Case study: UCT Press

Gray, Eve; Willmers, Michelle

Case study: UCT Press

Working Paper

2009-07-31

Publisher

University of Cape Town

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Abstract

The University of Cape Town (UCT) Press was established in 1994. The modern-day university press presents an interesting mix of challenges and conflicting agendas. The OpeningScholarship project chose UCT Press as a subject for case study in the hope that an examination of the operations and dynamics of such a press would throw some light on the tensions inherent in the academic publishing exercise. UCT Press is unique among South African university presses in that it is owned by a private company – namely, Juta and Company Ltd. Private ownership of a university press which enjoys a close, synergistic relationship with its parent institution is not unique in the global academic context, but it does present interesting challenges in terms of commercial and non-commercial entities working side by side, often with very different markers of success.