Australian Academic and Research Libraries (AARL)

Publication analysis

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About the publication

Title: Australian Academic and Research Libraries (AARL)

ISSN: 0004-8623 (Print) and 1839-471X (Online)¹

Purpose, objective, or mission: Australian Academic and Research Libraries is the research journal of the Australian Library and Information Association. According to the ALIA, the publication “aims to showcase theoretical and practice-based research undertaken in, about, and relevant to, Australia and our broader region.”²

Website: https://www.alia.org.au/publications-and-news/australian-academic-and-research-libraries-aarl

Target audience: International LIS community³

Publisher: Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online; open access after four years⁷

Content: AARL publishes articles of interest to librarians and information professionals throughout the world, including those working in research libraries and academia.⁸

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.tandfonline.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=uarl20&page=instructions

Types of contributions accepted: AARL invites submissions of practical and theoretical research of 5,000 to 8,000 words, as well as book reviews of 500 to 600 words on all LIS topics. Manuscripts are accepted in English only, with Australian spelling and punctuation preferred. Article submissions should include abstracts of 200 words and a biography of each author of 100 words.¹⁰ Authors are encouraged to supplement their articles with related online materials, such as animations, movie clips, or sound files. Instructions for including this material with an online submission are available on the publisher’s website.¹¹

Editorial tone: Scholarly¹²

Style guide used: Reference style follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition.¹³ For all other style questions, authors should consult the publisher’s in-house style guide¹⁴ and the  guide to using mathematical scripts and equations¹⁵

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Australian Academic and Research Libraries provides an excellent opportunity for LIS authors looking to publish scholarly, career advancing work. Although this is an Australian journal that publishes research relevant to the Australian LIS community, it also explicitly invites contributions from around the world. For the North American LIS researcher and author, this journal provides an opportunity to showcase original research to a global community.

The publication is abstracted or indexed in Australian education index, Australian library and information science abstracts, APAIS: Australian public affairs information service, Information science abstracts, Library and information science abstracts, and Library literature.¹⁶

 

Audience analysis

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About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Circulation statistics are not readily available for this journal. However, as the premier research journal for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), with 4,200 individual memberships and 800 institutional memberships,¹⁷ the potential for reaching many readers is great.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The majority of readers are Australian and the content reflects this. Authors should be aware of the language and cultural differences between the U.S. and Australia.  Colloquialisms and cultural references unique to the United States should be avoided.

Reader characteristics: AARL does not provide demographic information on its readers. As it is the premier research journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, it is likely that the majority of readers are members of the ALIA, which is “open to professionals, non-professionals and individuals and organizations alike.”¹⁸

Reader knowledge of LIS subject matter: Although some readers may not be information science professionals, the majority work in library and information fields and would therefore be very knowledgeable about LIS subjects.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Australian Academic & Research Libraries is an internationally recognized publication that holds high standards for its published works. This journal reaches a wide audience of library and information professionals who are interested in current research in the field as well as relevant issues in their workplaces. For current Australian residents, or even North Americans who have lived or travelled in Australia, this journal provides its authors with a large and knowledgeable audience. Although the majority of readers are most likely Australian, and the journal “aims to showcase theoretical and practice-based research undertaken in, about, and relevant to, Australia,”¹⁹ the editors specifically invite “authors worldwide, working across the full range of information professions, as well as those in the higher education sector and research libraries”²⁰ to contribute to the journal. The large audience of readers that this journal offers would provide an excellent forum for LIS authors worldwide.

Last updated: November 6, 2016

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References