Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science

Publication analysis

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About the publication

Title: Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science / La Revue canadienne des sciences de l’information et de bibliothéconomie

ISSN: 1195-096X (Print) and 1920-7239 (Online)¹

Website: About CJILS

Purpose, objective, or mission: As the vehicle of the Canadian Association for Information Science (CAIS), the journal is “recognized internationally for its authoritative bilingual contributions to library and information science research. It aims to provide a forum for theory, research, and discussion on all topics of interest to the field.”²

Target audience: Canadian LIS community and interested LIS community around the world³

Publisher: University of Western Ontario Western Libraries⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online. It is available online via Project MUSE (Volumes 33-44) and Erudit (Volumes 45 and after)⁷

Content: The journal publishes research articles and notes, reviews, commentaries, letters, and book reviews in both English and French.⁸

Frequency of publication: 3 times a year⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Submissions

Types of contributions accepted: The journal accepts submissions of the following:

“Original theoretical, empirical, or methodological research” for their Research articles; Research notes for authors with “concise yet impactful findings;” Reviews that “provide fresh perspectives on research areas;” Commentaries for authors to “share their insights and opinions on topics of relevance to the journal’s scope;” Letters that respond to published research; and Book reviews that evaluate recently-published monographs.¹⁰

Submission and review process: Manuscripts should be submitted to the online system. A tentative title and an abstract of 50-100 words, preferably in both English and French, should be included. Submissions will be reviewed by at least two independent referees. Additional details about manuscript formatting are available on the journal website.¹¹

Editorial tone: Academic / Scholarly¹²

Style guide used: The journal uses an in-house style that is outlined on its website.¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science’s breadth of topics and international repute means that any student, early career professional, or anyone of interest in the LIS field can, and should, make a submission without worry of if their topic meets a particular guideline.

Audience analysis

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About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Exact circulation numbers are not available, but the journal is a benefit of membership in Canadian Association for Information Science / L’association canadienne des sciences de l’information (CAIS-ACIS). Membership is automatic for all attendees of the annual conference of the association.¹⁵ The journal is also available online through Project MUSE and Erudit.¹⁶

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This journal, while covering LIS topics in general, is written and aimed at LIS academics and practitioners, both English and French speaking, primarily in Canada, but also around the world.¹⁷

Reader characteristics: The audience for this journal is a mix of academics and industry and government professionals such as information scientists and archivists, librarians, computer scientists, and educators. Readership also includes those in “media studies and journalism, business, psychology, health sciences, education, law, and many other areas.”¹⁸ This indicates a variety of workplaces from universities, large corporations and government organizations.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Considering their shared interest in the mission of the CAIS-ACIS, it suggests the readers, while not all information science professionals, have considerable knowledge of LIS subject matter.¹⁹

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Readers of this publication are interested in furthering their ability to practice in the field and acquiring information on new research that will support their work in support of libraries. The readers are also most likely residents of Canada and, while most of the papers published would easily benefit a librarian or information professional residing anywhere in the world, submissions need to be relevant to librarians practicing in Canada.

Last updated: November 11, 2025

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References