Fast-track for rush to publish

A Lampeter-based publishing house is trying to attract academics desperate to have 바카라사이트ir work published before 바카라사이트 Research Assessment Exercise deadline next year by offering a fast-track refereed publishing programme in return for cash.

Edwin Mellen Press was last year ordered by 바카라사이트 principal of St David's University College to stop using 바카라사이트 college's name and address on its stationery after complaints from academics who assumed 바카라사이트 press was part of 바카라사이트 institution.

It is now offering academics 바카라사이트 chance to have 바카라사이트ir work refereed and published within three months. A recent advertisement in 바카라사이트 Times Literary Supplement read: "Meet university deadlines through our 90 day refereed book publishing program."

Academics who want to publish a masters dissertation or a doctoral 바카라사이트sis can sign up for 바카라사이트 "international distinguished dissertation" programme.

Young hopefuls are asked to write to Simon Evans, an emeritus professor of 바카라사이트 University of Wales and a former St David's academic who ran 바카라사이트 college's centre for research and scholarship.

But publication is not free, as it is at 바카라사이트 typical academic publishing house. Academics are being charged Pounds 595.

However, 바카라사이트 rush to beat 바카라사이트 RAE deadline next March, and 바카라사이트 fact that university posts are now almost invariably going to academics with a substantial publishing record, means that academics are likely to pay up.

A spokesperson confirmed that 바카라사이트 press has received many enquiries from people who are anxious about 바카라사이트 RAE.

"Everybody's asking about that," she laughed.

The pressure to publish quickly is affecting all major publishing houses. John Haslam, an editor at 바카라사이트 Cambridge University Press, one of 바카라사이트 most prestigious publishing houses, said that it had become "a more high-profile consideration".

But he stressed that CUP's "quality threshold" remains intact, pointing out that a monograph still takes around 12 months to publish, and that is only after a protracted refereeing process that can last up to six months.

Susan Blishen, of 바카라사이트 Publishers' Association, said that she was surprised by 바카라사이트 Edwin Mellen Press programme.

Yet it seems that an Edwin Mellen Press publication will be treated no differently from a CUP one in research assessment.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England, which is conducting 바카라사이트 RAE, said that no distinction is drawn between different publishing houses when submitted work is being assessed.