Wiki Tags Archives: International scope

Publishers Weekly

By Bethany Baker on April 27, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Publishers Weekly, or PW

ISSN: 0000-0019 (Print) and 2150-4008 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.publishersweekly.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Weekly news magazine focused on the international book publishing business.”²

Target audience: Publishers, booksellers, librarians, literary agents, authors, and the media.³

Publisher: PWxyz, LLC.⁴

Peer reviewed? No.⁵

Type: Civilian magazine covering book publishing.

Medium: Print and online.

Content: “It offers feature articles and news on all aspects of the book business, bestsellers lists in a number of categories, and industry statistics, but its best known service is pre-publication book reviews, publishing some 9,000 per year.”⁶

Frequency of publication: Weekly.⁷

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/corp/submissionguidelines.html

Types of contributions accepted: PW accepts story pitches for features, news, opinion pieces, and the children’s section.⁸ Letters to the editor are also accepted.⁹

Submission and review process: Story pitches for news and soapbox ideas should be sent to Editorial Director Jim Milliot at jmilliot [at] publishersweekly.com. Pitches for features should be sent to features [at] publishersweekly.com; for children’s, send pitches to childrensbooks [at] publishersweekly.com.¹⁰ Send letters to Jim Milliot, including your name and address.¹¹

Editorial tone: Informative.

Style guide used: None indicated.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Publishers Weekly is perhaps the most prominent publication in the book publishing industry, and having a book review or article published in the magazine would be a notable accomplishment in the eyes of other LIS professionals.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: “Publishers Weekly‘s weekly print edition boasts 68,000 readers–booksellers, publishers, public and academic librarians, wholesalers, distributors, educators, agents and writers,”¹² “PublishersWeekly.com had 10 million unique visitors last year and more than 27 million page views…and it’s growing.”¹³

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Publishers Weekly is published in the United States in English, though it features reviews of books from around the world. According to Publishers Weekly, 71% of readers reside in North America and 29% reside in Europe, Asia, and Australia.¹⁴

Reader characteristics: Readers are 53.9% female with the majority of readers (22%) in the 25-34 age range.¹⁵ The audience of Publishers Weekly is comprised of 44% book buyers and booksellers, 25% publishers, 25% librarians, 2% public relations/media, 2% agents and rights professionals, and 1% wholesalers/distributors.¹⁶ Readers are people who care about books or need/want to know what’s happening in the world of book publishing.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It is possible, given the connection between libraries and the publishing industry, that the readers may have a familiarity with LIS jargon, however, it should not be assumed.

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

Publishers Weekly is targeted to publishers, booksellers, librarians, educators, and book lovers. National library news is relevant to the magazine’s content, and readers would be interested in a librarian’s unique perspective on books or publishing trends.

Last updated: September 14, 202o

References

Show 16 footnotes

Slashdot

By Bethany Baker on April 27, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Slashdot

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://slashdot.org

Purpose, objective, or mission: Slashdot is an online forum that provides “News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters.” This “stuff” includes stories on various aspects of technology, from discussing user’s rights online to sharing ideas and news on various IT subjects. Content is submitted by readers, who can also assist editors in the selection of material by utilizing the site’s collaborative moderation system called “Firehose,” which contains RSS Feeds, story submissions, and journals that have color-coding to indicate popularity. Using the color spectrum scale, “Red is hot, violet is not,” users can tag and vote on entries, in addition to providing feedback.

Target audience: People interested in all-things tech, particularly news and opinion on tech “with discussion backed by professional insight, polls, and analysis.”¹

Publisher: Slashdot Media ²

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian publication. This is an online forum that publishes reader’s articles on various aspects of technology, in addition to providing an interactive networking environment. Although it is likely to appeal to techie librarians, the primary target audience is not librarians; thus, it would be considered a lay publication rather than a LIS publication.

Medium: Online.

Content: Story sections are self-explanatory, with some exceptions: “Apache” (news about the Apache web server); “Apple” (news on all things Mac); “Ask Slashdot” (ask the readership any questions about software problems, hardware, jobs, etc.); “BSD” (news about “modern UNIXes derived from Berkeley’s distribution [like Free, Open and NetBSD]”); “Developers” (news that affects any aspect of programming, such as language, licensing, or techniques); “Features,” “Games,” “Geeks in Space” (not currently open for submissions, this was an audio broadcast provided by the editors); “Interviews”; “IT;” “Linux;” “Politics;” “Polls” (submit “thought-provoking 4-6 question polls to share); “Science;” and “Your Rights Online” (news and information on spam, privacy, and other issues affecting our rights online). Archived articles, book reviews, and job listings complete the content.

Frequency of publication: Daily.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://slashdot.org/faq/submissions.shtml

Types of contributions accepted: “The closer a submission is to featuring all the “perfect” characteristics, the better the chances are that it will run. While we will sometimes tweak submitters’ grammar, spelling and punctuation, attempt to fix broken links, and even edit with brackets and ellipses (in the interest of brevity, clarity and good taste), the nicer a submission starts out, the less tempted we are to hit “delete.” Not every Slashdot post is perfect — but the better they are, the better it is for everyone.”³ “A perfect Slashdot submission is: interesting, informative, clear, snappy, presented neutrally, submitted with appropriate topics, usually based on text and still images, labeled with an understandable, concise headline, well-linked, and grammatically correct.”⁴

Submission and review process: Use the Submit link located at the top right of the website’s home page. Creation of an account is required first. This is a moderated site allowing administrators and editors to approve or remove posts.⁵

Editorial tone: Informal.

Style guide used: None specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

LIS authors with a technical bent will find the latest news, stories, and feeds on technology informative. This forum is an informal way to get stories submitted without a formal publishing process and allows for feedback from the target audience. Authors can pitch ideas and ask questions⁶, perhaps opening the discussion for more library and information science issues.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: 32 million monthly visitors.⁷

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: As this publication is only available online, there is no central geographic location. It is likely that users are international. The publication is written in English and no information is provided on the possible cultural considerations of the audience. This matter could be important, as different countries may have varying technical standards that would need to be further investigated and considered, perhaps by reading further into archives and different sections to find out if any stories on international issues are submitted.

Reader characteristics: The majority of readers work in IT.⁸ The general audience of Slashdot may not seem the ideal audience for a LIS writing, as they have concerns that would not necessarily reflect the ethics, interests, or issues of LIS. However, with the future of LIS moving quickly with new technology, this audience could be a great source of objective information. The technical aspects of the profession could be introduced into this forum with a group who might have new ideas or strategies unknown to a LIS author.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: This forum does not actively promote LIS subject matter unless there is a newsworthy story to share. However, with the influx of technology influences on LIS, this would be an interesting forum to share LIS information and get feedback that might be more objective on emerging technology.

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

Writing for and participating in this website would certainly not be a project for the light-hearted “LIS techie.” LIS authors with an avid interest in technology might be able to find middle ground with this publication on issues such as privacy concerns. The ability to collaborate with an audience with general technical backgrounds might open a dialog on the various ways that technology affects libraries.

Last updated: September 13, 2020

References

Show 8 footnotes

Senses of Cinema

By Bethany Baker on April 27, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Senses of Cinema

ISSN: 1443-4059 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Senses of Cinema describes itself as “an online journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema.” As an Australian-based publication, Senses is also committed to discussing Australian film and film culture.²

Target audience: “People from a wide range of backgrounds, professions, and interests but bound by a single common element: an informed, passionate and serious attitude toward cinema as an art.”³

Publisher: Senses of Cinema, Inc.⁴

Peer reviewed? Articles can be peer reviewed by request.⁵

Type: Civilian publication; film journal.

Medium: Online.⁶

Content: Issues typically contain editorials, articles, film festival reports, book reviews, movie reviews, film director profiles, and English-language translations of articles previously published elsewhere. “We are open to a range of critical approaches (auteurist, formalist, psychoanalytic, humanist…) and encourage contributors to experiment with different forms of writing (personal memoir, academic essay, journalistic report, poetic evocation).”⁷

Frequency of publication: Quarterly.⁸

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/about/contributors/

Types of contributions accepted: Senses of Cinema accepts article proposals; unsolicited finished articles will not be considered. Their policy is not to republish material freely available online in English. Proposals should not exceed 200 words and should state what your article will be about why it will be of interest to the journal’s readers.⁹

Submission and review process: Submit proposals via email. If they commission an article based on your proposal, publication is not guaranteed until they see the finished article. Deadline and word count will be negotiated during commissioning, but feature articles should not exceed a maximum of 5,000 words. Once your finished article is submitted, it will be edited and returned to you for final approval. Authors may opt to have their article peer reviewed, if desired.¹⁰

Editorial tone: A variety of writing forms are encouraged,¹¹ but tone should be professional and intelligent.

Style guide used: Senses of Cinema uses a house style.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Because it’s not a library and information science publication, Senses of Cinema‘s potential for LIS authors is limited. That said, the publication’s exceedingly liberal definition of its scope and the wide range of article types and writing styles that it accepts make it an intriguing possibility for LIS scholars and practitioners with a professional (media librarians, film studies librarians, etc.) or personal interest in film. Senses is friendly to first-time authors and employs forms similar to those found in LIS publications (reviews, reports, etc.)¹², so it could be a good place for a writer to cut his or her authorial teeth. Senses has a solid reputation in film circles, so it might help the career of a librarian working in a humanities or media setting. Well-written and insightful articles about “librarians in the movies” might be accepted, too.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: 216,000 unique users per issue and 450,000 page views per issue.¹³

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: No specific information about audience location could be determined but writers can assume that Senses of Cinema readers are comfortable with the English language and should also be respectful of the journal’s potential international readers, for whom English may be a second language.

Reader characteristics: Senses of Cinema “attracts readers from across all age groups, with particular emphasis on the 25-34 age bracket,” and the majority of Senses readers are practicing filmmakers or are involved in film culture and have completed an undergraduate degree.¹⁴ According to the journal, the common point linking a diverse readership is “a genuine love of and curiosity about the medium.”¹⁵ LIS authors should remember that LIS subjects are of secondary interest to the readers of this publication.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: LIS authors writing for this publication cannot assume that their readers have any knowledge of LIS topics or terminology.

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

Senses of Cinema has a great deal of potential for LIS authors who wish to write about LIS topics as they relate to film. That said, LIS authors need to remember that LIS subjects will always be of secondary importance to these readers; writers should take care to avoid jargon, provide background for any discussion of LIS subjects, and firmly ground their articles in the world of cinema.

Possible topics for LIS authors to write about for this publication include subjects pertaining to library media centers and/or collections; libraries and/or librarians as represented in film or in specific films; information gathering strategies for filmmakers, film studies scholars, or movie lovers; bibliographies for film and/or film studies topics; reviews of books, films, periodicals, movie soundtracks, or other materials that the LIS author might work with as a librarian.

Last updated: September 13, 2020

References

Show 15 footnotes

Perspectives on History

By Katie Wood on April 25, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Perspectives on History

ISSN: 1940-8048¹

Website: http://www.historians.org/perspectives/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Perspectives on History is the newsmagazine of the American Historical Association (AHA); it serves as the, “…principal source for news and information about the discipline of history.”²

Publication Tagline: “Perspectives cultivates the community of historians and promotes our work.” ³

“We strive to be a place for historians across the discipline’s broad spectrum to share their ideas and enthusiasm.” ⁴

Target audience: Members of the AHA; College and university professors, and K–12 teachers of history; historical administrators; editors; museum professionals; publishers; librarians; and students of history. ⁵

Publisher: American Historical Association.⁶

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian. While some members of the AHA might also be information professionals (and many other members will have a strong understanding of the library profession), most members will not be intimately familiar with the LIS profession.

Medium: Print. Online content is also published under Perspectives Daily.

Content: “We offer articles and commentary on research and archives, teaching, digital projects, new books of note, history in the media, public history and museum exhibitions, and more.” ⁷

Frequency of publication: “Our print edition is published monthly and online during the academic year, with online-only articles in Perspectives Daily updated regularly all year round. A print subscription is available only with AHA membership.” ⁸

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.historians.org/perspectives/submit

Types of contributions accepted: “We do consider full manuscripts, but we prefer to receive pitches to give us a better understanding of the topic and your viewpoint as an author. Potential writers should familiarize themselves with the sort of articles we publish and the sections in which they fit. If a story is immediately relevant to discussions about current events, please flag it as a possible contribution to Perspectives Daily if you envision it being published quickly.” ⁹

Perspectives on History and Perspectives Daily welcome articles by historians from all kinds of institutions (including but not limited to colleges and universities, K–12 schools, museums, and archives), at all degree levels, and of all professional ranks. They also accept Letters to the editor, In Memoriam essays, and ‘Everything Has a History’ essays. ¹⁰

Submission and review process: “Articles for Perspectives on History should normally be about 1,500 words in length. Perspectives Daily articles are about 800–1,000 words, letters to the editor should be no more than 500 words, In Memoriam essays about 650 words, and Everything Has a History essays about 500 words. ¹¹

“While Perspectives on History does commission articles, it also accepts both completed submissions and proposals. Articles and letters are reviewed by the editorial board, and, in the case of article submissions, the board may make suggestions for revisions.” ¹²

“To ensure that no errors are inadvertently introduced into the text in the copyediting process, the copyedited version of articles accepted for publication may be sent to authors for final approval (when major revisions are suggested). Since both Perspectives on History and Perspectives Daily run on a tight schedule, the editors typically will ask authors to respond within 24 to 48 hours.” ¹³

Editorial tone: The submission guidelines state a preference for a journalistic or conversational style. In general, the articles in Perspectives on History are written with a semi-formal tone. Additionally, authors are asked to limit the number of citations in their articles.¹⁴

Style guide used: “We encourage authors of articles to supply a working title for the essay, although the final determination of headlines, captions, pull quotes, and other forms of “display type” are made by the editors. A brief autobiographical description (25-30 words) should be appended at the end of the article, indicating the author’s institutional affiliation (if any), recent major publications, interests, and so on. Spelling—especially of proper names used in drafts—and all factual information (dates, place names, statistical data, and so on) provided should be verified by the author(s) before submission.” ¹⁵

The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.). For copy-editing, the editors also use Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.) and the most recent edition of Merriam–Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. In general, the editors attempt to make an author’s prose as effective as possible, both in the author’s interest and that of our publications. The editors seek to remove redundancies and errors—if any—in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Perspectives on History and Perspectives Daily support the use of gender-neutral language in their articles, except when a change in pronoun would lead to a historical inaccuracy.” ¹⁶

Letters to the editor should be guided by the AHA’s Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct. ¹⁷

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The organization and preservation of information are central to the tasks of both the historian and the LIS professional, and so it is not uncommon for their interests to intersect. Many developments in the Information field would be of interest to historians, especially if those developments were presented specifically for that audience. Such a presentation could generate a significant amount of name recognition if received favorably.

While Perspectives on History is not, strictly speaking, a scholarly publication, it does possess enough prestige that an article printed in it would add weight to a tenure or promotion cause. However, this is not a venue for early-career publishing.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Population circulation: Nearly 15,000.¹⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: AHA members are generally based in the United States, and the magazine is published in English.¹⁹ AHA members will be familiar with many of the same research terminologies that librarians use, but they will be completely unfamiliar with much of the jargon of information science. Similarly, historians have their own jargon, and an author writing for a history publication would do well to familiarize themselves with it.

Reader characteristics: “… AHA brings together historians specializing in every period, geographic region, and topic of history. Through its scholarly and professional activities, the AHA represents the broad diversity of the historical enterprise today. More than 60 percent of the Association’s members are professors of history, with the remaining 40 percent consisting of students, teachers, administrators, and publishers in the field.” ²⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: As historians, the members of the AHA will generally have a strong understanding of research and research tools. However, they will not be familiar with aspects of LIS subjects outside those that apply to their discipline.

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

The historians who comprise the membership of the AHA are, like most faculty, very busy people. It is essential, when writing for them, to show them — in their own terms — how you can save time or make their research easier. Perspectives on History is primarily a newsletter, even though it does publish some research-based articles. A librarian writing for this publication would do well to simplify the presentation of their research, and focus primarily on the practical application of their results.

Last updated: October 19, 2020

References

Show 20 footnotes

The New Yorker

By Bethany Baker on April 25, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The New Yorker

ISSN: 0028-792X (Print) and 2163-3827 (Online)¹

Purpose, objective, or mission: “The New Yorker is considered by many to be the most influential magazine in the world, renowned for its in-depth reporting, political and cultural commentary, fiction, poetry, and humor.”²

Website: http://www.newyorker.com/

Target audience: General public.

Publisher: Conde Nast Publications.³

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian magazine.

Medium: Print and online.⁴

Content: The New Yorker features articles about various subjects concerning popular culture, world politics, and social issues, not necessarily in that order. Each issue also includes a short story, poetry, literary reviews, cartoons, and short news reports.

Frequency of publication: The New Yorker is published 47 times per year (number of issues per month varies.)⁵

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.newyorker.com/contact/contactus

Types of contributions accepted: Poetry, news-breaks, short stories, and letters to the editor, cartoons, and satirical pieces.⁶

Submission and review process: Send submissions via email as a pdf attachment.⁷

Editorial tone: Can range from silly to erudite, depending on the piece.

Style guide used: None specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

At first glance at the magazine’s submission guidelines, it would seem that there isn’t really any opportunity for LIS authors to contribute to The New Yorker, since they don’t accept nonfiction articles due to the large volume of manuscripts they would probably receive. However, this publication does accept short news reports and commentaries so there is an opportunity for everyone, LIS professionals and students included, to submit short articles that deal with interesting occurrences or developments in their own communities.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: “…more than a million subscribers to the weekly magazine and nearly twenty-one million readers every month on newyorker.com.”⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Although it might seem that The New Yorker primarily serves residents of New York City, its scope is diverse and wide enough for it to have become one of the best-selling magazines nationwide. The New Yorker is an English publication and primarily serves residents of the United States but it covers issues from both a national and global perspective, making it accessible to the diverse population of the U.S. that come from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures.

Reader characteristics: The readers of The New Yorker are 45% male and 55% female. The average household income is $129,631. From the demographic statistics of its subscribers, we can assume that subscribers of this publication are typically educated middle to upper-class adults.⁹ This publication is considered politically left-leaning, and a review of the recent issues supports this assumption.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It is safe to assume that the majority of subscribers are probably not LIS professionals and have little or no knowledge of LIS topics and issues. The magazine obviously has a diverse audience and LIS professionals only make up a small percentage of this group. The New Yorker sometimes prints articles about libraries or librarians and the important issues of the profession, but with an absence of, or, at least minimal, LIS jargon for the benefit of all its readers.

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

Statistics show that the average reader of The New Yorker is financially well off, with age ranges across the spectrum. That said, being a popular magazine across the nation, its readers are still a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and interests. Since the magazine is only soliciting poetry, fiction, news breaks, commentaries, and letters to the editor, potential authors do not have to write scholarly pieces; the tone is informal but writing should exhibit intelligence and a sophisticated mastery of language.

Although it is not a LIS-oriented magazine, LIS authors are still welcome to submit interesting commentaries or activities in their own communities and institutions.

Last updated: September 6, 2020

References

Show 9 footnotes

Wired Magazine

By Bethany Baker on April 25, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Wired Magazine

ISSN: 1059-1028 (Print)¹

Website: http://www.wired.com/magazine/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Per the website, “Wired is the ultimate authority on the people and ideas changing our world.”² The magazine examines technology and its effect on all aspects of culture, from social and recreational to business and politics.

Target audience: Readers who have an interest in technology and its effect on cultures worldwide.

Publisher: Conde Nast Publications Inc. and Wired Ventures Ltd.³

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian publication.

Medium: Print and online.

Content: Articles on the intersection of technology and business, culture, politics, science, etc.

Frequency of publication: Monthly.⁴

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.wired.com/2016/08/how-to-submit-to-wired-opinion/

Types of contributions accepted: Op-eds which are no longer than 1,000 words, and argue a certain point of view.⁵

Submission and review process: Pitches and/or completed pieces should be sent to opinion [at] wired.com. If sending a pitch, clearly state your thesis and why you specifically are writing about it. Include your biographical information; they want to know who you are and why you’re writing. Mark the subject of your email as “Op-Ed Pitch: Sentence Describing Your Opinion.”⁶

Editorial tone: Informal but polished.

Style guide used: None noted.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Wired is for the writer with fresh, definitive ideas about how the various cultures of our world will respond, influence, and share the future of technology and science. LIS authors who are passionate about innovations in the information field and how these ideas affect people will enjoy writing for this publication. Wired allows LIS authors to release themselves from the rigid boundaries of academic styles and create anecdotes rich with cultural, moral, or institutional conflict within digital technologies. Publishing for this popular magazine will also create contacts beyond the LIS field and expand the breadth of publication opportunities for the LIS writer.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Print circulation of over 870,000, with a digital monthly reach of 20 million.⁷

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The magazine is based in San Francisco, CA, but international subscriptions are available. Although the magazine is in English, international subscriptions are available.⁸ Audience demographic information doesn’t include geographic location.

Reader characteristics: Readership is roughly 70% male, 30% female. Most have graduated from college and are fairly affluent.⁹ Readers are described as “globally-minded thought leaders, innovators, bloggers, and connectors” who are “constantly seeking new ideas.”¹⁰

The assumption that this audience works mainly in tech industries should not be made, as this publication covers a diverse range of subjects that are affected by technology, such as culture, cars, politics, and entertainment.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Library terminology or other discipline-specific language will need to be defined for this more general audience. This popular, civilian publication may have many LIS readers who are interested in gaining a new perspective on technology from a civilian viewpoint. However, this would not be an appropriate venue to discuss LIS subject matter in detail. The majority of readers will not be familiar with LIS issues.

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

This group of readers may be very interested to learn how technology is affecting their possibly preconceived ideas of what the library offers and represents. An interest in librarian issues may be cultivated through the technology issues. Readers might be interested in technological innovations within libraries as well as other issues such as privacy concerns.

Last updated: August 30, 2020

References

Show 10 footnotes

Information and Learning Science

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 18, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Information and Learning Science (previously published as Library World and then New Library World and incorporating Asian Libraries)¹

ISSN: 2398-5348 (Print) and 1758-6909 (Online)²

Website: http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=ils

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Information and Learning Science advances inter-disciplinary research that explores scholarly intersections shared within 2 key fields: information science and the learning sciences / education sciences. The journal provides a publication venue for work that strengthens our scholarly understanding of human inquiry and learning phenomena, especially as they relate to design and uses of information and e-learning systems innovations.”³

Target audience: The target audience is international in scope, including academics, information professionals, and librarians, along with researchers and teachers involved in the library and information community.

Publisher: Emerald Publishing.

Peer reviewed? Yes, double-blind peer review.⁴

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Print and Online.

Content: “We invite research that builds upon and advances theories, methods, results, innovation designs, evidence bases and frameworks for action present across both information science, and the learning/education sciences scholarly domains. We especially welcome the submission of papers that directly address, explicate and discuss the inter-disciplinary boundaries and intersections present across these two fields, and that offer new conceptual, empirical and technological syntheses. Such investigations may include but are not limited to:

E-learning perspectives on searching, information-seeking, and information uses and practices engaged by a full diversity of youth, adults, elders and specialized populations, in varied contexts including leisure time activities; e-learning at work, in libraries, at school, home, during playtime, in health/wellness settings, etc.
Design and use of systems such as MOOCs, social media, learning management systems, search systems, information systems, and other technology design innovations that contribute to human inquiry, formal and informal learning, searching, information-seeking, information uses, knowledge building and sharing, and instruction;
HCI, socio-technical systems research, and materiality research perspectives on information and learning systems design; social learning ecologies; and creation and use of physical objects and settings that elicit human inquiry and learning;
Ethnographic; emancipatory; social justice-based; feminist; critical race theory; and post-structuralist research involving information, learning, equity, design;
Information, communication, and technology (ICT) considerations in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) contexts;
Innovations and e-learning solutions that address digital / information / media / data literacy and/or address the digital divide;
Innovations involving problem-, project-, and inquiry-based learning contexts and goods;
Learning analytics and/or data science perspectives on measurement and analysis of learning in information / search / e-learning systems;
Social and ethical issues in e-learning contexts such as design, measurement, and evaluation — such as privacy and security concerns around student confidentiality, data ownership and ethical data uses by researchers, teachers, institutions, etc.”⁵

Frequency of publication: Bimonthly (six times a year).

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Author Guidelines.

Types of contributions accepted: Information and Learning Science accepts articles in the following categories: research paper, viewpoint, technical paper, conceptual paper, case study, literature review, and general review (between 2,500 and 6,000 words). Structured abstracts must be submitted with all articles. The journal also publishes conference reports and book reviews.⁶

Submission and review process: Authors submit and track manuscripts on ScholarOne Manuscripts. The editor reviews submissions and sends appropriate manuscripts to two referees for double-blind review. Conference reports and book reviews are not peer reviewed.⁷

Editorial tone: The editorial tone is scholarly and academic.

Style guide used: Information and Learning Science uses Harvard Style and provides examples of references and citations.⁸

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Information and Learning Science is multidisciplinary and international in scope. It publishes many different types of high-quality articles on a broad range of LIS topics. Further, the journal takes account of “social, cultural, economic, ergonomic, ethical and sectoral issues,” which appeals to LIS authors worldwide.⁹

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Information and Learning Science is published in English in the United Kingdom; however, its audience is international. Editorial Advisory Board members are from all over the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Nigeria, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates.¹⁰

Reader characteristics: Due to the journal’s international reach, Information and Learning Science attracts readers from the LIS professional spectrum, including teachers, librarians, researchers, and students, from a variety of library types and information settings, who are interested in understanding LIS practices from around the world.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The average reader of Information and Learning Science has a broad understanding of LIS subject matters and issues and an understanding of library jargon.

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

Because the readership is international, published articles should have a broad level of interest and be applicable to LIS professionals and academics from all over the world. Information and Learning Science is a scholarly journal with a large number of academics in its audience; the articles they would be most interested in would be those based on original and novel scholarship and research.

Last updated: April 14, 2018

References

Show 10 footnotes

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication (GKMC)

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 18, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication (GKMC) (formerly Library Review). The title change went into effect in January 2018.¹

ISSN: 2514-9342.²

Purpose, objective, or mission: GKMC “publishes contemporary research and practice which explores the way that people and organisations interact in the digital information environment.” It’s “concerned with innovation and developments in digital information, as they relate to global knowledge, communication and world memory. It covers the creation, management, dissemination and use of the full range of information objects.”³

Website: http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=gkmc

Target audience: Academics, LIS teachers and researchers, all practicing librarians and information professionals, interested library users, and practitioners in related fields.⁴

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.⁵

Peer reviewed? Yes.⁶

Type: LIS scholarly.⁷

Medium: Print and online.⁸

Content: “Submissions are welcomed on the following major themes:

Global Knowledge and Communication:

Social interaction, networking, social media and space
Free/open access to information: legal, technical, social and managerial issues
Information and knowledge as agents of and for social, political, cultural and organisational change
Connecting the individual: personalised and meta-services
Sociological and philosophical aspects of information and knowledge, including service provision

World Memory: Text, Sound, Vision and Artefacts:

Information creation, ‘collection’ and curation
Information seeking, discovery and use
Sustainable preservation, including environmental, social, technical and legal issues
Sharing and facilitating individual engagement with archival, cultural and literary heritage: objects and services
Memory institutions and organisations: role and purpose, design, delivery, evaluation and cultural issues
Professional collaboration – consortia, exchange and sharing.”⁹

Frequency of publication: Nine times a year.¹⁰

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm?id=gkmc

Types of contributions accepted: Submissions should belong to one of the following categories: research paper, viewpoint, technical paper, conceptual paper, case study, literature review, or general review.¹¹

Submission and review process: The journal welcomes original, unpublished manuscripts (between 6000 and 8000 words) which aren’t currently under review elsewhere. Submissions should be accompanied by a structured abstract which contains four to seven subheadings (maximum of 250 words). (Please see the How to…Write an Abstract guide here for more details.) Additionally, Emerald Publishing Limited partners with Peerwith, an organization which provides editing, translation, and other useful services. Submissions to GKMC are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Information on registering and using the ScholarOne Manuscripts is located here. Per the “Author Guidelines,” “Each paper is reviewed by the editor and, if it is judged suitable for this publication, it is then sent to at least one independent referee for double blind peer review.”¹²

Editorial tone: Scholarly, assumes professional industry knowledge of LIS issues.¹³

Style guide used: Harvard style.¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication is an excellent choice for authors looking to publish with a respected journal addressing global LIS issues. GKMC dates all the way back to 1927,¹⁵ and its recent name change reflects its commitment to memory institutions (e.g., museums, archives, etc.) in addition to libraries.¹⁶ Thus, authors interested in publishing with this journal have a wider range of topics to choose from than they do with traditional LIS journals.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Although specific circulation statistics are unavailable, the journal likely enjoys substantial readership (due to its international focus).¹⁷

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal is published in English in the U.K. and has readers and subscribers worldwide.¹⁸ GKMC‘s international scope is exemplified by its first issue published under its new name, with topics such as “The State of Institutional Repositories and Scholarly Communications in Nigeria,” “Utilisation of Subscribed Electronic Resources by Library Users in Mzumbe Library, Tanzania,” etc.¹⁹

Reader characteristics: Readers are likely to value cutting-edge research on information-based topics pertaining to libraries and other information organizations. Additionally, readers will expect articles to be meticulously researched and to clearly document all findings, in keeping with the standard current and past articles have set.²⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Writers can assume that readers have considerable knowledge of LIS issues and terminology, as well as information terminology in general.²¹

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

In keeping with the journal’s new name, readers will expect articles on a broad spectrum of information science issues. For instance, a 2018 article entitled “Chinese Female Preference of Cosmetic Products Information Channels” describes Chinese women’s information-seeking behaviors in regards to cosmetics.²² In other words, readers will expect articles to be varied in terms of topic selection but remain grounded in solid LIS theory.

Last updated: March 12, 2018

References

Show 22 footnotes

Bright Lights Film Journal

By Katie Wood on April 11, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Bright Lights Film Journal

ISSN: 0147-4049 (Print) and 2376-8290 (Online)¹

Website: http://brightlightsfilm.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Bright Lights is a “popular-academic hybrid of movie analysis, history, and commentary looking at classic and commercial, independent, exploitation, and international film.”² The goal in creating the magazine was to “feature great photos and combine popular and academic styles, with humor and progressive politics tossed into the mix.”³

“Bright Lights is one of the most widely read, quoted, and respected movie sites on the Web, mixing savvy pop reviews with in-depth analysis of current and classic, edgy and indie, international and experimental cinema – with wit and a political edge.” ⁴

Target audience: “Amateur film fans to students and professors to Academy members.”⁵

Publisher: Bright Lights Film Journal.⁶

Peer reviewed? No. “We do not formally peer-review submissions, though occasionally and informally we send articles to one or more reviewers for reaction. Examples would be pieces that seem promising but are heavily theorized, outside our area of expertise, or written by someone whose native language is not English (to determine if it’s worth being made intelligible).”⁷

Type: Civilian publication.

Medium: Online. Print magazine was discontinued in 1995.⁸

Content: Reviews, editorials, think pieces, articles, and film festival reports.

Frequency of publication: Content is updated frequently, with no set schedule.⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://brightlightsfilm.com/about/submission-guidelines/

Types of contributions accepted: “We are interested in short pieces (reviews of single movies, DVDs, books) and more substantial studies of directors and other key production figures (cinematographers and producers, for example), analyses of genres, studios and studio style, and topics like gender and minority contributions to film. We always need overviews of international and minority cinemas, in-depth director interviews, discussions of the impact of multimedia on film, breakthrough technologies, animation, and studies of neglected or misinterpreted figures in film history. We have no set taboos and prefer passionate, opinionated, even ranting pieces that are intelligently and engagingly written. Political, anti-capitalist, pro-sex tirades always welcome. Typically, we have no particular theme, preferring a potpourri made up of what your editor, our regular writers, and other contributors are thinking and writing about.”¹⁰

Submission and review process: Submissions are accepted via email and should be in 12-pt Times New Roman (or similar font) and double-spaced. No PDFs, RTFs, Google Docs, or HTML files. “Straightforward reviews (single film, DVD, book) might be in the 1,000-2,000 range; profiles of individuals, production histories, and think pieces can run as long as the material dictates (within reason).”¹¹

Response Time: “For new authors, we try to respond within two to four weeks; could be sooner or later depending on the existing pile. Feel free to nudge us if you think we’re taking too long.” ¹²

Editorial tone: Smart and educated, but still accessible to a wide audience. “Bright Lights is not an academic ghetto, and looks more for idiosyncratic style, and the ability to make ideas available to the widest possible audience, than bone-dry scholarly analysis. We are most interested in bringing ideas to a readership hungry for information but put off by standard, navel-gazing academic writing. We greatly value wit and look for literary value in submissions.”¹³

Style guide used: “Footnote/references style can be MLA or any other style as long as it’s consistent. However, a Works Cited approach (avoiding footnotes) is generally preferred, if possible.” ¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This is not a LIS publication, so its potential for LIS authors is limited. The wide range of article types and writing styles that it accepts do, however, make it an intriguing possibility for LIS scholars and practitioners with a professional (archivists, media librarians, film studies librarians, etc.) or personal interest in film. Bright Lights is friendly to first-time authors and employs forms similar to those found in LIS publications (reviews, reports, etc.), so it could be a good place for a writer to cut his or her authorial teeth. In addition to not being an LIS publication, this journal isn’t nearly as well established in the field of film and media studies as some other publications, so it might not meet the requirements of all tenure committees. Well-written articles about “librarians in the movies” might be accepted by this publication.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: “One of the Web’s most popular film sites, BLFJ averages 2,000 daily visitors and serves over 2,600 pages per day. Over 85% of our page hits are from new visitors.” ¹⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: “Our readers hail from 190 countries around the world including, most prominently, the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. We also receive thousands of hits from European, South American, and Asian countries where English is a second language, for example, Germany, India, Turkey, France, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, China, Spain, and Brazil.”¹⁶ Bright Lights is written in English.

Reader characteristics: No information was available on the individual characteristics of the readers of Bright Lights. Writers can assume that the readers of Bright Lights have a professional or personal interest in academic film studies. They are likely to work in an academic environment. Bright Lights is left leaning and favors progressive, anti-capitalist politics.¹⁷

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: LIS authors writing for this publication cannot assume that their readers have any knowledge of LIS topics, jargon, or terminology.

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

As noted in the “Publication Analysis” section of this entry, Bright Lights Film Journal has potential for LIS authors who wish to write about LIS topics as they relate to film. That said, LIS authors need to remember that LIS subjects will always be of secondary importance to the readers of this publication; writers should take care to avoid jargon, provide background for any discussion of LIS subjects, and firmly ground their articles in the world of cinema.

Possible topics for LIS authors to write about for this publication include subjects pertaining to film archives; library media centers and/or collections; libraries and/or librarians as represented in film or in specific films; information gathering strategies for filmmakers, film studies scholars, or movie lovers; bibliographies for film and/or film studies topics; reviews of books, films, periodicals movie soundtracks, or other materials that the LIS author might work with as a librarian.

Last updated: September 20, 2020

References

Show 17 footnotes

Huntington Library Quarterly

By Lisa Lowdermilk on September 16, 2008 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Huntington Library Quarterly

ISSN: 0018-7895 (Print) and 1544-399X (Online)¹

Website: http://hlq.pennpress.org/home/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Huntington Library Quarterly publishes articles on the literature, history, and art of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries in Britain and America, with special emphasis on:

The interactions of literature, politics, and religion
The social and political contexts of literary and art history
Textual and bibliographic studies, including the history of printing and publishing
American studies, through the early nineteenth century;
The performance history of drama and music.”²

Target audience: Academic librarians and academics with a focus on American Literature and History between 1500 and 1700.[3 Huntington Library Quarterly, University of Pennsylvania Press, accessed April 26, 2017, http://hlq.pennpress.org/home/]

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press³

Peer reviewed? Yes⁴

Type: Art, Literature, and History; scholarly. The main content of the publication is oriented toward research-based and scholarly articles.⁵

Medium: Print and online⁶

Content: Academic articles, book reviews, review articles on important research in the field. The Quarterly also has an Intramuralia section that details acquisitions of rare books, manuscripts, and ephemera by the Huntington Library.⁷

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁸

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://hlq.pennpress.org/media/80097/hlq_authorguidelines.pdf

Types of contributions accepted: Full-length academic feature articles, book reviews, and essays⁹

Submission and review process: Manuscripts are submitted for review via the ScholarOne website. Each manuscript should be accompanied by an abstract. In addition, any illustrations must be provided in hard copy.¹⁰

Editorial tone: Academic and formal¹¹

Style guide used: The Chicago Manual of Style, latest edition¹²

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

LIS authors who are interested in sixteenth-to-eighteenth century British and American society would benefit from publishing an article to this prestigious journal. Authors should be sure of their information, as readers of the journal are experts in the field and expect to have high-quality research in the journal.

Huntington Library Quarterly is abstracted in America: History and Life; Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL); Bibliography of the History of Art: BHA; British Humanities Index; FRANCIS; Historical Abstracts; Humanities Index; Humanities International Complete; I B R – Internationale Bibliographie der Rezensionen Wissenshcaftlicher Literatur; I B Z – Internationale Bibliographie der Geistes-und Sozialwissenschlaftlichen; MLA International Bibliography; Periodicals Index Online; ProQuest Research Library; Religion Index One: Periodicals; Routledge ABES; SCOPUS.¹³

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No specific numbers available. The Quarterly is available by subscription only but is abstracted and indexed in a variety of locations.¹⁴

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal is published in English by the University of Pennsylvania Press. Though online access makes an international audience possible, the thematic focus of the journal indicates most readers would be academics in English-speaking countries.¹⁵

Reader characteristics: No specific information available, but readers are most likely experts in the subjects and time period highlighted by the Quarterly. Most will have at least one, if not more, advanced degree. It can be assumed that readers are highly interested in British and American history, art, and literature, as well as in archival studies.¹⁶

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Although it may be assumed that some readers of HLQ have a knowledge of archival practice, others will have a purely academic or aesthetic interest in the period. Readers will not have a great interest in non-archival aspects of librarianship.¹⁷

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

The Huntington Library Quarterly is a prestigious academic journal with a very specific purpose: to highlight scholarship in early modern history and literature in England and the US. Publication in the Quarterly would be a boost to an academic or writing career. Readers are assumed to have deep knowledgeable about archival studies and British and American culture of 1500 to 1900, so authors should be very sure of their information and provide new research and thinking in the field.

Last updated: April 26, 2017

References

Show 17 footnotes

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