Role of University Journals in Scholarly Communication in Academic Publisher Oligopoly Environment

• Applicant: Maryna Nazarovets, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Communication Sciences ; Education Systems and Educational Institutions
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 541976107

Universities seeking to attract and effectively use research funding have a number of resources to support their academic journals (highly qualified and motivated staff, international networks of research contacts, research infrastructure, etc.). At the same time, the landscape of scholarly communication is undergoing significant changes that may open up additional opportunities for the development of university journal publishing. Can universities, as influential institutions in the digital age, use their resources, reputation and commitment to ethical principles to compete with commercial journal publishers? How does this compare in different countries around the world? The proposed project aims to assess the role of university journals in the current landscape of scholarly communication, given the research community's aim for increased openness, fairness, and decrease reliance on large academic publishers. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, I will answer the following broad research questions: 1. What is the profile and what are the key characteristics of university journals based on bibliometric analysis? 2. Which financial models, technical infrastructures and organisational forms are dominant among university publishers? 3. Which aspects are crucial for sustainable university journal publishing and what additional capacities or resources are needed? In order to find answers to these questions and to achieve the research objectives, I plan to carry out the following tasks: (1) Bibliometric analysis of university journals (analyse the quantitative indicators and metrics: breakdown by country, institution of publishers and authors, subject areas, language of publication, years of publication and indexing, and other relevant factors); (2) Analysis of financial models of university journals (investigate the dominant publishing models; determine the financial component of support and possible sources of funding); (3) Defining technical and organisational characteristics of university journals (connection of journals with other campus services and research infrastructure; features of the organisation of the peer review process; impact of government and other research assessment initiatives on the development of university journal publishing); (4) Based on the data collected in earlier phases of the research, examine the current state, key features and possible actions to maintain the sustainability of university journals. By examining the status and characteristics of university journals in different regions, this study will provide a better understanding of regional disparities and challenges in scholarly communication, allowing for targeted interventions and support measures to promote inclusivity and diversity.

• DFG Programme: WBP Position