Why Do We Publish?

Abstract

Academic publishing has changed enormously over the past 30 years. The reasons are many. Publishers are grappling with the consolidation of their industry, the emergence of electronic publishing, decreased subscription rates and increased production costs. In addition, heightened competition in academe and the corporatization of colleges and universities is changing the evaluative and reward structures for scholarly work—sometimes in troubling ways. As we think about this changing landscape and plan for the future of academic publishing, one very basic question deserves our most serious considerations, namely: why do we publish? In this essay, I consider that question, focusing both on the cultural ideals and cultural realities of academic publishing, as well as the changing context of the activity. Then, I offer some ideas on how we might reconcile ideals and realities in ways that move our discipline forward.