Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Archival Science: International Journal on Recorded Information (Title changed from Archives and Museum Informatics in 2001.)1
ISSN: 1389-01662
Purpose, objective, or mission: Promotes the development of archival science as a scientific discipline. Per their website “…this journal is the only independent, international, peer-reviewed journal on archival science, covering all aspects of theory, methodology and practice, with appropriate attention to the non-anglophone world…”3
Website: https://www.springer.com/journal/10502
Target audience: The primary audience is researchers and educators in the field of archival science; a secondary audience is other professionals interested in recorded information.4
Publisher: Springer Netherlands5
Peer reviewed? Yes6 However, the journal website provides no information on the review process.
Type: LIS scholarly7
Medium: Print and online, selected articles available open access8
Content: Articles cover all aspects of archival science theory, methodology, and practice; investigations of different cultures; comparisons of perspectives and practices worldwide; and the field of process-related information. The journal especially focuses on the comparison of procedures and techniques throughout the world, especially in non-English-speaking countries.9
Frequency of publication: Quarterly.10
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: See “Submission Guidelines” at https://www.springer.com/journal/10502/submission-guidelines
Types of contributions accepted: The publication focuses on the scientific aspects of the archival field. Articles deal with the creation, preservation and retrieval of archival information; the social, cultural and historical facets of archived information; and the theory and methodology of information generation and use.11
Submission and review process: Entire manuscripts are accepted through an online submission process.12 The site offers detailed information regarding submission guidelines and also provides a series of online tutorials to help an author prepare a manuscript for publication.13
Editorial tone: Scholarly14
Style guide used: Publication has an in-house style guide, provided in the “Instructions for Authors” tab.15
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
A review of previously published articles indicates that the majority of authors are from the LIS academic community. Archival Science is an international publication, and the authors are international as well. Faculty at U.S. institutions such as Simmons College, the University of North Carolina, and the University of Pittsburgh were represented with recent articles. There was no indication of graduate students’ work in the publication, suggesting this journal may only be an option for experienced authors from the academic community; however, the journal does offer mentoring through their online course tutorials.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: 82,140 Downloads (2018)
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This is an English-language journal published in the Netherlands. Due to its international audience, prospective authors should avoid regionalisms and ensure that any references, such as cultural and geographic terms, are clear to the reader.16
Reader characteristics: Readers are academics, well-educated within their field, and interested in promoting archival science as an autonomous scientific discipline. Interests span all aspects of archival science theory, methodology, and practice. While readers work in a variety of environments, including universities, governments, and museums, the journal is aimed at academics. Readers would likely not have an interest in LIS issues beyond those related to their work as archivists. Also, writing that focuses on local issues not applicable to another location would hold little interest for the average reader.17
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Archivists will most likely have a general understanding of how their work is related to the LIS field, but not all archivists will have an LIS degree. For example, archivists working for the United States federal government are not required to have an LIS degree.18
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
Authors interested in writing for this publication need to be secure in their knowledge and reputation in the archival profession, as the readers expect articles that are thought provoking and will add to their knowledge of the field.
Last updated: February 28, 2020
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