Print or Perish? Authors’ Attitudes Toward Electronic-Only Publication of Law Journals

Abstract

An increasing number of U.S. law journals post at least current issues in freely accessible PDF and (in some cases) HTML formats on their websites. Yet, perhaps without exception, the journals that make their articles freely available on their websites also continue to publish print issues in the face of declining subscription numbers, and law libraries’ growing disinterest in collecting and preserving journals in print. As universities reduce staff, freeze open positions, eliminate salary increases, and cut library budgets, why have law schools continued to subsidize print publication of journals that are accessible in electronic formats? Among the reasons suggested for this is the possible impact of electronic-only publishing on a journal’s reputation and ability to attract authors. This paper reports on the results of a survey of law journal authors’ attitudes toward electronic-only law journals.

Keywords: Legal Scholarship, Law Journals, Legal Information