Academic book publishing under pressure
As universities face dramatic losses in revenue from COVID-19 and changes in government priorities, academic book publishing is increasingly under threat.
The University of Sydney’s Honorary Associate in the Department of Media and Communication, Agata Mrva-Montoya, and Manager of Academic Services, Edward Luca, outline the threat in their article, ‘Book publishing sidelined in the game of university measurement and rankings’, published by The Conversation.
Their research shows that contributing factors include the Australian Government’s new system towards funding research and the expectation put on academics to prioritise fundraising over publishing.
The pair say editors may need to adapt their approach when assisting academic researchers in their publication journeys to suit the new landscape.
EdNSW member Dr Mrva-Montoya was a speaker at the 10th IPEd conference on the topic: Inclusive publishing in Australia in context: Opportunities and challenges in creating accessible books.
