An Information Services Inspired Framework for Assessing Scientific Book Quality

Scientific book quality is two-fold in terms of an intangible and a tangible aspect. Traditionally, an editor reads and assesses the quality characteristics of the manuscript. Considering the book as an object, quality focuses on the publishing production process and workmanship. The above include a wide number of services and operations involving publishers, authors, the editorial department, the creative department, etc. The advent of scholarly communication and self-publishing would benefit from an objective and measurable book quality assessment framework. This paper addresses a number of challenging issues, such as definition and quantification of quality in scientific books. The paper examines services and techniques which can be used to reduce the cost of scientific manuscript assessment and increase objectivity. The information services inspired framework supports the review process in which an expert engages the assessment of a manuscript.