Publishing or perishing? The scale and state of open access institutional higher education journals in the UK

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of open access institutional higher education journals in the UK.  These are in-house publications that are focused on developing staff and disseminating, largely, localised accounts and reflections of academic practice.  This study found that around ten per cent of UK higher education institutions have an institutional journal, and these vary in style and focus.  Developing and sustaining an institutional journal has been challenging, as evidenced by the often sporadic patterns of publication.  This paper reflects on a number of themes, including: governance and quality; scale and scope; and publishing platforms used.  The paper offers suggestions for future research, particularly in relation to the value and impact of these journals for (a) the contributor, (b) the institution, and (c) the wider academic community.