Content management for journal publishers

Despite the dot‐com downturn, content management software continues to grow in popularity. What began as a niche product for publishers, or as a means of managing large websites, has become touted as a universal panacea for every kind of organization that creates, holds or disseminates content – and since a website is a form of publication, this means pretty much any organization. How relevant is content management to journal publishers? With over 150 competing content management products available in the UK, content and document management systems are not difficult to find (although perhaps difficult to choose). But do they meet a need? Do they provide a clear return on investment? Or are they simply the latest in a long line of management and business fads, the next big thing? To answer these questions, the author created a questionnaire for journal publishers, and then carried out follow‐up interviews with key people in the relevant organization. His aim was to discover if content management software was felt relevant to journal publishers, and exactly what their interest was.