Call for proposals

University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing publishes openly accessible scholarship, academic works, and dynamic scholarly content created by University affiliates. We are now accepting proposals for our next round of publication development. Proposal details can be found below.

Deadline for proposals

March 4 2023 proposals due, notifications of acceptance sent March 18 2023.

Proposals may be submitted any time prior to the deadline, but do require a consultation before submission. Proposals must be submitted in PDF or Word file with requirements noted below. 

University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing invites proposals to transition existing society journals to open access and publish out-of-print books. Working with the editors, UMN Libraries Publishing provides technical infrastructure and long-term preservation services to support the discovery and use of the digital publication. This call for proposals responds to the growing interest in open access from authors, editors, and funders. Email libpubs@umn.edu to get started.

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Basic publication details

  • Title of publication
  • Type of publication (e.g., journal, book, media project, etc.)
  • List the content types included in your publication (i.e., text, video, blogs, podcasts, etc.)
  • Source of funding for this publication, if any
  • Advanced services needed, if any
  • Current state (e.g., newly conceived, conversion of an existing publication)
  • If conversion of an existing publication,
    • format(s) of current publication (i.e., print, electronic, etc.),
    • URL of electronic version,
    • copyright holder of published content, and
    • current publisher
  • Roles and responsibilities
    • Who will be the primary author(s) of the content?
    • Who will be responsible for editorial management and control (e.g., peer review management, content recruitment and selection, editorial decision making, etc.)
    • Who will provide oversight and set the editorial direction of the publication? (e.g., departmental sponsorship, faculty guidance of a graduate student journal, the society’s publication committee, etc.) Note:  this could be the same as those responsible for the editorial management and control of the publication.
    • Who will act as steward of the title? (e.g., which individual or body retains control of the title, what is the ongoing stewardship plan for a publication where authors rotate or leave the university, etc.)

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Proposal narrative

Please provide a narrative of 750 words or less describing your proposed publication. As appropriate, include these elements:

  • Stated purpose and area of focus of the publication
  • Publication schedule, or expected frequency of articles/new content
  • Potential impact and value/importance to the field or discipline.
  • Expected audience of the publication
  • The peer review process, or the review criteria to be applied to determine the publication’s content

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Selection criteria

Proposals will be reviewed within the Libraries by the Publishing Services Team members, subject liaison Librarians, and Libraries Administration. Proposals will be reviewed on the following factors:

Quality and variety
The Libraries selects proposals representative of the excellent and diverse scholarship the University produces.

Community value and support
The Libraries looks for proposals that align with the University’s strategic goals, offer unique value to a field or discipline, and offer value to the wider community.

Capacity and complexity
With consideration for the formats we can support, the Libraries will balance the number of new publications we can develop with how complex each project will be to undertake. Innovate forms of scholarship are encouraged.  

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