Academic societies in crisis

SideLines, April 2005

In November 2004, the Business Center for Academic Societies Japan (BCASJ) was declared bankrupt (International Herald Tribune, 26.11.04). One role of the Center was to collect membership fees used by academic societies for their conferences and publications. This financial crisis has affected some 300 academic societies in Japan, and may have continuing consequences for academic writers, editors and translators (fewer publishing opportunities, fewer editing contracts?). It may also be a wake-up call for improvements in academic publishing and distribution. Please send comments on this matter to:

Peter Matthews email: info (at) researchco-op (dot) co.nz