Abstract
The dominance of commercial publishers (Larivière, Haustein, and Mongeon 2015) has led to a discussion in Canada focusing on alternative models for supporting independent, non-commercial, scholarly journals. Although small in number, these journals represent an important contribution to Canadian and global scholarship. They also act as a counterbalance to the increasingly for-profit nature of scholarly publishing. Despite their importance, there exists no definitive list of journals of this nature in Canada, making analysis and understanding of their characteristics difficult.In order to address this gap, the researchers undertook an analysis of the websites of 485 Canadian, independent, scholarly journals. Independent was defined as journals which are not affiliated with a commercial publisher. The researchers gathered data for each journal on their access type (e.g., closed, open access), subject area, size and composition of the editorial team, and any affiliation(s). This data was then analyzed to create a portrait of these journals with these themes. The researchers found that most of these journals were affiliated with at least one organization, with over half being associated with two or more. They also discovered that affiliations varied depending on the discipline and that the size of the editorial team was correlated to the access type. Journals were predominantly in the humanities and social sciences, and the majority were open access (OA) without article processing charges (APCs).While the focus of this study is on Canadian journals, this article provides a framework for other researchers to examine non-commercial, independent publishing in their own countries. Its results also provide preliminary data which may inspire future avenues of research, particularly into models for non-APC, open access journals as well as the editorial board structure and size for independent journals.
Highlights
A sustainable future will include an array of business models; it will include a mix of traditional sales, marketing, and subscription activity for some, and fully open access and more experimental models for others where funding is available to finance high quality publishing without sales or subscriptions
The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) convened the multistakeholder Canadian Scholarly Publishing Working Group (CSPWG) in July 2016 to establish a shared vision, principles and goals that will act as a framework for advanced, robust, sustainable, collaborative models for the Canadian dissemination of the scholarly record
We are fortunate in Canada to be operating on a scale that is manageable, where a few strong, well-supported initiatives could reshape the scholarly publishing landscape in very positive ways toward a more sustainable future
Summary
The Canadian Scholarly Publishing Working Group (CSPWG), a multi-stakeholder group populated by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, met between July 2016 and May 2017. The Working Group affirms that a sustainable Canadian scholarly publishing system will be characterized by the following principles:. Further to these principles, the report outlines a model framework for moving Canadian scholarly publishing toward a more sustainable future, while recognizing the diversity of funding models that support the current system. Consultations to inform modifications to SSHRC’s Aid to Scholarly Journals Program; CANADIAN SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING WORKING GROUP. Increase the capacity of research libraries and interested publishers to support digital scholarship projects, including the critical issue of long-term preservation;. Increased connection of researchers with the storage and preservation infrastructure of the Canada’s advanced research computing network
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
