(14 Jul 2026) Taylor & Francis has signed an MOU with the University of Tsukuba to expand the innovative Japan Institutional Gateway (JIG) research publishing platform, which they jointly operate, and to support the publication of English-language books by University of Tsukuba researchers.
Previously limited to the University of Tsukuba and its affiliated institutions, JIG now welcomes article submissions from researchers at Japanese universities and research institutions nationwide through the new All Japanese University Area (AJUA).
By expanding their unique platform to researchers across the country, enabling publication of Japanese-language research at world-class speed and reliability, the University of Tsukuba and Taylor & Francis hope to support acceleration of the open research movement promoted by the Japanese government.
JIG is a next-generation digital platform that transforms academic publishing through three innovative approaches:
- Publishing in Japanese with global reach
While most international journal publications are in English, JIG accepts submissions and publications in Japanese for humanities and social sciences fields. This enables excellent research on Japanese history and society written in Japanese to be indexed in global research databases (such as Scopus), creating pathways for international researchers to access and cite these works. - Rapid publication: eliminating time lags
Once initial quality checks and formatting requirements are met, papers are published open access within a matter of days or weeks. This allows research on social trends and current issues to be presented to the world while they remain relevant. - Open peer review: a transparent evaluation process
While traditional peer review has been a black box, JIG first publishes papers publicly, then invites experts worldwide to post evaluations and advice under their real names, facilitating open discussion. This highly transparent process significantly contributes to research credibility and fraud prevention in the generative AI era.
By opening access to all researchers nationwide, JIG is transforming from a pilot initiative among select universities into an academic gateway for all of Japan. Together with research institutions and researchers across Japan, JIG will disseminate Japan’s knowledge to the world, expanding its impact and helping transform global academic publishing.
Japan Institutional Gateway: https://f1000research.com/japan-institutional-gateway
Source: Library Technology Guides
