Trends in the development of Polish academic journals published by agricultural and life sciences universities

Abstract

Abstract. Purpose/Thesis: Scientific journals are an important venue for presenting the results of scientific research. Due to the at least double review process they provide for submitted articles, they become a trusted platform for the exchange of scientific ideas. In Poland, journals also play an essential role in the evaluation of scientific activity. Given their key function in the system of scientific communication and the potential inherent in  them, it is worth looking at the contemporary stage of development of Polish scientific journals. The interest in the condition of academic journals is justified both from the perspective of national science policy and the academic community. The purpose of the article is to capture the development trends of Polish academic journals. The research focuses on journals published by agricultural and life sciences universities. Approach/Methods: To achieve their goal, the authors used the method of content analysis of the websites of selected journals. They examined the presence of journal titles in such indexing databases as Web of Science, Scopus, DOAJ. It was checked whether their websites meet the requirements for journals by the indicated databases. Attention was also paid to the level of openness of the studied journals. Results and conclusions: As a result of the analysis, it was shown that a small number of academic journals published by Polish life sciences and agricultural universities meet the requirements of the global indexing databases, and the process of their development is slower than one would expect. In response to such a research result, directions for the development of Polish academic journals were proposed. Practical application: The conclusions of the research can help editors meet the evaluation criteria of journal indexing databases. They can also be a starting point for further research, such as comparative research at the international level between the stage of development of Polish academic journals and foreign ones. In addition, the results of the analysis can support editorial offices in developing publishing policies and improving editorial practices, which contributes to the professionalization of journals. The practical application of the research results also includes guidelines for university authorities on supporting the development of journals and their more effective presence in international indexing databases.