scholarly publishing & some other things

mike nason | scholarly communications and publishing librarian

it me

scholarly communications is a phrase mostly only librarians use that means:

the process by which researchers share/publish the products of research

scholarly publishing

what's the deal with publishing?

the whole point of scholarship is for, at least, some people to see your work and for your work to make some kind of difference.

 

right? yes?

the whole point of scholarship is for, ideally, some as many people as possible to see your work and for your work to make some kind of difference.

publishing and sharing research is a hugely important part of an academic career.

here are three narratives for navigating different generations in/of academia

things that are ingrained in academia that will be very useful to you

things that are ingrained in academia that you can change, ignore, or be deeply perplexed by

newer things your generation will shape in a significant way that you will probably hear sassy things about

you have (more) agency (than a lot of folks in academia might let on)

reliable constants & useful folk wisdom

disciplines can have unique cultures of publishing and they can vary greatly

1

• monographs
  • long tail
• journals
  • short tail
  • pre-prints

• technical reports
• proceedings
• research data
• software/code
• new things, probably!

publishing (like research) is not monolithic

publishing is about submission, rejection, peer review, rejection, and ego/prestige

2

• is this journal good?
  • rejection rates
  • journal metrics
  • patience & effort
  • experience

someone has been in your shoes and will have relevant information for you

• who can i ask for help?
  • librarians ( ͡◉ ͜ʖ ͡◉)
  • community of practice
  • your colleagues

you are supported but you will have to be ok with asking for help

early-career academics are under a lot of pressure

3

• publish (or perish)
• increasing course loads
• individual research
• professional development
• job precarity
• committee work/service

your time is finite

👁 so, too, is your attention

academic publishing is a hugely lucrative industry

4

money plays a huge role in the narratives of publishing

let's talk about
issues //
politics //
ethics //

publishing has changed dramatically in the last 2-3 decades

open access

bad faith //

deceptive //

predatory //

"publishers"

copyright

scholarly profiles & social media

take aways

the vast majority of publications do not solicit submissions

journal quality is not black and white

your work is yours

be intentional about where and how you share you work

it's ok to be different

always apply scrutiny

you are supported and it is ok to ask for help

thanks.
questions?

mnason@unb.ca