's scientific development issues, including science and the higher education system under reform, and science popularization work. Since 1981, Springer, a company under the group, has been publishing academic books for Chinese scientists, including Hua Luogeng, in overseas markets.

事实上，施普林格·自然与中国的合作由来已久。其旗舰刊物《自然》早在1985年就出版了24页的中国特刊，聚焦中国科学发展议题，包括改革中的科学和高等教育体系、科学普及工作等。集团旗下的施普林格出版公司自1981年起便开始为包括华罗庚在内的中国科学家在海外市场出版学术图书。

"Over the more than 20 years I have worked as an editor, I have been following China's progress in scientific research and its contribution to global scientific work," Skipper pointed out. Over the years, the group has been cooperating with Chinese researchers. "The development of China's scientific research is impressive and continues to grow. I see that the research goals and achievements of Chinese researchers across various disciplines have significantly improved."

“在从事编辑工作的这20多年里，我一直关注着中国在科研上取得的进展，以及对全球科研工作作出的贡献。”斯基珀指出，多年以来，集团一直与中国科研人员合作，“中国科研的发展令人印象深刻，并仍在不断壮大。我看到中国科研人员在各学科上的研究目标和成果都取得了显著的提升”。

"About 20 years ago, I focused on genetics and genomics. At that time, I saw that China's research in these disciplines was flourishing at an astonishing pace. Now, I am pleased to see that China has also made great progress in fields such as materials science, chemical engineering, and medical research. I expect this trend to continue to strengthen in the future," she said.

“大约20年前，我专注于遗传学和基因组学。当时我就看到中国在这些学科上的研究以惊人的速度蓬勃发展。如今，我很高兴看到，中国在材料科学、化学工程、医学研究等学科领域也取得了巨大进步。我预计这一趋势在未来还将不断强化。”她说。

On the 2024 Nature Index Research Leaders list released by Springer Nature in June this year, China continued to top the rankings and further expanded its lead. Skipper said: "The data speaks for itself very clearly. In terms of both the quantity and quality of research papers, China is currently in a leading position in the world. An increasing number of papers in *Nature* are authored by Chinese researchers."

在施普林格·自然今年6月发布的2024年自然指数科研领导者榜单上，中国继续占据榜首，并进一步扩大了领先优势。斯基珀说：“数据非常清楚地说明了一切。就科研论文的数量和质量而言，当前中国均在世界上处于领先地位。《自然》中越来越多的论文是由中国作者撰写的。”

Skipper believes that China's sustained investment in scientific research is being transformed into rapid growth in high-quality research output. She said: "The Chinese government provides substantial funding to support scientific research development. At the same time, Chinese researchers have been participating in global scientific research cooperation for many years. Many have gone abroad for training and established cooperative relationships with researchers around the world. Through this cooperation, both sides grow and benefit together."

斯基珀认为，中国对科研事业的持续投入正转化为高质量科研产出的快速增长。她说：“中国政府提供了大量资金支持科研发展。与此同时，中国科研人员多年来一直在参与全球科研合作，许多人出国接受培训，并与全球各地的研究人员建立合作关系。通过这种合作，双方共同成长、共同受益。”

Skipper further pointed out: "There are currently many examples showing that China's scientific research is maturing. Many projects have shifted from being driven by international cooperation in the past to independent local development, and in some cases, are even entirely conducted locally in China. China's research projects are becoming increasingly high-end, the visibility of papers published by its researchers is growing, and their influence on the global scientific community is also increasing."

斯基珀进一步指出，“当前有很多例子表明，中国的科研正日趋成熟，很多项目由过去的国际合作驱动走向本土自主发展，有些情况下甚至完全是在中国本地开展的。中国的科研项目越来越高端，科研人员所发表论文的可见度越来越高，对全球科研界的影响力也越来越大”。

3. Shaping Open and Trustworthy Scientific Research

3.塑造开放、可信的科学研究

"For me, I hope that in the near future, we will see broader and more open cooperation in the scientific community. By open cooperation here, I mean the comprehensive flow of data and information in cooperation. There is ample evidence that open, shared, and transparent science not only accelerates the research process but also helps build trust in science among people outside the scientific community." When discussing what kind of global scientific community Springer Nature hopes to help shape, Skipper repeatedly mentioned two key words: "open" and "trustworthy."

“就我而言，希望在不久的将来，能够看到科研界实现更广泛、更开放的合作。这里的开放合作，是指数据和信息能在合作中全方位流动。有充分的证据表明，开放、共享和透明的科学不仅能加速科研进程，还能帮助科研界以外的人群建立对科学的信任。”在谈到施普林格·自然希望推动塑造一个怎样的全球科研界时，斯基珀多次提到两个关键词：“开放”与“可信”。

Over the years, Springer Nature has been committed to promoting the practice of open access and open science. Open access is closely linked to open data; research data should also be open, accessible, and reusable to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.

多年来，施普林格·自然致力于推动开放获取与开放科研的实践。开放获取与开放数据紧密相连，研究数据也应当是开放、可访问和可重复使用的，这样才能加快科学发现的步伐。

"Data, code, experimental protocols, etc., are all important components of modern scientific research. They explain how scientific conclusions are reached. Therefore, we always require authors to state whether their research data is fully publicly available. If not, they should explain how other researchers interested in following up can find this data." Skipper further stated: "Of course, open science must also be practiced fairly and carefully. Some researchers in Global South countries worry that after sharing data, other better-equipped teams will take over the analysis and advance the research process more quickly. Therefore, the generators and collectors of data must receive appropriate recognition for their contributions. In addition, data must be shared in a way that protects personal privacy and complies with local laws, meeting UNESCO's requirements for open data and open science, which is 'as open as possible, as closed as necessary.'"

“数据、代码、实验方案等都是现代科研的重要组成部分，它们解释了科学结论是如何得出的。因此，我们一直要求作者说明科研数据是否完全公开。如果不完全公开，则应说明其他有兴趣跟进的研究人员如何能找到这些数据。”斯基珀进一步表示：“当然，开放科研也必须被公平和谨慎地实践。一些全球南方国家的科研人员担心，共享数据后会有装备更好的其他团队接手分析这些数据，并以更快的速度推进科研进程。因此，数据的生成和采集者必须获得相应的贡献认可。此外，必须以保护个人隐私及符合当地法律的方式共享数据，做到联合国教科文组织对开放数据和开放科学的要求，即‘尽可能开放，必要时封闭’。”

In June of this year, *Nature* also announced a major reform measure to further fulfill its commitment to enhancing research transparency. Starting from June 16, all original research articles newly submitted to *Nature*, if selected for publication, will automatically undergo transparent peer review. When the paper is published, the peer review reports and the authors’ responses will be made public together, increasing the visibility of scientific discussion and strengthening the principles of open science.

今年6月，《自然》还宣布了一项重大改革措施，以进一步践行提升科研透明度的承诺。自6月16日起，所有新提交给《自然》的原创研究文章，如被甄选发表，都将自动接受透明的同行评审。出版论文时，连同同行评审报告及作者回应一起公开，增加科学讨论的可见性，强化开放科学的原则。

In response, Skipper explained that peer review of research papers before publication is an indispensable component of rigorous scientific communication. Peer review aims to improve papers and help authors make their arguments more rigorous. However, these discussions between authors and reviewers, conducted under editorial guidance, are rarely made public or reported. Making peer review documents public makes the process of scientific publishing transparent, which benefits the scientific community. On the one hand, researchers at early career stages can gain valuable learning opportunities, understanding how the interaction between authors and reviewers unfolds. On the other hand, this is also very important for the broader public. In some countries today, a large amount of misinformation spreads through social media, leading to a growing loss of public trust in science. A deeper understanding of how scientific research works is very important for building trust.

对此，斯基珀解释道，科研论文在发表之前由同行进行评审，是严谨的科研传播工作中不可或缺的组成部分。同行评审旨在改善论文和帮助作者使其论证更严密。然而，这些在编辑指导下进行的作者与评审人之间的讨论，却很少被公开或报告。公开同行评审文件让科学出版的过程变得透明，对科学界有益。一方面，早期职业阶段的科研人员可获得很好的学习机会，能够了解作者和审稿人之间的互动是如何展开的。另一方面，这对更广泛的公众来说也非常重要。当今在一些国家，大量虚假信息通过社交媒体传播，导致民众对科学的信任日益丧失。深入了解科学研究是如何运作的，对于建立信任非常重要。

4. Actively Responding to the Challenges of Artificial Intelligence

4.积极应对人工智能的挑战

Currently, AI technology is developing rapidly and has already had a broad impact on scientific research and academic publishing. Skipper believes that AI is undoubtedly bringing transformation to scientific research. Today, AI can assist in generating and screening research hypotheses, supporting modeling, strengthening analysis, and even generating synthetic data for model training, as well as helping to construct papers. How publishing institutions evaluate and guide researchers in the transparent use of AI during manuscript preparation is an important issue.

当前，AI技术飞速发展，已经对科研和学术出版产生了广泛影响。斯基珀认为，AI毫无疑问正在为科研带来变革，如今AI已能辅助生成和筛选研究假设、支持建模、强化分析等工作，还能生成合成数据用于模型训练，甚至帮助构建论文。出版机构如何评估和指导科研人员在稿件准备过程中透明地使用AI，是一个重要的问题。

“We have very specific guidelines for our journals. A very clear requirement is that AI cannot be an author or co-author of a paper. This is because AI has no autonomy and cannot take responsibility or bear consequences for the paper or the research conducted,” she said. If AI is simply used for copyediting or to help non-native English speakers polish text, then it does not need to be declared in the paper. However, if AI is used in more complex ways as a research tool, then it needs to be declared in the submitted paper.

“我们对旗下期刊有着非常具体的指导方针。一个非常清楚的要求是，AI不能成为论文的作者或共同作者。这是因为AI没有自主性，无法对论文或所做的研究负责或承担后果。”她说，如果AI只是简单地被用于文字编辑，或帮助非英语母语者润色文字，那么它不需要在论文中被申明。然而，如果AI被以更复杂的方式作为研究工具使用，那么就需要在提交的论文中被申明。

At the same time, AI is gradually being applied in the editorial and publishing processes of academic journals. “AI has become a very useful tool in detecting academic misconduct. Springer Nature has developed multiple tools for detecting non-standard phrases, meaningless text, image duplication or manipulation, and irrelevant references in journal and book submissions, preventing them from entering the review and publication process before editors further consider them or the paper is actually published,” Skipper stated. In fact, many image-related problems are inadvertently caused by researchers who have not received appropriate training, so these tools can be used not only to detect academic misconduct but also as teaching tools. “AI tools are very valuable, but like any other tool, AI should be used with full understanding, responsibility, and caution, because any tool can be used to cause negative consequences.”

与此同时，在学术期刊的编辑和出版流程中，AI也逐渐得到了应用。“AI在检测学术不端时已成为非常有用的工具。施普林格·自然已经研发了多款工具，用于检测期刊和图书投稿中的非标准短语、无意义文本、图像重复或篡改、不相关参考文献等，在编辑进一步考虑或真正发表论文之前阻止其进入评审和出版流程。”斯基珀表示，事实上很多与图片相关的问题是由一些没有接受适当培训的研究人员在无意中造成的，因此这些工具不仅可以用于检测学术不端行为，也可以成为教学工具。“AI工具非常有价值，但与其他任何工具一样，AI应在充分了解、负责任和谨慎的情况下被使用，因为任何工具都可能被用来造成负面后果。”

(Our reporter Yang Yifu)

（本报记者 杨逸夫）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧