[Interview] “Guarding knowledge in the AI era" - Publisher Frank Bakker on the evolving role of academic publishers

In an era where anyone with internet access can create content and AI threatens to flood the marketplace of ideas, who safeguards the quality of knowledge that shapes our societies? For Frank Bakker, publisher at T.M.C. Asser Press, the answer remains clear: dedicated academic publishers. "As academic publishers, we must keep working hard to uphold the quality of academic publications and to protect academic integrity. Artificial intelligence should be a tool to improve academic work, not to replace it," he asserts with conviction as he prepares to pass the torch after a distinguished three decade-long career. An interview.

You've spent ten years at Asser Press after transitioning from Dutch-language publishing. What attracted you to international legal publishing specifically?
"I worked for many years before in publishing, focusing on the Dutch law market. The publications I produced were in Dutch and aimed at Dutch scholars, students and practitioners. But sometimes you wish to make a new step in your career; and at that moment I wanted to move into international publishing because it seemed interesting. Also, having a master's degree in law, I have always been interested in the development of international law. So, when T.M.C. Asser Press gave me that opportunity, I saw it as a perfect match, and it's been ten years now."

As you prepare to step down, what do you consider to be the highlights and lowlights of your tenure? What moments made you think, 'This is why I do this work'?
"One highlight is the development of important book series like the International Criminal Justice Series and the recently launched Global Europe Series. What is also important is that we publish high quality yearbooks like the Netherlands Yearbook of International Law, the Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law, and the European Yearbook of Constitutional Law.
Another highlight in recent years has been the rise of our journals in the citation rankings, especially The Hague Journal on the Rule of Law, a journal that has established itself in the international law market after just twenty years of existence.
T.M.C. Asser Press is being recognised as a solid publishing partner for both Dutch and global scholars. All in all, seeing the growth and development of Asser Press is actually my main highlight.
When asked about difficult periods, Bakker's tone shifts noticeably. "Our small but dedicated team at T.M.C. Asser Press has suffered some blows in the past years, especially the passing of two of our dear colleagues. Those were particularly difficult times. But in the end, with the help of new colleagues, we've overcome those, and we look to the future.”

Your catalogue spans numerous volumes, but are there particular publications that stand out as breakthrough moments for Asser Press?
"Well, in general it's difficult to say because all our English language books and journals are distributed by Springer – our publishing partner - digitally to law libraries around the globe. The success, if you may call it that, depends also on if a book is published Open Access or not. One remarkable case is our edited volume on National Constitutions in European and Global Governance, which since 2019 has been downloaded more than 600,000 times and counting. Meanwhile, sales of print copies are less substantial nowadays, but when you publish on a timely topic it can still attract a lot of interest for the printed book. For instance what happened a few years ago with our publication titled Law and Artificial Intelligence."

In an age where anyone can self-publish, what is your quality control process? How do you decide which projects deserve the Asser Press imprimatur?
"First of all, the projects must fall within the field of international law and European law, as those areas are within the main focus of the Asser Institute. Secondly, in the area of law, the topic must be innovative. For that, I often consult researchers from within the Asser Institute or ask the editorial boards of our book series for a review. Sometimes we also discuss it with our publishing partner Springer in case we need insights on certain topics or on market possibilities.
And we have strict quality standards. The book must have a good logical structure, and the contributors must be specialists in their field. Lastly, the books/articles must be written in good, readable English because we publish for the international market. Our excellent Production Coordinator Kiki van Gurp, whose command of the English language is more than good, checks the potential manuscript also before the decision is taken to offer an author/editor a contract to publish."

Globalisation has transformed countless industries. As a specialised academic publisher, has it been friend or foe to Asser Press?
"Globalisation gives us a much larger market for our books, and authors from around the globe are able to find us more easily. It is the knife that cuts both ways, as we say in in Dutch.”
"Asser Press is a relatively small publishing house, the cooperation with Springer helps us to reach more markets and customers in a globalized world and increases our visibility and sales."

Looking back over your decade at Asser Press – and your entire publishing career – what single development has most dramatically changed how legal research reaches its audience?
"Without any doubt, the digitisation of publishing, which started already in the 80s of the last century, even before the World Wide Web was introduced, is the most significant change in publishing. In those days, all publishers had to adapt, to invent new business models and to create new platforms. Those that did not adapt either vanished or were bought by more successful publishers. Open Access publishing is a consequence of digitisation, stemming from the demand to make publicly funded research available to everyone. Therefore, I believe the effects of the digitisation that happened forty years ago have had the greatest impact on academic publishing."

Asser Press journals saw their impact factors rise last year. For those outside academia, can you explain why this metric matters so much in your world?
"Absolutely. The impact factor means the number of times that our articles are cited by other scholars and by other sources. Hence, an increase in impact factor means that the articles in our journals have been cited more than before. It means that our journals have become more relevant in the field of international law. That not only attracts more readers and/or subscribers, but also, through this development, the journals are  increasingly attractive for scholars to publish their articles in."

Academia increasingly measures success through metrics and citations. How do you balance that quantitative pressure with the more intangible goal of advancing knowledge?
"You cannot focus solely on metrics because successful metrics stem from focusing on quality. By publishing and producing relevant book series and journals, selecting the book proposals based on quality, and by cooperating globally with renowned scholars, Asser Press is able to develop a high quality portfolio of books and journals. From that, you will then see higher citation and download numbers. The academics' job is to ensure the quality of the research, and our job is to select the best materials to publish and to maximise the visibility of the books and journals."

The relationship between publishers and academics has grown contentious in some quarters. How do you view this relationship, and what makes it work?
"Sometimes, you hear stories that academics are not happy with the earnings or the profits that publishers make from their work, their research, and their efforts in writing. However, I would advise for both publishers and for authors to try to understand the other person's role, work, and interest. The academic needs the publisher to deliver their work to a wider audience. The publisher needs the profits to invest in better products and better dissemination methods to bring the work of the academics to the scientific market in the best possible way.
This is a symbiotic relationship at its core. In the end, for the advancement of society, we need each other, and to respect each other's role. Hence, there should be a good balance in this relationship between publisher and authors."

As ChatGPT and other AI tools generate convincing-looking scholarly content, what's your vision for the future of academic publishing? Will there still be a place for traditional publishers in 50 years?
"That's kind of looking into a crystal ball. But I think the development of Open Access publishing will continue. And we still have a lot of new developments ahead of us due to Artificial Intelligence.
At the moment the challenges are more to be found outside of academia and academic publishing. Significant parts of politics and society view science with distrust. There is a lack of trust crisis.
But I remain fundamentally optimistic. For me, academic publishing will continue to stay and serve society with the dissemination of knowledge based on science. Which values will remain? For me, this would be both academic integrity and  high work ethics. As academic publishers, we must keep working hard to uphold the quality control of the content that we publish and to protect academic integrity. Artificial intelligence should be a tool to improve academic work, not to replace it."

What wisdom would you impart to aspiring researchers hoping to see their work in print, or to young professionals considering a career path in academic publishing?
"For younger researchers: seek peer review by your tutors and co-researchers who have already published. Do not give up at first rejection. Try to improve your research and your writings, and do not forget to concentrate on your work and to be precise regarding every single detail. That is the must-have attitude for a successful researcher.
For young people who want to work in academic publishing: just do it, find a job in the publishing business (a starting position in PR or editorial work is very common) and you will learn by doing it. Of course, you need to have some skills, for example being able to communicate well with people. And to have a law background is a plus when working in the law publishing business. You must have a business attitude as well. We do not just make beautiful books and attractive journals. We also want to make a profit. As I explained before, with profits you can build a solid future, not only for your publishing company, but also for scholars collaborating with you. But all in all, just do it, work hard and with joy, and you might get very far."

Frank Bakker will retire from T.M.C. Asser Press in April 2026 after more than ten years of service. In this period Asser Press has strengthened its position as a leading publisher in international and European law, in particular in the growth of its journal portfolio and the development of several successful book series.

Frank Bakker LL.M.