Wiley-Blackwell

Wiley-Blackwell
John Wiley & Sons · Public domain · source
Name	Wiley-Blackwell
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Publishing
Founded	2007
Predecessor	John Wiley & Sons, Blackwell Publishing
Headquarters	Hoboken, New Jersey
Products	Academic journals, textbooks, reference works
Parent	John Wiley & Sons

Wiley-Blackwell is an international academic publishing imprint formed by the merger of John Wiley & Sons and Blackwell Publishing, producing scholarly journals, reference works, and textbooks across science, technology, medicine, humanities, and social sciences. It operates as part of John Wiley & Sons and serves authors, researchers, libraries, and institutions worldwide through print and digital platforms. The imprint engages with universities, funding agencies, professional societies, and research organizations to disseminate peer-reviewed scholarship.

History

The imprint was created following the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing by John Wiley & Sons in 2007, after negotiations involving corporate leaders and boards influenced by market trends in scholarly communication. Its formation followed earlier consolidation in publishing involving firms such as Pergamon Press, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, and Springer Science+Business Media, and took place amid debates seen at gatherings like the American Library Association and policy discussions at the National Institutes of Health. Early corporate strategy referenced relationships with entities including the Royal Society, the American Chemical Society, IEEE, and the Modern Language Association to manage journal portfolios and society partnerships. Leadership transitions referenced executives who had prior roles at institutions like Harvard University, Yale University, Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press.

Imprints and Brands

Wiley-Blackwell maintains multiple imprints and brand lines that trace roots to legacy publishers and professional societies such as the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Psychological Association through partnerships, and commercial agreements with organizations like the Association for Computing Machinery and the Institute of Physics. Its branded offerings encompass textbooks linked with institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge, as well as professional and technical series associated with groups such as the American Medical Association, British Medical Association, and World Health Organization collaborations. Subject-specific lists reference partnerships with societies including the Society for Neuroscience, the American Economic Association, the American Sociological Association, and the Geological Society of London.

Academic Journals and Books

The imprint publishes journals and monographs spanning fields where leading contributors hail from institutions like Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University. Major journal titles in its portfolio have editorial boards composed of scholars affiliated with organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society, the Max Planck Society, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Its book publishing includes textbooks adopted by courses at universities such as Imperial College London, UCL, McGill University, and University of Toronto, and reference works cited in works produced at think tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Wiley-Blackwell also collaborates with award-granting bodies including the Nobel Prize-winning laboratories, contributors to the Pulitzer Prize, and recipients of the Fields Medal.

Business Operations and Distribution

Operations coordinate global supply chains linking printing facilities, warehouses, and distribution channels that interact with consortia like JISC, national libraries such as the Library of Congress and the British Library, and procurement offices at universities including University of California, University of Michigan, University of Sydney, and University of Melbourne. Licensing and subscription models have been negotiated with consortia like SCOAP3 participants, national consortia in countries including Germany, France, Japan, and China, and corporate clients including research divisions at Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and Bayer. Sales and marketing efforts engage academic conferences such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, the European Geosciences Union General Assembly, and the Association for Computing Machinery conferences.

Digital Platforms and Open Access

Wiley-Blackwell provides digital access through platforms that integrate with institutional systems like Moodle, JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Science, and discovery services such as Summon and Primo. The imprint participates in open access initiatives influenced by funder mandates from the Wellcome Trust, the National Institutes of Health, the European Commission, and policies referenced in frameworks like Plan S. It offers article processing charge (APC) programs, read-and-publish agreements with national and institutional consortia including deals modeled on arrangements pursued by Project DEAL and negotiates transformative agreements with university systems such as the University of California and the Max Planck Society.

Controversies and Criticism

Wiley-Blackwell has been involved in debates over pricing, access, and editorial practices similar to controversies affecting publishers like Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Taylor & Francis. Criticism has arisen in forums including the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition and statements from scholars at MIT, Harvard University, and Princeton University over subscription costs, embargo policies requested by funders such as the Wellcome Trust, and responses to open science mandates from the European Research Council. Isolated incidents involving article retractions and peer-review disputes prompted scrutiny from committees modeled on standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics and inquiries involving institutions such as Stanford University and Cornell University.

Category:Academic publishing companies Category:John Wiley & Sons