01963nas a2200361   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260000900043653002400052653002800076653001100104653001200115653001600127653002300143653001500166100002000181700002200201700002200223700002600245700001900271700002300290700002800313700002400341700002000365700002000385700001600405245008500421856006200506300001100568490000700579520100100586022001401587       2024                            d  c202410aacademic publishing10aearly career researcher10aethics10aFunding10aopen access10apublication system10aPublishing1 aAurore Receveur1 aJonathan Bonfanti1 aStephanie D'Agata1 aAndrew J. Helmstetter1 aNikki A. Moore1 aBrunno F. Oliveira1 aCathleen Petit-Cailleux1 aErica Rievrs Borges1 aMarieke Schultz1 aAaron N. Sexton1 aDevi Veytia00aDavid versus Goliath: Early career researchers in an unethical publishing system  uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ele.14395  ae143950 v273 aThe publish-or-perish culture in academia has catalysed the development of an unethical publishing system. This system is characterised by the proliferation of journals and publishers—unaffiliated with learned societies or universities—that maintain extremely large revenues and profit margins diverting funds away from the academic community. Early career researchers (ECRs) are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of this publishing system because of intersecting factors, including pressure to pursue high impact publications, rising publication costs and job insecurity. Moving towards a more ethical system requires that scientists advocate for structural change by making career choices that come with risks, many of which disproportionately impact ECRs. We illuminate major issues facing ECRs in Ecology and Evolution under the current publishing system, and propose a portfolio of actions to promote systemic change that can be implemented by ECRs and established researchers.  a1461-0248