Tektonika: breaking barriers in scientific publishing one manuscript at a time

Science, without effective dissemination, has a very short life. And yet most scientific research is hidden away behind exclusive and expensive paywalls imposed by traditional publishing models. Tektonika is a community-led diamond open-access journal (DOAJ: free for authors, free for readers) publishing peer reviewed research in geology and tectonics. It is a grass-roots initiative driven by the enthusiasm and devotion of a wide and diverse spectrum of Earth Scientists from around the globe, intended to shape a new landscape for publishing in the geosciences. 

In its first seven months (June-December 2022)year, it received 22 manuscript submissions, covering a range of topics from active tectonic geodesy to microstructures. Two accepted manuscripts are being published online in January 2023, respectively seven and six months after initial submission. At the same time, 6 manuscripts are at the revision stage (either waiting for author’s to submit their revised version, or already attending a second round of reviews). 

A year ago, at EGU22, Tektonika opened its doors to manuscript submissions. One year later, we return to reflect on the journal’s first year of life and discuss what might be next for the growing body of DOAJs established over recent years.