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The Ecology of Academic Journals

Bozena Mierzejewska, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland

Chandos Information Professional Series

 - this novel approach looks at academic journals bringing together research from a variety of disciplines (economics, sociology of science, bibliometrics, management) in explaining complex relations in scholarly communications
 - develops a framework which can be used for identifying journal's market position and developing future directions
 - draws on the author's practical experience as publisher and editor of academic journals combined with an in-depth knowledge of academic research

The fate of academic journals is highly contested. Pessimistic pundits predict their imminent demise while others envisage a new era of participatory knowledge creation and web only publications, with yet others advocating increased involvement of scholars and libraries in developing a "fair" system of scholarly publishing. The book is written against the backdrop of the complete transformation of scholarly communication. It considers the multifaceted nature of academic journals in a systematic investigation of the journal's eco-system - a metaphor indicating the importance of relationships between all involved stakeholders, their environments and their functioning as a unit.

The eco-system of academic journals consists of four contexts: the value chain, the invisible college, the market and the organisation of academia. These contexts also represent various environments - economic, social, and organisational. Central argument claims that all inhabitants of the eco-system are scrambling to adapt to new conditions of changing environment. The aim of this book is to provide the reader with a model for analysing the situation of individual journals in their respective niche markets as well as assisting in continuous observation and adaptation to the changing environment.

ISBN 1 84334 571 4
ISBN-13: 978 1 84334 571 8
June 2014
200 pages  234 x 156mm  paperback  
Approx. £47.50 / US$80.00 / €55.00

Not yet published

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About the author

Dr Bozena I. Mierzejewska is Research Fellow at the Jönköping International Business School in Sweden and post-doc researcher at the University of St. Gallen Switzerland. Her research concentrates on media management, publishing industry and scholarly communication. She is a co-editor of JMM - The International Journal on Media Management.

Titles which may also be of interest:
Academic and Professional Publishing
Scholarly Communication in Library and Information Services
Scientific Publishing
A Librarian’s Guide on How to Publish

Contents

The system of academic publishing; The role of academic journals in the knowledge system; Trends in journal publishing and scholarly communication; Contexts of journal's eco-system; Ecological dynamics.