THE GLOBAL PUBLISHING INDUSTRY’S INFORMATION CHALLENGES

Abstract

Publishing is the oldest and well-established creative industry with a significant contribution to the socio-economic and cultural development of nations. Nevertheless, it does not yet have systematic information to enable an adequate assessment of its place and role. There are various data sources that provide only a partial picture of the economic performance of the publishing industry. This article addresses three sets of questions. The first relates to the general level of information coverage in book publishing and the reasons for this state of affairs. The second deals with the information sources available to the industry – their scope and limitations. The third group is related to the challenges in information gathering and analysis. Some of the key methodological issues in the analysis and use of information in book publishing at national and international level are highlighted. Better information resourcing of the publishing industry can enable it to better protect its interests globally and regionally.