Online Searcher

Publication analysis


About the publication

Title: Online Searcher: Information Discovery, Technology, Strategies  

ISSN: 2324-96841

Website: http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Online Searcher is the definitive voice for information professionals in academic, corporate, government, law, medical, public library, knowledge management, web development, and freelance environments.”2

Target audience: “Online Searcher is the go-to publication for dedicated web researchers, database professionals, librarians in academic, corporate, public, and government work settings, and purchasers/licensees of information resources.”3

Publisher: Information Today, Inc.4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS professional or trade publication6

Medium: Print and online.7

Content: “Online Searcher provides subscribers with the information they need to:

  • Effectively manage online research projects
  • Conduct successful internet and database searches
  • Determine the utility of new technologies
  • Build innovative services within their organizations
  • Assess the worth of new and changed resources
  • Discover trends affecting information professionals
  • Strategize services to boost the value of information departments and libraries”8

Frequency of publication: Six times per year.9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.infotoday.com/OnlineSearcher/Author-Guidelines.shtml

Types of contributions accepted: “Online Searcher covers the entire range of electronic information topics, including industry trends; new products and technologies; professional, business and consumer online services; the internet; enterprise-wide information management; practical search and information management techniques; information professional roles and responsibilities, electronic content; quality issues; web design from an information professional perspective; enterprise search; intranet creation and promotion; and search engines.”10

Submission and review process: Contact the editor with your proposal. “If you’d like to write for Online Searcher, please contact me (Marydee Ojala) to discuss an idea. I’d also be happy to review an outline or draft proposal. Author Guidelines are provided hereMarydee Ojala Online Searcher • P.O. 78225 • Indianapolis, IN 46278 • 317-876-8100 • Fax: 317-876-8300 marydee@xmission.com11

Editorial tone: Per the Author Guidelines, “Write in simple, straightforward English. Short, pithy, fact-filled articles are much better than long, wordy pieces. Write tersely, in popular magazine-style, not in verbose, academic prose.”12

Style guide used: See the Author Guidelines for specific information.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Online Searcher is widely read by library and information science professionals, guaranteeing authors a substantial amount of exposure. There are numerous publication opportunities for LIS authors, as this journal touches on a diverse assortment of topics from book/product reviews, conference coverage, and technologies such as website design and user experience. Most information professionals will be able to find an appropriate angle to pitch to this publication.

 

Audience analysis


About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: “The Information Today, Inc. website is now averaging more than 50,000 visitors each month.”13

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This publication is printed in English out of Medford, New Jersey. There is no audience location data readily available, but it should be assumed that the majority of its readership resides in North America.14

Reader characteristics: Most of this publication’s readership consists of working information professionals. Readers of Online Searcher (along with readers of its sister publications, Information Today and Computers in Libraries) are:

› 14% Information Professionals
› 27% Academic Librarians
› 24% Special Librarians
› 10% Government Librarians
› 21% Public Librarians
› 4% Other.15

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: This readership will have a solid knowledge of LIS subject matter, but as this is not a scholarly publication, academic jargon should be left out.12

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

Since much of the audience for this publication are information professionals, this is a great opportunity to turn practical experience and knowledge into an article that will reach an engaged and informed readership. Readers will, however, prefer concise, magazine-style writing that makes clear and fast points. As over 70% of its readers are librarians, this publication is a great opportunity to connect to one’s peers and showcase relevant information that others in the profession will benefit from.

Last updated: October 30, 2018


References

Show 16 footnotes

  1. “Online Searcher,” OCLC WorldCat, accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.worldcat.org/title/online-searcher/oclc/812038505
  2. “Online Searcher,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/
  3. “Online Searcher,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/
  4. “Online Searcher,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/
  5. “Author Guidelines,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/OnlineSearcher/Author-Guidelines.shtml
  6. “Online Searcher,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/
  7. “Online Searcher,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/
  8. “Online Searcher,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/
  9. “Online Searcher,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/
  10. “Author Guidelines,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/OnlineSearcher/Author-Guidelines.shtml
  11. “Author Guidelines,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/OnlineSearcher/Author-Guidelines.shtml
  12. “Author Guidelines,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/OnlineSearcher/Author-Guidelines.shtml
  13. “Media Kit,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/advert/2019/2019-ITI-Combined-Media-Kit.pdf
  14. “Online Searcher,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/onlinesearcher/
  15. “Media Kit,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/advert/2019/2019-ITI-Combined-Media-Kit.pdf
  16. “Author Guidelines,” Information Today, Inc., accessed April 10, 2020, http://www.infotoday.com/OnlineSearcher/Author-Guidelines.shtml
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