23 Reflections to Recap Zendy's 2023 Journey
Dec 15, 2023 |
17 Mins Read
Welcome to Zendy’s annual recap, where we reflect on another year of milestones. The ever-evolving landscape of scholarly communication this year was anything but stagnant, dominated by themes of openness, integrity, inclusion, and innovation. As we reflect on 2023, we're proud to have welcomed new publishers, attended events, celebrated milestones with our users, and released some really great features to continue to support our users on their research and learning journey.
How we enhanced our user experience
- We developed and launched ZAIA
Our most anticipated and exciting feature launch this year was ZAIA - Zendy's AI assistant. Ask any question, and ZAIA will analyse millions of researchers papers to give you credible answers backed by references. If you haven't already, log in to your Zendy account and put ZAIA to the test!
- We launched Zendy Plus globally
We launched our global subscription plan at Frankfurt Book Fair 2023! The plan allows students, researchers and professionals globally to access scholarly material from leading publishers for the monthly price of a single research paper. This was a key milestone for us as our previous Zendy Plus plan was limited to several countries. Having an affordable and equitable access model strengthens our mission to remove the barriers to scholarly literature.
- Keyphrase Highlighting
We released an AI-powered keyphrase highlighting tool. Instead of having multiple tabs open, looking for definitions and further research on a concept, Zendy highlights keyphrases in just one click to allow readers to grasp key research concepts quickly.
- Summarisation
We also released an AI-powered summarisation tool. This tool summarises lengthy research papers into a concise paragraph on demand. This significantly helps readers save time during literature review.
- Reading Lists
Earlier this year, we launched a reading list feature. Reading lists can be used to organise and categorise research papers according to projects, subject areas or whichever method the reader finds simplest to navigate through.
- New UI coming soon
The team has been working on a brand new UI to transform the user journey on Zendy. Zendy will reveal a new fresh look very soon, with additional personalisation features to further enhance the discovery of scholarly literature.
Milestones we marked with our users
- Welcomed over 400,000 readers
We’re proud to support over 400,000 readers from 200 countries and territories on Zendy! We thank our valued community for their consistent support. The trust of our community fuels our mission to keep striving for a world where equal access to research is a reality.
- Over a 6 million searches & 2.5 million downloads
We have seen over 6 million keywords searched on the platform. Searches ranging from the neural networks, to enteric bacteria, and social impact - we’re proud to support a diverse community of students, researchers, and professionals. We marked over 2.5 million downloads on Zendy! As we continue to work with new publishers, we look forward to bringing an even better selection of content to our readers.
We exhibited, presented, and attended many events!
- Presented at Charleston Hub 2023
Our Partner Relations Manager, Sara Crowley Vigneau presented at Charleston Hub in partnership with IGI Global. The presentation titled ‘On the Open Road: The story of an OA publication through the stakeholder journey’ looked at the journey of a publication through the eyes of each custodian.
- Exhibited at STEP 2023
Earlier this year, our team exhibited Zendy at STEP 2023. Showcasing our Zendy alongside various startups inspired the team to learn from other tech products in the Middle Eastern region.
- Sponsored and presented at the Forum for Open Research MENA
We were proud to sponsor the Forum of Open Research MENA, which is an event that highlights and advances open access initiatives in the Arab region. Our head of technology, Rodrigo Pinto, presented his insightful research paper titled, "Leveraging Big Data and Machine Learning to Enhance Open Data Quality: Insights for Developing Regions."
- Exhibited at Frankfurt Book Fair
It was a pleasure to exhibit and connect with new and existing partners at Frankfurt Book fair 2023. We hosted a launch event at this year's fair, showcasing our Zendy Plus global subscription offering. Thanks to all who attended!
- Presented at the MENA Panel
Our co-founder, Kamran Kardan spoke at The MENA panel titled, “AI wrote this abstract: The Impact of AI on higher education and academic research.” The discussion touched on the impact of AI on higher education, dissecting how it affects teaching, learning and ethical guidelines.
- Attended London Book Fair
We attended the London Book Fair earlier this year. Our team met with many of our partners and other key leaders in scholarly communication. We look forward to exhibiting at next year’s fair.
- Exhibited at UKSG 2023
We also exhibited at our first UKSG conference this year. It was a really great experience connecting with and learning from some of the best minds in our global knowledge community.
- Joint Webinar with InTechOpen
We partnered with InTechOpen to host a joint webinar titled, “Emerging Technologies - Partnering for Accessibility, Discoverability and a Sustainable Future.” Zendy’s Head of Marketing, Monica Chinsami, presented on the panel alongside Prof Tatiana Morosuk, Editorial Board Member of IntechOpen's Green Energy and Environmental Technology (GEET) journal, and Dr Jo Havemann, Co-founder of AfricArXiv.
We welcomed new partners
- IEEE
In September, we integrated IEEE’s open access research content. This partnership has brought significant technological research across various areas of study, like aerospace, robotics and more on Zendy.
- IT Governance
In June, we partnered with IT Governance, which is a leading publisher of books on information technology, cybersecurity and governance.
- IGI Global
We partnered with IGI Global, a leading publisher focused on research across different specialisms under the vast umbrella of Science. This partnership saw the addition of leading e-journals as well as book content across subject areas including Business & Management; Scientific, Technical, Medical (STM); and Education.
- Bristol University Press
We also signed an agreement with Bristol University Press. BUP is well known for producing scholarship that advances theory, knowledge and learning within and beyond academia.
- InTechOpen
We also welcomed IntechOpen to our partner community. InTechOpen specialises in journals and books in the fields of Medicine, Technology and Science.
A couple of things we published
- Published SDG Report
This year, we published an SDG report in partnership with Knowledge E. This comprehensive report helps us keep track of our efforts in accelerating the aims of the UN’s publishers compact. With a focus on SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), Zendy progresses to ensure that academic research is accessible to everyone everywhere.
- An analysis of OER’s on Research Information
Our co-founder, Kamran Kardan, wrote a piece on the future of Open Educational Resources and how the industry is preparing for them. In summary, with the uncapped potential of responsible AI, the future looks bright and full of innovative opportunities to positively impact societal progress.
We look forward to continuing our journey together in 2024, and we thank you for your unwavering support.
Research Better: 5 Best AI Tools for Research Efficiency
The increased usage of AI tools has sparked many conversations in the world of academia, which inspired the innovation of AI tools for research. The integration of technology in academia has brought innovation that introduced digital libraries, plagiarism trackers and grammar-checking softwares, this changed the way researchers write and discover academic literature. In recent years, the academic sphere has witnessed the rapid growth and implementation of AI, which we believe can be leveraged to create efficiency in research. As an AI-powered research library, Zendy provides key tools like summarisation and keyphrase highlighting to streamline the process of literature review, we also developed and launched ZAIA, the AI research assistant. These tools have been designed to create efficiency in research, which allows researchers to invest significant time in data analysis and their primary research. With the growing integration of AI products, we believe in the ethical use of AI in the world of research while also harnessing the innovative technology to streamline research processes amongst students and researchers alike. According to a study that looked at the usage of AI amongst students, it was found that every fourth student (25.2%) uses AI-based tools frequently, while almost half of the students (47.8%) use AI-based tools occasionally. Slightly more than a third of the students (36.6%) do not use AI-based tools at all. In this blog, we recommend the 5 best AI-driven tools to assist you with annotating, citing and more!1. Semantic Scholar Housing over 200 million papers from all fields of science, this tool generates a comprehensive summary of an academic paper, including the area of study the research addressed and its overall impact on the discipline. 2. ZAIA AI Assistant for Research ZAIA is a domain-specific LLM designed to assist researchers in understanding essential research concepts and finding relevant papers. This tool enhances the efficiency of the literature review process, providing answers backed by millions of academic research papers. 3. Tableau This tool generates date visualisation and analytical tools for businesses and researchers. The platform is equipped with Einstein AI which is driven by machine learning and delivers predictions and recommendations within Tableau workflows to assist with efficient decision-making. 4. Scite.ai This is a well-rounded citation tool that provides context to citations by clearly stating whether an academic paper supports or contrasts the cited claim. This helps researchers save time having to read lengthy papers and quickly determine whether the citation is relevant to their research. 5. Consensus AI This tool annotates insights about research papers using AI. It produces “study snapshots” to condense lengthy research papers by mentioning study aims, variables, and findings. The platform also provides credible responses backed by academic papers to queries, by presenting research papers that both support and contrast the query, allowing users to browse through objective responses. Limitations of AI Tools While AI tools are effective in streamlining research processes, they raise ethical concerns and can impact research integrity if misused. AI raises ethical issues including data privacy, algorithm bias and misuse of AI. However, due to the increasing usage of AI tools, policies are developing quickly to ensure the technology is adequately regulated. Tips for Using AI Tools in Research Follow these recommendations to ensure ethical AI usage: Always fact-check content generated by AI tools Do not write academic articles using AI tools. Instead, use these tools to edit and structure original research content. Do not use AI tools to generate references, instead use it to manage and store the references. Use AI tools that produce accurate results. Incorporate your own voice and style of written content as much as possible. In conclusion, AI is a resourceful innovation in academic research when used ethically. The correct and responsible usage of AI can create immeasurable efficiency in research processes, and aid in citation management, resource annotation, data visualization, literature discoverability and summarisation.Discover a comprehensive suite of AI-driven tools like summarisation, keyphrase highlighting and ZAIA - AI assistant for research on Zendy now.
Understanding Research Hypothesis: Perfect your hypothesis for your research statement
In academic research, the hypothesis statement directs the course of investigation and exploration. It serves as the foundation of an experiment as it is a proposed outcome, this guides the methodology and findings of a research design. In this blog, we shed light on the significance and intricacies of formulating an effective hypothesis that solidifies the approach while investigating its impact on relevant variables. What is a research hypothesis? A research hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts the relationship between two variables and how they impact one another. A good research hypothesis has no ambiguity, clearly specifies variables and is structured to be proven or countered depending on the trajectory of the study. This statement should also specify how the study aims to generate new knowledge through the experiment. What are the different types of hypotheses? Hypothesis TypeDefinitionExampleSimpleProposes a relationship between independent and dependent variable.Increased sunlight exposure leads to higher plant growth.ComplexProposes relationships between two or more independent and dependent variables.Increased sunlight exposure impacts the growth rate of specific plant species, and this effect is contingent upon factors such as the plant's genetic makeup, soil composition, and optimal climatic conditions, implying that while sunlight plays a crucial role, its influence on plant growth is mediated by multifaceted environmental and genetic variables.DirectionalDetails the directions derived from theory, specifies the steps to be taken to identify a relationship between relevant variables.Increased sunlight exposure significantly increases the rate of plant growth.Non-directionalDoes not predict exact nature of relationship between variables and is usually applied when there’s an absence of theory and contradictory results.There is a relationship between sunlight exposure and plant growth.NullProposes that there is no relationship between variables, justifies the generation of results through chance.There is no significant effect of increased sunlight exposure on plant growth.AlternativeOpposite to null, alternative hypothesis states that there is a significant relationship between two variables.Increased sunlight exposure is associated with higher plant growth. Components of a hypothesis In the case of research experiments, a good hypothesis contains independent and dependent variables, the predicted relationship between them, and the outcome of this relationship. Example hypothesis: Variables: Employee job satisfaction (independent variable) influences productivity levels (dependent variable) within an organization. Predicted Relationship: Higher job satisfaction among employees will lead to increased productivity levels. Outcome: The study might find that departments or teams with higher job satisfaction scores tend to demonstrate greater productivity, implying a positive relationship between job satisfaction and productivity. Why is a well-written hypothesis important? A well-written hypothesis is the foundation of a research study, it helps the researcher determine how to address the investigation. A good hypothesis also aids in assuming the probability of the study’s failure or progress while also ensuring the methodologies are scientifically valid. Furthermore, the research hypothesis statement links the underlying theory to the research question while also measuring the reliability and validity of the study itself. Common hypothesis errors to avoid Your research hypothesis should be specific and clear. When constructing the hypothesis, try to be as concise as possible while understanding that less is more. The following should be avoided in research hypotheses: Ambiguity, overgeneralisation and lack of specifics Having too many variables without establishing clear relationship between them Unvalid or insufficient justification of variable relationship FAQs What are some tips for ensuring testability of a hypothesis? The hypothesis should be structured in a way wherein the possibility of it being being false or true is present. Furthermore, the results of the hypothesis should be reproducible. How do I differentiate between a research question and a research hypothesis? A research question states what the study will investigate without making any assumptions or predictions, whereas a hypothesis answers that question through predicting relationships between variables and their possible outcome. What are the potential drawbacks of a poorly formulated hypothesis? Having a poor hypothesis structure can negatively impact the research design as the hypothesis statement guides the methodology and findings sections. Discover millions of open access research papers across an array of disciplines on Zendy now. ol, ul { margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; } p, ul, li, ol { word-break: initial !important; }
Discover and avoid these types of plagiarism in your next academic paper
Originality is crucial in academic research. The initial approval process to conduct research relies on the originality of the idea and the new contribution the paper would make to the area of study. Academic research papers should be varied but rather drive the development of an idea or concept. This acceleration of new knowledge is hindered when plagiarism takes place. What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is the practice of presenting another person’s work or idea as your own. In the world of academia, this is a serious offense that can negatively impact a researcher’s career as their papers are usually retracted and they lose their credibility. Educational institutions like universities and colleges can expel and bar students from being admitted to other institutions as this ethical offense is reflected on their record. Common types of plagiarism Type DefinitionHow to avoid Direct PlagiarismWord-for-word duplication of somebody else’s content- Acknowledge and cite the source.- Paraphrase the content by changing sentence voice (active to passive or vice versa) - Include quotation marks in direct qoutes.Paraphrasing PlagiarismOriginal author’s work is restructured very similarly without citing them and their research.- Use synonyms for non-generic words.- Paraphrase by changing sentence voice and change clauses to phrases.Mosaic PlagiarismOccurs when phrases are taken from the original author without quotation marks and citations.- Appropriately cite sources using quotation marks and footnotes.Self-plagiarismUtilising your own sentence structures and ideas from previously submitted work without citing the source.- Ensure there is sufficient material to justify the new paper. - Appropriately cite the original source.Patchwork PlagiarismOccurs when material is copied from several sources and rearranged to create their own flow on a new paper without crediting any new sources.- Paraphrase material into your own words.- Enclose verbatim content in quotation marks and cite.Accidental PlagiarismOccurs when the author inaccurately cites sources, misquotes information or unintentionally paraphrases too similarly without the intent to present ideas as their own.- Proofread research paper multiple times before submitting. - Cite everything that was not discovered by you, including widely-known information. How to avoid plagiarism When working on a research paper, you can try and apply the following strategies to avoid committing plagiarism: Cite your sources When stating an idea or presenting information that you have found through a different source, add the proper in-text citation to indicate that this material is “borrowed”. Include quotation marks When quoting a source verbatim, using quotation marks helps avoid plagiarism and indicates that these words are relevant but not yours. The quote should also include it’s source. Paraphrase Paraphrasing can be tricky as it is a thin line between itself and plagiarism, it involves restructuring ideas into your own words without changing their meaning and intent. This also needs to be appropriately cited. Present your ideas Your research paper should constructively explain your perspective on the information that is cited. Touch on how this is relevant to your findings or argument. Use plagiarism tracker Utilising plagiarism detection tools can help avoid accidental plagiarism. These tools highlight plagiarised content and provide an overall percentage to help users understand their paper’s problem areas. Ethical writing practices In academic writing, ethical guidelines demand authors to avoid weaknesses of bias and exclusive language, while encouraging authors to write on a range of perspectives that are relevant to the area of study and clearly indicate through citations where external material has been incorporated into the paper. The infographic below describes 3 strategies to make sure your academic writing skills are in line with ethical guidelines. Plagiarism detection tools These detection tools ensure that academic research papers are original. They compare the material to a vast database of existing information and highlight any duplicated material, this helps maintain the author’s credibility and authenticity while avoiding certain legal issues. Here are a few detectors that Zendy recommends: Copyscape Turnitin Grammarly iThenticate Scribbr In conclusion, plagiarism is a serious academic offense that taints a researcher or student’s career by taking away their credibility and authenticity. Which is why the approval process of academic research is a rigorous one, to ensure the author and researchers have sufficient new contributions and perspectives within a specific area of study. Furthermore, establishing a practice of scanning lengthy research papers against recommended detection tools benefits researchers in citing all content appropriately and even avoids accidental plagiarism. ul { margin: 0 !important; } li a { color: rgb(244 178 35); }