This readme file was generated on 2026-05-14 by Michelle E. Wilson ================================================================================ GENERAL INFORMATION ================================================================================ Title of Dataset: Research into Journal Editors' Publishing Needs Author/Principal Investigator Information Name: Michelle E. Wilson ORCID: 0009-0006-7839-1760 Institution: University of Maryland Address: 2225 McKeldin Library 7649 S Library Ln, College Park, MD 20742 Email: mewilson@umd.edu Date of data collection: April 22 - May 28, 2024 (Survey); May - September 2024 (Interviews) Geographic location of data collection: United States (distributed through professional networks including Library Publishing Coalition, Council for Editors of Learned Journals, World Association of Medical Editors, and Society for Scholarly Publishing) ================================================================================ SHARING/ACCESS ================================================================================ Links to publications that cite or use the data: - Wilson, Michelle E. "Values and viability, principles and practice: A survey of journal editors' decision-making factors." Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication Recommended citation for this dataset: Wilson, Michelle E. (2026). Research into Journal Editors' Publishing Needs [Dataset]. University of Maryland. ================================================================================ DATA & FILE OVERVIEW ================================================================================ File List: 1. Dataset_-_Research_into_Journal_Editors_Publishing_Needs.csv (primary dataset file) - Contains quantitative survey response data organized by question - Includes descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, and summary metrics - 230 rows; covers 13+ survey questions with multiple sub-questions - Format: CSV with mixed-structure layout (question blocks separated by blank rows) Relationship between files: - The CSV file represents the aggregated, de-identified survey data exported from Qualtrics - This README file provides methodological context, variable definitions, and interpretation guidance Additional related data collected that was not included in the current data package: - Semi-structured interview transcripts from 12 follow-up interviews (May-September 2024) - Interview participants represented diverse journal types and publishing arrangements - Qualitative data were analyzed separately and used to provide contextual interpretation of survey findings - Status: Interview transcripts and identifiable participant information are retained by the researcher and are not included in this public dataset to protect participant confidentiality Are there multiple versions of the dataset? - Yes. Raw response-level data and preliminary analysis files exist in research files maintained by the investigator - This released version is de-identified, aggregated, and structured for public reuse - Version history: Final version released May 14, 2026 ================================================================================ METHODOLOGY ================================================================================ Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: A cross-disciplinary survey was distributed between April 22 and May 28, 2024, via four professional networks and listservs: - Library Publishing Coalition listserv - Council for Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ) - World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) - Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) Survey was self-administered using Qualtrics online survey platform. The instrument included: - Demographic questions about respondent role, institution type, and academic rank/tenure status - Questions about journal characteristics (discipline, publishing model, publisher type, access model) - Likert-scale questions (1-5) regarding importance of various publisher attributes and capabilities - Likert-scale questions regarding journal policies and editorial priorities - Hypothetical choice scenarios asking respondents' willingness to make compromises to change publishers - Optional open-text responses (not included in this aggregated dataset) Total responses: 117 complete survey responses Follow-up semi-structured interviews (May-September 2024): - 12 interview participants selected from survey respondents - Interviews conducted via phone or video conference - Interview guide covered: rationale for publisher selection, satisfaction with current publisher, barriers to and incentives for publisher change, values and priorities in editorial decision-making - Interview length: approximately 45-60 minutes each - Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed - Interview data were analyzed qualitatively to provide contextual interpretation of survey findings For more details on methods, survey instrument design, sampling, and analytical approach, please refer to the full research article: Wilson, Michelle E. (2026) "Values and viability, principles and practice: A survey of journal editors' decision-making factors. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication." Methods for processing the data: Survey responses were exported from Qualtrics in CSV format with aggregated descriptive statistics computed by the platform. Processing steps included: 1. Data export from Qualtrics with automatic calculation of response frequencies, percentages, counts, and descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, variance, minimum, maximum) 2. Removal of response-level identifiers and personally identifying information (respondent names, email addresses, institution names that could identify individuals) 3. Aggregation of responses at the level of question and answer category 4. Conversion to the current CSV format with question blocks separated for readability 5. Verification of statistical summaries for accuracy 6. De-identification review to ensure no individual respondents could be identified from the released data Statistical calculations included in the dataset (means, standard deviations, variances) were computed by Qualtrics using standard formulas. Specific p-values, correlation coefficients, or inferential test results are not included in the released aggregated data; those analyses appear in the published article. Statistical software: Analysis performed using Qualtrics platform statistics; no additional statistical software packages required to interpret the CSV data as presented Additional methodological notes: Ethical considerations: - Survey was approved by [Institutional Review Board / Ethics Committee - details to be completed] - Informed consent obtained from all survey respondents - All participation was voluntary - Respondent anonymity protected through removal of identifying information before data release - Interview participants provided informed consent; identifiable interview data are not included in this public release to protect confidentiality Limitations: - Respondents self-selected through professional networks; not a random or stratified population-based sample - Survey response rate and total population data not available due to open recruitment through listservs - Sample skews toward English-language journals and primarily U.S. and English-speaking international editors - Some survey questions had lower response rates than others (see Data-Specific Information for question-by-question response counts) - Open-text responses are not included in this aggregated dataset Data completeness: - Most respondents completed multiple survey sections; a small number did not respond to every question - Missing data patterns are indicated in the Data-Specific Information sections below (see "Count" values which may be less than n=117) ================================================================================ DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION ================================================================================ Number of variables: Approximately 18-25 variables depending on how sub-questions are counted Number of cases/rows: 230 (rows include questions, answer categories, blank separator rows, and statistical summaries) Data structure note: This CSV file uses a mixed hierarchical structure in which: - Each survey question is introduced with a header row identifying the question number and text - Below each question header are rows containing answer options with corresponding frequency distributions - Some questions include statistical summaries (mean, standard deviation, variance, minimum, maximum, count) - Blank rows separate question blocks for readability - No column headers appear in the standard sense; column positions are consistent across the file Column structure (columns appear in this order): Column 1: Item number or field identifier (e.g., "1", "2", "#") Column 2: Answer text / field name / descriptor Column 3: Percentage (formatted as percentage string, e.g., "94.59%") OR statistical label (e.g., "Minimum", "Mean") Column 4: Count or statistic value (numeric) Columns 5+: Additional columns (largely empty in this export; included for structural consistency) Variable List: Survey questions covered include (in order of appearance in the CSV): Q1 - Institution type (categorical; "Doctoral university", "Master's college or university", "Baccalaureate college") Q2 - Respondent age band (categorical; "18-21", "22-34", "35-44", "45-54", "55-64", "65 and over", "Prefer not to answer") Q3 - Respondent title/role (categorical; "Professor", "Associate Professor", "Assistant Professor", "Adjunct Professor", "Lecturer", "Instructor", "Librarian", "Researcher", "Student", "Other") - Q3_11_TEXT: Open-text responses for "Other" role category (included in CSV as text snippets) Q3a - Tenure status (categorical; "Tenured", "Tenure-track", "Non-tenure-track") Q8c - Motivation to change publisher if APCs could be reduced/eliminated (Likert scale 1-5, where 1="Not at all motivated" and 5="Very Motivated") - Summary statistics included: Mean, Std Deviation, Variance, Count - Frequency distribution included: percentage and count for each scale point Q10b - Importance of open access capability when choosing current publisher (Likert scale 1-5, where 1="Not at all important" and 5="Very important") - Summary statistics included: Mean, Std Deviation, Variance, Count - Frequency distribution included: percentage and count for each scale point Q9 - Journal purposes/objectives (multiple selection categorical; includes options such as "To disseminate scholarship in your field", "To provide a publishing venue for established members", "To provide a publishing venue for emerging voices", etc.) - Reported as combined frequency distribution (Total count represents multiple selection responses aggregated across respondents) Q10 - Open access prevalence in discipline (categorical; "(1) Not at all prevalent", "(2) Slightly Prevalent") - Frequency distribution with counts and percentages Q11 - Publisher attributes importance ratings (Likert scale 1-5 applied to multiple attributes): - Attributes rated include: "autonomy and decision-making power", "reputation or history of the publisher", "ability to provide production labor", "publisher expertise", "ability to manage website", "ability to publish print edition", "editing and peer review tools", "analytics and readership statistics", "multilingual or non-English publishing capability" - Summary statistics provided: Mean, Std Deviation, Variance, Minimum, Maximum, Count - Frequency distribution (percentage and count by scale point) may also be included for select attributes Q12 - Journal policies importance ratings (Likert scale 1-5 applied to multiple policies): - Policies rated include: "ability to allow authors to retain copyright", "ability to retain copyright as journal/organization", "ability to adopt Creative Commons license", "ability to practice open peer review", "ability to publish other content types (syllabi, blog posts, multimedia)" - Summary statistics provided: Mean, Std Deviation, Variance, Minimum, Maximum, Count - Cross-tabulation of frequency by scale point (1-5) with percentages and counts Q13 - Willingness to make compromises to change publishers (Likert scale 1-5 applied to multiple compromise scenarios): - Compromise items: "Relinquish journal title", "Lose publisher imprimatur/association", "Publish digital-only", "Manage own copyediting/typesetting", "Upload/manage content on website", "Charge APCs to authors", "Contribute organizational funds" - Summary statistics: Mean, Std Deviation, Variance, Minimum, Maximum, Count - Cross-tabulation of frequency by scale point with percentages and counts Missing data codes: - Blank cells in the CSV indicate: (a) data not applicable to that row/column position, or (b) no response provided by respondents to a particular question - Count values (e.g., n=37, n=21, n=8) indicate the number of respondents who answered that particular question; lower counts indicate either question non-response or question structure (e.g., some questions only presented to certain respondent subgroups based on previous answers) - Mean, variance, and other statistics cannot be calculated if count is too low (n<2); these cells may show N/A or be blank Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: Likert scales: - 1 = "Not at all [important/motivated/willing/prevalent]" - 2 = "Slightly [important/motivated/willing/prevalent]" - 3 = "Neutral" / "Moderately [important]" / "Not sure" (exact label varies by question) - 4 = "Somewhat [important/motivated/willing]" - 5 = "Very [important/motivated/willing/prevalent]" - Some items use "(1)" notation (e.g., "(1) Not at all prevalent") in the CSV text Percentage format: - Displayed as decimal percentage with two digits and "%" symbol (e.g., "94.59%", "2.78%") - Percentages are calculated within each question (i.e., they sum to approximately 100% within each question block) Text abbreviations in CSV: - APC(s) = Article Processing Charge(s) - OA = Open Access - n = count (number of respondents) - Mean, Std Deviation, Variance = standard statistical measures - Minimum, Maximum = range values Respondent subgroup patterns: - Some questions were asked of all respondents (n=117 or close to it) - Some questions were branched/conditional, asked only to respondents meeting certain criteria (e.g., questions about APCs asked only to open access journals; questions about subscription revenue asked only to subscription/hybrid journals) - This is why Count values vary substantially across questions (ranging from n=8 to n=37 in some cases) ================================================================================ QUALITATIVE DATA AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS ================================================================================ Semi-structured interview data (not included in this public dataset): Twelve follow-up interviews were conducted with survey respondents between May and September 2024. Interview participants represented: - Subscription-only journals published by scholarly societies - Hybrid journals with commercial publishers - Fully open access journals - Journals published by university presses - Independent and society-owned journals Interview topics: - Rationale for current publisher selection - Satisfaction and challenges with current publisher - Barriers to and incentives for changing publishers - Values in editorial decision-making (open access, author rights, editorial autonomy, sustainability) - Interest in and concerns about academy-owned and library publishing partnerships - Importance of production support, platform capabilities, and institutional stability Interview data were analyzed qualitatively and are referenced throughout the published research article to provide contextual and explanatory depth to quantitative survey findings. As interviews contained identifying information and sensitive business/financial details, interview transcripts and participant identities are not included in this public data release. Access to identifiable interview data may be available to qualified researchers under data sharing agreements; contact the author for details. ================================================================================ ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR DATA USERS ================================================================================ Intended uses of this dataset: This dataset is intended for use by: - Library publishing professionals and scholars interested in understanding journal editors' priorities and needs - Scholarly communication researchers and policy makers - Academic publishers and publishing service providers - Scholarly societies and journal editors considering publishing partnerships - Library administrators and research institutions evaluating publishing platform investments - Educators teaching about scholarly publishing, open access, and academic communication The data support secondary research, replication studies, and further analysis of editorial decision-making in scholarly publishing. Data limitations and appropriate interpretations: 1. Limited geographic/linguistic scope: Sample skews toward English-speaking editors and U.S. institutions 2. Aggregate data: This public release contains only aggregated, de-identified data; response-level analysis not possible from this file 3. Survey design: Some results reflect branching/conditional questions; base counts vary by question 4. Temporal scope: Data collected April-September 2024; findings reflect contemporary publishing landscape but may not generalize to future shifts 6. Disciplinary variation: While the sample includes a range of disciplines, some fields may be underrepresented For questions about this dataset, the research methodology, or reuse, please contact: Michelle E. Wilson University of Maryland Email: mewilson@umd.edu ORCID: 0009-0006-7839-1760 ================================================================================ FILE REVISION HISTORY ================================================================================ Date of this README: 2026-05-14 Generated by: Michelle E. Wilson Version: 1.0 (initial public release) ================================================================================ END OF README ================================================================================