Re-engineering the ACS Journal

Australian Computer Journal

• Published by the ACS for decades:
• Quarterly scholarly refereed work
• Free to all ACS members
• Problems:
  • Limited relevance to practitioners
  • Australian brand in a global industry
  • Paper production in an online discipline
  • "Temporary" Editor wanted to retire

Options

• Cancel the Journal
• Paid subscription only
• Sell it to an overseas publisher
• Re-engineer the journal

Decision

• Re-engineer the journal:
  • "Spill" all editorial positions and advertise
  • Retain free to all members
  • Provide an international and practice focus
  • Move management and production online
  • Consider e-publishing later

Changes

• New editor: Professor John F. Roddick
• Australian and international subject editors
• New web site
• New title, cover and format
• Indexed by leading international scientific search services
• No change: serious scholarly work

Unexpected results

• Demand for international paid advertising
• High level of interest
• Demand for special editions
• Online management easy
• E-publishing difficult

More information

• Slides
• Media Release
• Journal web site: http://www.acs.org.au/jrpit
• Tom Worthington