Wiki Categories Archives: LIS Scholarly Journals

The Journal of Creative Library Practice

By Lisa Lowdermilk on March 13, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The Journal of Creative Library Practice

ISSN: 2330-4227¹

Website: http://creativelibrarypractice.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: From the website’s About page: “The Journal of Creative Library Practice provides an outlet for librarians and information professionals to describe and encourage greater creativity in library and information center communications, policies, collections, instruction, and other areas of librarianship.”²

Target audience: “This journal reaches librarians and information professionals of all types, including academic, public, school, special, medical, legal, and others.” The journal is working to broaden its readership to individuals outside the profession, to anyone interested in creative solutions to LIS issues; or anyone who wants to participate in discussions about creative issues and solutions.³

Publisher: Published as an online blog-format journal by Creative Library Practice⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes,⁵ though this blog-style journal also publishes non-peer reviewed content. The refereed articles are distinguished from the blog posts on the site.⁶

Type: LIS scholarly and professional⁷

Medium: Online,⁸ peer-reviewed blogposts⁹

Content: Posts on creative solutions to LIS issues.¹⁰

Frequency of publication: This online journal is updated as frequently as the editors write posts and peer-reviewed articles are accepted.¹¹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://creativelibrarypractice.org/instructions-for-authors/

Types of contributions accepted: Any article focusing on creative solutions to LIS issues, including communications barriers, technology issues, reviews of relevant books or websites.¹²

Submission and review process: The website provides a link to email manuscripts in MS-Word .doc, .docx, or RTF format.¹³

Editorial tone: Editor Joseph Kraus, in a Q&A with Library Journal, stated, “We want to encourage prospective authors to write with less formal rhetoric.”¹⁴

Style guide used: References should be provided in a consistent format, whether Chicago, Turabian, MLA, or APA, or author may simply provide links to cited material.¹⁵

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The journal’s editors consider the publication to be an open source alternative to the stodgy print publications usually favored by the LIS community. They are a creative group open to all sorts of submissions, so this would be a great place to expand on an LIS student paper or thesis, or write about a creative approach tried at a library-related job, and how it helped the organization.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Statistics are not available, but as this journal is also an informal blog there is potential to reach a large audience.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal is online and the editors are LIS professionals at colleges and universities around the United States.¹⁶ The journal is written in American English.¹⁷

Reader characteristics: This journal appeals to forward thinking, creative, multidisciplined, against-the-grain LIS professionals seeking to share information with like-minded peers. The journal is written for and by LIS professionals in all possible settings, including academic, public, school, special, medical, and law libraries. It also aims to reach those readers who are interested in libraries but not necessarily working in them, including teachers, parents, students, and businesses.¹⁸

The journal was created by LIS professionals who wish to have a truly open access information sharing site that features creative solutions to common problems in information organizations. This is an open minded, nontraditional group that sees the value in current technologies and is working to take advantage of anything that can help the library community achieve its goals. The journal leans toward the informal, so potential authors should keep this in mind while writing for the publication. The goal is to provide articles from a variety of perspectives.¹⁹

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The knowledge level is probably quite high, but as the editors are attempting to appeal to laypeople as well as LIS students and professionals, potential authors should keep the jargon to a minimum and avoid highly technical terms and unusual acronyms.²⁰

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

The Journal of Creative Library Practice is part of a new LIS journal standard: using open access for peer-reviewed articles under Creative Commons licensing, and providing relatively loose guidelines in terms of content, and even citations.

Last updated: May 14, 2017

References

Show 20 footnotes

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

Communications in Information Literacy

By Kelli Roisman on March 6, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Communications in Information Literacy

ISSN: 1933-5954¹

Website: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Communications in Information Literacy (CIL) is “an independent, peer-reviewed journal devoted solely to the advancement of research, theory, and practice in the area of information literacy in higher education.”²

Target audience: The primary audience for research articles are “academic librarians and library educators.” The primary audience for Innovative Practices, the section for peer-reviewed case studies, are “academic librarians and other library personnel and educators who are engaged in information literacy instruction.” The primary audience for the Book Review section, are “librarians and other professionals (student support staff, administrators, course instructors, or others) in higher education, who are concerned with teaching and learning.”³

Publisher: Communications in Information Literacy⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: Scholarly⁶

Medium: Online. “CIL is an open access journal in the truest sense; there are no article processing charges or other regressive fees associated with authorship or publication.”⁷

Content: The “Research Articles” section includes “peer-reviewed feature articles, which may be research-based or theoretical in nature. Literature review papers are generally discouraged, but those including in-depth investigation and noteworthy conclusions will be considered.” The “Innovative Practices” section presents “peer-reviewed case studies that report on innovative information literacy instruction practices that are relevant to higher education contexts.” The “Perspectives” section “consists of provocative and thoughtful essays on various aspects of information literacy in academic libraries.” The “Editorials” section includes “essays written by the editors as they pertain to the state of the journal or current events in the discipline,” and also includes “invited works and regularly contributed columns.”⁸

Frequency of publication: Semiannual⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit/policies.html

Types of contributions accepted: “Manuscripts may be theoretical, research-based, critical, or have a practical focus.” “CIL does not accept simultaneously submitted or previously published manuscripts. However, CIL welcomes and encourages the submission of papers developed from professional presentations.” Unsolicited submissions for the “Research Articles” and “Innovative Practices” sections are accepted, however, it is recommended, though not necessary, that “prospective authors query the CIL editors before submitting their works.” Submissions to the “Perspectives” and “Editorials” sections are by invitation only.¹⁰

Submission and review process: Authors submit papers electronically. To facilitate the double blind review process, the author’s name and institutional affiliations are removed and replaced by bracketed placeholders. “The review process generally takes six to eight weeks to complete. Authors are notified promptly when a decision on their manuscript is made.”¹¹

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹²

Style guide used: Manual of Style of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Communications in Information Literacy is a well established research journal, having published its first issue in 2007. CIL provides a platform for scholars and practitioners to advance research, theory, and practice in the area of information literacy in higher education. Prospective authors must be interested in publishing original research and should be prepared for a rigorous review process.¹⁴

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Because CIL is an online, open access journal, articles are downloaded individually. As of 4/2/2021, the number of total full-text downloads for the past year was 37,293, and the number of full-text downloads for the top ten articles ranged from 1,098 to 3,926.”¹⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: CIL is online and open access, its readership is international. The geographical location of article downloads are viewable via an interactive world map.¹⁶

Interest in the field of information literacy is expanding rapidly in the age of the Internet the ability to process and evaluate information in the central role information literacy plays in shaping our social and political world . social and political influence profound impact on our . Therefore, CIL will appeal to a broad audience of journalists,

As this is an international publication, all potential authors should avoid using certain jargon or cultural references that others may not be able to understand. The CIL editors advise writers, “As we are a journal of information literacy, we assume our readership already has familiarity with the concept of information literacy and its application in library science. Therefore, the manuscript does not need to treat the concept of information literacy as something novel for our readers, particularly in the Introduction or the Literature Review. Unless your institutional definition of information literacy varies significantly from that of the ACRL, there is no need to provide a perfunctory definition of information literacy for our readers.”¹⁷

Reader characteristics: Though specific reader demographics are not available, authors may assume that the journal’s readers are international and the majority are employed in libraries at higher education institutions.¹⁸

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The primary readers of this publication are knowledgeable about library and information science issues. As noted above, readers have a clear understanding of information literacy and the issues surrounding the topic. It is likely that most readers have a firm grasp on technology, as this journal is only available online. As individuals interested in information literacy, readers probably work closely with electronic resources. It is clear that the audience of this publication values education and, above all, information literacy. They are interested in ensuring that communities have access to information and the ability to evaluate it adequately.¹⁹

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

It is important to note that because this publication is open access, authors’ work can be viewed for free by anyone searching the Internet, which could be a potential benefit. However, as it has an academic and research emphasis, it is most likely that the audience will be limited to those interested in higher education with a strong background in information literacy. Prospective authors should also keep in mind the growing field of information literacy and recognize the opportunity for new studies in this field, especially those that would be of interest in academic and research libraries and applicable internationally.

“The primary audiences for articles in this section are academic librarians and library educators, but we encourage contributions from all academic disciplines and from institutional administrators.”

Last updated: In progress April 2021

References

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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

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

Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship

By Lisa Lowdermilk on May 6, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship

ISSN: 1941-126X (Print) and 1941-1278 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wacq20

Purpose, objective, or mission: According to the publication website, “The Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship aims to inform librarians and other information professionals about current research, evolving work-related processes and procedures, and the latest news on topics related to electronic resources and the digital environment’s impact on collecting, acquiring and making accessible library materials.”²

Target audience: “The Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship is intended for library administrators, librarians, and other information professionals who work with managing electronic resources in libraries. It is also intended to bridge the gap between theory and practice for LIS educators and students, and is a starting point for information professionals from various backgrounds concerned with issues surrounding the changes in collections, acquisitions and services in libraries in the digital age.”³

Publisher: Routledge/Taylor and Francis⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online⁷

Content: According to the publication website, “This journal will highlight pivotal, interesting and thought-provoking articles and conference presentations to keep professionals and staff of all levels on top of the latest ideas and changes in the field. The journal will also have relevant book reviews to enable readers to target their professional readings.”⁸

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=wacq20&page=instructions#.VQ2qwvnF8So

Types of contributions accepted: “Current research, evolving work-related processes and procedures, and the latest news on topics related to electronic resources and the digital environment’s impact on collecting, acquiring and making accessible library materials.”¹⁰

Submission and review process: Authors are strongly encouraged to submit manuscripts electronically. Please submit your manuscript in Microsoft Word format to the Editor-in-Chief, Gary Pitkin, gary.martin.pitkin@gmail.com.”¹¹ All articles are subject to double-blind review.¹²

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹³

Style guide used: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Writers who have expertise in electronic resources will have the opportunity to develop their reputation and strengthen their resume with a publication in this highly topical, peer-reviewed journal.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Circulation statistics are not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Although this is journal is based in the United States, its readership is not geographically limited to North America. The journal publishes in English.¹⁵

Reader characteristics: According to the publication website, readers are librarians and information professionals at all levels.¹⁶ Readers will likely have a strong interest in collection management, and specifically eletronic resources and the “digital environment’s impact on collecting, acquiring and making accessible library materials.”¹⁷

Reader knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers will be very knowledgeable about issues in the LIS community. As this is a scholarly journal, it is assumed that readers will be knowledgeable about electronic resources in the field of LIS.

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

The readers of this journal will be knowledgeable about LIS issues and interested in electronic resources and the latest news on the digital environment’s impact on library practices. As this journal “deals with a single, broad, but well-defined and practical issue . . . of immediate concern to librarians and information professionals,”¹⁸ the potential for writers with expertise in this area to increase their impact on the LIS community is great.

Last updated: May 15, 2017

References

Show 18 footnotes

Information Research

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 16, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Information Research

ISSN: 1368-1613¹

Website: http://informationr.net/ir/

Purpose, objective, or mission: According to its website, Information Research (IR) is an “. . . open access, international, peer-reviewed, scholarly journal, dedicated to making accessible the results of research across a wide range of information-related disciplines.”²

Target audience: Practitioners and scholars interested in the field of information science, management, librarianship, and information systems³

Publisher: T. D. Wilson⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Online⁷

Content: Articles in the field of information science, information management, information systems, information policy, and librarianship, as well as book reviews and software reviews⁸

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://informationr.net/ir/author2.html

Types of contributions accepted: The journal accepts completed papers and working papers within the scope of the journal. It also commissions book reviews and software reviews.¹⁰

Submission and review process: All papers are submitted by registering and using this site. Papers are first reviewed by a member of the editorial team. If the paper is found to be within the scope of the journal, it is sent to be read by two referees selected for their expertise in the paper’s field.¹¹

Editorial tone: The journal emphasizes clarity of expression and quality research. Due to the international readership of the journal, authors are required to spell out local acronyms and initials and avoid local jargon. Papers should be easy to read in order to reach all audiences.¹²

Style guide used: An online style guide created by the publisher is provided. For citations and references, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition is used.¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This is a peer-reviewed electronic journal available free of charge to a wide range of readers. The journal recognizes the needs of its audience and takes this into consideration when accepting manuscripts for publication. Online availability and provides authors with a wide readership, allows them to meet tenure requirements, and to gain notice within their field. IR is indexed by the Web of Knowledge, international website tools, and is cataloged in numerous college and university online catalogs.¹⁴

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Statistics on readership are not available, but as an open access electronic journal it may be assumed that Information Research has a wide readership.¹⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: IR has a world- wide readership. Out of consideration for its international audience, the editor requires that articles be clearly written in British English, free of local jargon, obscure idioms and undefined acronyms.¹⁶

Reader characteristics: The readers of Information Research consist of library and information science practitioners as well as managers in information organizations and scholars in information science, information management, and systems. Workplaces for the readers include public and academic libraries, special libraries, business organizations, and universities. The readers share an interest in findings from research conducted in the field of information.¹⁷

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It may be assumed that many in this group hold an MLIS or equivalent, and therefore do have knowledge of LIS subject matter. ¹⁸ The editors have degrees in communication, electronic engineering, human information behavior, information seeking behavior, and collaboration technology. Many of the readers may also be students in these areas of study.¹⁹

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

Given that this journal has a worldwide readership, potential authors should ensure that their submissions are broadly relevant in terms of subject matter and writing style, and strictly employ British English. The readers of this journal are diverse in terms of language and geographic location. The editor advises authors to stay focused on the topic on which they are writing, and to be clear and to the point. Local jargon should not be used and acronyms must be spelled out to ensure the writing appeals to a wide readership.

Last updated: May 7, 2017

References

Show 19 footnotes

The Journal of Academic Librarianship

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 5, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The Journal of Academic Librarianship

ISSN: 0099-1333 (Print) and 1879-1999 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620207/description#description

Purpose, objective, or mission: The journal’s goal is to provide a forum for academic librarians and professionals to present their research in a scholarly environment and highlight issues and trends pertinent to college and university librarians.²

Target audience: College and university librarians, academic administrators, educators, and students enrolled in library and information science programs³

Publisher: Elsevier B.V.⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online⁷

Content: The journal features current practices, issues and trends occurring within the field and analyzes these trends in an intellectual manner. The journal tends to speculate about the future of academic librarianship and is committed to alerting readers to new and recently published books in the library and information science field.⁸

Frequency of publication: Bimonthly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620207/authorinstructions

Types of contributions accepted: The journal accepts articles, book reviews, and full length manuscripts.¹⁰

Submission and review process: Extensive Guide for Authors provided as PDF file. Articles are submitted through the online Elsevier system. Submissions are subject to a double blind-review process to ensure they coincide with the journal scope of interest and expected quality of writing.¹¹

Editorial tone: Academic¹²

Style guide used: No specific style is required, as long as references are consistent.¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This journal publishes well-researched work of scholars, professors, library practitioners, and longtime professionals in the field. The articles contained in each issue demonstrate authors’ extensive knowledge of the field. Publishing in this journal would require expertise in the field and would represent a major career booster.

Previously published authors and individuals with highly developed research and writing skills would be the most likely to be published. The author with the most potential would be one aware of the social issues attached to academic librarianship as well as the role libraries play.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No information available

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal is published in English¹⁴ in the United Kingdom.¹⁵ As one of the top journals in the LIS field, the editors attempt to be as respectful of cultural diversity as possible. Although no statements about cultural diversity are posted on the journal’s website, it is clear through the tone of the articles that these issues are taken into consideration.

Reader characteristics: Academic librarians are by nature supporters of the academic community. They are also researchers, managers and scholars. Academic librarians are required to publish; therefore, as readers they read with a critical eye. Academic librarians often specialize in one discipline. The readers of this journal typically have graduate degrees, attend library conferences, and are members of one or more library related associations. Readers probably subscribe to other professional journals besides The Journal of Academic Librarianship. The journal is written for an audience that expects accuracy and insightful information in each issue.¹⁶

The primary audience is those within the world of higher education. The journal’s readers are college and university librarians, academic administrators, educators, and students in LIS programs. The readers are typically university or community college librarians who are knowledgeable of the jargon and terminology associated with libraries. Librarians at the academic or scholarly level exist to support the needs of the institution and the average librarian is aware of their role on campus and in the life of the student. Academic libraries and the issues within are the main focus of the journal and although some readers may be outside this field, the journal is written to serve the academic community. The journal is written with objectivity and respect to the reader and to the profession.¹⁷

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The readers have a great knowledge of LIS subject matter. Many of the readers are writers and reviewers themselves and have high expectations of the writing in academic journals. It can be assumed that the readers stay abreast of current trends and concerns pertaining to academic libraries. Often academic librarians are also library school teachers, which gives them a current understanding of LIS subject matter.¹⁸

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

The readers of The Journal of Academic Librarianship are often highly educated and are more specialized than librarians in other fields. These readers expect the journal to have specialized articles. Articles that generically or broadly discuss library science will not satisfy the needs of the reader base. Potential authors are urged to read the past issues and make themselves aware of the specialized fields in which the journal is likely to publish articles. Authors should be aware that they are writing articles for other writers and scholars. The successful submission will be insightful, original, well researched, and well written. Published articles will have a scholarly tome and must be directly written for informed readers. Articles should represent current issues in the field and be constantly aware that the library is at the center of an academic institution and must support the goals and mission of the college or university with which it is associated.

Last updated: May 14, 2017

References

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International Journal of Library Science

By Lisa Lowdermilk on March 30, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: International Journal of Library Science

ISSN: 0975-7546¹

Website: http://www.ceserp.com/cp-jour/index.php?journal=ijls&page=index

Purpose, objective, or mission: According to the publication website, the goal of the International Journal of Library Science “. . . is to publish refereed, well-written original research articles and studies that describe the latest research and developments in the area of library science and information.”²

Target audience: LIS professionals, instructors, and students.³

Publisher: CESER Publications.⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Online⁷

Content: According to the publication’s website, the journal is broad-based, covering all areas of library science, technology, information, and interdisciplinary research.⁸

Frequency of publication: Three times a year.⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.ceserp.com/cp-jour/index.php?journal=ijls&page=about&op=submissions#authorGuidelines

Types of contributions accepted: Scholarly research articles covering a wide range of areas including education for librarianship, information policy, information communication technologies, equity of access, sustainability, the Children’s Internet Protection Act, censorship, information literacy, decreased funding for established libraries, intellectual property rights, intellectual freedom, the digital divide, open access publishing, the Patriot Act, public lending rights, and current digital technologies.¹⁰

Submission and review process: The journal follows a double blinded peer review process.¹¹ Along with a manuscript submission, authors are asked to submit a cover letter including contact information, an abstract of at most 250 words, the full title and running title of the submission, and up to five keywords. Manuscripts should not exceed 6,000 words.¹²

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹³

Style guide used: No editorial style is specified, though examples of the preferred reference style are provided.¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The International Journal of Library Science provides an excellent opportunity for LIS authors desiring publication. The journal publishes in all areas of LIS, as demonstrated by its exhaustive subject list. This is particularly attractive venue for LIS authors wishing to have an international presence.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No specific circulation information is provided. The journal is available online, and expands its distribution by offering email updates on the release of new issues.¹⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: As an online journal published in English, it may be assumed that the International Journal of Library Science has an international readership.¹⁶

Reader characteristics: The journal does not provide any details on reader characteristics. The authors are LIS and education instructors, students, and professionals throughout the world, so a similar readership may be assumed. The journal appears to be content neutral and objective.¹⁷

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The readers will likely be aware of current LIS issues, technologies, and jargon.¹⁸

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

Because the International Journal of Library Science is wholly comprised of scholarly articles, potential authors should maintain a formal tone and approach. Potential LIS authors should also be mindful that this journal truly has international circulation and avoid regional jargon or bias.

Last updated: May 13, 2017

References

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Journal of Information Architecture

By Lisa Lowdermilk on March 2, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Journal of Information Architecture

ISSN: 1903-7260¹

Website: http://journalofia.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: The Journal of Information Architecture states that “its aim is to facilitate the systematic development of the scientific body of knowledge in the field of information architecture.”²

Target audience: The journal primarily targets researchers, practitioners, students, and educators in the field of information architecture.³

Publisher: The journal is published through the Research and Education Group in Information Architecture (REG-iA).⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: Computers–computer architecture, scholarly⁶

Medium: Online⁷

Content: According to the journal’s website, “The Journal’s focus is on information architecture research and development in all types of shared information environments, such as for example social networks, web sites, intranets, mobile, and Rich Internet Applications, from different perspectives, such as for example technical, cultural, social, and communicational.”⁸

Frequency of publication: Semi-annually⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://journalofia.org/cfp/.

Types of contributions accepted: According to the journal’s website, “The journal publishes original papers; original research already published by other journals, but rewritten with a clearer focus on information architecture or for the purpose of demonstrating its relevance to information architecture; systematic bibliographies and recognition works in the field of information architecture; useful case studies; students’ papers on information architecture-related projects.”¹⁰

Submission and review process: Submissions will undergo a blind, peer-reviewed process. Specific submission guidelines are currently being reviewed for publication. Check the journal’s website for current guidelines.¹¹

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹²

Style guide used: Questions about length, format, and style may be addressed to the editor.¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The Journal of Information Architecture provides an excellent forum for LIS authors interested in the information architecture field. Browsing through some of the titles, the journal does publish the traditional scholarly studies and articles, and also publishes articles which appear to be in the essay format. The journal also specifically points out that previously published work could be modified in such a way to provide “a clearer focus on information architecture or for the purpose of demonstrating relevance to information architecture.”¹⁴ This aspect could be appealing to already published authors who could re-work publications with an increased focus on information architecture. The journal’s website also provides a list of suggested topics which could be helpful in determining whether you have an interest in publication and/or whether an existing work fits within the journal’s focused areas.¹⁵

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Circulation data is not provided, but the publication is freely available online.¹⁶

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Published in English in Denmark, but the scope is international.¹⁷

Reader characteristics: The journal does not provide information about individual characteristics of the readers. However, according to the website, the journal’s focus is to create “a forum for new research and sharing of good ideas and case studies that are useful to the field’s researchers, practitioners, students, and other interested parties.”¹⁸ The audience consists of professionals, students, and educators interested in shared information environments,¹⁹ such as social networks, websites, intranets, mobile, and Rich Internet Applications.²⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: While the journal does not specifically focus on the LIS field, information architecture is prevalent within LIS. Authors should be cognizant of the likelihood that the journal’s readers may not have specific knowledge of LIS jargon. However, the audience will likely have some background in this area so technical language specific to this field need not be wholly abandoned.²¹

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

The Journal of Information Architecture is appealing to potential LIS authors due to the diversity of its audience. With the first issue having appeared in 2009, the journal may not have the name recognition of some other longer-established journals. However, the information architecture field continues to grow, and the journal provides a unique forum for this area within the LIS discipline.

Last updated: May 15, 2017

References

Show 21 footnotes

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