From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 16:17:30 -0700

A joint research project from Cambridge and Oxford University Presses
working together:

https://global.oup.com/academic/pdf/perspectives-on-the-value-and-purpose-of-the-monograph

From the exec summary:

"This report presents the results of a large-scale global survey, jointly
undertaken by Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press in the
summer of 2019, with nearly 5,000 responses. The survey set out to
understand the value of monographs to researchers and to hear the voices of
researchers on the relationship between monographs and their research
activities."

Bullet-pointed conclusions stay at a high level, but there are 40 slides
with pretty fine-grained detail of their findings.

   - Monographs remain a vital part of scholarly ecosystems
   - Monographs are the established medium for dissemination and debate of
   new research in HSS
   - Writing a monograph supports the research process itself; the
   monograph is an organising principle in research
   - The crucial role of monographs looks set to continue in the future but
   evolution is needed

On my reading, academics would like monographs to be published more
quickly, to be (often) in briefer compass (30-60K words), and more easily
available (indeed would like to have both e- and p-versions for one low
price -- and the ideal price point is zero).

Jim O'Donnell
ASU