Top 10 Academic Book Publishers
The top ten academic publishers were arranged according to a method based on both quantity and quality to meet the following seven criteria: academic prestige (most important factor), volume of publications, impact factor, subject specialization, global publishing, author feedback, and editorial quality. The information was retrieved from high-quality academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, Google Scholar), global library databases, publishers’ outputs, university courses syllabuses and the main academic rewards. Over 50 international publishers were first seen using a criterion 1-10 scale (weighted by the criterion as academic recognition and citations), academic presence in syllabus, and researcher evaluation). The approach included consultations with scholars from a range of disciplines and analysis of the academic book awards to develop fair, un-biased rankings that are based on the true value of an academic book compared to other academic books.
Oxford University Press is the world’s largest university press and offers the widest range of academic content available in all media. Founded in 1586, OUP has held that standard up to its mission to carry out the levels of quality that are the most scholarly possible. The press grew out of the University of Oxford’s house in London, its history, and its principles are controlled by the university, and it operates as a department of the university. It is now the largest university press in the world, and the second oldest after Cambridge University Press. Oxford University Press always performs so well in rankings because highly rigorous peer review networks, usually involving 2-4 successful peer reviewers per submission, and over 1000 editorial staff across the world, who also include specialist commissioning editors with disciplinary expertise who nurture authors through the publication process. Editorial boards consist of scholars from around the world who provide academic quality and expertise.
The press has been innovative online as well as maintaining a scholarly standard. The press plays a leading role in advocating for Open Access publishing in its many forms and has initiated new forms of digital-first publishing that push the boundaries of scholarly communication. Oxford’s distribution travels the world, and we maintain sales representation in major academic markets in more than 190 countries. Our promotional methods draw upon both the traditional and digital environments alongside leveraging social media and author services, ultimately affording our authors unmatched benefits to excel their work to the visible masses
Cambridge University Press, a part of the University of Cambridge, share the university’s objectives to advance knowledge, education, learning, and research, making it our mission to unlock people’s potential with the best learning and research solutions. Founded in 1534, it is the world’s oldest functioning independent publishing house. Cambridge publishes in excess of 2,500 new titles per year in academic, professional, research, reference and learning subjects across the humanities, social sciences, science, technology and medicine. Full academic coverage, including all Cambridge CUP’s subjects and specialities: far-reaching enough for any university faculty member to find a suitable publication opportunity in Cambridge CUP’s prestigious program. The Cambridge books are also widely taught through the world’s universities and remain, as by most academic databases, some of the most cited texts in the humanities. The press works with the most influential research institutions and the most prestigious learned societies, publishing official outputs for these organizations that impact on academe.
HUP is the gold standard of American academic publishing, and HUP books are some of the most scholarly works that shape academic debates and the general public’s understanding of complex issues. Founded in 1913, HUP’s mission continues to be the dissemination of scholarship (including the publication of journals) as it is reflected in its architecturally innovative and culturally dynamic publishing programs, and in its emphasis on innovative in-house and regionally based publishing. The press has extremely high criteria for its editorial program and publishes only titles that screen for newness, scholarly significance, and high writing quality. Manuscripts are subjected to a rigorous and impartial peer-review process, based on accountability or trust rather than simply self-interest. Editorial boards consist of the top scholars in the field, usually from around the world, and are responsible for ensuring that the publication meets the highest academic standards. This selectivity means that Harvard publications entail great influence in academic field, bringing high academic credibility and promoting career for authors. At Harvard, they value of digital publishing while preserving the high-quality standards of the print world, pioneering creative models of multimedia scholarship and interactive digital publications as a way of pushing at the boundaries of traditional academic publishing.
About the MIT Press Established in 1962, the MIT Press is one of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world and a leading publisher of books and journals at the intersection of science, technology, art, social science, and design. A leading publisher since 1962, the MIT Press is widely considered to be the world’s leading academic publisher in the fields of technology, the arts, and the sciences, and has made a significant contribution to global arts and scholarship, following the mission of MIT to advance knowledge and educate students. A leader in digital publishing technology, MIT Press has led the way to digital innovations such as enriched e-books; full-featured, interactive digital books; and the grandparent of them all: open access research platforms. The digitalisation of the press became an opportunity for the exploration of new channels various from multimedia academic publications to collaborative online environments, which challenge the established forms of academic communication. MIT Press is a committed supporter of open-access publishing, and publishers like MIT Press are investing in open access through programs like MIT Press Direct to Open, where books are made freely available and financially sustained through library and institutional mechanisms. The press has good relationships with industry, technology companies, research organizations, and government, and aims for publications to be both accessible to academic researchers, and helpful for application to practical problems.
Yale University Press has a distinguished history of publishing books that have become benchmarks in a range of academic disciplines, including history, literature, and art. Established in 1908, Yale Press has become one of the world’s leading publishers of books that have changed the way we think about art and culture, and preserving the intellectual achievements of the university for a large and diverse readership in both scholarly fields and the general public while also committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality in all of its books.
It draws manuscripts from the most important and influential scholars at schools all over the world who will bring something of value to their books, and to the greater world of learning, with their expertise, credibility, and marketing potential because of their association with a local, regional, or international, academic institution. Yale has the highest publication standards and a rigorous review process in which approximately three to four other professional colleagues outside the editorial team (at least two reviewers from outside the journal) review each peer-reviewed submission prior to publication, with all authors being demanded to provide their scientific and ethical review history which is then published as open access for the scientific community
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. The press has established a well-known mathematics program and also, in recent years, an extensive list of titles in the history of the book. One of the country’s most challenged peer-review programs in academic publishing, Princeton offers a rigorous review process, often with multiple rounds of peer review by top experts in relevant areas. The press has editors and editorial boards of the most eminent scholars; and the publications are held to the highest standards of the originality, the significance, and the methodology. This editorial standard provides our authors’ work with real potential to influence the direction of future research, enabling Princeton authored publications to stand out in the crowded academic landscape, with books on the graduate list of world leading universities. With born-digital publications, Princeton continues to uphold the same scholarly standards as those applied to the creation of its print materials, while providing high-quality e-books, online supplements, and new developments in mathematical and scientific publishing.
University of Chicago Press has developed a reputation for strong editorial work and scholarly publishing contributions to academic knowledge and culture, and is known for also being a commercial, independent publisher. The authoritative, trusted source that writers, editors, and publishers turn to for guidance on style and process. The press as a source of authority for academic writing and gives it more credibility for its scholarship. The press has a robust regional studies program that offers those with an interest in the region an alternative perspective on American social and cultural history and is a magnet for scholars of regional studies and urban policy research. Chicago Press offers full-service author services such as editorial support, marketing support and career development. The press has a well-established collaboration with authors and provides much support from publication and beyond.
Springer Nature is one of the world’s leading global research, educational and professional publishers, home to an array of respected and trusted brands providing quality content through a range of innovative products and services. The result of a merger with the publishing organization of Springer, the Nature Publishing Group, this publisher applies the technology of Springer with resources from its own publishing to serve the worldwide academic and research communities in all the fields of science. The publisher releases more than 13,000 new titles per year in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM, and is said to be the world’s largest second-hand and antiquarian academic bookseller. Springer Nature includes physical sciences, life sciences, medical, engineering, computer sciences, mathematics, business, offering researchers a broad range of authoritative and comprehensive research material across a variety of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary fields. The publisher serves the world’s research and scholarly communities and is the largest publisher for professional and scholarly societies.
Springer Nature has been at the vanguard of open-access publication in the sciences, with work like SpringerOpen, Nature Communications and Scientific Reports. The publisher provides strong open access history and options and sustainable business models that support more rapid innovations in scholarly publishing. Springer Nature is highest ranked for publishing conference proceedings in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Lecture Notes in Mathematics, and other series with research reports at the latest stage before published in a journal. In addition to scientific research, Springer Nature’s array of products includes textbooks, professional books, e-books and reference works as well as a range of educational resources.
Founded in 1807, Wiley transformed into a global publishing business that provides as its goal and mission to support the professional project of communities, businesses, and academics with over 1,800 new books printed each year across sciences, technical, medical, and scholarly market: bolstered by strong journal, digital, and services sales. Wiley is a global leader in scientific research and education and encompasses a diverse portfolio including scientific, technical, and medical and professional and educational disciplines including consumer books and services, first aid certification and guides and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students serving learning, teaching, and professional needs for all levels. Wiley has made significant investments in digital learning platforms and technologies, and WileyPLUS and other digital platforms offer personalized, interactive learning recommendations that work seamlessly with our traditional publishing. With over 40 offices worldwide, Wiley has global publishing, sales, and distribution and is a resource for the academic and professional needs of an international library. The publisher is a global provider of content, with access to worldwide scientific researchers and resources, but also has a local market focus and is sensitive to the knowledge needs of local healthcare professionals.
SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than 1000 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. Founded in 1965, SAGE is known for its commitment to developing new and innovative research methods that promote the understanding of social issues and improve the human condition and it has since become the leading independent, academic and professional publisher of social science with more than 1,000 titles across key areas of the social sciences including works in sociology, psychology, education, political science, anthropology, communication, and social work. SAGE’s international division also includes academic publishers with operations across the world including London, New Delhi, Singapore, and Washington DC ensuring global distribution and a strong working relationship with local editors and contributors. SAGE Knowledge includes reference works, handbooks, and encyclopaedias, which enable the research and learning of social science methods, including SAGE Research Methods with tools and resources for learning and practicing research methods from sociology.
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Further Reading: Top Publishers Comparison