Realigning a Traditional Journal – The Story of Carinthia Nature Tech

Regional scientific journals are invaluable resources for dissemination of research findings and local knowledge about our world. Maintaining even long-established journals has become increasingly difficult. This article presents Carinthia Nature Tech, published by the Natural Science Association for Carinthia (Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein für Kärnten), as an example of a successful adaptation of such a journal.

Founded in 1811, the journal series Carinthia is among the oldest published scientific collections of the German-speaking world. Some eight decades following establishment of Carinthia, and concomitant with a change of publisher, the journal was rebranded as Carinthia II, which to this day features two parts published exclusively in German. Traditionally, Carinthia II Part 1 serves the popular science readership, while Carinthia II Part 2 features peer reviewed scientific works from the province of Carinthia, Austria and the surrounding regions. Changing cost structures, evolving requirements for scholarly publishing, and the desire to reach new readerships has now prompted further strategic realignment. Since 2024, Carinthia II features an additional, thematically focused series, Carinthia II Part 3, Carinthia Nature Tech. This open access scientific journal is being managed in accordance with the framework of Plan S as supported by the cOAlition S initiative of the European Science Foundation. The periodical is published online twice per year in English, with peer-reviewed sections featuring research findings and non-peer-reviewed sections featuring project summaries and book reviews. The journal focuses on application of new technologies for recording and monitoring biodiversity (so-called “BiDiTecs”) in the Alps-Adriatic region of Europe, combining region-specific knowledge with state-of-the-art methods.

The Natural Science Association for Carinthia publishes Carinthia Nature Tech in cooperation with Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and its Interdisciplinary Centre for Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (ICEB). Contributions to the journal encompass environmental and biodiversity assessment using remote sensing, geoinformatics, robotics, sensor technologies, and molecular biological methods, as well as data science, information and communication technologies, and artificial intelligence. An editorial management system is currently being established, and the journal aims to be indexed in key citation databases in the medium term, promoting enhanced visibility and impact.