This is an era of information explosion and rapid communication. The internet and digital publishing make both obtaining and sharing knowledge easier than before. Academic publishing can sometimes be a costly affair in addition to delaying publication of research. Also, due to the fees involved, copyright policies can prevent making discoveries freely accessible to all (Is this an ethical concern?). How far can self-publishing come to be a help? Especially, when it comes to publication of thesis or dissertation, do you prefer publishing it through an academic publisher or independently publishing it? Why? Why not?
Domenic - in current times, for academics, it's not so much what individual's prefer - it's more about what the system dictates. Currently, journal and book/book chapter (and a few other dissemination forms) publication are the 'currency' of publication and their value is determined by impact and citation. RG does its best to promote both - but is not currently recognised as 'formal' evidence of impact. It is 'nice' to independently disseminate research findings and ideas - but the question is 'is it supported by your institution as formal evidence - or is it additional?'
Some academic institutions deliberately delay publication of a thesis because they have a commercial interest in the form of patent applications made by themselves or corporate sponsors. Others require a hardbound copy for their library and an increasing number make digital versions freely available.
So it depends on the policy of the institution whether and when the author can independently publish.
As Dean alluded to, until institutions and funding bodies measure research output by a strict set of guidelines, academics are less likely to embrace self-publishing as a viable option. However for thesis and dissertations, I think this is less of a concern.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Publishing