49 The Role of University Academic Publishing

Universities offer so much for students. From the degrees to the opportunities they promote after graduation, going to university can be a beneficial step for anyone. But did you know that universities are also part of academic publishing of studies and findings?

Academic publishing is an important field which covers the analysis and dissemination of knowledge. In this article we’ll go deeper into the overall role of university academic publishing and why it’s still important today.

Quick History Behind Academic Publishing

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, academic publishing started to establish itself via journals and presses which were designed to communicate between scholars to share any findings they had. It was also established as a way to foster collaboration between like minded people in order to enhance studies and research. As the decades went by, this type of publishing expanded to the point of monographs, books and other online resources.

The Role of University Presses

The overall role of university presses is to showcase important and factual information to the public based on findings which may have come from studies and other research. Other roles of publishing are:

• The preservation of knowledge for future generations to come. Many academic published books hold key information on research which is important for future generations to use to understand complex subjects.
• The support of academic communities to nurture certain fields of study and to give additional options for underrepresented scholars to have a voice in their field. University presses tend to focus on specific fields depending on who and when it was written.
• The ability to allow scholars to exchange ideas and critiques amongst each other. This allows for the evolution of ideas through collaboration of individuals who may have advanced knowledge in certain fields.
• The ability to collect or pull apart research to ensure facts stay true. University publishing presses have the ability to publish updated monographs, journals and edit volumes to certain fields of study, if changes were made in those studies then universities can help to create a new credible version of the book or information for the next generation.

The Impact of Academic Publishing On Society

The impact of academic publishing in relation to society comes in a few different ways. Not only do universities like the American International College and other universities offer degrees which benefit society in the long run, but any research done by scholars can also help the community. These include, but aren’t limited to:

• The advancement of human knowledge and potential throughout the years. Academic publishing will always be needed while research is being conducted. As scholars share new findings, contribute to new fields of study and challenge existing theories it all helps to provide the public with advanced knowledge which one day might help someone.
• Some publishings of findings may influence how policies and practices are done in certain industries. By offering proven findings and analysis of certain data, academic publications have the ability to influence how society can change for the better.
• They provide lifelong learning for not only scholars but also for practitioners, educators and the general public. Not all academic books are related to fields of research, some are targeted to better help with training those within educational facilities.

Endnote

University academic publishing has come a long way since its early beginnings. With its role continuing to evolve, more scholars are using it to communicate new findings and research.