At Budapest’s Museum of Ethnography, May 2022. ‘Acta Ethnographica Hungarica’ is one of AK Journals’ best leading titles, with more than 65 volumes in publication. Image – Getty iStockphoto: SNDR
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
‘How a Community Connects With a Journal’
As Publishing Perspectives readers know, the Berlin-based ResearchGate is styled as a professional network for researchers. In a message to the news media today (May 9), the company has announced a new partnership with what’s reported to be Hungary’s oldest continuously operating publishing house, Akadémiai Kiadó.
A scientific publisher in Central and Eastern Europe, Akadémiai Kiadó—more easily referred to for many who don’t speak Hungarian by its brand “AK Journals”—anticipates heightened reach and visibility for a group of its publications through what ResearchGate brands as its “Journal Home” product.
The intent of the new partnership is described as being to enable Akadémiai Kiadó to connect with a wider range of science authors and readers.
Erna Sári
The terms of the arrangement mean that all version-of-record article content from the initial participating journals—including archive content and new articles on publication—will be available on ResearchGate, which of course should boost AK Journals’ readership and engagement through what ResearchGate says is its pool of more than 25 million researcher-members.
In a prepared statement, Erna Sári, the Hungarian company’s head of marketing, is quoted, saying, “AK is committed to making scientific results as widely read and shared as possible.
Sören Hofmayer
“We’re excited to partner with ResearchGate and use Journal Home’s unique presentation and insights to enhance our global visibility.”
And speaking for ResearchGate in Berlin, Sören Hofmayer, the co-founding chief strategy officer, talks of the value of seeing “another regional publisher increase their global visibility through Journal Home.
“Our researcher community offers publishers a new way to reach new readers for their journals, and provides insights into how a community connects with a journal.”
AK Journals’ ‘Acta Ethnographica Hungarica’ volume 68
Dedicated journal profiles are expected to be activated on the platform as part of the deal, providing key information and content from the journals as well as uniquely enabling ResearchGate members to explore how their own network connects to a journal.
The Hungarian journals will also be featured, ResearchGate says, on all associated articles and touch points on the platform, enhancing visibility for readers and potential authors.
AK Journals’ authors are supposedly going to benefit from the fact that their articles will be linked to their user profiles on ResearchGate, which the company says will provide those authors with statistics and insights on their articles usage and presenting a unique way for these authors to understand and connect with their readers.
More from Publishing Perspectives on academic and research publishing is here, more on open access is here, and more on scholarly journals is here.