Higher education publisher Palgrave Macmillan has announced the launch of Palgrave Pivot, a new initiative that seeks to break down the boundaries of publishing research. Palgrave Pivot has launched 21 new titles including Global and Transnational History, written by historian Akira Iriye; Media, Myth, and Society by Arthur Asa Berger; The Spirit of Selflessness in Maoist China: Socialist Medicine and the New Man by Christos Lynteris; and Preparing for Life in Humanity 2.0 by Steve Fuller.
Palgrave Pivot publishes peer-reviewed research at lengths between the journal article and the monograph. The e-first initiative is expected to liberate scholarship from the straightjacket of traditional formats, allowing works to be published in the format and length best suited to the research itself, within 12 weeks of manuscript acceptance.
The initiative was developed following a year-long research project, which asked over 1,000 scholars about the challenges faced when publishing research. The findings showed that the scholarly community had a real need for an alternative publishing format, and this has been echoed in numerous endorsements for Palgrave Pivot since it was first announced in December 2011.
Palgrave Pivot publications will be available as e-books for libraries, including via Palgrave Connect, individual ebooks for personal use, and as digitally-produced print editions. It is committed to publishing quickly, offering scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) greater opportunities to move forward rapidly and have greater impact. As HSS scholars are only too aware, it can take years for research in these fields to achieve final publication. Palgrave Pivot authors can expect their work to be available within 12 weeks of manuscript acceptance, enabling scholars to respond immediately to topical debates and issues.
