Comparison of Book Publishers: Springer vs Elsevier vs Routledge
Finding the right publisher for your academic book can affect how visible, accessible, and impactful it is for years to come. This evaluation compares the authors’ experiences from reviewing literature in less known to more well-known academic publishers Springer, Elsevier, and Routledge according to strict screening criteria created to guide authors, researchers, and scholars in making decision when choosing an academic publisher.
Our analysis is based on a wonkish multivariate scoring system of eight dimensions compiled from over 50 international publishers. These factors include reputation, volume, impact, scope of subject content introduction, royalty policies, global distribution, author reputation, and editorial process. The information was collected from Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, WorldCat, and Library of Congress, as well as publishers’ catalogs, university syllabuses, academic award records.
A part of Springer Nature, Springer stands in the leading position in publishing research all over the world in the fields of Science, Technology and Medicine (STM). It is respected for its high citation footprint in both Web of Science and Scopus, as well as for its worldwide visibility on university reading lists. Springer/ With over 300,000 book titles and an aggressive open-access model, Springer provides wide world-wide distribution and stringent editorial process. Springer has also been measured and found to score very well on measures of academic rank and impact in publications, which frequently take the form of elite book series and research monographs. Although its royalty agreement is middle-of-the-road, it is well-regarded by researchers for its persuasive editorial transparency, and its content can be easily discovered on SpringerLink and through partner networks.
Elsevier, most famously powerful in scientific journals, also is known for a limited but valued books program. Elsevier features more than 35,000 titles in clinical medicine, chemistry, physics and engineering. Its strength is in citation metrics, where it ranks very well in terms of Google Scholar and Scopus citations, which is a major contributor to its scholarly impact score. Elsevier is a bit weaker in discipline diversity and humanities coverage than its competitors, however. Publisher provides very high editorial quality and very well-qualified reviewers, especially for technical topics. Its royalty and licensing models tend to be conservative, but its books have deep institutional access and benefit from global library licensing agreements. For scholars in science for whom it is important to publish in established forums, Elsevier is one such destination of choice.
Routledge, as part of the Taylor and Francis Group, is a cornerstone of the company’s unique structure as an academic and professional publisher in the Humanities and Social Sciences. At over 150,000 titles, Routledge leads the way in terms of specialist subject content, scholarly quality and interdisciplinary referencing, as well as citation download impact in JSTOR and Google Scholar. Routledge is strongly focused on quality editorial and production values and is committed to preserving the intellectual integrity of material through careful attention to detail. It does not have the same amount of coverage available of STEM journals as Springer or Elsevier have, but it is strong in publishing authoritative titles of culture, politics, sociology, as well as pedagogy. Sage continues to compare favourably in such areas as market presence and author service; plus it gives good open access options and competitive monograph royalties.
Conclusion
All of these publishers have unique strengths which serve the academic ecosystem. Sure, Springer dominates, in volume and reach, especially in STEM. Elsevier stands for high impact in scientific research with robust citation performance and technical accuracy. Routledge, meanwhile, is the publisher of choice for social scientists and humanities scholars that want global reach and editorial foci that are specialized. The choice between them should be informed by your disciplinary affiliation, the publication purpose and the readership. We take a comparative approach that will help you create a more balanced viewing experience that is based on not just name recognition, but also quantifiable academic quality.
Also read: Top Scopus Publishers
Learn more in: Top WoS Publishers
See the Top Publishers Comparison for more resources
To explore more, see: Most Cited Publishers
Further Reading: Top Book Publishers