academic journal

Definition

A peer-reviewed publication where scholars share research that approximately twelve people worldwide will actually read, though everyone must cite it to get tenure. These journals charge universities exorbitant subscription fees to access research that the universities' own faculty produced for free.

Example Usage

She published her dissertation research in an academic journal with a $50-per-article access fee and a readership of dozens.

Origin

First academic journals appeared in the 17th century; the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (1665) is often cited as the earliest.

Fun Fact

The academic publishing industry generates $10 billion annually despite the fact that peer reviewers and most authors are unpaid volunteers.

Source: Scholarly publishing terminology

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