Journal Editor Perceptions of Universities: Some empirical evidence

Abstract

Out of considerations as to the importance of university relationships with their various stakeholders, the primary objective of this research project was to identify the perceptions of academic journal editors regarding universities. Editors were asked to provide their perceptions on: (a) the relevance of universities to academic publications; (b) the mutual influence between universities and academic journals; and (c) the participation of editors in universities. Following initial exploratory research, we applied an online questionnaire and received a total of 276 responses from editors of indexed publications, enabling analysis of their perceptions. Despite editors recognizing the influence of universities on academic and scientific communities, our findings point to universities having failed in proactively reaching out to editors, especially surprising given the vast experience held by such figures. A better relationship might serve to enhance the university image and generate new opportunities for attracting resources.

Keywords:

• editors
• scientific publications
• stakeholders
• editor perceptions
• stakeholder management
• university

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Portuguese Science Foundation through NECE—Núcleo de Investigação em Ciências Empresariais (Programa de Financiamento Plurianual das Unidades de I&D da FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior/Portugal).