Introduction to Scholarly Journal and Book Publishing in the U.S.

Abstract

Academics, researchers, and students have access to a tremendous number of scholarly books, journals, preprints, and research depositories as well as a highly developed public and academic library system, and the U.S. produces more scholarly publications than any other nation. How did the U.S. become the dominant center of scholarly publishing? This chapter outlines the current state of scholarly publishing, key issues related to higher education’s emphasis on “publish or perish,” and the eight major developments that transformed scholarly publishing in the U.S.