Scholarly Publishing Help Guide

An Introduction to Academic Publishing   

Academic publishing has changed significantly over recent decades. As print moved online and large publishers took over small society journals, accessing academic research became more expensive. New models have emerged in response to this shift. 

Scholarly Publishing 

Research and scholarly communication outlets vary in rigor and process, including self-publication, grey literature, and scholarly publishing.  

Scholarly Publishing Characteristics 

• Articles in academic journals will undergo rigorous peer review. 

• Conference papers will undergo rigorous peer review. 

• Publishing can be a lengthy process. 

• Considered the gold standard.  

Grey Literature Characteristics 

• Industry or government reports. 

• Moderately rigorous process. 

• Publication process can vary. 

• Authoritative but less reviewed.  

Self-publication Characteristics 

• Blogs 

• Social media posts 

• Self-published books 

• The least rigorous 

• Minimal review 

• Fastest publishing process. 

References 

CMU LibGuides: Open access: Start. (2024, February 2). CMU LibGuides at Carnegie Mellon University. https://guides.library.cmu.edu/openaccess/home