What is Publishing: Definition and 78 Discussions

Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the distribution of printed works, such as books, newspapers, and magazines. With the advent of digital information systems, the scope has expanded to include electronic publishing such as ebooks, academic journals, micropublishing, websites, blogs, video game publishing, and the like.
Publishing may produce private, club, commons or public goods and may be conducted as a commercial, public, social or community activity. The commercial publishing industry ranges from large multinational conglomerates such as Bertelsmann, RELX, Pearson and Thomson Reuters to thousands of small independents. It has various divisions such as: trade/retail publishing of fiction and non-fiction, educational publishing (k-12) and academic and scientific publishing. Publishing is also undertaken by governments, civil society and private companies for administrative or compliance requirements, business, research, advocacy or public interest objectives. This can include annual reports, research reports, market research, policy briefings and technical reports. Self-publishing has become very common.
"Publisher" can refer to a publishing company or organization, or to an individual who leads a publishing company, imprint, periodical or newspaper.

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  1. juggernaut5452

    Graduate School Advice regarding Arvix

    I'm a junior based in the U.S and my research project is ending in one or two months, so I am writing a report with my results. I am not sure if I will be a first author as there are two other students, but they have graduated so I have been working on it alone for a while now since the summer...
  2. MevsEinstein

    B Popularizing a property for n-bonacci numbers without publishing it?

    Hi PF! Everyone knows that: $${\varphi }^2 - \varphi - 1 = 0$$ But guess what? $${\varphi}^3-2{\varphi}^2+1=0$$ Generalizing this for all n-bonacci numbers: $$x^{n+1}+1 = 2x^n$$ where ##x## is the n-bonacci number and ##n## is the degree of the polynomial that the n-bonacci number is a root of...
  3. A

    What is the best free website for publishing my articles on astrophysics?

    Summary: best publishing sites Hello. I have a theory on astrophysics. I want to find the best free website or platform to publish my articles on it. I want the website to be completely free, not asking for fee from me or the readers in any ways, and not having hidden fees either. please...
  4. A

    Physics Viability of publishing as an independent researcher

    I'm as mainstream as a physicist can be, so you will not see my trying to publish things like "relativity is wrong" or "there is no proof of quantum mechanics". But I live and work in a 3rd world country with an awful policy for teaching and research, and the universities I work for only pay me...
  5. T

    Other Undergraduate studies and making or publishing papers

    Hello. I am sorry for asking these questions but could an undergraduate student in math like me make efforts on topics and make or publish papers?As well, could an undegraduate student make not top rated or top class papers but low or average rated papers? What your advice would be on those...
  6. patric44

    Senior student publishing a first paper

    hi guys I am a senior student major in physics and i have a little question : recently i was trying to publish a paper in a journal with an impact factor of about 0.4 and a cite score of 1 its indexed in the Scimago database, after submitting the paper i got a moderate revision as a first...
  7. mfb

    The Significance Filter: How selective publishing biases results

    On arXiv: The Significance Filter, the Winner's Curse and the Need to Shrink It's well known that it is difficult to publish null results in various fields. The authors try to quantify that by analyzing over a million z-scores from Medline, a database for medical publications. A very striking...
  8. E

    Where Can I Find Reliable Paper Publishing Advice?

    Summary:: I would like to write a paper about a subject germane to this forum,... I would like to write a paper about a subject germane to this forum, i.e., general relativity, frame dragging, dark matter, etc. I have no connection to any academics, so I don’t know and can’t ask anyone what...
  9. Manphysics

    Other Publishing in physics after no longer having a university job?

    I'm a university physics professor. I'm currently employed, but next year that can change. Can I easily publish academic papers on Theoretical Physics without any institutional affiliation at all? It seems to me that good peer-reviewed journals tend to extra-officially consider the university...
  10. hagopbul

    Find Material Science Research: Hagop Bulbulian's Guide

    the paper is on material science and i can't find it any where not on google not any where , could you guide me to a website that i can use to search for it? Гуляшинов А.Н., Хантургаева Г.И., Калинин Ю.О. Сульфидизация церуссита полисульфидами натрия при измельчении окисленной свинцово-цинковой...
  11. BillTre

    Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition

    Entries can be viewed here. Here is the winner, some bouncing drops with quantum properties:
  12. B

    Publishing as a citizen scientist

    I would like some advice please. If a citizen scientist was to make a genuine ground breaking discovery based on sound scientific principles how does one proceed cautiously to publication and retain credit for their discovery without their idea being stolen ? I understand that such thing as...
  13. P

    A Publish a Theory: An Alternative Gravity & Dark Matter Explained

    I have a Theory providing an alternative behavior of gravity and an explanation for the perception of dark matter. The math works at least in the large scale (not quantum). How do I publish this for the physics world to see? I want my Nobel Prize (joking). Legitimate answers would be highly...
  14. D fatima

    Researching & Publishing a Physics Paper as an Undergraduate

    Hi ! I want to do research and publish a research paper on a topic related to physics . I am an undergraduate student , but I am much interested in research work. Kindly suggest me a topic on which I should do research ? And how much time will it take for the complete my research work ?
  15. qspeechc

    LaTeX Publishing: LibreOffice or Latex?

    Firstly, sorry I didn't know where was the correct place to put this. I'd like to know from publishers or published authors etc. I've just started writing a textbook on school maths. Preferrably I would like to use LibreOffice, but I could use Latex too. Do publishers prefer Latex, or would...
  16. Dr. Courtney

    Insights Niches for Publishable Undergraduate Research - Comments

    Dr. Courtney submitted a new PF Insights post Niches for Publishable Undergraduate Research Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  17. CivilSigma

    Courses Publishing School Project Report?

    In class, we were assigned a project about analysis of a loads, load paths and calculations of deflection of a girder in actual plans. My report ( a total of 50 pages) is divided into two sections : the first talking about some theory and the second presenting calculations. Do you think this...
  18. R

    Other Publishing Book Review - PhD student

    Hi All, Happy 2017! I am a first year PhD student at a well respected research university for Fluid Dynamics research in England. My PhD research is in the field of Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics. I am interested in gaining some writing, and publishing experience and I thought...
  19. PeterDonis

    Insights Why Won't You Look at My New Theory? - Comments

    PeterDonis submitted a new PF Insights post Why Won't You Look at My New Theory? Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  20. pioneerboy

    Scientific publishing from the "afterlife"?

    How long after a scientist's death can papers be published with this very scientist as coauthor? I assume this is the case for all scientific work where he or she participated to such a degree that justifies listing as coauthor...living or dead. But there's a case that got me wondering. I read...
  21. ZapperZ

    Comments - Publishing in a Physics Journal (Addendum)

    ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post Publishing in a Physics Journal (Addendum) Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  22. Semiavas

    Writing my first paper for publishing, we or I?

    Hello, I came up with an idea, wen't through the steps and it consistently worked. So now I'm writing a paper on it to submit for publishing. Along with this being my first forum post this is my first paper to publish, and I'm also only in my undergraduate right now, so please pardon my...
  23. ZapperZ

    Comments - Publishing in a Physics Journal

    ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post Publishing in a Physics Journal Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  24. meyol99

    About Science paper works publishing....

    Hello dear physicists, Have you ever published some scientific paper works ? I'm a little confused about that publishment thing.Can I publish my works for exaple to Annalen der Physik and what are the norms for the publishment ? Can I send any of my works to any physics journal ? Thank you...
  25. C

    Insights Guide to Publishing in Peer Reviewed Journals - Comments

    Choppy submitted a new PF Insights post Guide to Publishing in Peer Reviewed Journals Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  26. A

    Publishing a scientific discovery

    Let's say someone discovers something that can better the lives of everyone; where would they go to publish this discovery? Do they just patent/sell it or is there more to it?
  27. Corpuscule

    Is it a good idea to do a uni postdoc without publishing?

    Some university research groups offer postdoctoral positions sponsored by industry and focused on industrial R&D. That means mostly technical work and little-to-no publishing. Also such positions often don't have strict time limits, allowing postdocs to stay as long as this arrangement remains...
  28. Ananay Wadehra

    Publishing a Theory: Tips for 16-Year-Old Physics Enthusiast

    Recently, I was thinking about a publishing a theory and how to do it? I found that you can TRY to publish it in a magazine/journal IF they want to do it, but there are also specific options such as registered works.com where you can basically patent ( i don't know hat the correct word here is )...
  29. G

    Open Access Publishing in Physics: Benefits & Platforms

    Hi there, I'm trying to dip my feet into the worlds of publishing in physics (quantum theory/mathematical physics) and I would like to make sure that it's available for anyone who wants to read it. I know one of the paths many researchers take is that they send their article to a big journal...
  30. C

    Writing and publishing an e-book.

    Hi, I have a small project I want to work on: I want to write a small educational e-book on a science topic, such as acid base chemistry, just for the joy and creativity of doing it. I like to dive into subjects and write about them. Do any of you know what software I would need in order to...
  31. >>_

    Illustrations for Scientific Publishing

    Which software do you use to make "publishing quality" illustrations as shown?.
  32. M

    Posting vs Publishing: Benefits & Dangers

    If a person is in no need to publish anything for a career or to get their PHD then what is the benefit to publishing work vs just posting it on the internet if all you are trying to do is spread a theory/concept?
  33. H

    Publishing a theoretical paper

    Hi, I've decided to try to write and publish a paper by the end of my undergraduate degree. I'm planning to get advice from professors at my institution at a later stage in the process - I'd like to approach them when I've narrowed my topic some more and made the focus clearer, and when I've...
  34. SpiderET

    How to avoid stealing of my idea before publishing it?

    After some years of work I have somewhere in first stage of creating a new gravity theory which would extend General relativity theory. There are many similar attempts from serious physicists and even many more from crackpots. I have no academic association and have only MSc in Computer...
  35. R

    What are the challenges and experiences of publishing in physics?

    I just saw this http://phdcomics.com/comics.php and I wanted to hear about other peoples experiences in publishing in physics, and compare them to my own experiences. What role do your students, advisers, and collaborators play? How do you navigate disagreement with them? When does...
  36. Pythagorean

    Sci-Fi Dream: 120+ Computer-Generated Papers Removed by Springer & IEEE

    Every now and then, that kind of naive hopeful interest that got me interested in science gets a little more diminished. Once I get my PhD, I think I'll just be a McDonald's Manager so I can tell people with B.S.'s what to do...
  37. Hercuflea

    Undergrad researching but not publishing

    Hi all I have had two "official" research experiences/projects in the last year. The first one was in plasma physics and now I am doing one in the math department in operations research/statistics. Both projects were interesting and resulted in presentations at symposia/conferences. The...
  38. A

    An amature publishing serious work

    I have a question which concerns a hypothetical scenario; Suppose a person with no academic background was to solve a a great mathematical problem like Fermat's last Therm, the Riemann Hypothesis etc. and they wrote a paper on their proof or solution. Would they be able to get published...
  39. alyafey22

    LaTeX Publishing a Paper: Using ShareLaTeX for Generalized Fns

    I am in the process of publishing a paper on Generalized fractional logarithm and associated dilogarithm function. I am using the following site sharelatex which seems easy to follow and I like the idea of compiling online and converting to PDF so easily . Do you have experience with this site ? .
  40. D

    What is the correct publishing date for General Relativity?

    Hello all, in most of the general relativity excerpts I've come across they vary the date Einstein published his work between 1915, 1916, 17 and 18. Can someone clear up the reason for the discrepancy and what is the actual date of its publishing?
  41. I

    I Hate Writing Intros for Papers - Here's How I'd Do It

    I hate writing papers! Especially the intro! Writing intros is like selling hair product or knives. I had to buy the product and now I'm stuck selling it, and no one else wants to buy it. I didn't write the proposal. I don't even think the subject is that exciting. But I got the results...
  42. S

    Publishing in High Energy Physics ?

    I am planning to publish a paper after extending my MS thesis work. What i am planning to to do is not something new. Some people worked on those recently i will extend that for more models using their formalism. But to do that lots of numerical and computational work is needed. I have written...
  43. F

    Math Publishing a solution to a Mathematics Problem

    Suppose that an amateur mathematician finds a solution to a major unsolved problem and they have written their full proof and would now like to publish it somewhere or at least have it critiqued by the professional community. What steps should they take? Additionally, let's say that the...
  44. P

    Publishing a Comment for AP Chemistry Experiment

    For a project in my AP Chemistry course, I recreated an experiment from a journal. I was able to obtain better results than previously documented by improving some steps. I however don't have much to actually add to the study or its conclusions. Is there a way I can submit my new information...
  45. P

    Pop-math book publishing coincidence

    ... amazing that they were published only two weeks apart (read the descriptions)! In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World, by Ian Stewart https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465029736/?tag=pfamazon01-20 The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told...
  46. W

    Minimum Academic Requirements for Publishing in Scientific Journals

    Greetings Everyone, This is a question for those who have PhD's or anyone who published their work in some Scientific Journal. Do you need some academic background or what is the minimum academic requirement (bachelor, MSc, PhD , diploma or none) to publish your work in any scientific...
  47. Lebombo

    News Government Takeover of All Scientific Publishing

    What would be the outcome of the US government taking over the entire Scientific publishing industry? If all peer review was funded by taxpayer dollars.? That's what I'm mostly interested in hearing about - the results, economic, political..etc of a completely government controlled scientific...
  48. M

    Publishing in free access journal v paid journal?

    Just read this article which went on-line a couple of hours ago and was interested in some opinions here from the research community. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/apr/09/wellcome-trust-academic-spring I noticed a couple of particularly well put comments: Time for a change?
  49. L

    Does Publishing Matter? A Guide for Engineers in the Real World

    I'll like to share this great article on the contrast between academic and the working world (it's written for engineers especially from the computing side, but largely relevant to anyone in the natural science/engineering field). "Academia is not like the real world: Your GPA largely doesn’t...
  50. J

    Publish Astrophysics Paper: Procedure Guide

    where can i send an astrophysics paper for a journal for publishing? what is the procedure?
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