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Based on informal discussions with a range of scholars across the African continent, it was felt that there was a need for a scholarly publisher located in Africa, focusing on African content, and targeting an African audience. It had also been expressed by a number of researchers, and was of wider potential interest – given the author’s institutional situation and context at the time, as well as management imperatives – that the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) could use its existing capacity and strengths in the area of African studies, specifically from a social science and development perspective, and its networks on the African continent, to form a possible institutional base for such a press, through the expansion of its publishing division. But there was no certainty as to whether this was in fact a viable business idea. Thus, this study carries out a feasibility study, to investigate and evaluate whether a scholarly press focusing on African material would be viable in the current South African, continental and international context. The study takes the form of a literature survey, questionnaire-based empirical survey, and business planning exercise. The key research question that is investigated is: Given the limitations of and challenges currently facing the South African (and wider African) scholarly publishing industry, could a scholarly publisher working according to the above vision be viably set up, and how could this be achieved? Broad support is found for the notion of a new scholarly publisher, and a business plan is developed to show how such a press could be set up, working within certain constraints and assumptions. / Dissertation (MIS)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Information Science / MIS / Unrestricted

In the discipline of librarianship there is very little existing research from which conclusions regarding attitudes toward computers and related technology can be drawn. Furthermore, there is no significant data available which indicates that attitudes differ between various groups or types of librarians. It is reasonable to assume that librarians' attitudes toward computers vary. This study examines a group of academic librarians and a group of public librarians and tests for significant differences in their respective attitudes toward computers, desktop publishing systems and expert systems.

This article shows how changing ideologies and evolving market forces have combined to lessen German publishers’ enthusiasm for Swahili literature – and how, surprisingly, translators of Swahili are now taking the initiative to ensure that Swahili literature still gets published. After outlining preceding periods of translation and showing how they are determined by ideologies and market forces, I take a close and partially personal look at the development and role of the translator-publishers: how digital technology and new formats have enabled them to take over classical publishers’ tasks. Still, even if translators manage to publish their translated works, they are confronted with the challenge of reaching an audience and creating a space for Swahili literature in German-speaking countries. These translators could possibly join forces to reach a critical mass for translations, thus paving the way for Swahili translated literature to be recognized and appreciated by German-speaking readers.

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In this study an attempt was made to explore the challenges with regard to publications experienced by academic women at three selected Historically Black Universities (HBUs). Although based predominantly within a feminist qualitative metholodogical framework, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in this study. Based on the findings of the study, the recommendations illustrated participants' responses. Some of the recommendations illustrated participants' expressed need of staff development with a specific focus on training in publication skills / mentoring and support networks / assistance and support for their publishing venture at both institutional and departmental level and the development of strategies that would assist academic women in 'juggling' their personal and academic roles.

In many markets for cultural goods, gatekeepers select the cultural goods, relatively few cultural goods are selected, and the criteria for selection are unclear to both artists and gatekeepers. Not knowing whether cultural goods are of the 'right' quality to be selected, artists and gatekeepers become preoccupied with handling quality uncertainty. This thesis studies such handling of quality uncertainty before, during, and after aspiring writers attempt to succeed in the publishing market. Drawing on eighty interviews with mainly aspiring writers and publishers in Sweden, three papers investigate three phases of handling quality uncertainty in the publishing market. First, in attempting to get published, writers handled uncertainty about how the quality of their work would be evaluated in the publishing market by using appraisal devices: trusted, knowledgeable appraisals of their work’s chances of success or failure on the publishing market. Second, publishers responded to uncertainty about the quality of manuscripts by learning to consider means before ends, such that certain qualities of their reading experience became the necessary means for realizing that the manuscript might be publishable. This realization moved the manuscript from the discovery phase to justification phase, in which publishers made a final decision to select or reject the manuscript. Third, for the rejected writer, the uncertainty of not knowing how the publisher had determined the quality of the manuscript made it possible to excuse the course of events. Writers gave reasons why their manuscript had been rejected based on how they imagined publishers had determined its quality. They accepted the occurrence of failure but dismissed the responsibility for having failed. Writers also engaged in justifications, refusals, and concessions of the perceived failure. These concepts for analyzing the publishing market are based on a perspective that takes into account subjectivity, temporality, and the condition of quality uncertainty. The perspective and concepts are useful for understanding other market situations in the cultural industries, wherein the successful hiring of cultural workers and the acquisition of cultural goods are rare relative to the number of aspirants, and wherein assessments are conditioned by quality uncertainty that needs to be handled. / ERC 263699-CEV

In this study an attempt was made to explore the challenges with regard to publications experienced by academic women at three selected Historically Black Universities (HBUs). Although based predominantly within a feminist qualitative metholodogical framework, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in this study. Based on the findings of the study, the recommendations illustrated participants' responses. Some of the recommendations illustrated participants' expressed need of staff development with a specific focus on training in publication skills / mentoring and support networks / assistance and support for their publishing venture at both institutional and departmental level and the development of strategies that would assist academic women in 'juggling' their personal and academic roles.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The buying and reading patterns of book lovers have changed dramatically over the past decade. The effects of a shrinking reading market are far-reaching: tough(er) competition not only affects the profitability of the industry, but also places increasing pressure on sustainable growth over the long tenm. Hence the aim of this investigation: (0 identify publishing strategies that could counter these tendencie. .. - with reference to a study comparing the situation in the Netherlands and in South Africa. Michael E. Porter's model offers a useful framework for the critical assessment of international patterns in the publishing world. Changing client needs result in books competing all the more intensely with other forms of entertainment for disposable rands. However, in this struggle for survival the inherent value of books is being destroyed by too low profit margins. Porter's model also fits local tendencies, such as stiffer competition from overseas role players for whom geographical expansion to developing countries is the only way to attain and keep market share. An analysis of the Dutch industry presents three strategic choices: market domination, variety-based positioning or needs-based positioning. Within the context of the South African industry the conclusions of this study could find valuable applications, especially for the publishers in the NB group: • Market domination is not a viable strategy for a local publisher in South Africa. The competition offered by imported books (with a market share of 73%) is too strong. • Radical technological development demands a multi-media approach. Although the success of this strategy has not been adequately demonstrated, large-scale investment by new ventures in the Dutch industry underlines the necessity to investigate possibilities. • Although NB Publishers have lead the Afrikaans niche market with literature of high quality for decades, this segment is threatened by the increasingly important role of English, as well as the wide variety of world literature available in local bookshops. Moreover, profit from the Afrikaans niche market is being further eroded by foreign publishers establishing local imprints in South Africa and luring top writers. IT NB Publishers wish to maintain the lead in this market segment, they have to implement a strategy that not only guarantees quality, but manages to draw and keep the best writers and editors. Further hereto, specific actions need to be launched to develop the Afrikaans niche market. • In the relatively small South African market focus on future growth is essential. This given demands by implication a strategy that develops the underutilized potential of the black middle class. • All leading publishers in South Africa have a social responsibility to promote the reading, writing and availability of books, and strategies to this effect need to be coordinated with those of the Government. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Boekliefhebbers se koop- en leespatrone het in die afgelope dekade dramaties verander. Die gevolge wat 'n krimpende lesersmark inhou, is verreikend: Strawwe(r) mededinging beinvloed nie net die winsgewendheid van die industrie nie, maar plaas ook toenemend druk op langtermynvooruitsigte van volhoubare groei. Daarom wil hierdie ondersoek - aan die hand van 'n vergelykende studie tussen Nederland en Suid-Afrika - uitgewerstrategiee vind wat hierdie tendense kan teewerk. Michael E. Porter se model bied 'n handige raamwerk waarbinne internasionale patrone in die uitgewerswereld krities beskou kan word, o.m. klantbehoeftes wat verander sodat boeke al sterker moet meeding om besteebare rande naas ander vorme van vermaak, terwyl die inherente waarde van boeke in 'n stryd om oorlewing vernietig word deur te lae pryspunte. Ook plaaslike tendense pas binne hierdie model, byvoorbeeld strawwer mededinging van oorsese rolspelers vir wie geografiese uitbreiding na ontwikkelende lande die enigste manier is om markaandeel te wen en te behou. 'n Analise van die Nederlandse industrie bring drie strategiese keuses na vore: markdominansie, variteit-gebaseerde, of behoefte-gebaseerde posisionering. Gevolgtrekkings uit die ondersoek kan - binne die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse bedryfsomgewing - waardevolle toepassings vind, veral by die NB-Uitgewersgroep: • Markdominansie is geen strategiese koers vir 'n plaaslike uitgewer in Suid-Afrika nie. Die mededinging van ingevoerde boeke (met 'n markaandeel van 73%) is te sterk. • Ingrypende tegnologiese ontwikkelinge vereis 'n multi-mediale aanpak. Hoewel die sukses van hierdie strategiese keuse nog nie genoegsaam bewys is nie, beklemtoon grootskaalse beleggings deur nuwe ondernemings in die Nederlandse industrie die noodsaak om moontlikhede te ondersoek. • Alhoewel NB-Uitgewers vir dekades in die Afrikaanse nismark die markleier was met literatuur van hoë gehalte, word hierdie segment bedreig deur die rol van Engels wat toenemend belangriker word, asook die wye verskeidenheid van wereldliteratuur wat in plaaslike boekwinkels beskikbaar is. Daarby word wins uit die Afrikaanse nismark verder weggekalwe deurdat buitelandse uitgewers plaaslike drukname in Suid-Afrika vestig en topskrywers wegrokkel. lndien NB-Uitgewers steeds die voortou wil neern in hierdie marksegment, moet 'n strategie geimplementeer word wat nie net gehalte waarborg nie, maar ook topskrywers en redaksionele talent werf en behou. In aansluiting hierby moet spesifieke aksies geloods word om Afrikaans as nismark uit te bou. • In die relatief klein Suid-Afrikaanse mark is 'n gerigtheid op toekomstige groei noodsaaklik. By implikasie vra hierdie gegewe om 'n strategie waarin die onbenutte potensiaal van die swart middelklas ontgin kan word. • Alle leidende uitgewers in Suid-Afrika het 'n sosiale verantwoordelikheid om lees, skryf en die beskikbaarheid van boeke te bevorder, en hierdie strategiee behoort met die van die regering gekoordineer te word.

The popular culture of the past three decades owes a great deal to the creativity and musical impact of the artists featured in Retro-Respect. The project's objective was to carefully select ten of this generation's most influential recording artists and, as a musical tribute, produce and record unique arrangements of songs by each of them for an audio CD. Each featured artist has at least a 30 year history of influence and recognition as being among the industry's best, and all remain musically active today. Included are Aerosmith, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Elton John and David Bowie. Retro-Respect was produced and arranged by Kam Falk. Each of the eight vocal and two instrumental songs features a different ensemble with Falk performing on six-string bass, fretless four-string bass, keyboards, vocals and drum/ percussion programming. / by Kam Allen Falk. / Vita. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.