A National Network of Academic Journals as a System: Problems Before and After Sanctions

This article provides an assessment of the current state of the national network of academic journals in Russia, analyzing the problems faced before and after the imposition of sanctions. While the article acknowledges achievements in the digital transformation and the international standardization of editorial and publishing processes, it also highlights the negative consequences of solely focusing on increasing visibility and citations in international scientometric databases. This approach has led to a loss of government agency in managing Russian academic journals. To address these issues, the article proposes the formation of an independent direction in science policy to develop a national network of academic journals as a system. This includes establishing an institution responsible for the development of academic journals, restoring the diversity of self-organization within the scientific community, and focusing a national network of academic journals on providing full informational support for scientific research in the country.