Publishing Practices
Issues and Challenges in Accessing and Utilising Published Academic Information: A Reader’s Perspective
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kunle Oparinde
For several years now, the internet has continued to be the main space for the generation and distribution of information and knowledge. This same space has been exploited by academic publishers to produce and share academic research findings via several sources (individual, organisational, institutional etc.). While publishers have found a way to produce, disseminate and provide access to readers, it is the argument of this paper that readers’ perspectives are also essential in the publishing information landscapes. For many readers, consuming academic information is not enough, utilising such information is in fact the main goal. As such, publishers must consider the information landscapes not only from their perspectives, but also from the audience/readers'. It is within this context that this study draws views on the information landscapes of the African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies (AJIMS), vis-à-vis how the journal produces its information, disseminates, and provides access to readers. The opinion of the readers regarding how they retrieve information from the journal, recycle, and how the articles are produced are sought which were further used to improve the journal’s information landscape. Since the inception of the journal, the production and distribution mode have significantly changed based on feedback received from readers. In fact, certain prospects yet untapped were discovered from readers’ perspectives and they have all contributed significantly to the growth of the journal. The issues and challenges alluded to by the readers were appropriated and analysed in order for the journal to give readers the best experience to published information.
Impact of Gatekeeping on Academic Publishing: A Case Study of African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Grace Agbede
Academic publishing serves as a cornerstone of knowledge dissemination, fostering the advancement of research and ideas. However, within this process, a complex interplay of gatekeeper effects can significantly influence whose voices ultimately find representation. This paper delves into the intricate dynamics of gatekeeper effects within academic publishing, scrutinizing the mechanisms that shape the selection, amplification, and exclusion of voices. It also delves into the potential remedies and strategies that can be employed to mitigate the negative impact of gatekeeper effects, fostering inclusivity, diversity, and equitable representation in academic publishing. By examining the role of various gatekeepers, including but not limited to journal editors, peer reviewers, funding bodies, and institutional affiliations, this study sheds light on the potential biases and power dynamics that can impact whose research gains visibility and readership. Through a comprehensive analysis of data collected from researchers who have submitted papers to the African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies (AJIMS), and qualitative interviews with researchers who might have experienced gatekeepers’ effect, I explore the underrepresented perspectives that often remain marginalized in the academic discourse. In conclusion, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of gatekeeper effects in academic publishing, highlighting the need for increased transparency, inclusivity, and diverse representation. By addressing these issues, the academic community can move closer to a publishing landscape that genuinely reflects the breadth of voices and ideas that enrich scholarly discourse.
Risky Business: Territories, Transferral and Avoiding Defamation in Trade Non-fiction Publishing
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Katherine Day
In January 2013, Lawrence Wright’s expose on the Church of Scientology, Going Clear, was published in America by Michael Knopf publishers. Despite its significant sales and critical acclaim, it took three years before the book could be published in the UK by Silvertail, with significant edits to avoid potential litigation due to its supposed defamatory content – an example of what Judith Butler describes as ‘implicit censorship’. Similarly, in 2019, the Australian edition of Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill (first published in the US) was challenged, with The New York Times reporting that ‘lawyers for Dylan Howard, an executive with American Media, Inc., sent letters to Australian booksellers warning of ‘false and defamatory allegations.’ These examples illustrate that the transfer of non-fiction texts from territory to territory is not straightforward: the threat of legal action informs the decision-making – the communications, negotiations and alterations – around what is publishable in the shadow of defamation laws, which are particularly strict In the UK and Australia. This paper explores the impact of defamation law on non-fiction trade books that travel across territories by interrogating in-house editorial processes and the likelihood of editorial management, where the activities and workflow between authors and editors are reconstructed, if necessary. In doing so, the research asks: does the risk, explicit or implicit, of defamation action produce a significant chilling effect in trade non-fiction publishing, and what are the outcomes for readers?
