Scholarly publishing in China –an outsider’s view

Sally MorrisChief Executive

ALPSP

What is ?

The international association for nonprofitpublishers and those who work with them– 341 member organisations in 37 countries (3 in China)– Publishing nearly 10,000 journals (~40% of world

output)• Advocacy

– often backed by research• Professional development

– training, seminars and other events• Good practice guidelines• Information

– journal, website, newsletter, listservs, reports and other publications

• Collaboration– ALPSP Learned Journals Collection

China - background• A growing economy

– Over 9% annual growth in GDP (USA = 3-4%)– Projected by Price Waterhouse Cooper to be about 95%

of the size of the US economy at market exchange rates by 2050 (40% larger at purchasing price parity)

• Understanding of linkage between R&D and economic success– Example of Japan

• Growing R&D expenditure– China is expected to increase its share of global

R&D spending from 11.8% in 2004 to 12.8% in 2005 and 13.6% in 2006

– US share is expected to decrease from 32.7% in 2004 to 32% in 2005 and 31.3 % in 2006

• Growing output of research papers– 1% of world total in 1988, 1.7% in 1996, 4.2%

in 2003– US 38.1% - 34% - 30.3%

Top 10 producers of science & engineering articles 1988-2003

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

USAUSSRJapanUKGermanyFranceChinaCanadaItalySpain

Where should Chinese researchers publish?

• Benefits of publishing in Western journals– Authors encouraged to publish in highly cited

international journals

• Chinese authors may need extra help– English language– Conventions of publication

• Where does this help come from?– Courses in China (EASE, Charlesworth)– Links with Western publishers

What about Chinese scholarly journals?

• Statistics – c. 9000 Scholarly Journals, of which c. 4750

in STM• 26% from universities, 24% from societies and

associations, 29% from research institutes, 21% from government departments, independent publishers and others

– <200 in English– 76 in Journal Citation Reports (mostly

English-language)

• Government policy (being developed)– Financial support for top journals to

help them reach world standard

Boosting quality of Chinese journals

• Chinese publishers may need extra help– Editorial, production, marketing, copyright,

general business skills

• Where does this help come from?– Western publishers– Western training providers (Oxford Brookes,

ALPSP)– ALPSP/CAS training programme

Structure of Chinese Scholarly Publishing

Chinese Government

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Chinese Associationof Science and

Technology (CAST)

Ministry of Science and Technology

(MOST)

Ministry of Education

(MOE)

190 Societies~1000 journals

~200 research institutes

~1000 journals

China Science Press>200 journals

700 universities,>1000 colleges (most have at least 1 journal)

Higher Education Press

General Administration of

Print and Publications(GAPP)

China National Publications Import/Export Corporation

(CNPIEC) andother importers

Chinese University Presses Association

(>100 presses)

Independent presses and

others

Opportunities for Chinese publishers

• Increasing international profile– Impact Factor and other measures

• Increasing international readership/sales– Direct sales – very difficult– Partnership with Western publishers– The role of Open Access?

Opportunities for Western publishers

• Copyright situation much improved, extra funding to buy legal copies

• Imports– Inclusion in CNPIEC database (80% market share) and

others• Local reprint rights/Translation rights

– Beijing Book Fair– Advice Note on ALPSP website

• Different forms of partnership with Chinese publishers– Co-publication partnerships (e.g. Institute of Physics)– Co-publication of English language editions (e.g.

Springer, Elsevier)• Entire journals• Best articles from a range of journals

– Online and/or print distribution agreements

Why help Chinese publishers?

• Scholarly communication is advanced if all scholars have access to the widest range of other scholars’ work

• Scholarly communication – and the publishing industry - is advanced if all research publishing is carried out to highest international standards

• What ALPSP is doing:– Programme of training for Chinese publishers (in

UK, in China – backed by research into their specific needs)

– Aim to build up to CAS/ALPSP journal publishing diploma

– Regular CAS/ALPSP conference on scholarly publishing (starting 2007)

Thank you!

www.alpsp.orgsally.morris@alpsp.org