What Do Publishers Know?

In this short contribution to the open access debate, I will draw upon my expertise as a sociologist who has studied the publishing industry to argue that publishers do in fact have knowledge that is absolutely critical to an informed understanding of open access and how it may be successfully imple...

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Main Author: Casey Brienza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group 2013-11-01
Series:tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/520
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author Casey Brienza
author_facet Casey Brienza
author_sort Casey Brienza
collection DOAJ
description In this short contribution to the open access debate, I will draw upon my expertise as a sociologist who has studied the publishing industry to argue that publishers do in fact have knowledge that is absolutely critical to an informed understanding of open access and how it may be successfully implemented. After providing an overview of who publishers are and what motivates them, along with some of often little-understood complexities of the academic publishing industry, I focus upon the one important thing that publishers understand very well—and far better than most academics—how publishing is funded. I then discuss why collaboration, not competition, between publishers and academics is the only real way forward and conclude with a warning to fellow academics that casually dismissing their potential contribution is both counterproductive and, in the worst case scenario, may threaten the future flourishing of our profession.
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spelling doaj.art-c54046f530794484a78ac5b0d8c2891f2023-09-03T04:52:08ZengPaderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research GrouptripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique1726-670X1726-670X2013-11-0111251552010.31269/triplec.v11i2.520520What Do Publishers Know?Casey Brienza0City University LondonIn this short contribution to the open access debate, I will draw upon my expertise as a sociologist who has studied the publishing industry to argue that publishers do in fact have knowledge that is absolutely critical to an informed understanding of open access and how it may be successfully implemented. After providing an overview of who publishers are and what motivates them, along with some of often little-understood complexities of the academic publishing industry, I focus upon the one important thing that publishers understand very well—and far better than most academics—how publishing is funded. I then discuss why collaboration, not competition, between publishers and academics is the only real way forward and conclude with a warning to fellow academics that casually dismissing their potential contribution is both counterproductive and, in the worst case scenario, may threaten the future flourishing of our profession.https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/520marketsfundingpublishingopen access
spellingShingle Casey Brienza
What Do Publishers Know?
tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique
markets
funding
publishing
open access
title What Do Publishers Know?
title_full What Do Publishers Know?
title_fullStr What Do Publishers Know?
title_full_unstemmed What Do Publishers Know?
title_short What Do Publishers Know?
title_sort what do publishers know
topic markets
funding
publishing
open access
url https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/520
work_keys_str_mv AT caseybrienza whatdopublishersknow