Category: University Presses

Momentum at a New University Press: Revisiting the UWP Story
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Momentum at a New University Press: Revisiting the UWP Story

Reflecting on the merits of consistent publishing activity and its multiplier effects – some reflections on UWP’s growth on the Ubiquity Press blog from the University of Westminster Press: ‘Thanks a Million: Momentum at a New University Press‘

Interesting to compare with the view in September 2015 ‘Setting up a University Press in the Digital Age’ and again as recently as May 2019, ‘Setting up a University Press in the Digital Age Revisited‘ when a fuller UWP timeline was presented.

Still unconfirmed but possible we will be able to announce in July 1.25 million views and downloads to end June but we have to wait for the data which may or may not confirm that!

Andrew Lockett, Press Manager

New Scholarly Publications Manager Sought at UWP
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New Scholarly Publications Manager Sought at UWP

After over six years (part-time and full time) Andrew Lockett is to step down as Press Manager of the University of Westminster Press during August 2021. Andrew has achieved amazing things, working closely with UWP authors, editors and other contributors since UWP began, to enable us to reach a point where we soon will have published 36 books and 7 policy briefs, operating 6 journals. While we are sorry to see Andrew leave and we will miss his knowledge and expertise – we will soon be advertising an exciting opportunity to join UWP and influence its future directions in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Westminster. Look out for the announcement of the replacement post especially those interested working across publishing functions at a digital-first new university press, publishing across a range of interdisciplinary, humanities and social sciences disciplines including media and communication studies.

Jenny Evans, Research Environment and Scholarly Communications Lead

UPDATE

Details of the post now advertised here.

A Cool Million: UWP Reach Readership Landmark
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A Cool Million: UWP Reach Readership Landmark

Over 1 million views and downloads have now been achieved by the University of Westminster Press since publishing its first journal issue in September 2015. (Figures end April 2021). The graphic presenting the following (and more) can be downloaded from our website.

Total Readership: 1,089,280

Books: 560,573

Journal Articles: 528,707

Readership by Nationality (estimate, where recorded) from 197 countries and territories.

1. UK 2. USA 3. Canada 4. Germany 5. Brazil 6. China 7. Australia 8. India 9. Italy 10. Spain 

Authors of New Publications: 276 unique authors from 38 countries, recorded by institution or current domicile.

Publications total:

35 books and 7 policy briefs

192 new journal articles from 2 new titles launched and 3 existing journals new to UWP

719 archive journal articles and 5 books distributed

Most Popular Book Titles: (1) Critical Theory and Authoritarian Populism (ed. J. Morelock) 68,260 views/downloads (2) The Propaganda Model Today (ed. J. Pedro-Carañana et al.) 63,353 (3) Critical Theory of Communication (C. Fuchs) 37,350.

Top Journal Titles: Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture (290,505 since 15/9/2015), Entertainment and Sports Law Journal (165,847 since 26/06/2016) and Journal of Deliberative Democracy 55,787 (since 28/08/2020).

UWP Series: ‘Critical Digital and Social Media Studies‘, 20 titles: 353,317; ‘CAMRI Policy Briefs‘, 7 titles, 44,413; ‘Law and the Senses‘ 24,102 (3 titles).

Context: UWP was established by a University steering group in 2014, hired its first part-time employee in February 2015 and published its journal issue in September 2015 and first book in October 2016. Its website went fully live on 12 May 2015. UWP has worked with platform providers Ubiquity Press and more recently for journals since 5 January 2021 Michigan Publishing/Janeway. It has functioned as a mixed model diamond open access publisher supported by income from book sales, central university and departmental contributions, one-off external university and grant-holder donations and library membership collective funding notably Knowledge Unlatched’s ‘Select’ programmes for individual titles. Many of its publications are in the area of media and communications but it has published book titles in history, philosophy, geography, education and politics. Its activities are overseen by a single UWP Editorial Board and it works within Research and Scholarly Communications, of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office, Student and Academic Services, University of Westminster.

UWP is considered to be a ‘New University Press‘, digital-first with open access as a key principle. Its logo is a ‘W’ consisting of an open laptop and an open book.

Thanks to our editors, authors, peer reviewers, UWP editorial board members past and present, series board members and our partners Ubiquity Press (books and website) and Michigan Publishing Services and Janeway (journals) and all our colleagues at the University of Westminster for helping UWP reach this landmark.

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New Jisc University Press Toolkit: Introduction – Webinar Event

We are advised by Jisc that there are still a few places remaining for this webinar event on new university presses at which UWP will be represented by their Press Manager. See here for the Toolkit.

When? Tuesday 8 June 2021, 14:00-15:30 (BST).

What follows is information from Jisc verbatim.

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In March 2021, Jisc launched a toolkit to support new and existing university
and library open access publishing ventures. The toolkit was developed with the
input from an international editorial advisory board consisting of University
Presses and other experts in the field.

This webinar will discuss the aims and objectives of the toolkit,
including a short walkthrough, followed by a panel session featuring members of
the Editorial Advisory Board.

Andrew Lockett, Press Manager, University of Westminster Press, Kate Petherbridge,
White Rose Libraries Executive Manager, White Rose University Press Lara
Speicher, Head of Publishing, UCL Press Graham Stone, Subject matter expert (OA
monographs), Jisc Alison Welsby, Editorial Director & Senior Commissioning
Editor, Liverpool University Press Sofie Wennstrom, Managing Editor, Stockholm
University Press.

The session will be Chaired by Eelco Ferwerda, Consultant, formerly of
OAPEN/DOAB.

This event will be of interest to university press staff in existing
presses, as well as library, academic and senior university staff who are
considering setting up their own press. We also hope that the toolkit is
transferable to the wider community, e.g., those wishing to set up academic-led
publishing and presses that are considering the transition to a fully open
access model.

Please visit the URL below to book for this free online event.

UWP, #openaccessweek2020: a raincheck

UWP, #openaccessweek2020: a raincheck

At the end of #openaccessweek2020 honoured to reflect that since September 2015 open access imprint @UniWestPress has published 254 unique editor/authors in our journals and books from 34 countries. That’s 32 books (incl. edited), 6 policy briefs and 5 distributed titles; 131 new journal articles also making available 719 archive journal articles.  

Today we have just had certain confirmation that we have hit over 750,000 views and downloads for our publications already, close to a 50% increase in less than a full year. Over 20% of UWP’s unique authors are University of Westminster authors with on the other hand 58% of contributions originating from outside the UK. Many authors (75) have worked with us more than once. One of our journals Silk Road is based at Westminster International University in Tashkent.

It’s not all about quantities. Our books have been translated into Spanish, Chinese and (shortly) Turkish; one has won a Latin American prize. We’re proud of our diverse range of authors from the global south, Europe, from all corners of the English-speaking world, feminist writers and early career research authors, the academic stars of the future as well as – Jurgen Habermas, Antonio Negri and Jean-Luc Nancy contributors to our list.   

It would not have been possible without support of our authors and editors @UniWestminster @UniWestLib @ubiquitypress the Research Environment and Knowledge Exchange Team at Westminster and the UWP editorial board.