Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy
ISSN: 2474-7459 1
Purpose, objective, or mission: The Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy is the official journal of the American Library Associations’s Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF).2 It seeks to be at the center of all library related discussions on intellectual freedom and privacy issues.3
Website: https://journals.ala.org/index.php/jifp/index
Target audience: The primary audience for this publication are librarians, scholars, and researchers. However, given the nature of the content, it is likely that a wider audience of professionals, for example, those who work in education, technology, or other cultural institutes, will find the topics posed in this journal to be of interest and use.
Publisher: American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 606114
Peer reviewed? This publication welcomes both peer reviewed (research/feature) articles and non-peer reviewed (commentary) articles.5
Type: LIS scholarly journal.
Medium: Online.6
Content: The Journal of Intellectual Freedom & Privacy (JIFP) replaces and expands on ALA’s Newletter on Intellectual Freedom (NIF) which was published from 1952 to 2015. As a reincarnation of the newsletter, it continues to cover book banning, legal controversies, and success stories in addition to its newer content, such as refereed essays, peer reviewed articles, book reviews, and opinion pieces.7
Frequency of publication: Quarterly (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)8
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: https://journals.ala.org/index.php/jifp/about/submissions
Types of contributions accepted: “The Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy welcomes submissions related to intellectual freedom and privacy, both in libraries and in the wider world.”9 According to their website, submissions can include:
Research articles/Features: These are original research articles submitted for peer review. Submissions should be 4,000-8,000 words and anonymized for double-blind peer review.
In addition to research articles there are also vast options for those who want to submit non-peer reviewed material which will be reviewed by the editorial staff. These include:
Commentaries: Shorter essays, think pieces, or general commentary on topical issues, controversies and emerging questions for the field. Non-peer reviewed articles and essays discussing or describing policies, practices, projects, law, and scholarship related to intellectual freedom and privacy. Personal accounts of censorship and intellectual freedom challenges. Opinion pieces and essays on current and topical issues. Commentaries are typically 500-1000 words.
Book Reviews: Reviews of recent books or publications relevant to the field. Reviews should be 800-1000 words.
Please note, per the journals guidelines, word count must include references.10
Submission and review process: Queries can be sent to Managing Editor Deborah Caldwell-Stone (dstone@ala.org) or Editor Shannon Oltmann (shannon.oltmann@uky.edu).11
Editorial tone: Peer-reviewed feature articles are expected to be scholarly, while commentaries, book reviews, and news items might take on a more conversational tone as long as their content is well researched and arguments are well supported.
Style guide used: Chicago Manual of Style is required for all submission formats.12
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
The Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy provides much potential to LIS authors. Since this journal publishes both peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed articles, professionals with diverse backgrounds and various publishing goals will find this a suitable journal to submit to. Intellectual freedom and privacy are some of the core principles libraries are built on, therefore, librarians of all areas are likely to have much to contribute to this publication. As a fairly recent publication, The Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy is actively seeking submissions and enjoys working with new authors. This is an excellent opportunity for LIS professionals to gain publishing credentials and be published in a scholarly journal.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Circulation statistics are not available for this publication, however, as a journal of the American Library Association, it can be assumed that a large portion of its 58,000 members are potential readers.13
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This publication is international in scope and published in English.14
Reader characteristics: The majority of readers of this publication are likely librarians, scholars, researchers, and other LIS professionals interested in intellectual freedom, privacy, and related topics. Additionally, since intellectual freedom and privacy are topics that interest a diverse audience, readers are also likely to be professionals in other sectors such as business, technology, and education.
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: As a scholarly journal of the American Library Association, strong knowledge of LIS subject matter can be assumed by readers coming from an LIS background. However, since this publication is likely to engage a wider audience, and also publishes non-research based articles, it might be best to also assume some readers will not be as familiar with library jargon and to keep it to a minimum or provide additional clarification.
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
The Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy’s readers will be eager and open to learning about the most recent research and concerns regarding intellectual freedom and privacy, both in libraries and around the world. Readers are educated professionals and advocates of libraries and their core principles.
Last updated: 11/14/2018
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