Early Access
At some point in all the best creative processes, you open the rehearsal room door and let a few people in. Not to watch a finished performance, but to react, push back, and help shape where things are going.That’s why we’re engaging more frequently with Early Access projects. You might hear us talk about some of these things at webinars or conferences, so let’s explain what it means. Early Access features or projects are opportunities for us to show problems we’re investigating or ideas we’re testing. When we share these with groups of clients, they have direct influence over where things go. Features at this stage may change significantly, pause, or not move forward at all.
Early Access work spans a few forms depending on where a project is. It might be interactive wireframes developed by our UX team, or early development versions that our engineers are running in a controlled environment. Each represents work that previously happened entirely behind closed doors. We're opening that door.
Beta Releases
Beta Releases bring feedback more directly into development before we shape the final versions. When you see the Beta label in ScholarOne Manuscripts release notes, it means a feature is live in production but not in its final form or available across the full platform. Think of it like a band playing a new song before the studio version exists: you're hearing real progress, not a polished recording.A Beta Release might be partially complete, like a revamped page or two for our Editor Gateway work, or we may want broader feedback before we scale to everyone. Either way, we're not waiting until everything is finished to bring you something valuable. When you see the Beta label, that's your invitation: tell us what's working and what isn't. Your feedback at this stage directly shapes the final result.
User Testing Groups
Alongside these new release stages, we're formalizing something that's been long overdue: User Testing Groups. These are structured, ongoing feedback opportunities woven throughout development, not just after launch.Each group runs for a defined period around a specific topic, giving us the flexibility to address multiple critical areas in ScholarOne Manuscripts at once. This year, topics will include research integrity, reviewer recommenders, in-workflow collaboration tools, transfer workflows, and more.
User Testing Groups put our latest thinking in front of the people who use ScholarOne Manuscripts every day, and those perspectives are what make the product better. Paired with our Beta Release strategy, the result is faster development that's grounded in the real needs you've told us matter most.
Why This Matters
Beta Releases, Early Access, and User Testing Groups are how we build ScholarOne Manuscripts differently: moving faster, incorporating feedback at every stage, and being transparent about where we are in the process. The best work has never come from a closed studio, so come and hear what we’re building together.Want to get involved? If you're interested in participating in user testing, reach out to your Customer Success Manager. We'd love to have you in the room.