英美文學預行本作者及其預行本出版之探討

Abstract

今日的預行本以電子形式為主，研究成果撰寫完成後，作者可將之上傳至預行本伺服器或其他平台，世界各地的研究者可透過網路，即時閱讀、下載、引用該學科最新研究成果。而各學科預行本文化發展有別，物理學、經濟學預行本文化發展成熟，化學、生命科學仍在發展，而人文科學預行本文化發展相較其他學科緩慢，相關研究亦缺乏。

為了解人文科學研究者預行本使用情形，本研究採用書目計量法，以有收錄人文科學預行本的SSRN為資料來源，選擇英美文學為目標學科，探究1997年至2020年，SSRN中收錄的1,734篇英美文學預行本發表情形、1,376位不同作者特性，以及預行本正式出版情形。研究結果顯示SSRN收錄之英美文學預行本數量隨時間逐年成長、作者所屬國家以美國為大宗。因SSRN定義之英美文學包含法律與文學等跨學科研究成果，故英美文學預行本作者所屬職業及學科多元，除教授、碩博士生之外，亦有作家、譯者、律師、公司職員等發表預行本；作者所屬學科除語言文學，尚有來自社會科學及自然科學不同學科的作者。期刊文章是英美文學預行本後續主要出版類型，並有超過半數的預行本是在研究成果正式出版後，作者才將預行本於SSRN中公開。純英美文學預行本以「先正式出版才於SSRN中公開」者為多，跨學科預行本則以「先於SSRN中公開才正式出版」者為多；語言文學作者發表的預行本也以「先正式出版才於SSRN上公開」者為多，反之，非語言文學作者的預行本以「先於SSRN上公開才正式出版」者為多。統整英美文學預行本「在SSRN上公開」、「最後修改」及「正式出版」日期先後順序，得英美文學預行本共計三種發表模式：（一）先在SSRN上公開、完成最後修改才正式出版；（二）先在SSRN上公開、正式出版才完成最後修改；（三）先完成最後修改、正式出版才在SSRN上公開。

The culture of preprints varies across different disciplines. While physics and economics have developed mature preprint cultures, chemistry and life sciences are still evolving, and the development of preprint culture in humanities lags behind, with a relative dearth of related research.

To understand the utilization of preprints among authors in the humanities, this study uses bibliometric methods, takes SSRN as data sources, and selects English and American literature as the target subject. The study analyzes the publication patterns of 1,734 preprints in English and American literature from 1997 to 2020, encompassing the characteristics of 1,376 distinct authors, and the subsequent publication of preprints. The results reveal a steady annual growth in the number of preprints in English and American literature on SSRN, with a majority of authors hailing from the United States. Given that SSRN's definition of English and American literature includes interdisciplinary research such as law and literature, preprint authors exhibit diverse affiliations and disciplines. Journal articles are the main publication type for preprints in English and American literature. Furthermore, over half of the preprints are uploaded on SSRN only after they published on books, proceedings or journals. There are three different publication modes of preprints in English and American literature: (1) preprints are uploaded on SSRN, and then undergo last revision before publication; (2) preprints are uploaded on SSRN, and then undergo publication before last revision; (3) preprints undergo last revision, and then published before uploaded on SSRN.