The eco-system of academic journals
Type
doctoral thesis
Date Issued
2008
Author(s)
Abstract
Abstract
The publishing of academic journals is in a state of flux. With the advent of new technologies, the serials pricing crisis, the Open Access movement and the ex-plosion of non-commercial initiatives in developing new journals, all players have to observe and constantly adapt. In an attempt to cross boundaries, the study blends various theoretical concepts into a framework which illustrates the multifaceted nature of academic journals. The framework is called "the eco-system of academic journals" and is a metaphor which indicates the importance of the relationships between the involved actors, 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, which repre-sent various environments - economic, social and organisational. Central to the study is the claim that all inhabitants are scrambling to adapt to the new condi-tions in the changing environments. The study describes four contexts in great detail and provides an analysis of the main challenges and opportunities for each stakeholder group. The work concentrates on the dynamics that are recon-figuring this eco-system and their roles, as well as on the impact they have on the primary stakeholder groups - namely researchers, gatekeepers, distributors, libraries and users. Furthermore, the eco-system view of academic journals is seen as a potential tool for analysing the situation of individual journals in their respective niche markets, assisting in continuous observation and adaptation to the changing environment.
The publishing of academic journals is in a state of flux. With the advent of new technologies, the serials pricing crisis, the Open Access movement and the ex-plosion of non-commercial initiatives in developing new journals, all players have to observe and constantly adapt. In an attempt to cross boundaries, the study blends various theoretical concepts into a framework which illustrates the multifaceted nature of academic journals. The framework is called "the eco-system of academic journals" and is a metaphor which indicates the importance of the relationships between the involved actors, 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, which repre-sent various environments - economic, social and organisational. Central to the study is the claim that all inhabitants are scrambling to adapt to the new condi-tions in the changing environments. The study describes four contexts in great detail and provides an analysis of the main challenges and opportunities for each stakeholder group. The work concentrates on the dynamics that are recon-figuring this eco-system and their roles, as well as on the impact they have on the primary stakeholder groups - namely researchers, gatekeepers, distributors, libraries and users. Furthermore, the eco-system view of academic journals is seen as a potential tool for analysing the situation of individual journals in their respective niche markets, assisting in continuous observation and adaptation to the changing environment.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
No
Publisher
Difo-Druck
Publisher place
Bamberg
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
43016