Why researchers publish in non-mainstream journals: Training, knowledge bridging, and gap filling

Diego Chavarro (), Puay Tang () and Ismael Rafols
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Diego Chavarro: Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, UK
Puay Tang: Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, UK

SPRU Working Paper Series from SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School

Abstract: In many countries research evaluations confer high importance to mainstream journals, which are considered to publish excellent research. Accordingly, research evaluation policies discourage publications in non-mainstream journals under the assumption that they publish low quality research. This approach has prompted a policy debate in low and middle income countries with financial and linguistic barriers to access mainstream journals. A common criticism of the current evaluation practices is that they can hinder the development of certain topics that are not published in mainstream journals – although some of them might be of high local relevance. In this article we examine this issue by exploring the role of non-mainstream journals in scientific communication. We asked researchers from agricultural sciences, business and management, and chemistry in Colombia about their reasons to publish in non-mainstream journals. We found that researchers publish in non-mainstream journals because they: 1) offer a space for initiation into publishing (training); 2) provide a link between articles in mainstream journals and articles read by communities with limited access to them (knowledge-bridging); 3) publish topics that are not well covered by mainstream journals (knowledge gap-filling). Therefore, publication of ‘low scientific quality’ articles does not sufficiently explain the role of non-mainstream journals. The results suggest that research evaluation policy in low and middle income countries should consider assigning greater value to non-mainstream journals given their role in disseminating potentially useful knowledge, in particular regarding local or regional issues.

Keywords: research evaluation; science communication system; universalism; mainstream journals; non-mainstream journals; publication patterns (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme and nep-sog
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Why researchers publish in non-mainstream journals: Training, knowledge bridging, and gap filling (2017)
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