Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: DttP: Documents to the People
ISSN: 2688-125X1
Website: https://journals.ala.org/index.php/dttp
Purpose, objective, or mission: DttP: Documents to the People is the official publication of the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) of the American Library Association (ALA). This publication disseminates information to ALA and GODORT members about government information and activities on a local, state, national, and international level, and provides information on the professional activities of GODORT.2
Target audience: ALA and GODORT members as well as individuals interested in the global and national environments, and government information and activities.3
Publisher: American Library Association.4
Peer reviewed? No.5
Type: LIS professional news magazine.6
Medium: Online 7
Content: From their site, they publish articles on government information and government activities at local, state, national, and international, and intergovernmental levels, and documents the professional activities of GODORT.8
Frequency of publication: Quarterly.9
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: https://journals.ala.org/index.php/dttp/about/submissions#authorGuidelines10
Types of contributions accepted: Accepts full-length articles (prefer 1,500-3,000 words in length), news items, letters, and other information intended for publication encompassing subjects within DttP‘s scope. Of particular interest for LIS students will be Student Paper Submissions11
Submission and review process: Manuscripts are submitted via email to the Co-Lead Editors at dttp.editor@gmail.com, and reviewed for acceptance by editorial staff. Email attachments preferred, in MS Word.12
Editorial tone: The Instructions for Authors ask for articles written in a “grammatically correct, simple, readable style.”13
Style guide used: Chicago Manual of Style11
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
Within the scope of this publication’s focus, there is considerable potential for LIS authors interested in writing to increase their visibility. While this publication is not peer-reviewed they offer informative works covering a variety of topics. While it may seem that government documents are a narrow field with a limited audience, check out the archived issues for interesting article topics that might be surprising.15
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Online worldwide
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Because DttP covers local, state, national, and international government information, it is safe to assume that a majority of its subscribers are U.S. LIS professionals but since it’s available online, anyone could access the publication. Although most articles deal with issues within the LIS field, they are written in English using language that is comprehensible to the layperson, informal, and straightforward.16
Reader characteristics: GODORT does not have any demographic information specified on their circulation information but, because they stress the subject scope of DttP, we might assume that most subscribers are LIS professionals within a law library or government setting and also include LIS students and laypersons interested in government records. The majority of DttP readers are ALA/GODORT members and are likely to be LIS professionals. According to the ALA website, GODORT works to “provide a nexus for initiating and supporting programs to increase the availability, use and bibliographic control of documents.”17
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Because most readers are most likely ALA/GODORT members, the DttP audience will be knowledgeable about general LIS issues and topics. They would be especially familiar with subject matters that involve government information use and dissemination, as well as national efforts to restrict as well as to promote access to these types of information.18
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
A majority of the readers of DttP are GODORT members that are documents librarians or interested in local, state, national, and international government information, however, this publication is also available to non-GODORT or ALA members and, because it is a trade and not a scholarly publication, it is also made accessible to non-LIS professionals. Authors who want to contribute to the journal should opt for an informal yet informative tone and avoid discussing specialized LIS issues that the layperson would not immediately understand, such as bibliographic organization. Although it does pay attention to LIS issues, the primary focus of the journal is on documenting government information and the professional activities of GODORT.19
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