A dissemination divide? The factors that influence the journal selection decision of Library & Information Studies (LIS) researchers and practitioners

Abstract

With increasing volumes of research output and the continued emergence of new publishing venues, scholarly publishing has become a crowded landscape. This study analyses the factors that influence LIS authors when selecting a journal for submission, and in particular the significance of open access (OA) options and bibliometric indicators in this decision-making process. An online questionnaire with Likert scales was used to collect and rank the preferences and attitudes of LIS professionals. As part of the analysis, two separate sub-groups were examined using inferential statistical tests to explore if the research-practice divide so often cited in the LIS literature is also replicated in journal selection. It is concluded that choosing a journal for LIS research is a complex decision for both faculty members and librarians. Whilst some commonality exists between both groups, many variables show evidence of a divide in practices and preferences in consonance with the existing research.

Journal selection criteria in an open access environment: A comparison between the medicine and social sciences

“…Mean and median values for scholars in both domains show that the most important factor, which decides the author's journal preference, is the peer review status of the journal. This result is compatible with previous findings, for example, by Dalton (). This may reflect the authors’ positive attitude towards stringent quality control and further improvement of the manuscript before publication.…”

“…that the most important factor, which decides the author's journal preference, is the peer review status of the journal. This result is compatible with previous findings, for example, by Dalton (2013).…”

“…Dalton () analysed the selection criteria for publishing venues in the field of library and information science, mainly targeting open access (OA) journals. A cohort of 326 respondents replied to the questionnaire, which found that topical fit and peer reviewed status had the highest importance while the technical features of the journal were considered least significant.…”

“…His study found a number of important factors, such as the relevance of the research area, IF, and indexing in databases, that can be seen as compatible with the results obtained by the other similar studies. Dalton (2013) analysed the selection criteria for publishing venues in the field of library and information science, mainly targeting open access (OA) journals. A cohort of 326 respondents replied to the questionnaire, which found that topical fit and peer reviewed status had the highest importance while the technical features of the journal were considered least significant.…”

How library and information science faculty perceive and engage with open access

“…Research on behalf of the Taylor & Francis Research and Business Intelligence Department determined that, although 66% of respondents agreed to some extent that all research outputs should be available for free online and slightly more (67%) agreed that the dissemination of research should not be monetized in any way, only 40% of respondents actively chose to publish in open-access journals; 22 and 34%, respectively, rarely or never actively published in open-access journals [12]. Similarly, Dalton [13] found that open-access options (both Green and Gold) ranked relatively low among the factors LIS practitioner and academic authors consider when contemplating publication venues.…”