Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Library & Information Science Research
ISSN: 0740-81881
Website: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620211/description#description
Purpose, objective, or mission: Per its website, the journal “focuses on the research process in library and information science as well as research findings and, where applicable, their practical applications and significance.”2
Publisher: Pergamon Press.3
Peer reviewed? Yes.4
Type: LIS scholarly.5
Medium: Print and online.6
Content: Sample research topics include literacy instruction, emotional design application, ethical data sharing, accessibility of libraries, etc.7
Frequency of publication: Quarterly.8
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620211/authorinstructions
Types of contributions accepted: “The journal welcomes full-length manuscripts, research agenda, and reviews. Regular, full-length manuscripts must be of 5000-6000 words in length. Research agenda should be 3000-6000 words in length depending on research topic.”9
Submission and review process: As is standard, the journal only accepts unpublished works which haven’t been submitted elsewhere. Manuscripts are submitted at the following link: https://www.evise.com/profile/#/LIBINF/login, which requires users to create an account through EVISE or Elsevier. As for the review process, manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review conducted by two or more expert reviewers.10
Editorial tone: Scholarly.11
Style guide used: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.12
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
LISR is one of only a handful of journals devoted to the scientific aspect of library and information science. Its long history, distinguished editorial board, and rigorous standards make it a prestigious outlet for LIS authors who are seeking tenure or trying to establish a reputation as researchers. Scholars or practitioners who have undertaken serious research projects and wish to share their methodology and findings with peers in their field should consider this publication.
Note: A substantial knowledge of both a specific subject and the LIS field in general are prerequisites for submitting to this publication.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Circulation information are not available.
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: LISR is an English-language publication and is published in the United Kingdom.13 Thus, authors can assume that readers of this publication are comfortable communicating in English. However, given the journal’s global coverage, authors should be careful not to use regionalisms or make cultural references that international readers might not understand.14
Reader characteristics: No information on reader characteristics for this publication is available. However, given the scholarly nature of this journal, it is reasonable to assume that demographic information for the readers of LISR would closely resemble that of librarians working for the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). According to ARL’s Annual Salary Survey for 2012/2013, 63% of the librarians working for ARL libraries are female, while the remaining 37% are male. As for experience, 26% of these libraries (of both genders) have less than eight years of experience, 35% have nine to 20 years of experience, and the remaining 39% have more than 20 years of experience.15 Additionally, it is reasonable to assume that the majority of people who read LISR are librarians working in an academic environment. Readers likely have a favorable opinion of work that is based on quantifiable evidence.16
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The majority of readers are likely to have substantial knowledge of LIS subject matter, specifically issues relating to academic libraries.17
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
Assuming a large amount of overlap between the demographics of the readership of LISR and the librarians employed by ARL libraries, this journal is read by experienced librarians working in academic libraries who expect well-documented research. Thus, authors should be careful to explain not only their conclusions, but also their methodology.
Last updated: March 2, 2018
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