Top 10 Web of Science Book Publishers

There are fair and unbiased scores which quantify and qualify the ranking of the best book publishers based on weights. Publish publishers were assessed on eight criteria: academic reputation (counting the most heavily), output of publications, scholarly impact, area of specialization or discipline, royalty rates, international marketing, international distribution, relations with authors and editorial care (Clark & Phillips, 2008; Ganjavi et al., 2024; Gilbert, 2015). The data assembled were from academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR and Google Scholar), global library catalogs (WorldCat, Library of Congress), Publisher catalogs and University reading lists, including PROSE Awards (Giménez Toledo, 2016; Schiffrin, 2001; Thompson, 2005, 2021; Zuccala et al., 2015). A number of publishers available, more than 50, were initially scored on each of the various criteria, and each criterion was scored from 1 to 10. Final Top 10 based off the highest composite score.

Springer Nature

With the largest share in academic publication volume, Springer Nature is the world-leading publisher in terms of influence, citation and coverage in journal publication and Research Publication. As a global leader in scientific and medical (STM) books, series, reference works and journals, Springer's timely and authoritative publications are reference books for every Department or books for scientific specialists and generalists around the world. Among its brands are Springer, Palgrave Macmillan and the Nature Publishing Group, which also publish digitally as well as in print, and are often library focused, highly competent at the editor level and provide excellent author services. The publisher's co-operations and hybrid open access make it possible to publish not only new articles, but also copy and promote others' articles in refereeing journals.

Elsevier

A major player in scientific and technical publishing, the Elsevier brand is strong due to a combination of influence in STEM, and a strong citation footprint in Web of Science. Apart from its journal portfolio, Elsevier's academic books and reference works - particularly in fields related to medicine, life sciences and engineering are intensively used for research and teaching. The publisher's editorial board may or may not agree with the views expressed in the material. Elsevier's book publishing program also has extensive product, service coverage, a seasonal update on new titles and information on our newest product developments.

Taylor & Francis

Taylor & Francis is one of the world's leading publishers, with a number of academic imprints such as Routledge and CRC Press, in the humanities, social sciences and applied sciences. Routledge are acknowledged as a leading global publisher in the humanities and social sciences, and known for publishing cutting edge books in education, politics, sociology and area studies that challenge the boundaries of these disciplines. The value proposition to the research community, of the publisher, is crucial for ensuring the best possible service to its authors and readers, with high-quality editorial services, quick decision-making and timely publication of the book.

Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press (OUP) is the oldest surviving University Press in the world, and the second oldest University Press in the United States. Its books typically appear in the reading lists of universities and libraries and also on the desks of archivists, curators, staff and volunteers in the museums and elsewhere in the world of work. An international leader and one of the world's leading publishers of scholarly journals, OUP publishes the highest quality research for the widest possible audience.

Cambridge University Press

Cambridge University Press (CUP), an imprint of Cambridge University, is a landmark publisher with a worldwide presence in the field of scientific, technical and medical publishing, which includes reference works (including dictionaries and encyclopaedias) and academic journals. The titles published by CUP are very well indexed by Web of Science, and the press is esteemed by many of the very best scholars as an incubator for high-quality monographs, textbooks, research books. You can tell its commitment to peer-reviewed content, and to academic excellence, by its support for a variety of content and the range of scholarly awards as well as its growth of the academic content it offers.

Wiley-Blackwell

The broad range of academic coverage and high impact publishing is what puts Wiley-Blackwell in this ranking. The publisher enjoys good representation in the Web of Science citations, particularly interdisciplinary work or handbooks for professionals. It is being guided by following editorial principles, namely responsible publication and global cooperation and author rights. Wiley’s flexible publishing program supported by digital fulfilment developed by itself, its vendors, and others- ensures that customers and prospects have access to Wiley’s books.

Brill Publishers

Brill publications often gain citations in Web of Science in a wide range of fields including Middle East studies, religious studies and classical studies. Editorial quality can be enhanced by very selective approach of manuscript collection, strong sense of association with various other academic societies and publications of new and strengthened series. Though perhaps not in as great quantity as the press, the Journal's work has been marked by its thoroughness, fidelity and sociological significance.

De Gruyter

De Gruyter is a merger of the old and the new in publishing academic books, and is at the forefront of open access. Its strong points are in the fields of the humanities, law, linguistics, and theology as well as many of its titles are listed in the Web of Science and are found in international academic libraries. It has a strict peer-review policy, an open science policy and co-operates with universities, factors that further enhance its impact factor. From a number of authors and their academic level, De Gruyter publishes multilingual works unparalleled.

SAGE Publishing

SAGE is a world-class publisher of social and behavioural science books. It has published academic books in the fields of education, communication, psychology and public policy that are well known in higher education and frequently are cross cited in the Web of Science. Particularly the series focuses on publications that go beyond the confines of disciplinary subfields and is committed to an "eclectic and innovative publishing program" which is not limited to any specific discipline of the field. The publisher provides editorial mentorship, visibility of authors and innovative publication methods, and that contributes to the academic footprint of its publications.

Edward Elgar Publishing

Edward Elgar Publishing is in the top ten for its impactful yet focused publications in the field of law, economics and public policy. It has been acknowledged by publishing works by leading thinkers and scholars of policy and titles that are Web of Science indexed and cited by scholarship or research worldwide. On editorial sides the publisher has their high-quality standards and very fast academical peer-review process and strong subject authority in new fields such as climate governance, sustainable development and intellectual property law.

 

Further Reading: Springer vs Elsevier vs Routledge

Learn more in: Most Cited Publishers

Also read: Top Scopus Publishers

 

References:

Clark, G. N., & Phillips, A. (2008). Inside book publishing. London: Routledge.

Ganjavi, C., Eppler, M. B., Pekcan, A., Biedermann, B., Abreu, A., Collins, G. S., ... & Cacciamani, G. E. (2024). Publishers’ and journals’ instructions to authors on use of generative artificial intelligence in academic and scientific publishing: bibliometric analysis. bmj, 384.

Gilbert, R. J. (2015). E-books: A tale of digital disruption. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(3), 165-184.

Giménez Toledo, E. (2016). Assessment of journal & book publishers in the humanities and social sciences in Spain. In Research Assessment in the Humanities: Towards Criteria and Procedures (pp. 91-102). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Schiffrin, A. (2001). The business of books: How the international conglomerates took over publishing and changed the way we read. Verso.

Thompson, J. B. (2005). Books in the digital age: the transformation of academic and higher education publishing in Britain and the United States. Polity.

Thompson, J. B. (2021). Book wars: The digital revolution in publishing. John Wiley & Sons.

Zuccala, A., Guns, R., Cornacchia, R., & Bod, R. (2015). Can we rank scholarly book publishers? A bibliometric experiment with the field of history. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66(7), 1333-1347.