Information & Culture: A Journal of History is comprised of peer-reviewed articles dealing with the
history of information. This journal is a useful source for those in the
library, archival, museum, conservation and/or information science profession.
Its ultimate goal is to provide the “social and cultural context of information
and information technology, viewed from a historical perspective” (About,
n.d.). Papers tend to focus on “the histories of information institutions,
academic domains, profession, work, and societies” with the intent to encourage
new connections between a wide variety of topics (About, n.d.).
Personal
Note: Information
& Culture is a resource that I intend to explore more thoroughly in the
future because it covers my three main professional interests in the library,
archival and museum fields.
The American Archivist
is a peer-reviewed publication that documents theoretical and practical
developments in the archival profession. Naturally, the intended audience for
this journal is those within the archival profession but I think other LIS
professionals could find its articles useful, as well. The journal tackles
topics such as “the relationship between archivists and the creators and users
of archives” and the “cultural, social, legal, and technological developments
that affect the nature of recorded information and the need to create and
maintain it” (The American Archivist, n.d.).
Personal Note: I have a feeling this journal will
become a huge part of my archival studies throughout my graduate career. I am
particularly interested in learning about the “the relationship between
archivists and the creators and users of archives” (The American Archivist,
n.d.).
Similarities
·
Both journals
are peer reviewed.
This fact in particular raises the
integrity of each of these publications “because a peer-reviewed journal will
not publish articles that fail to meet the standards established for a given
discipline” (Evaluating Information Sources, n.d.). Thus, the articles
published in the American Archivist and
Information & Culture are of high
quality.
·
Both
journals emphasize the social and cultural influences affecting information
creation.
Of course, it is important to
understand the practice of information management and preservation but it is
just as important to understand why it’s relevant. Recognizing the social and
cultural contexts of information and its creation allow professionals to better
analyze and interpret the information, as well as, decide what should be
preserved and what should not.
Differences
·
Range of
Topics covered
American
Archivist focuses solely on archival subject matter, while Information & Culture handles
anything dealing with the library, archival, museum, conservation and the information
profession. I like the specificity offered by American Archivist. If I needed information on archival practice,
theory or profession, I would probably use this journal as a resource. At the
same time, Information & Culture allows
the reader to view archival topics and their connection to other topics, as
well as, view them in a broader context.
· Cost and Access
Naturally, both journals have a subscription
fee. If you are a member of the Society of American Archivists, a subscription
to American Archivist is included. Information & Culture offers
discounted rates to members of certain organizations. Also, both journals are
available on JStor but even this access is limited and based on an individual’s
access to JStor. With access in mind, the main difference between the two
journals is that American Archivist allows
the public to have free online access to every issue of its journal except the
six most recently published.
References
The American Archivist.
(n.d.). Society of American Archivists. Retrieved from
http://www2.archivists.org/american-archivist
About. (n.d.).
Informationd & Culture. Retrieved from
http://www.infoculturejournal.org/about
Evaluating Information
Sources. (2013). Lloyd Sealy Library. Retrieved from
http://guides.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/content.php?pid=209679&sid=1746812
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