Sandra Acker, Oili-Helena Ylijoki, & Michelle McGinn - Secrecy, Silence, and Satisfaction in the Scholarly Book Editing Process
Over several years, three seasoned higher education scholars collaborated on an edited volume, *The Social Production of Research: Perspectives on Funding and Gender* (Acker, Ylijoki, & McGinn, 2024), published by Routledge in the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) series. This paper contributes to the underexplored topic of scholarly editing.
Faced with publisher expectations to self-promote-such as advertising via social media and soliciting book reviews—we found ourselves fatigued and ready to move on. Instead, we chose to reflect on the editing process itself and sought literature on scholarly book editing. However, we discovered that, apart from practical advice, higher education literature on this subject is sparse, focusing primarily on journal editing, peer review, open access, and the imbalance between publisher profits and academic labor.
This paper explores the highs and lows of scholarly editing, informed by fragmented literature, our own experiences editing the volume, and insights from an ongoing study where we interviewed other editors. Emerging themes are analyzed, and we conclude by reflecting on the "secrecy, silence, and satisfaction" that characterize the practice of scholarly book editing.
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»»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ the speakers
Sandra Acker
Sandra Acker is Professor Emerita in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto, with research interests in academic careers, gender in academia, and tenure practices. She leads the "Academic Researchers in Challenging Times" project (2017-2025) and has published extensively, including co-editing "The Social Production of Research".
Michelle K. McGinn
Michelle K. McGinn, Professor and Acting Vice-»»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿, Research at Brock University, focuses on research collaboration, mentorship, and ethics in academic practice. She is a co-investigator on "Academic Researchers in Challenging Times", Editor-in-Chief of the "Canadian Journal of Higher Education", and co-editor of "The Social Production of Research".
Oili-Helena Ylijoki
Oili-Helena Ylijoki is Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences, at Tampere University, Finland and explores academic work, identities, and knowledge production temporalities. A co-editor of "The Social Production of Research", her recent projects examine institutional changes and emotional dynamics in academia.