Wiki Tags Archives: Technology

Journal of Hospital Librarianship

By Lisa Lowdermilk on May 11, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Journal of Hospital Librarianship

ISSN: 1532-3269 (Print) and 1532-3277 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/whos20/current#.UY5raz3nYms

Purpose, objective, or mission: The Journal of Hospital Librarianship “focuses on issues that are of vital interest and concern to hospital librarians.”²

Target audience: This journal is intended for “librarians and information specialists in the field of hospital librarianship.”³

Publisher: Routledge/Taylor and Francis.⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS and health facilities and administration, scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online⁷

Content: According to the publication website, “The journal provides a forum for research strategies and reporting research results and quality improvement projects in hospital library settings, discussions of technological challenges and solutions, and articles on health care administration issues which have implications for hospital librarians such as managed care health care economics, hospital mergers, as well as patient safety and consumer health information.”⁸

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=whos20&page=instructions#.VQ3chvnF8So

Types of contributions accepted: “Articles published in the Journal focus on research strategies, administrative assistance, managed care, financing, mergers, and more. The Journal also publishes articles and columns related to innovative strategies for transforming the healthcare environment, as well as up-to-date analyses and reviews of new products and services.”¹⁰

Submission and review process: Manuscripts are submitted electronically to the editor, Carole M. Gilbert (carolemg@wowway.com).¹¹ “Articles and columns are subject to peer review by the editor, column editors, members of the Editorial Board, and independent, anonymous expert referees. Articles are accepted or rejected based on topic and/or recommendation of peer reviewers.”¹²

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹³ The editor is “committed to mentoring first-time authors and encourages hospital librarians of all backgrounds to submit articles to the Journal.”¹⁴

Style guide used: “References, citations, and general style of manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. Electronic references should be prepared in accordance with the Columbia Guide to Online Style Scientific.”¹⁵

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Writers will find that this journal offers an excellent opportunity to publish scholarly articles for a clearly defined field of study. With the strong support of editors who will “mentor new authors to produce a publishable manuscript,”¹⁶ this journal provides a forum for even first-time authors. There is great potential for an author to make an impact on the hospital LIS community through publication in this journal.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Circulation statistics are not available, but as this is a publication targeted to a specific LIS community, i.e. hospital librarians, it can be assumed that most hospital library workers would have great interest in its content.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This is an American journal that publishes in English only, but many articles are international in scope.¹⁷

Reader characteristics: It may be assumed that readers will have a high interest in medical and hospital librarianship. Most will have an MLIS or other advanced degree. Most readers will be employed in hospital libraries, and will consider the articles in this journal to be vital to their professional development. Readers will be interested in anything related to providing health information to both the clinical professional and the lay person.¹⁸ However, they may not have much interest in or knowledge of other types of librarianship.

Reader knowledge of LIS subject matter: Most readers will be very knowledgeable of all aspects of hospital librarianship.¹⁹

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

The audience for this journal is highly motivated and knowledgeable of hospital librarianship. For authors with expertise in medical or hospital librarianship, an article published in this journal has the potential for reaching a large portion of their medical librarian peer group. The audience will most likely be interested in discovering information dedicated to their particular corner of the LIS profession. With the promised editorial guidance for new authors, and the guarantee of high interest from the reader, this journal offers real opportunities for the LIS researcher and author.

Last updated: May 15, 2017

References

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Faculty of Information Quarterly

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 15, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Faculty of Information Quarterly (*Publication currently on hiatus.*)

ISSN: 1925-9107¹

Website: http://fiq.ischool.utoronto.ca/index.php/fiq/index

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Faculty of Information Quarterly (FIQ) is a student-led, peer reviewed journal and provides immediate open access to its content by publishing online, on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Edited by graduate students at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information, the journal seeks to provide an environment for the voices of emerging and established scholars and practitioners in diverse Information fields, including but not limited to the following: archival science, accessibility studies, book history and print culture, communication theory, critical theory, cultural informatics, health informatics, information studies, information systems and technology, knowledge theory, library science, management science, media theory, museum studies, semiotics, and technology studies.”²

Target audience: University of Toronto LIS students, faculty and global LIS community³

Publisher: University of Toronto, Faculty of Information⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Online⁷

Content: Research articles covering any topic relevant to LIS community. Recent article titles include Research as a Social Process: Considerations for Academic Libraries, Applying Concepts of Bug-Tracking Software to e-Resource Management in Academic Libraries, and The Rare e-Vent: Concepts of Rarity and Scarcity in e-Books.⁸

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁹ *The last edition published was Volume 3, Number 4, in 2011.¹⁰

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://fiq.ischool.utoronto.ca/index.php/fiq/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Types of contributions accepted: Research articles from the LIS and related academic communities. Per the publication website, “While there is an emphasis on encouraging student work in FIQ we certainly support submissions from all members of the Information community. Masters and PhD students and faculty of all disciplines, practitioners and Information professionals with an interest in scholarly work, and interested members of the Information community in its broadest sense are all welcome to submit works to this publication.”¹¹ “We encourage students to submit articles they think are of an academic calibre, which can include conference papers, reworked course papers, personal research projects, reflections on the scholarly and practical elements of Information, or other communications of excellent quality.”¹²

Submission and review process: All work is submitted online through the publication website. Detailed instructions provided for authors including a checklist to ensure all requirements are met. FIQ is peer-reviewed and publication is subject to approval and review by the Editorial Staff.¹³

Editorial tone: Formal¹⁴

Style guide used: For Canadian English spelling, authors should consult the latest edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary; for citations and references authors should use the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style.¹⁵

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Although FIQ was founded in part to promote publication of student research and writing, all members of the information community are invited to submit manuscripts.¹⁶

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not available. As an open access, online publication of a leading information school, FIQ is freely accessible to academic and professional members of the information community the world over.¹⁷

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Toronto, Canada.¹⁸ While its target audience is the global information community, the publication requires its authors to use Canadian spellings and to ensure the relevance of articles to Canadian culture.¹⁹

Reader characteristics: Though FIQ is an open-access publication with an international reach, it is likely, given its editorial bias,²⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The majority of readers would have an LIS background or education; however, since FIQ strives for a global reach and LIS education varies around the global, writers should consider this when writing.²¹

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

As a publication run by graduate students and primarily for graduate students and academics in the the LIS community, fellow graduate student authors would seem to have a better chance of publication in FIQ.

Last updated: April 24, 2017

References

Show 21 footnotes

Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (ISTL)

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 15, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (ISTL)

ISSN: 1092-1206¹

Website: http://www.istl.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Per the publication website, “ISTL publishes substantive content of interest to science and technology librarians. It serves as a vehicle for sci-tech librarians to share successful initiatives and innovative ideas, and to publish peer-reviewed or board-accepted papers, including case studies, practical applications, theoretical essays, web/bibliographies, and research papers relevant to the functions and operations of science and technology libraries in all settings. Through its columns ISTL also publishes reviews, opinions, and best practices.”²

Target audience: Librarians with an interest in science and technology in librarianship.³

Publisher: Association of College and Research Libraries, Science and Technology Section⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Online, open access⁷

Content: The journal publishes refereed articles, opinion pieces, and reviews for electronic resources, books, and databases.⁸ Every issue has a theme. Examples of past themes include “Reference and More,” “Outreach and Marketing,” and “Facilities.”⁹

Frequency of publication: Quarterly¹⁰

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://istl.org/authors.html

Types of contributions accepted: Case studies, practical applications, theoretical essays, web bibliographies, and research papers relevant to the functions and operations of science and technology libraries in all settings. Columns provide reviews, opinions, and best practices.¹¹

Submission and Review Process: Per the submission guidelines, “We welcome your article submissions and the editorial board is happy to work with new authors. If you have any questions about whether an article is appropriate for ISTL or how best to prepare your manuscript, feel free to contact one of the members of the editorial board.”¹² Each section of this publication, specifically articles, book reviews, journal reviews, database reviews, and “webliographies,” has its own submission and format guide. For example, from the guide for non-refereed articles, “In general, articles of about 2,000 words seem to work well; however, if you need more space to describe your ideas, feel free to write a longer article.”¹³

Editorial tone: Academic¹⁴

Style guide used: CSE (Council of Science Editors) Style Guide¹⁵

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This publication is specialized and focused on a specific aspect of librarianship. While readers of the journal may be broad based, the authors published in the journal are active within each sub-field. Those new to the study or profession of science and technology librarianship will find this to be an ideal place to publish, as the journal and its editors are willing to work with first-time authors.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No exact numbers are available, but the journal is open access.¹⁶

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: As ISTL is published in English¹⁷ in the United States but is available online, an international but primarily North American readership may be assumed.¹⁸

Reader characteristics: Readers of ISTL are academics and professionals in the science and technology world as it relates to librarianship. It is expected that the majority of readers share similar types of workplaces, jobs, levels of education, and professional interests. ISTL readers are like to be focused on a particular academic field within science or technology librarianship. As such, their interest in topics that fall outside of that field may be somewhat limited.¹⁹

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: ISTL readers will know a great deal about LIS topics and issues. They are interested in keeping current on the latest developments in their field of science or technology and will be highly familiar with LIS jargon.²⁰

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

The audience for Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship is interested in substantive discourse related to successful programs and materials for the delivery of information services. Potential authors need to be familiar with such topics in order to not only get published in this journal, but to also speak to the readers. The technical knowledge is at a very high level, but must also have an academic angle. The editors are willing to work with first time authors so it is likely that considerable guidance will be provided to ensure a successful article.

Last updated: May 13, 2017

References

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First Monday

By Kara Trella on April 15, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: First Monday

ISSN: 1396-0466 (Online) and 1396-0458 (CD-ROM)¹

Website: http://www.firstmonday.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: From the website: “First Monday is one of the first openly accessible, peer-reviewed journals on the Internet, solely devoted to research about the Internet.”² First Monday believes the impact of digitization on society is universal and ubiquitous, and seeks articles about how digitization is changing our understanding of society.³

Target audience: First Monday’s target audience includes intelligent, independent-thinking people located in more than 180 countries. Because readers’ cultures, educational backgrounds, and fields of study vary greatly, readership is diverse. The journal is not geared toward those in academia, and many readers do not speak English as a first language.⁴

Publisher: First Monday Editorial Group at the University of Illinois at Chicago University Library⁵ First Monday was originally designed in Copenhagen and published by Munksgard, a Danish publisher.⁶

Peer reviewed? Yes⁷

Type: Computers and Internet, scholarly⁸ (First Monday is published in conjunction with the university library at the University of Illinois-Chicago, which indicates that the LIS community has a vested interest in the publication and represents a large proportion of its readership. Due to its diverse readership, we have categorized First Monday as both a “scholarly” and a “civilian” publication.)⁹

Medium: Online¹⁰

Content: First Monday publishes original interdisciplinary research papers about the Internet and related technologies. Articles emphasize subjects that are particularly interesting or groundbreaking. This publication’s strength lies in its diversity of content centered around the influence of the Internet and related technologies.¹¹

Frequency of publication: Monthly¹²

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions

Types of contributions accepted: First Monday publishes articles on interesting and novel ideas related to the history, present, and future of the Internet.¹³ Published topics of interest to LIS authors include: knowledge management, trends and standards, information-seeking behavior, emerging electronic classification frameworks, digital copyright, social networks, education, information society, the internet’s technological and commercial development, technical issues, and the political and social implications of the Internet. Research surveys, studies, exploratory and critical theory articles tied to the internet and related technologies would be welcome here.¹⁴ The publication also provides detailed Guidelines for Authors. These guidelines include writing tips; citation, reference, and abstract guidelines; submission format; formatting templates; and a final checklist for use in preparing manuscript submissions.¹⁵

Submission and review process: Registration and login are required to submit items online and to check the status of current submissions. Papers are subject to a double-blind peer review for originality and timeliness in the context of related research.¹⁶

Editorial tone: Articles published in First Monday are as diverse as its readership. All articles are written in an academic tone, though style varies in complexity. Many are written in an easy-to-read style, while others employ more sophisticated language. In either case, writers maintain the active voice and employ short sentences and paragraphs.¹⁷

Style guide used: First Monday provides its own style guide.¹⁸

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

First Monday publishes interdisciplinary research articles on all aspects of the internet, from highly-specialized technical issues to the internet’s social and political impact. Given the increasing digitization of information, this journal holds tremendous promise for LIS authors.

Because this audience is not academic, writing standards are not rigid, and an international distribution creates the potential to reach many readers. This publication’s diverse readership allows for writing from a variety of disciplines–LIS authors with backgrounds in engineering, literature, or history would be equally at home here. First Monday would be an excellent place to publish a thesis, or research on emerging Web technologies or trends. Additionally, the fact that the journal is peer reviewed makes it an attractive choice for those who wish to add a published article to their curriculum vitae.

Started in 1996, the journal has published 1,381 papers in 218 issues written by 1,888 authors. The journal is also abstracted in Communication Abstracts, Computer & Communication Security Abstracts, DoIS, eGranary Digital Library, INSPEC, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, LISA, PAIS.¹⁹

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: 314,559 per month.²⁰

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Readers are located in over 180 countries, concentrated in western Europe, North America, and the Pacific Rim. First Monday is published by the University of Illinois at Chicago University Library, where its server is also located.²¹ Due to the publication’s international scope, many readers’ first language is not English. Additionally, many readers are not academics. Authors should avoid using specific cultural references or idioms unless these are explained. Simple explanations, active voice, and less complex sentences will help this diverse audience better understand your message.²²

Reader characteristics: Because First Monday‘s focus is international and its scope is interdisciplinary, the cultures, educational backgrounds, and fields of study vary greatly among First Monday readers. Cultural, educational, and professional interests vary greatly among readers, and this publication’s interdisciplinary scope is larger than library information science alone. That said, the publication’ s focus is salient to the discipline. This, combined with the fact that it is published by a university library, makes it reasonable to presume that many readers are LIS professionals with shared professional interests and workplaces. The articles published in First Monday represent a wide variety of standpoints and approaches. The articles do not show overt bias or attitude toward any particular view, which seems indicative of the audience’s diversity.²³

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Many articles published in First Monday are not directly related to LIS, so it is reasonable to presume that many readers are involved in other aspects of Internet technology. In view of this, authors should cautiously employ LIS jargon and explain any specialized terms they use.²⁴

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

First Monday prides itself on its interdisciplinary scope, and publishes a wide variety of articles from multiple perspectives. Demographic information about readers’ professional affiliations could not be obtained, and nothing in this publication’s submission guidelines indicates a preference toward LIS authors or topics. However, First Monday‘s publisher indicates that librarians have a vested interest in this publication and may represent a large proportion of its readers. First Monday’s Audience Profile stresses that many readers are not academics, but one might conclude that many are librarians.²⁵

Library science is an interdisciplinary field, and LIS students and professionals possess specialized knowledge of digital information collection, organization, and dissemination. This uniquely positions them as potential authors for First Monday. When writing for this publication, explain any professional terminology that would be unfamiliar to those outside the LIS field. For example, a study of library cataloging standards and information-seeking behavior on the web should explain terms like MARC21 or RDA. To be well-suited for First Monday, such an article might focus on digitization’s broad affects on LIS cataloging and how these are shaping practices.

While First Monday’s readership is not primarily academic, the content of articles is often sophisticated and complex. This may be why the editors stress simplicity and brevity in style; readers from different backgrounds will better understand a complex message through simple explanations and short sentences.

Last updated: October 17, 2018

References

Show 25 footnotes

Reading, Writing, Research

By Bethany Baker on March 17, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Reading, Writing, Research

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://www.allpurposeguru.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Per the blog’s subtitle: “a librarian’s blog for anyone who needs to do research…or anyone who wants to use the library.”¹ David M. Guion is an All-Purpose-Guru, author, and librarian who writes this particular blog to help civilians understand how to make the best use of libraries.²

Target audience: Anyone who uses the library or needs research or writing tips.³ Laypeople as well as librarians will find the blog helpful.

Publisher: Reading, Writing, Research.⁴

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian blog.

Medium: Online; blog format.

Content: Posts about libraries, research, writing, and everything that falls under these general categories. David talks about spelling and punctuation; how the American public uses libraries; library privacy regulations; new technologies in libraries; and e-librarians and the use of robots in libraries, among other topics.⁵

Frequency of publication: It varies, but generally around one new post per month.⁶

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Submission guidelines were provided by the editor via email.

Types of contributions accepted: “Reading, Writing, Research welcomes guest posts from librarians or LIS students that explain to non-librarians how to benefit from or support libraries. Please send queries to david [at] allpurposeguru.com and include the topic you want to write about.”⁷

Submission and review process: Email David Guion directly at david [at] allpurposeguru.com.⁸

“Please keep the following guidelines in mind:

I can’t use PDF files or Google Docs. When I ask for an article, please submit it in Microsoft Word.
Spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, etc. matter. I will not accept anything that requires extensive editing to make it readable.
Please supply illustrations, along with the license to use them. The only formats I can use are .jpg, .png, or .gif.
Be sure to use h2 and h3 headings rather than simply the bold and/or underlined version of the font.
I prefer titles in sentence case like you’d find in a library catalog.”⁹

Editorial tone: Very civilian-friendly. The posts are relevant to today’s library users and don’t talk down to the non-LIS crowd, but are written in a way that anyone can easily understand them.

Style guide used: None referenced.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This is a purely helpful, informational blog that anyone can read to get up-to-speed on current LIS issues, and to check-in for help with library research tips. It’s ideal for LIS students, who can suggest posts about local library news (such as a post on Southern California and Nevada library systems helping residents with foreclosure information), library trends, and stories from the LIS trenches. Think about what you want library patrons to know about libraries: this is a great place to write to those patrons.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The blog is written in English and is generally US-centric, but the blog can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection.

Reader characteristics: Readers are interested in the library, and in reading about library resources, news, trends, and updates – local or nationwide. David Guion is a musician (trombone player) with degrees in performance and musicology; a certified lay speaker in the United Methodist Church; a librarian; and a sustainability/environmental expert who loves cooking, writing, fitness, travel, and, naturally, research.¹⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The blog is written by a librarian of 12 years¹¹, but is aimed at civilians who need library and research assistance. Write to those readers, rather than LIS professionals or students.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

LIS students could gain considerable insight into library patron’s needs and library use by regularly posting to the blog and following up on reader feedback. This is the only blog (that we know of) written by an LIS professional specifically for nonprofessionals¹², and thus seems like a valuable resource to promote to other libraries and users.

Last updated: September 28, 2020

References

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Education Libraries

By iSchool Admin on March 6, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Education Libraries

ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Website: http://educationlibraries.mcgill.ca/index

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Education Libraries is an electronic, refereed journal of the Special Libraries Association’s (SLA) Education Division. It offers a forum for new and challenging ideas in education, and library and information science. It also explores the effect of new technologies on the library profession and library and information curriculum.”¹

Target audience: The target audience is the membership of the Special Libraries Association, which includes those employed at “a variety of venues, including special libraries and information centers, academic libraries, public libraries, and school libraries.”²

Publisher: Special Libraries Association, Education Division³

Peer reviewed? Yes⁴

Type: LIS and Education; scholarly⁵

Medium: Online, open access since 2015⁶

Content: Education Libraries publishes scholarly articles, book reviews, member profiles, and case studies.⁷ Recent feature articles include faculty-librarian collaboration, 3-D printing in education libraries, collection development, and school library advocacy.⁸

Frequency of publication: Biannually⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://educationlibraries.mcgill.ca/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Types of contributions accepted: Education Libraries accepts “research studies, descriptive narratives, or other thoughtful considerations of topics of interest to the education information professional. Manuscripts focusing on issues relevant to more general concerns either in the field of education or in the field of library and information science are also welcome provided they include a significant component specifically germane to education, libraries and librarianship.”¹⁰

Submission and review process: Authors submitting manuscripts are required to register using a link provided on the publication website.¹¹ All submissions will be considered for publication and are subject to the double-blind peer review process. Inquiries about particular manuscripts may be sent via email to the editor. See the publication website for details.¹²

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹³

Style guide used: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) style manual, most recent edition¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Education Libraries presents an interesting opportunity for LIS writers from different types of libraries to discuss and share information that is related to education. This journal is well established, which means writers can be assured that they are submitting their work to a credible source and contributing to the scholarly conversation.

The journal is indexed in Education Libraries is indexed in ERIC, EBSCOhost’s Education Collection, and Library Literature.¹⁵

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: According to the SLA’s website there are more than 9,000 association members based in more than 75 countries.¹⁶ Information about exactly how many are a part of the Education Division is not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Just as members of the Special Libraries Association are located around the world, the readers of Education Libraries are also international.¹⁷ Because this is an international publication, differences in language and cultural practice should be considered.

Reader characteristics: It is safe to assume the readers of this publication are interested in academic libraries and their role in education. Due to the professional focus of this publication the readership is largely comprised of individuals already working in academic libraries with considerable experience in the field. The readers of this publication are likely to value education and research. They are likely to be interested in learning about new technologies as well as in innovative teaching methods. Recent articles demonstrate a general acceptance of new technologies and changes in librarianship.¹⁸

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It is likely that, as library employees, a majority of readers are very familiar with LIS subject matter. Additionally, we can assume that the readers are familiar with new information technologies issues as well as issues surrounding the growth of digital content in library collections.¹⁹

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

The most important characteristic of the Education Libraries audience is its interest in education and technology related to instruction and learning. Authors must keep in mind the fact that this journal is scholarly, and the widest audience is those who work in higher education libraries, therefore well researched studies are particularly important. Potential contributors writing book or technology reviews as well as opinion pieces may want to relate their subject back to its value to learning in order to appeal to the audience.

Last updated: April 13, 2017

References

Show 19 footnotes

Government Information Quarterly

By Lisa Lowdermilk on February 23, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Government Information Quarterly

ISSN: 0740-624X (Print) and 1872-9517 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620202/description#description

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Government Information Quarterly is an international journal that examines the intersection of policy, information technology, government, and the public.”²

Target audience: This is a cross-disciplinary journal, seeking submissions from disciplines including information science, public policy, public administration, political science, business, law, geography, information systems, communications, economics, sociology, computer science, and public health. Its purpose is to examine how policy, information technology, government and the public intersect. Articles of the most interest would be those concerning government policies on electronic resources and data.³

Publisher: Elsevier Ltd.⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: Public Administration and LIS, scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online⁷

Content: Government Information Quarterly has its focus on how “policies affect government information flows and the availability of government information; the use of technology to create and provide innovative government services; the impact of information technology on the relationship between the governed and those governing; and the increasing significance of information policies and information technology in relation to democratic practices.”⁸ The Quarterly includes original research, analytic essays, editorials, teaching cases, and case studies.⁹

Frequency of publication: Quarterly¹⁰

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620202/authorinstructions. This information is also available at this site as pdf download titled “Author Information Pack.” There are informative webcasts with advice for prospective authors at https://www.journals.elsevier.com/frontiers-in-neuroendocrinology/policies/publishing-connect-training-webcasts.

Types of contributions accepted: Per the guidelines, submissions that “include original research papers that are theory-driven research; papers that combine theory & practice; reviews & review essays, editorials, teaching cases and case studies”¹¹ are encouraged. This is an international journal so contributions from all parts of the world are welcome; however, papers must be in either American or British English, with spelling consistent. This publication accepts new and revised manuscripts that have not been previously published and does not allow simultaneous submissions. Typical manuscripts are 25-30 pages in length, double-spaced.¹²

Submission and review process: The submission guidelines are extensive, beginning with a section covering topics such as ethics, copyright, conflict of interest, and the roles of funding sources. All submissions are made electronically online through the publisher’s website. The guidelines detail the expectations of article structure and there is a submission checklist.¹³

Articles are subject to a double-blind review process, performed by the editorial board and other peer reviewers. “The criterion for acceptance is appropriateness to the field, taking into account the merit of content and presentation.”¹⁴ Through the publisher’s online submission process authors are able to track their submission.

Editorial tone: This is a scholarly journal based on theory-driven research and submissions should follow research paper tone and format. The articles tend to take a clear, but formal tone. The writing is scholarly, well organized, and not overly wordy.¹⁵

Style guide used: Publication Manual for the American Psychological Association (APA), 6th edition.¹⁶

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This scholarly journal is a good choice for information professionals interested in publishing research and analysis of government electronic information trends and best practices. They appear to be most interested in practical application and results of information policy, making it a good choice for action research publications. It would be suitable for professors attempting to build up publication credits for tenure, or graduate students interested in being published for the first time.

Journal metrics: Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP): 2.384; SCImago Journal Rank (SJR): 1.049; Impact Factor: 1.910; 5-Year Impact Impact Factor: 2.263.¹⁷

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Unknown; not listed on their website or Ulrichsweb.com, and unavailable from publisher. It is likely that many people have access to this periodical through ScienceDirect, and that most, if not all, government libraries and information technology departments subscribe or access this publication online.¹⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Though main audience is within the United States and is national in scope,¹⁹ this journal publishes articles on worldwide topics. For example past articles included: “Restructuring Taiwan’s Port State Control Inspection Authority,” and “Modernizing Bangladesh Public Administration Through e-Governance: Benefits and Challenges.”²⁰ Government Information Quarterly is published in English,²¹ and the article submission guidelines indicate that they use common American or British spelling and grammar.²² The editorial board is international, with members in a variety of countries but mostly represented by the United States.²³

Reader characteristics: Reader profiles were not available; however, it appears that this journal is aimed at government and library professionals, public administration professionals, and government information architects. The journal’s target audience includes government officials and policy makers, scientists, journalists, lawyers, researchers, teachers and scholars, students, and librarians. Articles would be of the most interest to those helping to steer government policy toward electronic resources and data.²⁴

The editorial board is a mix of communications, information technology, law, library, and information sciences faculty as well as librarians and government officials.²⁵ The heavy presence of faculty indicates that the journal veers toward more scholarly writing over applied theory (or “how-to” articles). The job titles of the board also tend to indicate they will favor articles on technology’s use in government services. A review of the articles published shows this to be true.²⁶

No demographic information on the readers is available at this time, but it would appear from the selection of articles published that the subscribers would be in similar professional positions to the editors.²⁷ This journal would be most useful to people making practical decisions related to public policy and the dissemination of government information or academics in the same areas, but there is a wide enough variety in the articles that law school staff and librarians (especially government documents librarians) would also be interested in the subject matter.²⁸

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are a cross section of librarians, information professionals, IT workers, lawyers and government officials. Technical jargon should be avoided and even basic LIS principles should be explained when included in an article.²⁹ Ulrichsweb.com lists the subject area as “public administration.”³⁰

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Although this journal will accept articles on any topic related to government, the most popular (for publication, and for downloading once published) are on e-government and ways to use technology to further government services. There is room for other articles (for instance, “Standardized American Indians: The “Names of Indian tribes and bands” list from the Office of Indian Affairs “), but articles combining government services and information technology will be most well received. Information delivery topics, tailored to a government audience, would also be very well received.³¹

As noted above, subscribers would be reading this publication to keep abreast of current developments in the field of government information, and most articles of interest would deal with how to distribute such information effectively. The readers are primarily academics or government decision-makers. Authors should keep in mind that though scholarly in nature, the core of each article should deal with a practical problem, and offer solutions or at least a detailed analysis of the issue.

Last updated: April 26, 2017

References

Show 31 footnotes

Boing Boing

By Katie Wood on February 11, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Boing Boing

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://boingboing.net/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “A Website devoted to technology and culture. We publish feature articles, links to things we find interesting online, podcasts, videos and comics created by the Boing Boing editorial team and other invited contributors. We also provide a discussion forum so you can participate in the conversation; and sell merchandise in the Boing Boing Shop.”¹ Boing Boing allows users to submit interesting, cool, newsworthy links to articles, videos, and any minutia you find interesting.

Target audience: If you’re interested in anything outside the mainstream, this would be the place to look. The website is hailed as a bastion of free speech and imagine sharing; it was founded by an editor of Make Magazine, which is dedicated to all things DIY, and the four primary editors have all written for Wired Magazine.²

Publisher: Happy Mutants, LLC.³

Peer reviewed? No.⁴

Type: Civilian publication / online forum.⁵

Medium: Online

Content: A blog/forum that shares member-reader links of all sorts -informational, fun, noteworthy.

Frequency of publication: Blog updated with at least several new posts per day.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Forum Rules

Types of contributions accepted: Any kinds.

Submission and review process:

“You can browse the Site without logging in. However, to participate in our Discussion Forum, you need to create an account. We use the Discourse.org forum platform and the creators CDCK host it on their servers and run it for us. To participate in the forum, you may create a new account, use an existing Discourse.org user name and password or log-in using one of your social networking user name and passwords.” ⁶

Editorial tone: As informal, but informative, as possible. Headlines and pictures are purposely titillating or attention grabbing. Example: under the “Science” category is the headline: “Anne of Green Gables Had Herpes (and you probably do, too),”an article about herpes. Or “The Librarian and the Hot Rod Shop,” a post about a mobile initiative that provides library resources to people who are unaware of the library, or can’t make it to the local branch.

Style guide used: None specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

If you have any little library related tidbit to share, this is a great website on which to post it. These are non-reviewed blog posts, so it’s not a site that will help towards your tenured work or that you should cite in a scholarly article, but it’s a great source for getting and sending information to a curious, intelligent, and supportive audience. It would be a great first start for book reviews, for example, or just to write about or re-post some interesting library-related news.

Creative Commons License: non-commercial sharing, with attribution. Just make sure you say where your link/review/article originated.⁷

Of note to LIS writers: a team from the American Library Association ran a Boing Boing member interest group called Library Boing Boing from 2012 to 2014. See Library Boing Boing, and their first Boing Boing post; the full collection is tagged LIBRARYLAB. To learn more, see the LibraryLab community on the ALA Connect website.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: In an article in Fast Company, according to Quantcast data, it gets about 2.5 million unique visitors a month. The article also states that, in 2004-2005, it “had become one of the most-read and linked-to blogs in the world.”⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: According to Quantcast data, Boing Boing reaches an international audience, though 63% of its readers are in the United States.⁹ English is the primary language, but as the site also links to websites, videos, etc., as long as you explain the reason for submitting your article/website/repost, the language of the thing itself isn’t too strict. Culture is progressive and friendly, hacker-ish and non-mainstream.

Reader characteristics: Quantcast data reports that the majority of readers are white, male, and highly educated.¹⁰ Hackers, DIY-ers, those who like to stay current on news/gadgets/things, and anyone with an eye on web culture and interesting news of all kinds will gravitate towards the blog. The blog’s bias lies on the side of being, for the most part, uncensored and relishing in re-posting links that test freedom of speech and censorship in the online community. They are very much an “anything goes” site, as long as “anything” is interesting to readers.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: More civilian than professional; LIS jargon should be kept to a minimum, use layman’s terms and just get your point across in the least scholarly tone possible. The readership comprises a savvy group of people, but they are not all LIS aficionados, so use regular, everyday terms when describing your link and why you find it interesting.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Boing Boing would be a great place to post information relevant to the library community: its readers, while very much an online-loving group, seem to enjoy hearing about LIS-related news, particularly if it has to do with free speech, public access, or challenges to the LIS community. They are well-read, spoken, and intelligent, and, with the inclusion of the LIS-specific posting group, would appreciate links coming from the Library world. Although not scholarly in tone, the links posted can be of scholarly caliber, and the blog has garnered attention and awards, and holds a certain status in the blogosphere; posts here are likely to be reposted elsewhere and shared.

Last updated: September 1, 2020

References

Show 10 footnotes

Make:

By Katie Wood on February 2, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Make:

ISSN: Print: 1556-2336¹

Website: http://makezine.com

Purpose, objective, or mission: A hybrid magazine/book (“mook”) specializing in DIY projects, particularly fun, at-home technology in categories like Home & Garden, Art & Design, Computers & Mobile, Craft, and Desktop Manufacturing. Article examples include “Learning to Build a Bot,” “Software for Makers,” and “Code Kids” programming tips. ² ”

As the leading voice of the maker movement, Make: publishes tested projects, skill-building tutorials, in-depth reviews and inspirational stories, accessible by all ages and skill ranges”³

Target audience: The target audience is rather diverse and includes anyone who is interested in learning how to build interesting projects, or simply want to see the projects of other people. ⁴

Publisher: Make Community, LLC. ⁵

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian publication and website for hobbyists and professionals.

Medium: Print and online.⁶

Content: Tutorials, projects, reviews, and articles related to education, science, and technology.

Frequency of publication: Print Magazine publishes four times a year, online updated more often.⁷

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://makezine.com/submissions.html

Types of contributions accepted: Make: accepts project submissions. “A project is a step-by-step set of instructions and photographs of a specific build that others can reproduce and reiterate upon, based on your documentation. The more you can document your project, the better. If that’s what you’d like to share, you can publish it on Make: Projects. If you’ve made something cool (or have come up with a cool hack or tweak for something) and want to show other people how to make one, we’d like to publish it. Note: We’re interested in hearing about things you’ve already made, not things you are just thinking about making.” ⁸

Make: also accepts other submissions. Submissions should fit into one of the following categories:

Reviews: “Reviews generally run only in print, although certain review categories are collected into Guides (check out our 3D Printer Guide, Board Guide, Drone Guide, and Holiday Gift Guide). If there’s a gadget, tool, website, newsletter, instructional video, book, magazine, instrument, or other device you already own and love, you can email your review to “Toolbox,” Make’s recommendation section, at toolbox@makezine.com, or you can submit it online. Reviews should be 50–250 words, and written in the first person. Think more “recommendation” and “experience” when you write these than “review.” We want to hear about your involvement with it. The old Whole Earth Review guidelines for reviews went like this: “Write your review. Then write us a letter explaining why we should devote space to your item. Throw away your review and send us the letter.” That’s the way to do it.”
Skill Builders: “Skill Builders are crash course introductions written by experienced makers for aspiring DIYers who have little to no experience with a given skill. You can browse Skill Builders on the site to get a better feel for what they are. If you’re an expert on something and feel we haven’t properly addressed all the intricacies and pro tips, consider sharing your knowledge in the form of a Skill Builder.”
Stories: “Stories are intentionally broad. Anything that falls under Show & Tell is acceptable (unless it’s a step-by-step of a specific build, then it should be a Project). If you’ve built a project that you want to share, but you don’t have sufficient documentation of step shots or materials lists, etc., you can showcase it as a story instead of a step-by-step project. Additionally, we want to see your stories. Your journeys. Your trials and tribulations and failures and hilarities. What’s the strangest experience you’ve had making something? If it’s surprising or funny, we’ll run it.”⁹

Submission and review process: To create a Project Submission, follow the steps at https://makeprojects.com/home?r=dvtzh For other submissions, send an email to editor@make.co

Editorial tone: The style used is informal and instructional. Make: emphasizes that the writer “is the reader’s coach,”¹⁰ indicating that writing should be conversational, as if you’re telling a friend something they don’t know.

Style guide used: There is no official style guide specified. “DO use clear and consistent language. Write with precision. Use correct terms for materials, components, and processes. What’s the pointy part of that one thingy? Please look it up. Carefully define directions and areas (top, bottom, right end, left edge, etc.), and use these terms consistently.” ¹¹

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

While the subject matter of the magazine does not directly relate to any library or information science subjects, libraries are at the forefront of the maker scene. Librarians who build/run programs utilizing makerspaces, 3-D printers, technology, electronics, and a do-it-yourself spirit might have something to contribute to this magazine, be it a tutorial or a story on a maker program within the library.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The print magazine has a paid circulation of 80,000

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The subscription is only offered in U.S. dollars, which would most likely mean that its readers are all located in the United States. ¹² Of course, the magazine also has a web element, which could potentially be viewed by anyone with an internet connection. The magazine is written in English, and in a very informal manner. Although there is a possibility that your article will appear on the website and be viewed by someone outside of the United States, it seems safe to use American colloquialisms and slang. Also, since most of the readers will be very tech savvy, it would likely be appropriate to use technical language.

Reader characteristics: The website’s readers are 66% male and 100% college educated, with an average household income of $119,000. The magazine’s readers are 81% male, with an average age of 44, and mostly college educated. The audience is composed of teachers, parents, inventors, and “techy, savvy creatives.”¹³ [**Note: As of November 21, 2020, this information is no longer attached to an active link, so the details cannot be confirmed]

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The average reader would most likely have little to no knowledge of LIS topics and issues, and probably no knowledge of library jargon.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Since these readers would almost certainly be outside of the library world, it would be important to approach LIS subject matter in an approachable way. The use of makerspaces and other DIY, STEM-oriented programs and projects within the library would make great fodder for a contribution to this magazine. It would be important to keep your tone on a more lighthearted tone and avoid jargon as much as possible, or explain the jargon if its use is necessary.

Last updated: November 21, 2020

References

Show 13 footnotes

Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL)

By Lisa Lowdermilk on July 5, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL)

ISSN: 2163-5226¹

Website: http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital

Purpose, objective, or mission: As the official publication of LITA (the Library and Information Technology Association), ITAL is primarily concerned with keeping LITA members informed about the technologies that shape their workplaces and profession.²

Target audience: Members of LITA, primarily librarians and information professionals³

Publisher: Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: ITAL is an open-access, electronic-only publication.⁷ Full-text versions of all content published since 2004, as well as tables of contents and abstracts for earlier issues, are also available electronically.⁸

Content: ITAL “publishes material related to all aspects of information technology in all types of libraries. Topic areas include, but are not limited to, library automation, digital libraries, metadata, identity management, distributed systems and networks, computer security, intellectual property rights, technical standards, geographic information systems, desktop applications, information discovery tools, web-scale library services, cloud computing, digital preservation, data curation, virtualization, search-engine optimization, emerging technologies, social networking, open data, the semantic web, mobile services and applications, usability, universal access to technology, library consortia, vendor relations, and digital humanities.”⁹

Frequency of publication: Quarterly.¹⁰

About the publication’s submission guidelines

It is important to note, when perusing author information such as this, that specific types of submissions, such as book or software reviews, may require contact with someone other than the main editor. Failing to note such differences could result in a solid article or query being lost in the shuffle.

Location of submission guidelines: https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Types of contributions accepted: ITAL accepts feature articles that contain original research or in-depth analysis of 3,000 to 5,000 words or longer. Communications of 1,000 to 3,000 words are also accepted, such as “brief research reports, technical findings, and application notes,”as well as tutorials and letters to the editor.¹¹

Submission and review process: Individuals must submit original and unpublished manuscripts only. Manuscripts that are being considered elsewhere should not be submitted. Responsibility for the accuracy of the information falls upon the author of the manuscript. This includes references, URLs, and statistics.¹²

Articles are to be submitted online; registration and login are required.¹³

Editorial tone: Formal, with most articles including an abstract. Articles are evidence and research-based, written in language that is clear and direct.¹⁴

Style guide used: The Chicago Manual of Style for notes and bibliography¹⁵

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

LIS professionals or students focusing on the technical services side of libraries who can contribute to the community’s knowledge of emerging technologies should consider writing for this publication. Opportunity is also ripe for those with an understanding of technical services and public services who can explain complicated technical jargon and its importance to the uninitiated. A survey of recent articles includes usability of next-generation catalogs such as VuFind, the application of geographic information systems (GIS) in LIS research, widgets, interoperable catalog models, semantic web technologies, web design for patrons with disabilities, applying CIPA regulations and other issues. Tutorials included cloud computing and digitizing documents to make them accessible on the web. Articles and tutorials are pragmatic, so topics and information presented need to be relevant to professionals in their LIS workplace.¹⁶

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Statistics not available, but as ITAL is an open-access, online publication a wide readership may be assumed.¹⁷

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: LITA is a division of the American Library Association (ALA) and is therefore located in the United States,¹⁸ but subscribers come from all over the world. ITAL is published in English.¹⁹

Reader characteristics: ITAL is read by administrators, librarians, and information technologists interested in all aspects of information technology. These readers include library directors, systems managers and analysts, automation consultants, and both technical and public service librarians using technology to serve users.²⁰

Readers are interested in subjects that include library automation, access to information through technology, digital libraries, electronic journals and electronic publishing, computer security, intellectual property rights, library consortia, technical standards, and software development. Articles display a strong emphasis on service orientation. Readers likely share this value.²¹

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: This journal covers a broad spectrum of topics and issues relating to LIS subject matter, and most articles would be comprehensible to any librarian; specialized knowledge of technical services is usually not assumed.²²

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Because readers come from both technical and public services, papers should not be only technical in nature. Demonstrating how a technology can be leveraged to solve a human need, whether that is user experience or library operations, will be fundamental. In a survey of articles, many papers demonstrate the impact of technologies on libraries, the communities they serve, and on society. Authors also emphasize service orientation, a value readers likely share.

Last updated: May 7, 2017

References

Show 22 footnotes

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