Providing a Conceptual Model of Factors Affecting the Publication Speed of Journals: A Case Study of Humanities Journals

Purpose:: Considering that scientific journals are among the most significant publication channels for publishing the latest scientific findings, the issue of publication speed in scientific journals becomes particularly important. Scientific journals can indeed be among the most crucial means of transferring messages and among the most significant and trustworthy sources when problems arise concerning many issues of society in a given time interval. Due to the high number of humanities journals and the evolution in this field, the information must be disseminated at the appropriate speed in different societies. Accordingly, the present research aimed to provide a conceptual model of factors affecting the publication speed in humanities journals.

Method: The current applied research was conducted with a qualitative approach based on a grounded theory. The statistical population of this research included 18 specialists in the field of journals (including editors, editors in chief, internal managers, and experts of journals) who were selected using a purposeful sampling method. Out of 18 in-depth interviews, the last 3 interviews did not lead to the creation of a new code. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview. The data collection continued until the saturation stage was reached. Finally, the data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding methods. In the open coding process, codes were collected through a variety of primary themes, and central (axial) categories were extracted from them. Finally, selective coding (categories) was determined from the link of these central categories. MaxQuda 20 software was used for data analysis. The credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability concepts were used to ensure the data validity.

Findings: As shown by the research findings, the factors affecting the publication speed in journals can be divided into four general categories: Factors related to the executive team (in 10 dimensions), factors related to review (in 5 dimensions), factors related to authors (in 5 dimensions), and factors related to publication (in 8 dimensions). The research findings demonstrated that the central category is the publication speed of journals. Finally, 104 open codes and 28 axial codes (causal factors [7 categories], including the standards for submitting articles; quality of submitted articles; making corrections under reviewers’ opinions; editorial decisions; specialized human resources; cooperation in reviewing; and a standard reviewing framework; underlying factors [4 categories], including an appropriate infrastructure; policies, procedures, and requirements; reviewers’ responsibilities; and compliance with ethical standards and requirements; intervening factors [6 categories], including reputation, budget, and financial resources; publication costs; influence of some individuals; editorial board meetings; and responsibility and conscientiousness of human resources; strategies [8 categories], including structural-managerial factors; encouragement and motivation in the executive team; control of incoming articles; provision of human forces and their duties; reviewing requirements; providing a comprehensive and clear guidance for the authors; reviewing motivation and support; a comprehensive system of reviewing across the country; and finally, consequences [3 categories], including updating in publication; indexing of the journal in national and international citation databases; and the novelty of the information. Finally, a conceptual model was provided according to causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences.

Conclusion: The publication of scientific achievements in the field of humanities is definitely crucial due to the nature, communication patterns, and scientific behaviors in society. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the publication of scientific achievements in this field according to the conditions and needs of society. Accordingly, in order to accelerate the publication process in journals, it is necessary to look at the issue with a macro view and take the whole model obtained into consideration. Some factors in this context are the main causes, some the underlying causes, and some are also intervening causes in accelerating the publication. In order to achieve this goal, by implementing the strategies identified in accelerating the publication process and thus their consequences resulting in updating the publication, it is possible to witness indexing the journal in national and international citation databases and the novelty of the information. The results of this research, while enriching the theoretical and research background, can lay a more appropriate ground for future research in this field. In this regard, the proposed model can be used as a road map and a comprehensive guide for the country’s journals.