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LISNews

By on June 29, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: LISNews

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://www.lisnews.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “LISNews is a collaborative weblog devoted to current events and news in the world of library and information science.”1

Target audience: LIS professionals and anyone interested in reading about library and information science news.2

Publisher: Blake Carver, MLS.3

Peer reviewed? No.4

Type: LIS professional news and forum.5

Medium: Online.6

Content: The content on LISnews varies from day to day and includes newspaper articles from the United States and other English-speaking countries, editorials, interviews, book reviews, and original writings. Glancing at the most recent postings reveals excerpts and links from LIS-related articles in popular publications and organizations. Activity on the site has slowed down significantly in recent years, but new blog posts are added about once a week by the blog’s owner. Some articles do not speak anyone’s interest; other postings can generate heated, but civilized discussion for several days.7

Frequency of publication: According to the blog owner, content is updated “frequently, usually 7 days a week.”8 However, recent activity suggests a pattern of updating slightly more than once per week.9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: There are no guidelines as this is an informal forum for open discussion. The author attempts to maintain accuracy and fairness in postings and gently hints that others do the same.10

Types of contributions accepted: Articles, editorials, original work; anything of interest to a LIS audience.11

Submission and review process: Submissions can be sent to the ”submit suggestion” link on the website. Contributions remain the property of the author and can be removed from the website any time by request. There is no review process other than the publication of that which interests a majority of readers. The author does caution that anything that “causes trouble” will be deleted.12

Editorial tone: Informal blog that accepts any writings about LIS news. Authors are free to post and opine on the blog regarding any previously published works. The publisher does, however, “reserve the right to remove any work at any time for any reason.”13

Style guide used: None.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

LISNews does not provide any scholarly writing opportunities, but does offer an almost daily opportunity for new writers to post their work and ideas on any library topic. The blog offers a nice opportunity to get one’s feet wet in the world of LIS writing but not much else. This may be good venue to find the pulse of library and information science news, to find out what others are talking about, what is of interest to other LIS professionals, and what LIS topics are making headlines in mainstream publications.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: There is no circulation information available. However, readership is not necessarily restricted to the activity on the site, as the blog is also be delivered via an email subscription list.14

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The publisher is in New York, and it is claimed that there is some international reach.15 American English is the standard for communication as the focus is on North American information science and news. Newspaper articles posted here are from all over the country, Canada, and the UK.16

Reader characteristics: A majority of the readers are librarians of every specialty; however, the publisher does not ask any specific information. The readers are likely to have similar types of workplaces, as the majority of most recent posts focus on public or academic librarianship.17 Readers, as librarians, tend to be open to new information, are willing to express their opinion online, and listen to what others have to say. The editor will post anything of value related to library issues but will remove anything that causes too much discord.18

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Since this is an audience of mostly librarians (as determined by the editor)19, there is a great deal of LIS knowledge. Information is gathered from many sources for contributions to LISNews. Some posted articles are highly technical, while others are newspaper articles free of any jargon.20

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

This is a resource for librarians to contribute information on anything related to library and information science from the conventional to the bizarre.21 Some articles are very technical and directed toward librarians with a specialization and a knowledge of library jargon and acronyms. Other articles are of a general nature that are of interest to not only librarians, but a general audience as well. Authors are welcome to contribute on any library related topic. Since there are few productive authors relative to prior years, there is opportunity for authors to stand out and be heard by posting frequently. 22 This is an informal and engaged audience of librarians that will be interested in anything that writers have to post.

Last updated: June 29, 2019

References

Show 22 footnotes

  1. Carver, B., “About LISNews,” accessed June 29, 2019, http://www.lisnews.org/about_lisnews ↩
  2. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  3. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  4. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  5. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  6. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  7. Carver, B., “Recent Posts,” accessed June 29, 2019, http://www.lisnews.org/supertracker ↩
  8. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  9. Carver, B., “Recent Posts.” ↩
  10. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  11. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  12.  Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  13. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  14. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  15. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  16. Carver, B., “Recent Posts.” ↩
  17. Carver, B. “Recent Posts.” ↩
  18. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  19. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  20. Carver, B., “Recent Posts.” ↩
  21. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  22. Carver, B., “Recent Posts.” ↩
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Journal of New Librarianship

By on April 16, 2018 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Journal of New Librarianship

ISSN: 2471-3880

Website: http://newlibs.org

Purpose, objective, or mission: The Journal of New Librarianship editors acknowledge the “need to offer quality literature in our field in an open, independently produced journal. Beyond that, we believe that the library is meant to set an example for academia. Free and open access to information and innovation is crucial to the future of our institutions and profession. By providing an outlet that mixes both traditional and disruptive forms of scholarly and professional communication, we can change the way our profession shares and leads.”1

Target audience: The Journal of New Librarianship aims to reach all library and information science (LIS) professionals, practitioners, scholars, teachers, and graduate students, as well as those who are interested in the LIS field.

Publisher: The journal is “independently produced.” It uses the Scholastic academic journal management system.2

Peer reviewed? Yes, blind review. The journal publishes peer-reviewed articles and other content that is not peer-reviewed.3

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Online, open access.

Content: The Journal of New Librarianship is a new journal, first published in 2016. The journal publishes peer-reviewed articles, essays, editorials, book reviews, and columns4 on all topics in the field of LIS and seeks both “traditional and disruptive” forms of communication.5  The Columns section publishes “short pieces on topics of timely interest to information professionals covering innovations and issues for the next generation of librarians.”6

Frequency of publication: Articles are published on a rolling basis on the website; these are collected into two issues each year.7

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: For Authors.

Types of contributions accepted: “Submissions may include, but are not limited to: Solicited articles; Scholarly Articles; Essays; Experience and opinion pieces; Media (i.e., podcasts, video, etc) relevant to innovative practices in librarianship; Book reviews; Technology reviews; Letters to the Editor on topics relevant to the field; Data sets; Manifestos; Extended scholarship (Greater than 15,000 words); and Interviews.”8 “We want lengthy treatises on intersectionality and library practice just as much as we want data analysis and recorded interviews with people doing awesome teen programming or video projects on the transformation of a library’s physical space and the perceived impact. All aspects of librarianship – by any name – are within the intended scope of the journal.”9

Submission and review process: Authors are asked to submit their articles stripped of identifying information so they are ready for peer review. They ask for a cover letter that explains “the origin of the project, whether it has been presented and if so where, and affirmation of its originality, veracity, and the author’s right to include all submitted material, data, and media.” Further, the cover letter should explain if the article has time constraints, for example, if it should be published immediately or during a particular conference. Finally, during the online submission process, authors are asked to list potential peer reviewers who are appropriate or those who should be avoided, and these suggestions should be explained in the cover letter. The editors ask authors to contact them with “preliminary pitches,” and they “encourage ideas for content in any and all forms.”10

Editorial tone: The editors encourage “submissions that we have no idea how to categorize,” so the tone should be appropriate to the piece: scholarly, conversational, casual, experimental, and so on.11

Style guide used: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition).12

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The Journal of New Librarianship is an interesting, high-quality, experimental journal that aims to set an example in academia for free and open access to information, scholarship, and ideas.13 This is a great publication for LIS authors who want to publish traditional academic scholarship or who have novel explorations in theory or practice, timely observations, or experimental pieces, including multimedia, to contribute. LIS graduate students are encouraged to submit work and to volunteer as a part of the journal’s editorial team.14 This is an exciting new journal that is breaking new ground in the discipline’s publishing practices.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Data are not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This is an open-access journal that is produced in the United States. Editorial board members are from U.S. universities and libraries.15 The journal welcomes non-English-language content and will provide translation assistance.16

Reader characteristics: Readers are librarians in all types of libraries and institutions and LIS professionals, scholars, and students.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers’ will have both an academic and practical knowledge and understanding of LIS subject matter.

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

Readers are members of the LIS community who are looking for novel, interesting, relevant, timely, and experimental work in the LIS field. The editors, and presumably the readers, “share a steadfast commitment to recognizing and discussing intersectionality –how social categories like race, class, and gender create overlapping and situational systems of discrimination and privilege.”17 Readers of this journal look for innovative models and practices in libraries and in LIS scholarship.

Last updated: April 16, 2018

References

Show 17 footnotes

  1. “About the Journal,” Journal of New Librarianship, accessed April 16, 2018, http://www.newlibs.org/about. ↩
  2. “About the Journal.” ↩
  3. “For Authors,” Journal of New Librarianship, accessed April 16, 2018, http://www.newlibs.org/for-authors. ↩
  4. “Issues,” Journal of New Librarianship, accessed April 16, 2018, http://www.newlibs.org/issues. ↩
  5. “About the Journal.” ↩
  6. Stephen P. Weiter, “Editor’s Note: We Proudly Offer You the Third Issue of the Journal of New Librarianship, Journal of New Librarianship 2, no. 2 (2017): 100, http://dx.doi.org/10.21173/newlibs/3/1. ↩
  7. Weiter, “Editor’s Note: We Proudly Offer You the Third Issue,” 100. ↩
  8. “For Authors.” ↩
  9.  “Policies & FAQS,” Journal of New Librarianship Blog, December 29, 2016, http://www.newlibs.org/post/55. ↩
  10. “For Authors.” ↩
  11. “Policies & FAQS.” ↩
  12. “For Authors.” ↩
  13. Stephen P. Weiter, “Editor’s Note: Welcome to the Journal of New Librarianship” Journal of New Librarianship 1, no. 1 (2016): 1, http://dx.doi.org/10.21173/newlibs/2016/1/weiter.1. ↩
  14. “Policies & FAQS.” ↩
  15. “Editorial Board,” Journal of New Librarianship, accessed April 16, 2018, http://www.newlibs.org/editorial-board. ↩
  16. “For Authors.” ↩
  17. “Policies & FAQs.” ↩
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Medium

By on April 4, 2018 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Medium

ISSN: N/A

Website: https://medium.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Our sole purpose is to help you find compelling ideas, knowledge, and perspectives. We don’t serve ads—we serve you, the curious reader who loves to learn new things. Medium is home to thousands of independent voices, and we combine humans and technology to find the best reading for you—and filter out the rest.” 1

“Medium is a publishing platform where people can read important, insightful stories on the topics that matter most to them and share ideas with the world.”2

Target audience: Inquiring minds on the web. Medium publishes content across a vast array of topics to interest all sorts of readers.

Publisher: A Medium Corporation.

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian publication.

Medium: Online.

Content: Articles of varying lengths.

Frequency of publication: Daily.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Medium’s Write a Post page has information on posting, editing, importing articles and directs authors to information on creating an account.

Types of contributions accepted: Articles on a plethora of topics, grouped into broad categories such as Technology, Culture, Entrepreneurship, Creativity and more. Anyone and everyone can post articles, granted they create an account on the website.

Submission and review process: Medium’s Curation Guidelines: everything writers need to know is a section that discusses the writing standards and rules, as well as the curation process.

“When publishing a story on Medium, you can choose to make it eligible for curator review and distribution behind Medium’s paywall.What does it mean to be curated? When a story is curated, it becomes eligible to be distributed to readers across Medium surfaces — on the homepage, on topic pages, in our app, in our Daily Digest newsletter, and in other emails — and shared via Medium’s recommendation system.” 3

“Curators are looking for thoughtful, clearly written pieces that tell a compelling story, convey an interesting idea, or share a smart point of view. Curators will not distribute misinformation, stories with clickbait headlines, stories that are primarily marketing a product or service, or stories with excessive typos and errors.” 4

Editorial tone: Professional, yet casual.

Style guide used: No style guide is specified, Medium’s Curation Guidelines provides the rules and standards that should be followed.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

See “Medium for Nonprofits, Explained” for suggestions. See also the SJSU iSchool’s Medium site. And you can search Medium for “libraries” and “librarians” to find lots of examples from other sources.

Given the sheer number of daily users on Medium, it could be a great place to submit writing, especially if you have never been published before. However, there are plenty of articles out there about how it can be difficult to get your work seen since there are so many postings per day, as well as how you can increase your viewer traffic.

The following articles may be helpful for those interested in posting on Medium:

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Anyone can read articles for free, but monthly subscribers get access to more content and curated collections. “Become a Medium member for $5/month or $50/year and get unlimited access to the smartest writers and biggest ideas you won’t find anywhere else.” 5

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Published in English, but read worldwide. The majority of readers are in the United States.6

Reader characteristics: According to statistics, the majority of Medium’s readers are college educated.7 The sheer amount of topics covered and the breadth of articles published shows that Medium readers are curious information seekers who have many interests.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Varied. There are certainly articles written by LIS professionals, but they are often geared towards the general public. Examples: Three Lessons I’ve Learned About People from Being a Librarian and Google’s Slow Fade with librarians.

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

Medium is a unique platform for writers in many ways, but its ‘clapping’ feature allows for readers to respond to articles, and in turn directly shows authors how widely read their work is. It can be difficult to increase readership across Medium, but there are plenty of third party websites that give you tips and tricks to improve visibility.

Last updated: September 6, 2020

References

Show 7 footnotes

  1. Medium.com, accessed September 6, 2020, https://medium.com/ ↩
  2. “What is Medium?” Medium.com, accessed September 6, 2020, https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/225168028-What-is-Medium- ↩
  3. “Curation Guidelines”, Medium.com, Accessed September 6, 2020, https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006362473-Medium-s-Curation-Guidelines-everything-writers-need-to-know ↩
  4. “About Medium’s Distribution System”, Medium.com, Accessed September 6, 2020, https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018677974-About-Medium-s-distribution-system ↩
  5. “Membership,” Medium.com, accessed April 2, 2018, https://medium.com/membership ↩
  6. “Medium.com Traffic Statistics,” Alexa.com, accessed September 6, 2020, https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/medium.com ↩
  7. “Medium.com Traffic Statistics.” ↩
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No Shelf Required

By on March 2, 2018 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: No Shelf Required

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://www.noshelfrequired.com

Purpose, objective, or mission: NSR started as a blog run by Sue Polanka, an academic librarian at Wright State University. For librarians from all fields, it quickly became a go-to source for new information on ebooks in libraries–a burgeoning concept at the time. Sue and the current editor, Mirela Roncevic, joined forces on all sorts of writing endeavors and the blog eventually grew into its own site with regular columnists and contributors from all over the world.1

From NSR’s About page: “In 2016, NSR expanded its mission to inspire professionals inside the book industry to do more with ebooks and econtent and embarked on groundbreaking projects that challenge what we think is possible with ebooks.”2

Target audience: Publishers, writers, editors, LIS students and professionals.3

Publisher: Currently, NSR’s editor is Mirela Roncevic.4

Peer reviewed? Unknown.

Type: Civilian publication.

Medium: Online.

Content: “What once was a blog ‘housed’ at Wright State University in Ohio is now and portal covering ebook and econtent views and news not just in the United States but around the world and serving as a repository of not just press releases related to the evolution of book and content in digital format but also opinion pieces by industry insiders, and promotion and celebration of global initiatives raising awareness of the benefits of ebooks and digital literacy inside and beyond the confines of institutions of learning. 5

Features articles on all sorts of topics–academic libraries, apps, ebook readers, piracy and many more. They have recently expanded to include reviews and opinion pieces from writers in all areas of digital content.6

Frequency of publication: Several new articles and posts a week.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.noshelfrequired.com/about/

Types of contributions accepted: Reviews and opinion pieces, news posts.7

Submission and review process: Send proposals to Editorial Director, Mirela Roncevic at mirelaronevic@gmail.com. Review process unknown.

Editorial tone: Professional, but casual.

Style guide used: Unknown.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Given the breadth of information and the scope of topics that are covered, NSR could be a great fit for all sorts of LIS authors. Published pieces are written “by industry insiders of all walks of life: writers, editors, librarians, educators, publishers, vendors, independent authors, and tech entrepreneurs, to name a few. Some creatively draw our attention to the issues, while others offer perspectives on what various statistics tell us about the state of the larger book industry.”8

Authors covering topics regarding ebooks and the digital or technological aspects of the LIS fields may particularly be interested in looking more into NSR.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Readers and writers are primarily in the United States, though they feature contributors from all over the world.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Though NSR began as a blog out of Wright State University in Ohio, its audience is found all over North America, with an additional global presence. Articles are published in English, but the website offers Google translation on all pages.9

Reader characteristics: NSR readers are students and professionals in many different areas–LIS, publishing, education and more.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Many readers of NSR may have a library science background, but given the wide range of readers and topics covered, LIS jargon should be avoided.

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

NSR strives to publish the latest news and information on the ever growing fields of ebooks and epublishing. Readers interested in these fields are advocates for improving technology and tech usage in the LIS fields and beyond. NSR has a fantastic, comprehensive list of articles and essays related to emerging trends and issues in the ebook/epublishing fields for researchers and inquiring minds. To see if their work would be a good fit, potential authors should check out Learn with NSR to read some the latest publishings.

Last updated: September 1, 2020

References

Show 9 footnotes

  1. “About,” NoShelfRequired.com, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.noshelfrequired.com/about/ ↩
  2. “About” ↩
  3. “Home,” NoShelfRequired.com, accessed February 28, 2018, http://www.noshelfrequired.com/ ↩
  4. “About” ↩
  5. “About” ↩
  6. “About” ↩
  7. “About” ↩
  8. “About” ↩
  9. “About” ↩
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Progressive Librarian

By on February 7, 2018 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Progressive Librarian: A Journal for Critical Studies and Progressive Politics in Librarianship

ISSN: 1052-5726 (print), 1052-5722 (online)

Website: http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL_Jnl/jnl_contents.shtml

Purpose, objective, or mission: Progressive Librarian “is a forum for critical perspectives in Library and Information Science (LIS), featuring articles, book reviews, bibliographies, reports, and documents that explore progressive perspectives on librarianship and information issues.”1

Target audience: Librarians and LIS professionals interested in progressive “discourse and action on library issues.” Progressive Librarians Guild (PLG) members receive a subscription, or individuals can subscribe without joining the guild.2

Publisher: Progressive Librarians Guild.3

Peer reviewed? Yes, by the editorial board.4

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Print and online. Full text of complete issues and individual articles are available online.5

Content: Progressive Librarian publishes “articles, book reviews, bibliographies, reports, and documents that explore progressive perspectives on librarianship and information issues.”6 Articles cover topics such as sexual violence, social justice, sustainability, youth empowerment, intellectual freedom, international activism, and a wide variety of progressive critiques and analyses of national and international LIS issues.

Frequency of publication:  Two times a year.7

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Submissions.

Types of contributions accepted: A Call for Papers for future issues of Progressive Librarian asks for “articles, book reviews, bibliographies, reports, documents, artwork and poetry that explore progressive perspectives on librarianship and information issues.”8

Submission and review process: All manuscripts submitted to Progressive Librarian are reviewed by each member of the editorial board. Manuscripts outside the expertise of board members are sent to outside reviewers for comment and evaluation. The journal also welcomes prints and digital images. The editors reserve the right to edit all submissions before publication. For book reviews, please contact the book review editor.9

Editorial tone: The articles are innovative and present alternative views to those of other LIS publications. The style of writing is creative and individualistic while still being academic.

Style guide used: Authors may use their preferred citation style “for in-text (parenthetical) citations, footnotes, and endnotes, as well as a bibliography (Chicago Manual of Style & Turabian), works cited (MLA), and references (APA & Harvard) sections.” The citation style has to be used consistently throughout the manuscript.10

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Progressive Librarian is a innovative and welcoming journal for LIS authors who write about any issue related to progressive librarianship or the relationship of library and information science to issues of social justice and responsibility. Articles are international in scope and are often focused on current events and actions. LIS professionals and students may submit artwork and poetry, as well as documents, reports, and bibliographies, on progressive issues.

Prospective authors should read the editorial in issue 45 for an understanding of the journal’s philosophy and perspective,11 as well as the Progressive Librarians Guild Statement of Purpose.12

For LIS graduate students, each year the PLG awards the Miriam Braverman Memorial Prize “for the best paper about some aspect of the social responsibilities of librarians, libraries, or librarianship. Papers related to archivists, archives, and archival work are also eligible.” The winning paper is published in an issue of Progressive Librarian, and the winner receives a $500 stipend toward travel costs to the American Library Association’s Annual Conference, where the award is presented.13

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Data not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal as an international readership. Most subscribers are based in the United States, although there are a large number in Canada and others on every continent except for Antarctica.14 As with any scholarly writing, avoid colloquialisms and explain any regional or subject-specific terms.

Reader characteristics: According to Elaine Harger, the managing editor, they encompass both genders and range widely in age.15 The readership is made up of librarians, librarian graduate students, and library school faculty working in public or academic libraries. Readers are likely interested in activism and the struggle for social justice and in how politics informs LIS practices.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: While readers are probably LIS students, professionals, or scholars, they may work in widely different areas within the profession. Assume readers have an understanding of broad LIS concepts. Readers probably know about news and events in the LIS world, and about national and international politics and current events, but explain any subject-specific jargon, issues, or events others may not be familiar with.

 

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

Broadly speaking, the readers of Progressive Librarian are LIS professionals, scholars, and students who consider themselves socially and politically progressive and who bring their passion for social justice and action to their work in various library and information settings. PLG works against the current idea that “the library is merely a neutral institutional mediator in the information marketplace and a facilitator of a value-neutral information society of atomized information consumers.” Rather,  a “progressive librarianship demands the recognition of the idea that libraries for the people has been one of the principal anchors of an extended free public sphere which makes an independent democratic civil society possible, something which must be defended and extended.”16

 

Last updated: February 27, 2018

References

Show 16 footnotes

  1. “About,” progressivelibrariansguild.org, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL_Jnl/jnl_about.shtml. ↩
  2. “Subscription,” progressivelibrariansguild.org, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL_Jnl/jnl_subscribe.shtml. ↩
  3. “About.” ↩
  4. “Submissions,” progressivelibrariansguild.org, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL_Jnl/jnl_submit.shtml. ↩
  5. “Archive,” progressivelibrariansguild.org, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL_Jnl/jnl_contents.shtml. ↩
  6. “Submissions.” ↩
  7. “About.” ↩
  8. “Call for Papers,” Progressive Librarian 45 (winter 2016/2017): verso, http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL/PL45.pdf. ↩
  9. “Submissions.” ↩
  10. “Submissions.” ↩
  11. Elaine Harger, “Editorial: Why PLG? Why Paper? Why Bridge Generations?” Progressive Librarian 45 (winter 2016/2017),  http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL/PL45/003.pdf. ↩
  12. “Statement of Purpose,” progressivelibrariansguild.org, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/content/purpose.shtml. ↩
  13. “The Braverman Award,” progressivelibrariansguild.org, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/content/award.shtml. ↩
  14. Elaine Harger, personal communication, 2008. ↩
  15. Elaine Harger, personal communication, 2008. ↩
  16. “PLG’s History,” progressivelibrariansguild.org, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/content/history.shtml. ↩
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HuffPost

By on April 28, 2013 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: HuffPost (formerly called Huffington Post)

ISSN: N/A

Website: https://www.huffpost.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “At HuffPost, we report with empathy and put people at the heart of every story. We take a people-first approach in everything we report—be it news and politics or lifestyle and entertainment—and we cover real stories about real life. Regardless of who you are, where you live or what you believe, you can count on HuffPost to help you navigate what’s happening in the world and how it affects you. We consider the needs, passions and curiosity of our readers in all of our journalism. If something matters to our readers, it matters to us.”1

In 2012, HuffPost won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on wounded veterans”.2

Target audience: A politically-engaged audience seeking the latest news in entertainment, politics, and world affairs.

Publisher: Verizon Media.3

Peer reviewed? No. Most articles posted on the site are in the form of blog posts.

Type: Civilian publication; online news site.

Medium: Online.

Content: A roundup of political, entertainment, and news from around the globe.

Of special interest to LIS writers, there’s a Books section under Entertainment, featuring articles and reviews by various bloggers, and the Libraries section featuring library-related news and articles. In 2012 a section titled Libraries in Crisis was created to examine the role of libraries in today’s society. The section’s first series was titled The Death Of The Public Library?, and it has been somewhat controversial among LIS professionals, with a Hack Library School post noting, “I understand that stories of library closures are much sexier than the latest controversies with Overdrive, but if we want to see the libraries as a national tradition continue, we need to step away from the extremism and start proving what we are capable of. Let’s see some library success stories on this page, too.”

Frequency of publication: Updated daily.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.huffpost.com/static/how-to-pitch-huffpost?section=us_opinion

Types of contributions accepted: “HuffPost is seeking to elevate writers from a wide range of backgrounds, including those who are BIPOC, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and writers from other underrepresented communities.”4

The categories for submissions are Enterprise pieces, which are “original, unique, reported stories,”5 Personal pieces, which are “original, authentic, compelling, and told from the first person,”6 and Life pieces which are pieces that serve as a “no-BS guide to modern parenting, wellness, food, money, work, relationships, and more.”7

Submission and review process: “Pitches should include a working headline, two or three paragraphs that outline why you think the story matters, with some indication of how you plan to report and tell the story (e.g. sources, key characters or narrative event). Also tell us a little about who you are and why you’re the right person to write this story, and please indicate whether your pitch is timely.”8

See “How to Pitch to HuffPost” for detailed descriptions, requirements, and tips.

Editorial tone: Informal and informational at the same time.

Style guide used: None referenced.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

HuffPost is an excellent resource for librarians to reach a wide-ranging global and local audience with news from the LIS world. The Libraries section would be a great place to discuss library efforts and updates, technological and otherwise, and news from the LIS sector, with a readership who is truly interested. HuffPost would also be a good place to suggest and write about books for review.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No circulation information provided.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Based out of the US, the site has local editions such as HuffPost San Francisco and Chicago; as well as international versions covering Canada, France, Italy, Spain and the UK.9 The US version is written in American English; culturally the site is considered a left-leaning publication, with special attention to U.S. political and entertainment news.

Reader characteristics: HuffPost was created in 2005 and became known as a liberal website for commentary/and alternative to more right-wing sites such as the Drudge Report & Fox News. Although founder/creator Arianna Huffington is careful to note that the site does not consciously lean in either party direction, the site has a more left-leaning feel.10

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Although readers are educated and HuffPost has a special library section, this site is more informal information and entertainment, not really the place for LIS jargon. If submitting a query or blog for the Books/Library section, the focus is more on specific voice or activity, not the formal academic jargon commonly found in LIS publications.

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

Readers are interested in what’s going on with US libraries, and in discussing the most recent books and book news. While articles are not scholarly in tone, this site would most likely welcome posts written by LIS students as long as the topic is interesting and appealing to HuffPost readers.

Last updated: September 29, 2020

References

Show 10 footnotes

  1. “About Us,” huffpost.com, accessed September 29, 2020, https://www.huffpost.com/static/about-us ↩
  2. Michael Calderone, “Huffington Post Awarded Pulitzer Prize.” The Huffington Post, January 14, 2013. Accessed September 29, 2020, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/huffington-post-pulitzer-prize-2012_n_1429169 ↩
  3. “HuffPost”, Britannica.com, accessed September 29, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Huffington-Post ↩
  4. “How to Pitch to HuffPost,” HuffPost.com, accessed September 29, 2020, https://www.huffpost.com/static/how-to-pitch-huffpost?section=us_opinion ↩
  5. “How to Pitch to HuffPost.” ↩
  6. “How to Pitch to HuffPost.” ↩
  7. “How to Pitch to HuffPost.” ↩
  8. “How to Pitch to HuffPost.” ↩
  9. “HuffPost,” Wikipedia.com, accessed September 29, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HuffPost ↩
  10. “HuffPost.” ↩
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Reading, Writing, Research

By on March 17, 2013 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Reading, Writing, Research

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://www.allpurposeguru.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Per the blog’s subtitle: “a librarian’s blog for anyone who needs to do research…or anyone who wants to use the library.”1 David M. Guion is an All-Purpose-Guru, author, and librarian who writes this particular blog to help civilians understand how to make the best use of libraries.2

Target audience: Anyone who uses the library or needs research or writing tips.3 Laypeople as well as librarians will find the blog helpful.

Publisher: Reading, Writing, Research.4

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian blog.

Medium: Online; blog format.

Content: Posts about libraries, research, writing, and everything that falls under these general categories. David talks about spelling and punctuation; how the American public uses libraries; library privacy regulations; new technologies in libraries; and e-librarians and the use of robots in libraries, among other topics.5

Frequency of publication: It varies, but generally around one new post per month.6

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Submission guidelines were provided by the editor via email.

Types of contributions accepted: “Reading, Writing, Research welcomes guest posts from librarians or LIS students that explain to non-librarians how to benefit from or support libraries. Please send queries to david [at] allpurposeguru.com and include the topic you want to write about.”7

Submission and review process: Email David Guion directly at david [at] allpurposeguru.com.8

“Please keep the following guidelines in mind:
  • I can’t use PDF files or Google Docs. When I ask for an article, please submit it in Microsoft Word.
  • Spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, etc. matter. I will not accept anything that requires extensive editing to make it readable.
  • Please supply illustrations, along with the license to use them. The only formats I can use are .jpg, .png, or .gif.
  • Be sure to use h2 and h3 headings rather than simply the bold and/or underlined version of the font.
  • I prefer titles in sentence case like you’d find in a library catalog.”9

Editorial tone: Very civilian-friendly. The posts are relevant to today’s library users and don’t talk down to the non-LIS crowd, but are written in a way that anyone can easily understand them.

Style guide used: None referenced.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This is a purely helpful, informational blog that anyone can read to get up-to-speed on current LIS issues, and to check-in for help with library research tips. It’s ideal for LIS students, who can suggest posts about local library news (such as a post on Southern California and Nevada library systems helping residents with foreclosure information), library trends, and stories from the LIS trenches. Think about what you want library patrons to know about libraries: this is a great place to write to those patrons.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The blog is written in English and is generally US-centric, but the blog can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection.

Reader characteristics: Readers are interested in the library, and in reading about library resources, news, trends, and updates – local or nationwide. David Guion is a musician (trombone player) with degrees in performance and musicology; a certified lay speaker in the United Methodist Church; a librarian; and a sustainability/environmental expert who loves cooking, writing, fitness, travel, and, naturally, research.10

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The blog is written by a librarian of 12 years11, but is aimed at civilians who need library and research assistance. Write to those readers, rather than LIS professionals or students.

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

LIS students could gain considerable insight into library patron’s needs and library use by regularly posting to the blog and following up on reader feedback. This is the only blog (that we know of) written by an LIS professional specifically for nonprofessionals12, and thus seems like a valuable resource to promote to other libraries and users.

Last updated: September 28, 2020

References

Show 12 footnotes

  1. “Reading, Writing, Research,” Allpurposeguru.com, accessed October 30, 2016, http://www.AllPurposeGuru.com/ ↩
  2. “About,” AllPurposeGuru.com, accessed October 30, 2016, http://www.allpurposeguru.com/about/ ↩
  3. “About.” ↩
  4. “Reading, Writing, Research.” ↩
  5. “Reading, Writing, Research.” ↩
  6. “Reading, Writing, Research.” ↩
  7. Guion, David. 2020. E-mail message to author, October 12 ↩
  8. “Contact me,” AllPurposeGuru.com, accessed September 28, 2020, http://www.allpurposeguru.com/contact-me/ ↩
  9. Guion, David ↩
  10. “About Me,” AllPurposeGuru.com, accessed October 30, 2016,  http://home.allpurposeguru.com/about-me/ ↩
  11. “About Me.” ↩
  12. “About.” ↩
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The Journal of Creative Library Practice

By on March 13, 2013 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The Journal of Creative Library Practice

ISSN: 2330-42271

Website: http://creativelibrarypractice.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: From the website’€™s About page: “The Journal of Creative Library Practice provides an outlet for librarians and information professionals to €œdescribe and encourage greater creativity in library and information center communications, policies, collections, instruction, and other areas of librarianship€.”2

Target audience: “This journal reaches librarians and information professionals of all types, including academic, public, school, special, medical, legal, and others.” The journal is working to broaden its readership to individuals outside the profession, to anyone interested in creative solutions to LIS issues; or anyone who wants to participate in discussions about creative issues and solutions.3

Publisher: Published as an online blog-format journal by Creative Library Practice4

Peer reviewed? Yes,5 though this blog-style journal also publishes non-peer reviewed content. The refereed articles are distinguished from the blog posts on the site.6

Type: LIS scholarly and professional7

Medium: Online,8 peer-reviewed blogposts9

Content: Posts on creative solutions to LIS issues.10

Frequency of publication: This online journal is updated as frequently as the editors write posts and peer-reviewed articles are accepted.11

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://creativelibrarypractice.org/instructions-for-authors/

Types of contributions accepted: Any article focusing on creative solutions to LIS issues, including communications barriers, technology issues, reviews of relevant books or websites.12

Submission and review process: The website provides a link to email manuscripts in MS-Word .doc, .docx, or RTF format.13

Editorial tone: Editor Joseph Kraus, in a Q&A with Library Journal, stated, “€œWe want to encourage prospective authors to write with less formal rhetoric.”14

Style guide used: References should be provided in a consistent format, whether Chicago, Turabian, MLA, or APA, or author may simply provide links to cited material.15

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The journal’s editors consider the publication to be an open source alternative to the stodgy print publications usually favored by the LIS community. They are a creative group open to all sorts of submissions, so this would be a great place to expand on an LIS student paper or thesis, or write about a creative approach tried at a library-related job, and how it helped the organization.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Statistics are not available, but as this journal is also an informal blog there is potential to reach a large audience.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal is online and the editors are LIS professionals at colleges and universities around the United States.16 The journal is written in American English.17

Reader characteristics: This journal appeals to forward thinking, creative, multidisciplined, against-the-grain LIS professionals seeking to share information with like-minded peers. The journal is written for and by LIS professionals in all possible settings, including academic, public, school, special, medical, and law libraries. It also aims to reach those readers who are interested in libraries but not necessarily working in them, including teachers, parents, students, and businesses.18

The journal was created by LIS professionals who wish to have a truly open access information sharing site that features creative solutions to common problems in information organizations. This is an open minded, nontraditional group that sees the value in current technologies and is working to take advantage of anything that can help the library community achieve its goals. The journal leans toward the informal, so potential authors should keep this in mind while writing for the publication. The goal is to provide articles from a variety of perspectives.19

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The knowledge level is probably quite high, but as the editors are attempting to appeal to laypeople as well as LIS students and professionals, potential authors should keep the jargon to a minimum and avoid highly technical terms and unusual acronyms.20

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

The Journal of Creative Library Practice is part of a new LIS journal standard: using open access for peer-reviewed articles under Creative Commons licensing, and providing relatively loose guidelines in terms of content, and even citations.

Last updated: May 14, 2017

References

Show 20 footnotes

  1.  The Journal of Creative Library Practice, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed April 11, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1523479339830/779051 ↩
  2. “About,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/about/ ↩
  3. “About,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/about/ ↩
  4. “About,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/about/ ↩
  5.  The Journal of Creative Library Practice, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory,  accessed May 14, 2017, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1494814869196/779051 ↩
  6. “Home,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org ↩
  7.  The Journal of Creative Library Practice, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory,  accessed May 14, 2017, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1494814869196/779051 ↩
  8.  The Journal of Creative Library Practice, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory,  accessed May 14, 2017, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1494814869196/779051 ↩
  9. “Home,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org ↩
  10. “About,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/about/ ↩
  11. “Instructions for Authors,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/2013/01/02/welcome-to-the-journal/ ↩
  12. “About,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/2013/01/02/welcome-to-the-journal/ ↩
  13. “Instructions for Authors,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017,  http://creativelibrarypractice.org/instructions-for-authors/ ↩
  14. Meredith Schwartz, “Six Questions for Joseph Kraus and a Board of Creative Librarians,” Library Journal Academic Newswire, accessed May 14, 2017,  http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/02/oa/six-questions-for-joseph-kraus-and-a-board-of-creative-librarians/ ↩
  15. “Instructions for Authors,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/instructions-for-authors/ ↩
  16. “About,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/about/ ↩
  17. The Journal of Creative Library Practice, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory,  accessed May 14, 2017, ↩
  18. “About,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/about/ ↩
  19. “About,” The Journal of Creative Library Practice, accessed May 14, 2017, http://creativelibrarypractice.org/2013/01/02/welcome-to-the-journal/ ↩
  20. Meredith Schwartz, “Six Questions for Joseph Kraus and a Board of Creative Librarians,” Library Journal Academic Newswire, accessed May 14, 2017, http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/02/oa/six-questions-for-joseph-kraus-and-a-board-of-creative-librarians/ ↩
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Ilovelibraries.org

By on March 9, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: ilovelibraries.org

ISSN: Not applicable

Website: http://www.ilovelibraries.org

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Ilovelibraries.org is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA), designed to keep America informed about what’s happening in today’s libraries. Ilovelibraries.org promotes the value of libraries and librarians, explains key issues affecting libraries, and urges readers to support and take action for their libraries.”1

“Ilovelibraries.org is a place to learn more about the health and vitality of today’s libraries, emerging trends, and current issues affecting libraries around the country, whether in public, school, academic, corporate or institutional libraries.”2

Target audience: The general public.3

Publisher: The American Library Association.4

Peer reviewed? No. 5

Type: Publication of an LIS professional organization, the American Library Association, for a lay audience, the general public.6

Medium: Online.

Content: The website includes feature articles on what’s happening in today’s libraries, book reviews, ways for readers to share stories about their own library experiences, and ways to advocate for libraries in their communities, including links to advocacy software that allows users to contact members of Congress. There is a blog that collects library stories from the news, a blog from Booklist magazine about running a book group, and a section titled “Real Life Stories” for readers to share what the library means to them.7

Frequency of publication: New content is posted frequently.8

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.ilovelibraries.org/about/editorial

Types of contributions accepted: ilovelibraries.org seeks feature articles about local libraries and their programs, staff, or volunteers; stories about viewers’ experiences with libraries.9

Submission and review process: Queries must be sent to the editors at ilovelibraries@ala.org (Word or Google Doc preferred). Features should be between 400-1000 words. “We will acknowledge your article when we receive it. We make decisions to accept or reject articles as quickly as possible. On acceptance, an estimated date of publication may be provided to the author. “10

Editorial tone: Informal but informative, with a clear, simple style.

Style guide used: None specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This publication appears to be a possible outlet for those of us who are not yet professional librarians to submit articles about what libraries have to offer us as patrons. Articles are short and informal, the site is always accepting submissions, and the editors will get back to contributors fairly quickly. It could be a good place to get one’s feet wet in the publishing experience. It is a good place for librarians to submit pieces about their their libraries, or profiles about librarians, speakers or patrons who may have interesting stories to tell.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

 Publication circulation: No website traffic information available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The website can be viewed internationally, but as it is an initiative of the American Library Association, we can assume most readers are within the United States. Articles and news postings cover libraries in the U.S., and reader postings seem to be limited to the U.S. as well.11

Reader characteristics: Individuals who use or work in libraries. Website users, their interests and workplaces, would likely be as diverse as the population of the United States. The publisher of this website publication represents libraries in North America and has a vested interest in presenting libraries in a positive manner.12

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Knowledge of LIS subject matter would be on a spectrum, but the aim of the website is to spread the love of LIS, so articles should use as little jargon as possible unless educating the public on the jargon specifically.

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

This site would be one avenue to encourage and promote libraries to the general public. Visitors to the site would most likely already have a positive image of libraries and are looking for reasons to continue on this path. This site provides a fun way to showcase library events, new trends such as makerspaces, e-readers, and digital libraries. There are sections of library quotes, book reviews, and spotlights on public libraries and librarians.

Last updated: October 12, 2018

References

Show 12 footnotes

  1. “About,” ilovelibraries.org, accessed October 2, 2016, http://www.ilovelibraries.org/about ↩
  2. “About.” ↩
  3. “About.” ↩
  4. “About.” ↩
  5. “Editorial Guidelines,” ilovelibraries.org, accessed October 2, 2016, http://www.ilovelibraries.org/about/editorial ↩
  6. “About.” ↩
  7. “ilovelibraries,” ilovelibraries.org, accessed October 2, 2016, http://www.ilovelibraries.org/ ↩
  8. “ilovelibraries.” ↩
  9. “Editorial Guidelines.” ↩
  10. “Editorial Guidelines.” ↩
  11. “ilovelibraries.” ↩
  12. “About.” ↩
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Stanford Social Innovation Review

By on March 7, 2013 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR)

ISSN: 1542-7099 (Print)1

Website: http://www.ssireview.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “To advance, educate, and inspire the field of social innovation by seeking out, cultivating, and disseminating the best in research- and practice-based knowledge.”2 The goal is to bring together academic theory and practice to create ideas for achieving social change, and to inform and inspire new social change.

Target audience: Leaders in nonprofit organizations, foundations, or other philanthropic institutions, along with people working in business, government, academia, and other fields.3

Publisher: Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford University.4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: Civilian publication.

Medium: Print and online.6

Content: The website is extensive, and includes links to past issues as well as original content: blogs, webinars, podcasts, SSIR events. The SSIR covers people and organizations whose work has an impact on business, nonprofit, and government sectors, particularly those with cross-sector ideas and solutions to global issues. Subjects include social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, and philanthropic strategies, as well as educational reform, poverty alleviation, and environmental protection.7

Frequency of publication: Website updated frequently; print magazine is published quarterly.8

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.ssireview.org/about/submission_guidelines

Types of contributions accepted: External authors (anyone outside SSIR’s editorial team) can submit articles under Features, which run 4000-4500 words; 3500-4500 word Case Studies; 1500-word Viewpoint articles; 800-word Books (formerly called Reviews); or blog posts for the website, running between 600-800 words.9 The guidelines list specific details for each submissions category that writers should take into consideration.

Submission and review process: Submissions are sent via a brief email pitch, Word format, to SSIR editors covering the specific section you’re submitting under. Submission guidelines list the current editor of each section and how to contact them, and detail the questions to cover in the pitch.10

You’ll get acknowledgment of your proposal within 1-2 weeks. The review process takes up to two months, as each editor (including managing and academic editors, depending on the proposal) participates in the review, and then sends the proposal to the editorial committee, who makes the final decision. A list of criteria for submissions is found in the guidelines.11

Additionally, SSIR editors and stable freelance journalists write articles under What Works, What Didn’t Work, What’s Next, Reviews of books, Q&A and Research. You can submit pitches for these categories as well, for a particular person, organization, trend or research. The website also details what the editors want to see for ideas for these sections.12

Editorial tone: Easy to read, thoughtful articles chock full of information and interesting ideas, theories, suggestions, and solutions to global challenges.

Style guide used: If the submission is accepted, SSRI editors will work closely with the author on style guides and citations.13

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Submissions on LIS issues would do well in the SSIR, if approached from an innovative, thought-provoking way, such as describing grass-roots LIS efforts and their outcomes, or discussing LIS in a global setting, or how LIS practices can be used to promote social change. Writers need to make sure the topic submitted would be relevant or interesting to all the SSIR’s readers, so it should not be too LIS specific. Real-world examples described through research or firsthand experience are ideal. LIS efforts on providing information to mass populations, particularly underserved, or information technologies that bridge communities and allow information sharing would most likely do well in this publication.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Print magazine has a circulation of 13,000, while the website averages 165,000 unique visitors per month.14

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The magazine is published by Stanford University, which is located in Santa Clara County, CA, and the print magazine is sold in newsstands across the United States and Canada. English is the primary language of this Silicon Valley publication, however, in an email to the author on October 5, 2020, Eric Nee, Editor-in-Chief of SSIR indicated that the “SSIR has five partner organizations around the world–Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, and Monterrey, Mexico) who have a license to produce SSIR in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and Spanish.”

Reader characteristics: Per the submission guidelines: “SSIR’s readers are highly educated, widely read, and well informed about the field of social innovation. They want to be provoked, surprised, and presented with memorable information and rigorous analysis. They don’t want long-winded arguments, insider jargon, or excessively narrow and technical writing.”

Readers are overwhelmingly CEO’s, presidents, or senior executives of their organization. Half work for nonprofits, and a small group are philanthropists or foundation leaders.15

The writing is smart and well researched, and poses interesting questions and theories to readers, assuming that everyone is at the same high level of education and that readers are interested in viewing challenges from a global perspective.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Not a publication specifically aimed at the LIS community, and, per their submission guidelines, readers don’t want “insider jargon.”16

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

Articles submitted to the SSIR should be timely, forward-thinking, and offer solutions as well as pose questions for readers, who are thought leaders and executives looking for new ways to lead their organizations and foster social change. The LIS field is ripe for this type of exploration, and SSIR readers would most likely benefit from learning about innovations in the LIS world.

Last updated: October 5, 2020

References

Show 16 footnotes

  1.  Stanford Social Innovation Review, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 27, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1522204526301/455334 ↩
  2. “Overview,” SSIR.org, accessed November 17, 2016, https://ssir.org/about/overview ↩
  3. “Submission Guidelines,” SSIR.org, accessed November 17, 2016, http://www.ssireview.org/about/submission_guidelines ↩
  4. “Overview.” ↩
  5. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  6. “Overview.” ↩
  7. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  8. “All Issues,” SSIR.org, accessed November 17, 2016, https://ssir.org/issue ↩
  9.  “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  10. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  11. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  12. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  13. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  14. “Information for Advertisers,” SSIR.org, accessed November 17, 2016, http://www.ssireview.org/advertising ↩
  15. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  16. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
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