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
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