Case study: South African Review of Sociology

Gray, Eve; Willmers, Michelle

Case study: South African Review of Sociology

Working Paper

2009-02-28

Publisher

University of Cape Town

License

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

Abstract

This case study describes the use of ICTs in the publication of a scholarly society journal, the South African Review of Sociology, in a context in which the Scientific Editor is a senior member of an academic department at the University of Cape Town. It provides insights into the challenges and opportunities that are faced in society publishing in a South African context.and explores the problems faced when editorship of a journal is held by a senior academic who receives little or no institutional support in the publishing endeavour. The case study reveals the difficulties faced by small society publishers struggling to ensure the survival of established journals that represent significant knowledge capital, but which are undermined by an environment characterised by a lack of national and institutional support for scholarly publishing; rapid technological development; shrinking library budgets and increasing international competition.