Wiki Tags Archives: Book reviews

Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (ISTL)

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 15, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (ISTL)

ISSN: 1092-1206¹

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

References

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The Journal of Creative Library Practice

By Lisa Lowdermilk 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 describe 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, “We 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

Ilovelibraries.org

By Katie Wood 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

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Stanford Social Innovation Review

By Bethany Baker 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

Education Libraries

By iSchool Admin on March 6, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Education Libraries

ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Website: http://educationlibraries.mcgill.ca/index

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Education Libraries is an electronic, refereed journal of the Special Libraries Association’s (SLA) Education Division. It offers a forum for new and challenging ideas in education, and library and information science. It also explores the effect of new technologies on the library profession and library and information curriculum.”¹

Target audience: The target audience is the membership of the Special Libraries Association, which includes those employed at “a variety of venues, including special libraries and information centers, academic libraries, public libraries, and school libraries.”²

Publisher: Special Libraries Association, Education Division³

Peer reviewed? Yes⁴

Type: LIS and Education; scholarly⁵

Medium: Online, open access since 2015⁶

Content: Education Libraries publishes scholarly articles, book reviews, member profiles, and case studies.⁷ Recent feature articles include faculty-librarian collaboration, 3-D printing in education libraries, collection development, and school library advocacy.⁸

Frequency of publication: Biannually⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://educationlibraries.mcgill.ca/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Types of contributions accepted: Education Libraries accepts “research studies, descriptive narratives, or other thoughtful considerations of topics of interest to the education information professional. Manuscripts focusing on issues relevant to more general concerns either in the field of education or in the field of library and information science are also welcome provided they include a significant component specifically germane to education, libraries and librarianship.”¹⁰

Submission and review process: Authors submitting manuscripts are required to register using a link provided on the publication website.¹¹ All submissions will be considered for publication and are subject to the double-blind peer review process. Inquiries about particular manuscripts may be sent via email to the editor. See the publication website for details.¹²

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹³

Style guide used: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) style manual, most recent edition¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Education Libraries presents an interesting opportunity for LIS writers from different types of libraries to discuss and share information that is related to education. This journal is well established, which means writers can be assured that they are submitting their work to a credible source and contributing to the scholarly conversation.

The journal is indexed in Education Libraries is indexed in ERIC, EBSCOhost’s Education Collection, and Library Literature.¹⁵

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: According to the SLA’s website there are more than 9,000 association members based in more than 75 countries.¹⁶ Information about exactly how many are a part of the Education Division is not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Just as members of the Special Libraries Association are located around the world, the readers of Education Libraries are also international.¹⁷ Because this is an international publication, differences in language and cultural practice should be considered.

Reader characteristics: It is safe to assume the readers of this publication are interested in academic libraries and their role in education. Due to the professional focus of this publication the readership is largely comprised of individuals already working in academic libraries with considerable experience in the field. The readers of this publication are likely to value education and research. They are likely to be interested in learning about new technologies as well as in innovative teaching methods. Recent articles demonstrate a general acceptance of new technologies and changes in librarianship.¹⁸

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It is likely that, as library employees, a majority of readers are very familiar with LIS subject matter. Additionally, we can assume that the readers are familiar with new information technologies issues as well as issues surrounding the growth of digital content in library collections.¹⁹

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

The most important characteristic of the Education Libraries audience is its interest in education and technology related to instruction and learning. Authors must keep in mind the fact that this journal is scholarly, and the widest audience is those who work in higher education libraries, therefore well researched studies are particularly important. Potential contributors writing book or technology reviews as well as opinion pieces may want to relate their subject back to its value to learning in order to appeal to the audience.

Last updated: April 13, 2017

References

Show 19 footnotes

Communications in Information Literacy

By Kelli Roisman on March 6, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Communications in Information Literacy

ISSN: 1933-5954¹

Website: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Communications in Information Literacy (CIL) is “an independent, peer-reviewed journal devoted solely to the advancement of research, theory, and practice in the area of information literacy in higher education.”²

Target audience: The primary audience for research articles are “academic librarians and library educators.” The primary audience for Innovative Practices, the section for peer-reviewed case studies, are “academic librarians and other library personnel and educators who are engaged in information literacy instruction.” The primary audience for the Book Review section, are “librarians and other professionals (student support staff, administrators, course instructors, or others) in higher education, who are concerned with teaching and learning.”³

Publisher: Communications in Information Literacy⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: Scholarly⁶

Medium: Online. “CIL is an open access journal in the truest sense; there are no article processing charges or other regressive fees associated with authorship or publication.”⁷

Content: The “Research Articles” section includes “peer-reviewed feature articles, which may be research-based or theoretical in nature. Literature review papers are generally discouraged, but those including in-depth investigation and noteworthy conclusions will be considered.” The “Innovative Practices” section presents “peer-reviewed case studies that report on innovative information literacy instruction practices that are relevant to higher education contexts.” The “Perspectives” section “consists of provocative and thoughtful essays on various aspects of information literacy in academic libraries.” The “Editorials” section includes “essays written by the editors as they pertain to the state of the journal or current events in the discipline,” and also includes “invited works and regularly contributed columns.”⁸

Frequency of publication: Semiannual⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit/policies.html

Types of contributions accepted: “Manuscripts may be theoretical, research-based, critical, or have a practical focus.” “CIL does not accept simultaneously submitted or previously published manuscripts. However, CIL welcomes and encourages the submission of papers developed from professional presentations.” Unsolicited submissions for the “Research Articles” and “Innovative Practices” sections are accepted, however, it is recommended, though not necessary, that “prospective authors query the CIL editors before submitting their works.” Submissions to the “Perspectives” and “Editorials” sections are by invitation only.¹⁰

Submission and review process: Authors submit papers electronically. To facilitate the double blind review process, the author’s name and institutional affiliations are removed and replaced by bracketed placeholders. “The review process generally takes six to eight weeks to complete. Authors are notified promptly when a decision on their manuscript is made.”¹¹

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹²

Style guide used: Manual of Style of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Communications in Information Literacy is a well established research journal, having published its first issue in 2007. CIL provides a platform for scholars and practitioners to advance research, theory, and practice in the area of information literacy in higher education. Prospective authors must be interested in publishing original research and should be prepared for a rigorous review process.¹⁴

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Because CIL is an online, open access journal, articles are downloaded individually. As of 4/2/2021, the number of total full-text downloads for the past year was 37,293, and the number of full-text downloads for the top ten articles ranged from 1,098 to 3,926.”¹⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: CIL is online and open access, its readership is international. The geographical location of article downloads are viewable via an interactive world map.¹⁶

Interest in the field of information literacy is expanding rapidly in the age of the Internet the ability to process and evaluate information in the central role information literacy plays in shaping our social and political world . social and political influence profound impact on our . Therefore, CIL will appeal to a broad audience of journalists,

As this is an international publication, all potential authors should avoid using certain jargon or cultural references that others may not be able to understand. The CIL editors advise writers, “As we are a journal of information literacy, we assume our readership already has familiarity with the concept of information literacy and its application in library science. Therefore, the manuscript does not need to treat the concept of information literacy as something novel for our readers, particularly in the Introduction or the Literature Review. Unless your institutional definition of information literacy varies significantly from that of the ACRL, there is no need to provide a perfunctory definition of information literacy for our readers.”¹⁷

Reader characteristics: Though specific reader demographics are not available, authors may assume that the journal’s readers are international and the majority are employed in libraries at higher education institutions.¹⁸

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The primary readers of this publication are knowledgeable about library and information science issues. As noted above, readers have a clear understanding of information literacy and the issues surrounding the topic. It is likely that most readers have a firm grasp on technology, as this journal is only available online. As individuals interested in information literacy, readers probably work closely with electronic resources. It is clear that the audience of this publication values education and, above all, information literacy. They are interested in ensuring that communities have access to information and the ability to evaluate it adequately.¹⁹

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

It is important to note that because this publication is open access, authors’ work can be viewed for free by anyone searching the Internet, which could be a potential benefit. However, as it has an academic and research emphasis, it is most likely that the audience will be limited to those interested in higher education with a strong background in information literacy. Prospective authors should also keep in mind the growing field of information literacy and recognize the opportunity for new studies in this field, especially those that would be of interest in academic and research libraries and applicable internationally.

“The primary audiences for articles in this section are academic librarians and library educators, but we encourage contributions from all academic disciplines and from institutional administrators.”

Last updated: In progress April 2021

References

Show 19 footnotes

Boing Boing

By Katie Wood on February 11, 2013 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Boing Boing

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://boingboing.net/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “A Website devoted to technology and culture. We publish feature articles, links to things we find interesting online, podcasts, videos and comics created by the Boing Boing editorial team and other invited contributors. We also provide a discussion forum so you can participate in the conversation; and sell merchandise in the Boing Boing Shop.”¹ Boing Boing allows users to submit interesting, cool, newsworthy links to articles, videos, and any minutia you find interesting.

Target audience: If you’re interested in anything outside the mainstream, this would be the place to look. The website is hailed as a bastion of free speech and imagine sharing; it was founded by an editor of Make Magazine, which is dedicated to all things DIY, and the four primary editors have all written for Wired Magazine.²

Publisher: Happy Mutants, LLC.³

Peer reviewed? No.⁴

Type: Civilian publication / online forum.⁵

Medium: Online

Content: A blog/forum that shares member-reader links of all sorts -informational, fun, noteworthy.

Frequency of publication: Blog updated with at least several new posts per day.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Forum Rules

Types of contributions accepted: Any kinds.

Submission and review process:

“You can browse the Site without logging in. However, to participate in our Discussion Forum, you need to create an account. We use the Discourse.org forum platform and the creators CDCK host it on their servers and run it for us. To participate in the forum, you may create a new account, use an existing Discourse.org user name and password or log-in using one of your social networking user name and passwords.” ⁶

Editorial tone: As informal, but informative, as possible. Headlines and pictures are purposely titillating or attention grabbing. Example: under the “Science” category is the headline: “Anne of Green Gables Had Herpes (and you probably do, too),”an article about herpes. Or “The Librarian and the Hot Rod Shop,” a post about a mobile initiative that provides library resources to people who are unaware of the library, or can’t make it to the local branch.

Style guide used: None specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

If you have any little library related tidbit to share, this is a great website on which to post it. These are non-reviewed blog posts, so it’s not a site that will help towards your tenured work or that you should cite in a scholarly article, but it’s a great source for getting and sending information to a curious, intelligent, and supportive audience. It would be a great first start for book reviews, for example, or just to write about or re-post some interesting library-related news.

Creative Commons License: non-commercial sharing, with attribution. Just make sure you say where your link/review/article originated.⁷

Of note to LIS writers: a team from the American Library Association ran a Boing Boing member interest group called Library Boing Boing from 2012 to 2014. See Library Boing Boing, and their first Boing Boing post; the full collection is tagged LIBRARYLAB. To learn more, see the LibraryLab community on the ALA Connect website.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: In an article in Fast Company, according to Quantcast data, it gets about 2.5 million unique visitors a month. The article also states that, in 2004-2005, it “had become one of the most-read and linked-to blogs in the world.”⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: According to Quantcast data, Boing Boing reaches an international audience, though 63% of its readers are in the United States.⁹ English is the primary language, but as the site also links to websites, videos, etc., as long as you explain the reason for submitting your article/website/repost, the language of the thing itself isn’t too strict. Culture is progressive and friendly, hacker-ish and non-mainstream.

Reader characteristics: Quantcast data reports that the majority of readers are white, male, and highly educated.¹⁰ Hackers, DIY-ers, those who like to stay current on news/gadgets/things, and anyone with an eye on web culture and interesting news of all kinds will gravitate towards the blog. The blog’s bias lies on the side of being, for the most part, uncensored and relishing in re-posting links that test freedom of speech and censorship in the online community. They are very much an “anything goes” site, as long as “anything” is interesting to readers.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: More civilian than professional; LIS jargon should be kept to a minimum, use layman’s terms and just get your point across in the least scholarly tone possible. The readership comprises a savvy group of people, but they are not all LIS aficionados, so use regular, everyday terms when describing your link and why you find it interesting.

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

Boing Boing would be a great place to post information relevant to the library community: its readers, while very much an online-loving group, seem to enjoy hearing about LIS-related news, particularly if it has to do with free speech, public access, or challenges to the LIS community. They are well-read, spoken, and intelligent, and, with the inclusion of the LIS-specific posting group, would appreciate links coming from the Library world. Although not scholarly in tone, the links posted can be of scholarly caliber, and the blog has garnered attention and awards, and holds a certain status in the blogosphere; posts here are likely to be reposted elsewhere and shared.

Last updated: September 1, 2020

References

Show 10 footnotes

Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship

By Lisa Lowdermilk on May 6, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship

ISSN: 1941-126X (Print) and 1941-1278 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wacq20

Purpose, objective, or mission: According to the publication website, “The Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship aims to inform librarians and other information professionals about current research, evolving work-related processes and procedures, and the latest news on topics related to electronic resources and the digital environment’s impact on collecting, acquiring and making accessible library materials.”²

Target audience: “The Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship is intended for library administrators, librarians, and other information professionals who work with managing electronic resources in libraries. It is also intended to bridge the gap between theory and practice for LIS educators and students, and is a starting point for information professionals from various backgrounds concerned with issues surrounding the changes in collections, acquisitions and services in libraries in the digital age.”³

Publisher: Routledge/Taylor and Francis⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online⁷

Content: According to the publication website, “This journal will highlight pivotal, interesting and thought-provoking articles and conference presentations to keep professionals and staff of all levels on top of the latest ideas and changes in the field. The journal will also have relevant book reviews to enable readers to target their professional readings.”⁸

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=wacq20&page=instructions#.VQ2qwvnF8So

Types of contributions accepted: “Current research, evolving work-related processes and procedures, and the latest news on topics related to electronic resources and the digital environment’s impact on collecting, acquiring and making accessible library materials.”¹⁰

Submission and review process: Authors are strongly encouraged to submit manuscripts electronically. Please submit your manuscript in Microsoft Word format to the Editor-in-Chief, Gary Pitkin, gary.martin.pitkin@gmail.com.”¹¹ All articles are subject to double-blind review.¹²

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹³

Style guide used: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Writers who have expertise in electronic resources will have the opportunity to develop their reputation and strengthen their resume with a publication in this highly topical, peer-reviewed journal.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Circulation statistics are not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Although this is journal is based in the United States, its readership is not geographically limited to North America. The journal publishes in English.¹⁵

Reader characteristics: According to the publication website, readers are librarians and information professionals at all levels.¹⁶ Readers will likely have a strong interest in collection management, and specifically eletronic resources and the “digital environment’s impact on collecting, acquiring and making accessible library materials.”¹⁷

Reader knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers will be very knowledgeable about issues in the LIS community. As this is a scholarly journal, it is assumed that readers will be knowledgeable about electronic resources in the field of LIS.

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

The readers of this journal will be knowledgeable about LIS issues and interested in electronic resources and the latest news on the digital environment’s impact on library practices. As this journal “deals with a single, broad, but well-defined and practical issue . . . of immediate concern to librarians and information professionals,”¹⁸ the potential for writers with expertise in this area to increase their impact on the LIS community is great.

Last updated: May 15, 2017

References

Show 18 footnotes

Information Research

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 16, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Information Research

ISSN: 1368-1613¹

Website: http://informationr.net/ir/

Purpose, objective, or mission: According to its website, Information Research (IR) is an “. . . open access, international, peer-reviewed, scholarly journal, dedicated to making accessible the results of research across a wide range of information-related disciplines.”²

Target audience: Practitioners and scholars interested in the field of information science, management, librarianship, and information systems³

Publisher: T. D. Wilson⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Online⁷

Content: Articles in the field of information science, information management, information systems, information policy, and librarianship, as well as book reviews and software reviews⁸

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://informationr.net/ir/author2.html

Types of contributions accepted: The journal accepts completed papers and working papers within the scope of the journal. It also commissions book reviews and software reviews.¹⁰

Submission and review process: All papers are submitted by registering and using this site. Papers are first reviewed by a member of the editorial team. If the paper is found to be within the scope of the journal, it is sent to be read by two referees selected for their expertise in the paper’s field.¹¹

Editorial tone: The journal emphasizes clarity of expression and quality research. Due to the international readership of the journal, authors are required to spell out local acronyms and initials and avoid local jargon. Papers should be easy to read in order to reach all audiences.¹²

Style guide used: An online style guide created by the publisher is provided. For citations and references, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition is used.¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This is a peer-reviewed electronic journal available free of charge to a wide range of readers. The journal recognizes the needs of its audience and takes this into consideration when accepting manuscripts for publication. Online availability and provides authors with a wide readership, allows them to meet tenure requirements, and to gain notice within their field. IR is indexed by the Web of Knowledge, international website tools, and is cataloged in numerous college and university online catalogs.¹⁴

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Statistics on readership are not available, but as an open access electronic journal it may be assumed that Information Research has a wide readership.¹⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: IR has a world- wide readership. Out of consideration for its international audience, the editor requires that articles be clearly written in British English, free of local jargon, obscure idioms and undefined acronyms.¹⁶

Reader characteristics: The readers of Information Research consist of library and information science practitioners as well as managers in information organizations and scholars in information science, information management, and systems. Workplaces for the readers include public and academic libraries, special libraries, business organizations, and universities. The readers share an interest in findings from research conducted in the field of information.¹⁷

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It may be assumed that many in this group hold an MLIS or equivalent, and therefore do have knowledge of LIS subject matter. ¹⁸ The editors have degrees in communication, electronic engineering, human information behavior, information seeking behavior, and collaboration technology. Many of the readers may also be students in these areas of study.¹⁹

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

Given that this journal has a worldwide readership, potential authors should ensure that their submissions are broadly relevant in terms of subject matter and writing style, and strictly employ British English. The readers of this journal are diverse in terms of language and geographic location. The editor advises authors to stay focused on the topic on which they are writing, and to be clear and to the point. Local jargon should not be used and acronyms must be spelled out to ensure the writing appeals to a wide readership.

Last updated: May 7, 2017

References

Show 19 footnotes

The Journal of Academic Librarianship

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 5, 2012 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The Journal of Academic Librarianship

ISSN: 0099-1333 (Print) and 1879-1999 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620207/description#description

Purpose, objective, or mission: The journal’s goal is to provide a forum for academic librarians and professionals to present their research in a scholarly environment and highlight issues and trends pertinent to college and university librarians.²

Target audience: College and university librarians, academic administrators, educators, and students enrolled in library and information science programs³

Publisher: Elsevier B.V.⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online⁷

Content: The journal features current practices, issues and trends occurring within the field and analyzes these trends in an intellectual manner. The journal tends to speculate about the future of academic librarianship and is committed to alerting readers to new and recently published books in the library and information science field.⁸

Frequency of publication: Bimonthly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620207/authorinstructions

Types of contributions accepted: The journal accepts articles, book reviews, and full length manuscripts.¹⁰

Submission and review process: Extensive Guide for Authors provided as PDF file. Articles are submitted through the online Elsevier system. Submissions are subject to a double blind-review process to ensure they coincide with the journal scope of interest and expected quality of writing.¹¹

Editorial tone: Academic¹²

Style guide used: No specific style is required, as long as references are consistent.¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This journal publishes well-researched work of scholars, professors, library practitioners, and longtime professionals in the field. The articles contained in each issue demonstrate authors’ extensive knowledge of the field. Publishing in this journal would require expertise in the field and would represent a major career booster.

Previously published authors and individuals with highly developed research and writing skills would be the most likely to be published. The author with the most potential would be one aware of the social issues attached to academic librarianship as well as the role libraries play.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No information available

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal is published in English¹⁴ in the United Kingdom.¹⁵ As one of the top journals in the LIS field, the editors attempt to be as respectful of cultural diversity as possible. Although no statements about cultural diversity are posted on the journal’s website, it is clear through the tone of the articles that these issues are taken into consideration.

Reader characteristics: Academic librarians are by nature supporters of the academic community. They are also researchers, managers and scholars. Academic librarians are required to publish; therefore, as readers they read with a critical eye. Academic librarians often specialize in one discipline. The readers of this journal typically have graduate degrees, attend library conferences, and are members of one or more library related associations. Readers probably subscribe to other professional journals besides The Journal of Academic Librarianship. The journal is written for an audience that expects accuracy and insightful information in each issue.¹⁶

The primary audience is those within the world of higher education. The journal’s readers are college and university librarians, academic administrators, educators, and students in LIS programs. The readers are typically university or community college librarians who are knowledgeable of the jargon and terminology associated with libraries. Librarians at the academic or scholarly level exist to support the needs of the institution and the average librarian is aware of their role on campus and in the life of the student. Academic libraries and the issues within are the main focus of the journal and although some readers may be outside this field, the journal is written to serve the academic community. The journal is written with objectivity and respect to the reader and to the profession.¹⁷

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The readers have a great knowledge of LIS subject matter. Many of the readers are writers and reviewers themselves and have high expectations of the writing in academic journals. It can be assumed that the readers stay abreast of current trends and concerns pertaining to academic libraries. Often academic librarians are also library school teachers, which gives them a current understanding of LIS subject matter.¹⁸

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

The readers of The Journal of Academic Librarianship are often highly educated and are more specialized than librarians in other fields. These readers expect the journal to have specialized articles. Articles that generically or broadly discuss library science will not satisfy the needs of the reader base. Potential authors are urged to read the past issues and make themselves aware of the specialized fields in which the journal is likely to publish articles. Authors should be aware that they are writing articles for other writers and scholars. The successful submission will be insightful, original, well researched, and well written. Published articles will have a scholarly tome and must be directly written for informed readers. Articles should represent current issues in the field and be constantly aware that the library is at the center of an academic institution and must support the goals and mission of the college or university with which it is associated.

Last updated: May 14, 2017

References

Show 18 footnotes

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