In a previous article, we covered the topic of how to publish an academic journal or book online. Digital platforms speed up the publishing process, lower production costs and allow for fast updates, corrections and revisions. Yet, in our new media age, there is still an audience for print scholarly journals.
Print journals have been around for a long time, with Philosophical Transactions, launched in 1665 by the Royal Society, being the world’s first and longest-running scientific journal. It was later split in two publications, one dedicated to physical sciences and one to life sciences. Print versions are still available and advertised on their website as great teaching resources.
Print journals
Established print journals are well known and highly regarded. For societies, printed publications confer a more tangible presence and prestige – members are sure to appreciate a well-bound publication sent in the post, rather than yet another email with a link to a digital publication. It is also a great way to keep in touch with members and send regular communications by post.
The disadvantage for authors is that less people will read your work, unless the printed scholarly journal has a large circulation. The reach might be geographically limited and they might not appeal to readers who prefer to browse information online.
Print academic journals may have slower response times. It might take a long time to find out if your paper is accepted or rejected and, if successful, it might take up to a year to see it printed.
Electronic journals
Online academic journals or e-journals are growing rapidly and open-access publications offer content free of charge to readers. Links can be shared with colleagues, other academics and the world via email or social media channels.
Electronic journals offer extra audio and visual options, increasing their accessibility. They may have additional features such as links to other articles, keywords, interactive citations, multimedia components and the option to download as a PDF.
Submissions are often processed faster and an article can be published in a matter of days, as we have seen with many Covid-19 research papers.
Making your choice: print or electronic journals?
Choosing between a print and an electronic academic journal depends on your needs. The quality of content should be the same regardless of the publication method. Some academics might worry that e-journals are likely to be less permanent than printed ones. Others think that printed journals might not be diffusing their work as widely as electronic scholarly publications. Most established journals offer both options.
Pros of online journals:
Pros of print academic journals
Electronic scholarly journals might be prevailing, but there is still demand for print publications, especially for niche subjects and from prestigious societies. Sciendo publishes electronic journals and offers a print-on-demand service for those who prefer reading and circulating a printed journal within their institution or among colleagues from other universities.
Other valuable benefits of the print-on-demand service include displays and take-aways for conferences and symposia, plus the flexibility to print the exact number you need for each specific issue. In addition, there is no need to hold stock or pay for journal issues that might never be needed. Find out more here.
Meet online the Sciendo Sales representatives during the conference “Anthropology and Geography: Dialogues Past, Present and Future” on 14-18 September 2020: www.therai.org.uk/conferences/anthropology-and-geography The conference is co-organized by The British Academy, The British Museum, The Royal Anthropological Institute, The Royal Geographical Society, and SOAS University of London.
In a previous article entitled Publishing your first academic book, we advised early-career researchers to start publishing articles in reputable journals as a way to get experience and build up a career as academic authors. Open-access journals are particularly helpful because they are not behind a paywall and can reach a wider audience.
The research process expects ethical behaviour and good practice. As plagiarism and self-plagiarism are on the increase, academic publishers are using software to detect these instances of scientific misconduct.