The World is Flat for

Scholarly Publishing

Caitlin Meadows SSP Webinar April 2015

• China is a rapidly growing market which is attractive to Western

publishers. It is also highly competitive.

• Period of integration from 2000s saw more rapid expansion and

integration. More collaboration with Western presses, and desire by

authors to be published in high-impact Western journals

• What are their goals?

• develop international impact of research and publications

Why China?

• Mismatch between volume of submissions and subscriptions

(sometimes volume over quality); how to position titles ‘beyond the impact

factor’

• ‘To consortia or not to consortia?’ (NSTL, CALIS)

• Untapped potential in other market segments – Tier 1, Tier 2, corporate

• Potential from OA/APCs

• Society membership potential

• ‘Flatlining’ of revenue/market saturation?

• Opportunities for ebooks or different content streams (e.g. reprints)?

Common Publisher Assertions

R&D spending, selected countries 2000–2015; the dotted lines indicate projections, based on announced targets.

Source: Knowledge, networks and nations: Global scientific collaboration in the 21st century, The Royal Society, 2011

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC) report

(Sep 26, 2014): Chinese authors published 1.37 million papers in

international journals from 2004 to Sep 2014

Increased of 19.8% compared to 2013, with the same rank (2nd)

China’s total expenditure on research and development (R&D) has increased

by 23% a year on average over the past decade.

According to Premier Li Keqiang’s speech at the opening session of the

annual National People’s Congress, the central government’s expenditure on

science and technology in 2014 was set at US$43.6 billion (267.4 billion yuan

renminbi) – an 8.9% rise on 2013

Authorship and Readership – and Revenue

1. Peking University 2. Tsinghua University 3. Renmin University of China 4. Fudan University 5. Wuhan University 6. Shanghai Jiao Tong University 7. Beijing Normal University 8. Zhongshan University 9. Zhejiang University 10.Nanjing University

Source: Chinese University Alumni Association 2014 report

© Adrian Stanley

Top 10 Chinese Universities

Consider the opportunities emerging from ‘Project 211’

• Project 211 is a government-organized project to help form national key

universities and colleges

• Started in 1995 by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of

China, with the intent of raising the research standards of high-level

universities in China and cultivating strategies for socio-economic development

• There are currently 113 universities/institutions in the 211 Project. These have

met certain scientific, technical, and human resources standards and offer

advanced degree programmes

• Important target list for ‘Tier 1’ market

• Demarcation of ‘Tier 1’ and ‘Tier 2’

• Will this affect the publishing landscape..?

Project 211

China’s 12th 5-year plan announced in 2011. Development of 7 key

industries:

• New energy – solar, wind, nuclear

• Energy conservation and environmental protection

• Biotechnology – drugs/medical devices

• New materials

• New IT

• High-end equipment manufacture

• Clean-energy vehicles

http://www.kpmg.com/cn/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/publicationseries/5-years-plan/pages/default.aspx

Future Trends

9

Chinese Speak a Different Language… Consider what to translate/not

Social media

Direct engagement

Brand Awareness • Local language material (librarians/researchers/discoverability) • Social media (Weibo, WeChat)

• YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are blocked in China (LinkedIn not)

• Local language websites .cn domain names, local search (Baidu)

• Attending conferences (often pay to speak) • Education events (how to publish) – way to engage authors • Author services – language editing, help to publish, helpdesk services

• Equal importance to subscription-based and OA titles

• Society membership campaigns/market research to assess what

members/authors/readers really want

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Brand Awareness

11

Open Access Developments Mandates announced in May 2014

• Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

- Requires its researchers and graduate students to deposit final, peer-reviewed

manuscripts of research articles into the open access repositories of their

respective institutes within 12 months of their official publication in

academic journals;

- Encourages researchers to deposit previously published articles into their

respective institutional repositories as well;

- Authorizes libraries and information departments to develop detailed open

access guidelines in accordance with copyright laws.

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

- Requires researchers to deposit final, peer-reviewed manuscripts of research

articles into NSFC repository within 12 months of their official publication;

- To build NSFC institutional repository.

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Co-publishing Opportunities

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Can act as a ‘bridge’ to the market, but research goals in advance

• Co-publishing with a Chinese publisher (Chinese ISSN)

• Can be distributed via the postal system

• Subscription fee can be charged

• Advertising

• Industry sponsored ‘best of ’ with a local partner

• Local partner does not have to be a ‘Chinese’ publisher

• Single or multiple sponsor options

• Distribution typically via sales reps

• ‘Import’ model

• Mail journal into China (from Hong Kong or elsewhere)

• Assigned ‘regular’ ISSN

Pulling all the data together to make a long-term plan and commitment to China

What is your impact on and with China ? Sales (market analysis, gap): Consortia? Direct? Corporate? Online usage (including OA content, analytics) Local editorial board members (active) Chinese authors/co-authors Attending/organizing local meetings Local language material/website, what aspects to promote, social media Local language editions – using connections Trusted local staff, contacts and partners Your educational outreach (systems/training) How you are viewed in China, your reputation

Develop a strategic plan for you to progress your aims in the

Chinese academic community

Guanxi

China Footprint

Caitlin Meadows

Publishing Services Director

The Charlesworth Group

caitlin.meadows@charlesworth-group.com

www.charlesworth-group.com

(Case studies available to download)

Thank you!