eTextbook Institutional Publishing Service
Ebook & printed book publisher and companion websites
eTextbook Institutional Publishing Service
Ebook & printed book publisher and companion websites
eBook publishing – it’s a lot easier and a whole lot more useful than you might think!
The University of the Highlands and Islands offers budding and experienced authors a service which supports them to publish and distribute ebooks.
Our first foray into ePublication was the eTIPS project. eTIPS ran from 2014 – 2017, it was part of a national programme and was funded by Jisc. The project investigated the development of the university as a publication service for etextbooks. During the project two etextbooks were published and the publishing model, distribution channel and uptake of the etextbooks were evaluated. A significant output of the project was an analysis of the process, from commissioning to publishing with associated documentation. This work has provided a template, platform and process for future development and publishing of etextbooks at the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Read on to find out more about ePublishing at UHI and how we support it.
Why publish an eTextbook?
During the eTIPS project we learned that by supporting academic staff to publish etextbooks, positive change can be affected at several levels. The diagramme below represents the use cases for etextbook publishing. It suggests the value that each use case will bring generally and the text highlights where the university’s strategic plan and core values are supported.
An alternative to academic publishing for academic staff:
- which provides a springboard for early career academics
- has significant value as a professional development opportunity
- supports engagement with local and wider HE community
An alternative way to provide students with learning content:
- with potential to widen access to programmes
- with potential to enhance student experience
- with potential to improve quality of learning and teaching
Publication of significant pieces of work to a global market place:
- aiming to develop commercial income
- to enhance organisational and individual reputation globally
- to offset production costs for other use cases
An opportunity to publish ‘the best’ students’ work:
- to enhance organisational and individual reputation globally
- to incentivise student achievement
- to contribute to enhancement themes
Support for ePublication
We know that the prospect of writing and publishing an ebook can be daunting especially for an inexperienced author. Do not worry, we have a support package ready to be tailored to individual needs including ‘writing workshops, using a ‘house style, referencing and much more all of which can be delivered online. We aim to make sure our authors feel supported right through the writing, production, and dissemination process.
Here’s a quote from one of our authors and below that is a diagram of a fairly typical publication process:
As an author for electrolic resources, I feel much more in control of what happens to my writing. I know that I’ll be at the centre of producing the book, that we can add and update quickly, even after publication, and that what I’ve written has the potential to be seen by millions, globally.
The eTIPS publishing process
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