Against the Grain
Volume 25 | Issue 1 Article 38
February 2013 ATG Interviews Samantha Burridge, Managing Director, Palgrave Macmillan Tom Gilson Against the Grain, [email protected]
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Recommended Citation Gilson, Tom (2013) "ATG Interviews Samantha Burridge, Managing Director, Palgrave Macmillan," Against the Grain: Vol. 25: Iss. 1, Article 38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/2380-176X.6439
This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. ATG Interviews Samantha Burridge Managing Director, Palgrave Macmillan by Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain)
ATG: In the original press release intro- by at least one more academic or expert, who ducing Palgrave Pivot you claimed that it “lib- writes a review. Commissioning staff discuss erates scholarship from the straightjacket of the review(s) with the author, and if necessary traditional formats.” What does that mean? another reviewer may be sought, and revisions SB: It refers to the fact that academics now will be made. have an option to publish their research at its We have a broad network of reviewers that natural length, rather than make it fit the tradi- we know and trust, but reviewers are sought tional formats of journal article or monograph. on a title-by-title basis, to ensure reviewers Most scholarly journal articles are between are knowledgeable about the subject area. 7,000 and 8,000 words in length, whilst schol- Reviewers are typically Associate Professor arly print books are published between 70,000 or Lecturer level and above. and 110,000 words. Sometimes research Speed is of the essence when it comes to doesn’t fit to those lengths, and Palgrave Pivot publishing topical research, and this is appre- was designed to provide academics with an ciated by our authors. Sporting Times by Kath alternative option to those formats. Woodward was one of the first pieces of aca- ATG: What role does Palgrave Pivot play demic research to be published in the aftermath in Palgrave Macmillan’s overall publishing of the 2012 Olympics, which was particularly strategy? relevant given that she was examining the idea SB: We’re committed to user-focused inno- about this? How have you responded? What and importance of time in sport. vation across all our publishing areas and want editorial services are you offering your Pal- ATG: You claim that Palgrave Pivot is a to work closely with our community to develop grave Pivot authors? market-changing initiative. How so? the tools and services it needs. The development SB: Authors are responding extremely SB: We believe it’s market changing be- of Palgrave Pivot was a direct result of an on- positively. We knew from the research there cause it’s providing researchers with an outlet going program of research we are undertaking was a need in the community for this format, for their research that we know they need, and to explore the needs of the scholarly market. but the response and enquiries we’ve received that previously hasn’t existed. By breaking the We questioned over 1,000 researchers across has been better than even we expected. We’re traditional publishing boundaries of format and the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), proud that Palgrave Pivot has attracted some enabling research at its natural length, a new and the research revealed insights into the way big names in the humanities, such as Akira type of publishing emerges. academics both consume and produce research. Iriye, whose Global and Transnational History was one of our launch titles. ATG: Palgrave Pivot Launched with 21 We learnt that 36% of journal article authors and titles in October 2012. How many titles do you 50% of monograph authors were not satisfied by We offer our Pivot authors the same service have now? How many are you projecting by the publication formats available to them and so that we do our journal and monograph authors. the end of 2013? developed Palgrave Pivot to meet those needs. All Palgrave Pivots go through our normal We want to continue to challenge the traditional peer-review processes and can be cited and SB: To date we have published 28 titles. boundaries of publishing, and Palgrave Pivot is included for research assessments in the same We expect to publish more than 100 titles in just one example of several new initiatives that way as traditional academic outputs. We are 2013 across the humanities and social sciences, we are committed to delivering to the scholarly conscious of the need for Palgrave Pivot to and many more in the years thereafter. community over the coming year. publish the same kind of highest-quality aca- ATG: How are you making Palgrave Pivot ATG: You just mentioned some additional demic work we have always been renown for. titles accessible to the marketplace? Are they Palgrave initiatives that may also challenge Of course, academics are still very welcome primarily available for title-by-title purchase? the boundaries of traditional publishing. Can to publish with us using traditional formats too. Can they be purchased as part of a sub- you share with us what else you are planning? scription database? What should interested ATG: According to your Website, each of readers and libraries expect to pay for a title? SB: We have just announced our latest your titles undergoes complete peer review within initiative, which is the option for open access 12 weeks of acceptance. That’s a pretty tight SB: For institutions, Palgrave Pivot ti- publishing across all our outlets: journal schedule. How are you defining complete peer re- tles are available on Palgrave Connect, our articles, Palgrave Pivots, and monographs. view? How are you recruiting reviewers? What award-winning eBook platform, via the 2013 We are offering open access under a CC-BY qualifications do you require of your reviewers? Subject Collections and Connect’s Build Your Own Collections option. license and are currently the only commercial SB: Titles are published within 12 weeks publisher to do so across all its formats. of acceptance. Acceptance takes place only In addition to that, Palgrave Pivot titles are Beyond this, the survey we undertook ex- after peer review and once we have the final available as individual eBooks from ebooks. plored much more than just research format, manuscript. Peer review plays an important com, GoogleBooks, and Amazon and are and identified further pain points that research- role as part of our quality assurance, and thus priced between $30 and $45. Libraries can also ers have with publishing. We are developing we use the same rigorous peer-review process purchase them from library suppliers. our plans to break down further boundaries that we use for our monographs. ATG: Are academic libraries your main to meet the needs that they have expressed. There is some variation in the peer-re- market? Or are individual scholars/students Watch this space... view process depending upon the academic/ your primary focus? ATG: The Palgrave Pivot format is new professional area. For the standard process, SB: Researchers are our main focus, via for the humanities and social sciences. How initial proposals that qualify for publication whichever route they choose to purchase or ac- are authors responding? Not everyone would are peer-reviewed (single-blind) by at least cess Palgrave Pivots. We expect that most will be comfortable writing in this new format one academic or expert. Upon receipt of the access titles through their libraries, via Palgrave length. Have authors expressed concerns complete manuscript it may be peer reviewed continued on page 52
Against the Grain / February 2013
From the Reference Desk by Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain, and Head of Reference Emeritus, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29401)
SAGE Reference releases another title in types of trauma utilizing a multidisciplinary and Bereavement. In addition, other articles its ever-growing collection of single-volume approach. As such, traumas resulting from discuss trauma as it relates to a number of other encyclopedias with the publication of the En- both behavioral and neurobiological sources areas including war and combat, crime and cyclopedia of Trauma: An Interdisciplinary are explored. law, medicine, religion and spirituality as well Guide (2012, 978-1412978798, $375). Edited It is important to note the serious meaning as entries related to ethical and philosophical by Charles R. Figley of Pennsylvania State of trauma as applied in this work. Traumas issues. The articles are text-rich with few, but University, this reference consists of more than are seen as major upheavals and catastrophes relevant, illustrations. The writing is precise, 280 signed entries that cause significant suffering. They are more factual, and informed by recent scholarship. that examine than chronic stresses in one’s life that can be The requisite Readers Guide, bibliographies, numerous resolved. They are rather occurrences where “see also” references, and well-structured in- “the life enhancing balances and develop- dex are provided and increase the value for both ments are irretrievably disturbed.” A look at students and faculty. In short, this is another the encyclopedia’s Reader’s Guide bears this quality SAGE production. out. Articles run from those on workplace The Encyclopedia of Trauma: An Inter- violence and sexual abuse by clergy to those disciplinary Guide reflects the growth of a on community disasters and battered women. once narrow specialty that has blossomed into There are also entries that discuss trauma from a field with far broader implications. Not only anthropological, archaeological, and psycho- does this work provide relevant background logical perspectives with articles like: Racial definitions and explanations of diverse issues and Ethnic Factors; Rituals and Ceremonies continued on page 53
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