Medieval History
Some thoughts.
Budgets suck, especially when they're being cut. We're being socked, which really shouldn't be that big of a surprise, given every state's financial situation -- ours included. But, now having served on a library committee, I think I actually understand budgets a bit better -- or at least how they work regarding academic libraries. To that end, I have a modest (if, perhaps, controversial) proposal. But, before I go there, let me simply say that this has nothing specifically to do with my university but is a bit more "meta" thought regarding academia generally. It also has to do with two things that I'd previously read at InTheMiddle and one thing at QuodShe that have stuck in my craw. So, here it is:
First, let me say that my reasoning has nothing to do with quality. Most academic journals are excellent and most of the articles in those journals are wonderful examples of how scholarship is produced.
My reasoning is more practical -- fiscal, if you prefer. Ongoing costs are the bane of academic libraries. They eat into the library's core budget, are subject to excessive, inflationary price rises every year, and are often subsumed by big aggregators that require libraries to purchase "packages" of unrelated content in order to get the specific journals they want. Thus, academic journals always seem to be the 1st things on the chopping block when budgets get tight. Things cannot stand as they are for long. Libraries know this. Publishers (probably) know this. Academics should know this. If academic journals are to survive at all (meaning if anyone's going to be able to afford to subscribe to these things for much longer), my guess is that open source, open access is the way to go.
But back to the now. Because of how academic libraries' budgets are structured, there always seems to be $ available for one-time purchases -- in other words, books. In the new model I'm suggesting, you would create a book series that would be dedicated exclusively to collection of essays. One could run this book series much like a journal, complete with editorial board, stable of peer-reviewers, etc. This series would then put out publications on a regular basis and, while the prices of individual volumes might be high (no different, I'd guess, than something already published in the New Middle Ages series), libraries would be able to make a decision on purchasing each volume on a one-off basis because they'd know the (general) content beforehand. You want the volume on the postcolonial Middle Ages and have some $, great. You want the volume on the legend of Charlemagne but don't have the $ that year, perhaps you pick it up the following year. You don't want something else, fine. But you're never tethered to the subscription and can't get anything in that series if there are budget cuts. Pecia could be a rough model here (although I don't know enough about how it operates to endorse that model more fully), or perhaps JMEMS could transition towards this different financial model, given all their themed issues.
Thoughts?
UPDATE: Slightly related, via ADM, an interesting post from Ruth Mazo Karras on publishing in academic journals.
- Exemplaria Receives The Phoenix Award For Most Improved Journal
Exemplaria, an academic journal dedicated to medieval and Renaissance studies from Maney Publishing, has received the 2011 Phoenix Award for Significant Editorial Achievement from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ). The CELJ is an organisation...
- Witan Publishing Offers Epublishing Service For Medieval Scholars
Witan Publishing, a new service to the medieval academic community, was launched yesterday. It aims to provide e-publishing of peer-reviewed scholarship in the field of medieval studies. Witan?s goal is not merely to be another academic publisher, but...
- Kalamazoo 2016: Recipe For A Better Peer Review
Kalamazoo 2016: Recipe for a Better Peer Review Session Organizers: Asa Simon Mittman and Myra Seaman Peer review has long stood as the gold standard for academic publications, trusted to determine if a work?s methods and conclusions meet the discipline?s...
- Marginalia
Dear Colleagues,I am writing to proudly announce the launch of Marginalia: A Review of Books in History, Theology and Religion. As publicity assistant to the Editorial Board at Marginalia, I would be grateful if you could pass along this notification...
- Central European Journal Anniversaries
There are several international journals dedicated to medieval art, just as there are many dedicated to Hungarian art historical research. In this post I would like to call attention to two journals which may be not as widely known, but both of which...
Medieval History
Against Academic Journals: Opening Thoughts
Some thoughts.
Budgets suck, especially when they're being cut. We're being socked, which really shouldn't be that big of a surprise, given every state's financial situation -- ours included. But, now having served on a library committee, I think I actually understand budgets a bit better -- or at least how they work regarding academic libraries. To that end, I have a modest (if, perhaps, controversial) proposal. But, before I go there, let me simply say that this has nothing specifically to do with my university but is a bit more "meta" thought regarding academia generally. It also has to do with two things that I'd previously read at InTheMiddle and one thing at QuodShe that have stuck in my craw. So, here it is:
Academics ought move their publishing away from academic journals.
In their place, scholars should work with publishers to introduce new book series exclusively dedicated to themed, peer-reviewed collections of essays.
In their place, scholars should work with publishers to introduce new book series exclusively dedicated to themed, peer-reviewed collections of essays.
First, let me say that my reasoning has nothing to do with quality. Most academic journals are excellent and most of the articles in those journals are wonderful examples of how scholarship is produced.
My reasoning is more practical -- fiscal, if you prefer. Ongoing costs are the bane of academic libraries. They eat into the library's core budget, are subject to excessive, inflationary price rises every year, and are often subsumed by big aggregators that require libraries to purchase "packages" of unrelated content in order to get the specific journals they want. Thus, academic journals always seem to be the 1st things on the chopping block when budgets get tight. Things cannot stand as they are for long. Libraries know this. Publishers (probably) know this. Academics should know this. If academic journals are to survive at all (meaning if anyone's going to be able to afford to subscribe to these things for much longer), my guess is that open source, open access is the way to go.
But back to the now. Because of how academic libraries' budgets are structured, there always seems to be $ available for one-time purchases -- in other words, books. In the new model I'm suggesting, you would create a book series that would be dedicated exclusively to collection of essays. One could run this book series much like a journal, complete with editorial board, stable of peer-reviewers, etc. This series would then put out publications on a regular basis and, while the prices of individual volumes might be high (no different, I'd guess, than something already published in the New Middle Ages series), libraries would be able to make a decision on purchasing each volume on a one-off basis because they'd know the (general) content beforehand. You want the volume on the postcolonial Middle Ages and have some $, great. You want the volume on the legend of Charlemagne but don't have the $ that year, perhaps you pick it up the following year. You don't want something else, fine. But you're never tethered to the subscription and can't get anything in that series if there are budget cuts. Pecia could be a rough model here (although I don't know enough about how it operates to endorse that model more fully), or perhaps JMEMS could transition towards this different financial model, given all their themed issues.
Thoughts?
UPDATE: Slightly related, via ADM, an interesting post from Ruth Mazo Karras on publishing in academic journals.
- Exemplaria Receives The Phoenix Award For Most Improved Journal
Exemplaria, an academic journal dedicated to medieval and Renaissance studies from Maney Publishing, has received the 2011 Phoenix Award for Significant Editorial Achievement from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ). The CELJ is an organisation...
- Witan Publishing Offers Epublishing Service For Medieval Scholars
Witan Publishing, a new service to the medieval academic community, was launched yesterday. It aims to provide e-publishing of peer-reviewed scholarship in the field of medieval studies. Witan?s goal is not merely to be another academic publisher, but...
- Kalamazoo 2016: Recipe For A Better Peer Review
Kalamazoo 2016: Recipe for a Better Peer Review Session Organizers: Asa Simon Mittman and Myra Seaman Peer review has long stood as the gold standard for academic publications, trusted to determine if a work?s methods and conclusions meet the discipline?s...
- Marginalia
Dear Colleagues,I am writing to proudly announce the launch of Marginalia: A Review of Books in History, Theology and Religion. As publicity assistant to the Editorial Board at Marginalia, I would be grateful if you could pass along this notification...
- Central European Journal Anniversaries
There are several international journals dedicated to medieval art, just as there are many dedicated to Hungarian art historical research. In this post I would like to call attention to two journals which may be not as widely known, but both of which...