To introduce this “all review” issue, comprising a diverse mix of volumes reviewed by a broad spectrum of individuals.
This article calls into question the future viability of conventional print publishing in general, and the continued use of academic journals both for the dissemination of current research and as the primary means of assessing the work of academics for the purpose of promotion and tenure. It further suggests that the world of clicks and bricks is merging, and that there will be a competitive struggle to determine the value of various paths for knowledge dissemination.
The article suggests that, with the introduction of electronic transmission and storage of knowledge – cheaply, securely, interactively and readily accessible – the future market for, and use of, traditional academic journals needs serious reconsideration and repurposing.
The article provides a challenge to both The Academy and its co‐dependent publishing industry to openly address the techno‐economic realities confronting each, and suggests that much that is currently being done in response to the emerging internet world simply involves the superficial conversion of “bricks” to “clicks,” rather than an honest effort to deal with the transformational issues and opportunities at hand.
