Publishing Partnerships Presentation by Mark Robertson Blackwell Publishing

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Publishing PartnershipsPresentation by Mark
RobertsonBlackwell Publishing

• SSP, June 2006

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What I will cover

• The market for our journal content in China
• Our journals publishing Chinese content for world
  consumption
• China as a publishing exporter

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Chinese or English as the language of science

• By 2010 the dominant language of the internet
  will be Chinese.
  
  
• Major Consulting Co advertising, 2001
• There are currently 110 million Chinese who are
  learning English compared with roughly 50,000
  Americans studying Chinese.
• Kirk and Larsen, Far Eastern Economic Review 2005

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1843 or 2005?

• At no period in the history of the world has the
  attention of the civilized nations been so fully
  directed towards China, its early history and
  modern position, as at the present moment. The
  single fact that the nation comprises within its
  limits a population of 360 millions of human
  beings is of itself sufficient to awaken the
  deepest degree of interest.
• Chinese Exhibition Catalogue, Philadelphia 1843

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Chinese academics attitudes towards foreign
scholarly journals
The Attitudes of Chinese Academics to Foreign
Scholarly Journals , PA Market Research Report,
Mar 05
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Rapid rise in science funding
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Brain gain
The model is simple recruit top foreign-trained
Chinese and Chinese-American specialists, set
them up in well-equipped labs, surround them with
the brightest students and give them tremendous
leeway. In a minority of cases, they receive
American-style pay in others, they are lured by
the cost of living, generous housing and the
laboratories. How many have come is unclear.
Howard French, China Luring Foreign Scholars To
Make Its Universities Great New York Times I,
28 Oct 05
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Brain drain
Approximately a third of those who go abroad
are returning to China every year. As many as
7.5 of all American PhD holders in science and
technology are citizens of the Peoples Republic
of China and 25 of these return, up from 15 in
recent years 23 national chief scientists in
China are returnees.
Source 2004 Statistics of Chinese Scientific and
Technical papers, ISTIC 2005
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Annual growth in papers in SCI listed journals
Source 2004 Statistics of Chinese Scienftific
and Technical papers, ISTIC 2005
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Top cited countries in period Jan 95-Aug05
Source ISI Essential Science Indicators,
November 2005
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Why Chinese authors submit to journals
Source Publishers Association survey of
Chinese authors, March 05, by Key Perspectives
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Reasons for submission by Chinese authors
international journals

• Journal has a good reputation 72
• Specific subject area covered by the journal 59
• High impact factor 44
• Fast time to publication 33
• Publisher has a good reputation 24
• Good previous experience with journal 22
• Journal was recommended by a colleague 17
• Journal offers English-language correction
  service 10
• Relationship with journal, editor or society 9

Source Blackwell Publishing survey of Chinese
authors to Blackwell journals, June 2005
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Enablers/ barriers to submissions from China

• 94 agree publishing in foreign scholarly
  journals beneficial to academic career in China
• Yet only 29 submitted to a foreign journal in
  the past 12 months
• Barriers to submitting articles
• 48 said writing in English is not easy,
• 45 said publishing in Chinese journals is easier
• 36 reported that it can be difficult to
  communicate with the publisher
• 56 want the publishing process explained more
  clearly

Source Publishers Association survey of
Chinese authors, March 05, by Key Perspectives
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The oldest publishing industry in the world but
with the greatest potential
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THANK YOU

• Any Questions ?
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