Update on Journal Publications Program

Our journal publications program has undergone a major transformation during the past 18 months, so we want to detail some of the most important changes.  For 85 years NCA was its own publisher.  In 2002, the Administrative Committee decided to seek a commercial publisher for our journals for two primary reasons.  First, through the Legislative Council, the Association had expressed the need to make our journals available electronically as well as in print, an undertaking that NCA could not accomplish on its own due to the challenges of long-term archiving.  Second, the Publications Board and Administrative Committee saw a need to reverse the gradual decline that was occurring in library subscriptions (characteristic of most professional journals) and to disseminate our scholarship more broadly.  It seemed unlikely that NCA could accomplish this goal without the assistance of professional marketing.

A request for proposals was made to a broad array of academic and commercial publishers.  The Administrative Committee studied the five proposals submitted, met with representatives of these publishers, and informed NCA members via Spectra that commercial publishers were being considered.  Central criteria in selecting a publisher were assurance of high quality publishing (including full search and long-term archiving capabilities of the electronic versions), maintenance of the affordability of our journals while at the same time sustaining the revenue stream that has enabled our journals to subsidize a number of programs authorized by the NCA membership, and expanded dissemination of our scholarship, particularly among international scholars.  In November, 2002, the Administrative Committee recommended, and the Legislative Council approved overwhelmingly, agreements with Taylor and Francis to publish both print and electronic versions of our journals and with EBSCO Publishing to disseminate electronic versions of the journals with a one-year embargo.  Both agreements run for five years, and NCA retains full copyright.

Taylor and Francis began publishing NCA journals in January, 2003, but the transition will become more visible in 2004 when all NCA journals take on the new appearance of a “family” of journals with a common design.  An important immediate benefit to NCA members of the Taylor and Francis partnership is receiving both electronic and print versions of the journals with our subscriptions.  Taylor and Francis is also investing $50,000 in retrodigitizing a number of years of back issues of our journals, which will become available to current subscribers.  Moreover, NCA members are entitled to access the electronic version of one of a set of non-NCA journals published by Taylor and Francis. Libraries will receive print copy plus all of the available electronic issues of each journal to which they subscribe.

Less visible, but highly significant, are a number of other efforts by Taylor and Francis on behalf of NCA.  A large-scale marketing campaign has begun.  By the end of 2003, representatives of Taylor and Francis distributed leaflets advertising our journals at 39 relevant conferences and mailed copies to members of 11 professional organizations. The professional expertise of Taylor and Francis also has assisted NCA in enhancing the missions and format of Communication Teacher and The Review of Communication.  All editors have benefited from the availability of professional copy editing and soon will have available an electronic submission and tracking system.