Bristol University Press, and its imprint Policy Press, have chosen KGL PubFactory, a division of KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. (KGL), to build its first unified hosting platform. The prestigious UK academic publisher is seeking to aggregate delivery of its book and journal programs as it embarks on a period of significant business growth and expanded international reach.
Founded in 1996 at the University of Bristol as Policy Press, Bristol University Press is a leading social sciences publisher, with roots in social policy and social justice, and is committed to progressive social change. The not-for-profit publisher is in the process of doubling its annual books output by 2023 in addition to increasing its journal portfolio to include dedicated Open Access (OA) titles featuring world-class academic and professional scholarship.
The new KGL PubFactory portal for Bristol University Press will launch with a large selection of its research content including over 6,500 articles from 16 journals along with 1,500 book titles. Searchable across content types and supporting flexible business models, the site will also integrate blogs, multimedia, and supplementary materials. The Press will be able to manage and create subject gateways, accommodate new OA publications, and seamlessly grow its books program. The new platform will utilize best practices for optimizing discovery, be fully accessible via WCAG2 compliance, offer detailed business analytics, and maintain unique branding for the Policy Press imprint via PubFactory’s SiteGen module.
Andy Williams, Operations Director at Bristol University Press commented: “We are extremely excited to work with KGL PubFactory to finally bring all of our published content across multiple imprints into a single, multi-format digital platform. Dealing with disparate external hosting providers did not allow us to create searchable collections across books and journals, pragmatically adapt more flexible business models like OA, or meet current author and user expectations. As we launch a more international focus and grow our list significantly, this new unified platform will enable Bristol University Press and Policy Press to better fulfill our mission to address global social challenges.”
José Fossi, VP of Client Services for KGL PubFactory stated: “As a mixed-content hosting platform with deep roots in the university press business and social science publishing, KGL PubFactory is uniquely suited to help Bristol University Press maximize its body of literature and position it for steady growth. In addition to advanced search and browse across formats to better surface relevant content, the platform’s multi-brand support, access control adaptability, and robust reporting features will enable the Press and its imprints to compete with top-tier international university presses.”
KGL’s end-to-end proposition for scholarly publishers includes project management, AI-powered language analysis and copyediting, XML composition and proofing, digital and print production, and online hosting. The PubFactory platform hosts over 2,300 journals and 400,000 books, numerous databases, and reference works.
