Non-Traditional Means of Publishing Research

[lelick1234]

I was wondering if there were academic (ish) journals who publish the work of independent researchers. Do some of the academic journals publish independent researchers? 

[dr. t]

Sure, if you have a PhD.

[AfricanusCrowther]

It's possible to publish a journal article as an independent scholar, but it's much harder. Your novel contribution to scholarship has to be much more readily apparent than if you're a senior scholar who is considered a reliable authority on the subject.

It's even more challenging to get a book contract with a university press. Book publishers see themselves as investing as much in the scholar as in the book.

 

[TsarandProphet]

I published my first article as an undergraduate and not in a students' journal. Was never asked about my degrees or affiliation.

[AP]

On 6/30/2021 at 1:41 PM, AfricanusCrowther said:

It's even more challenging to get a book contract with a university press. Book publishers see themselves as investing as much in the scholar as in the book.

This might also be the case because universities are increasingly providing funding for publication costs towards copyrights payments, indexation, and/or digital books. It's more or less a given these days. While I know people that have published as independent scholars, I *think* the difficulty in landing a book contract with an university press might be that they don't have that funding presses count on. 

On 6/30/2021 at 12:48 PM, dr. telkanuru said:

Sure, if you have a PhD.

I have friends who got published at top-tier journals as graduate students (ABDs). I think the institutional affiliation might be what got them in.

[dr. t]

3 hours ago, AP said:

I think the institutional affiliation might be what got them in.

Which would make them not independent scholars

[AP]

On 7/14/2021 at 9:47 PM, dr. telkanuru said:

Which would make them not independent scholars

Oh, I misunderstood. I thought you were talking about their having a PhD being the key to publication.