New Era of Discoverability in Academic Publishing

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With an estimated 3 million scholarly works printed in over 33,000 journals each year, STM publishers are competing for readership at unprecedented levels. Above all else, the once-steady growth rate for new articles is increasing for the first time in decades, now up to 4 percent per year. Driving this upswing, the recent surge in scientific research worldwide shows no sign of slowing down. As a result, academic publishers are making content discoverable in multichannels with new strategies, including SEO, metadata collection and open access.

Web-Scale Metadata

According to a 2017 article from the Society for Scholarly Publishing, there’s a new push to integrate metadata into academic web-scale discovery tools. Today, not all academic databases are optimized for search analytics. In improving these systems, publishers can increase discoverability, using common search metrics to connect readers with relevant content.

Search Engine Optimization

Google Scholar, currently the most popular web-scale discovery tool, already incorporates SEO and metrics into its search results. On Google’s platform, a number of factors influence discoverability, including keyword relevance, citation count and author credibility. Consequently, publishers are using strategic keyword tags and citations to increase web visibility among the largest search aggregators, making content discoverable in multichannels.

Open Access

Currently, less than a third of all academic content is available with open access. That trend is shifting, however. As search tools become more powerful, libraries are offering more open access discovery services and web-scale aggregators. Where it once took five to 15 clicks to find an article now takes just one or two. Library studies have also shown that readers are more likely to subscribe to open access journals. In sum, vendors and publishers are pushing for more open access journals to increase discoverability and metadata collection.

Using innovative technology and strategies, Amnet is making content discoverable in multichannels. Visit their website for more information about their academic publishing services.

Sources:
https://www.stm-assoc.org/2018_10_04_STM_Report_2018.pdf