Accepted: 23 July 2024 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024  Marián Sekerák sekerak@csvs.cz Michaela Šmídová smidova@csvs.cz 1 Centre for Higher Education Studies, Jankovcova 933/63, Prague 170 00, Czech Republic Navigating the Challenges of Academic Publishing: Towards Equitable and Transparent Practices Marián Sekerák 1  · Michaela Šmídová 1 Journal of Academic Ethics https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-024-09556-1 Abstract This opinion article addresses pressing issues in academic publishing, advocating for an independent intermediary institution to safeguard authors’ interests and ensure transpar- ency in the peer-review process. It highlights growing inequality between authors and editors or reviewers and proposes solutions to promote respectful cooperation and enhance transparency and accountability. Urging collaborative efforts within the academic com- munity, the article emphasizes the need to address these issues to uphold the integrity of academic publishing. Keywords Peer Review · Academic Publishing · Academic Ethics · Author-editor Relation In this opinion article, we would like to express our insights regarding several pressing issues plaguing the academic publishing landscape, particularly in light of the growing challenges faced by authors, reviewers, and editors alike. For the purposes of this article, academic publishing refers specifically to the area of scientific journals. Other categories of this type of publishing have various specificities, although some similar traits can be found in monographs or edited volumes publishing. As active participants – and we write this opinion article from the position of authors – in the scholarly community, we believe it is crucial to address these issues to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of our academic discourse. It should also be mentioned that our approach is based predominantly on Euro- 1 3