Never before were there so many people that can read and have access to reading material on demand. This is a time of great technological innovation, and carrying a small computer in the back...Show moreNever before were there so many people that can read and have access to reading material on demand. This is a time of great technological innovation, and carrying a small computer in the back pocket of your jeans has become a normality, and often even a necessity. An increasing number of people relies on the ability to read, and current literacy numbers are exceptionally high, with a vast majority of the world population being literate. Reading is done on a large scale by a staggering number of people, yet reading enthusiasm and the number of people who read as a leisure activity in its own right is declining. This results in a decline in the number of people able to read a long-form text in the deep reading mode, and this poses a problem. Reading long-form texts in a deep reading mode trains the reading comprehension ability and general reading skill, if these skills are not regularly trained there is a risk of becoming low-literate, which impedes someone to fully participate in society. Being low-literate decreases the chances of being able to think critically, differentiate between real and fake news, understand political party programmes, or the information attached to drugs. The increase of people at risk of becoming low-literate is connected to heavy screen use. Screen reading does not train the deep reading mode, but rather the skimming reading mode. Being well trained to read in the skimming reading mode has made it extremely difficult for people to be able to read long-form texts. In this thesis I address this problem and argue that reading graphic narratives can be a stepping stone to acquiring and improving general comprehensive reading skills and reading enthusiasm for non-graphic text. I support my argument by indicating the characteristics of the graphic narrative and how these enable the reluctant reader to read a graphic narrative in a way that resembles the skimming reading mode, while still being able to read deeply. Additionally I review several research studies that have found the graphic narrative to provide a positive learning experience for students, in the fields of second language acquisition, and reading comprehension ability.Show less
This thesis proposes the notion of reading health as a bridge between scholarly research in reading on one hand and policy on the other. Examining existing research and current dilemmas that...Show moreThis thesis proposes the notion of reading health as a bridge between scholarly research in reading on one hand and policy on the other. Examining existing research and current dilemmas that pertain to reading studies, the author suggests a set of principles and guidelines for the operationalisation of the notion on a transnational level that could aid policy-makers in making use of relevant research to better inform measures aimed at improving the state of reading in society.Show less
This study examines the transmission of Ludovico Maria Sinistrari’s De Daemonialitate in light of previously unexamined manuscripts and archival material that bear upon issues of authenticity,...Show moreThis study examines the transmission of Ludovico Maria Sinistrari’s De Daemonialitate in light of previously unexamined manuscripts and archival material that bear upon issues of authenticity, manuscript circulation, and reception. New material pertaining to the Liseux manuscript is examined which should help dispel the widely spread notion of a bibliographical hoax perpetuated by Isidore Liseux or Paul Lacroix. An analysis of Liseux’s transcription in relation to six other extant manuscripts demonstrates that it is not based on Sinistrari’s holograph MS but rather a later witness with several notable textual corruptions. A preliminary stemma codicum is suggested based on an examination of all extant MSS and the Daemonialitas text from the Albrizzi and Gianni editions of De Delictis et Poenis. On the basis of the evidence reviewed in this study the argument is made that the most plausible explanation for the expurgation of De Daemonialitate is Sinistrari’s advocacy of suffumigation over the approved ceremonies of the Roman Rituale and his arguments against the limits of ecclesiastical authority and scripture when it comes to the question of the existence of incubi and succubi. This study proves that despite the forty-five year prohibition of Sinistrari’s De Delictis et Poenis, the Daemonialitate manuscript was still clandestinely circulated amongst monks of the Franciscan order. The later legacy of De Daemonialitate is also considered through an examination of all print editions from 1875-1927.Show less
So far, Publishing Studies has contributed to the debate on technology’s effects on literature foremost by focusing on changes in fiction transmission. Yet, there is tech beyond the ebook. The...Show moreSo far, Publishing Studies has contributed to the debate on technology’s effects on literature foremost by focusing on changes in fiction transmission. Yet, there is tech beyond the ebook. The emergent technology of text mining can affect not just the means of communication of literature, but also its actual form and content. Text mining is a technology originally created by and for an interdisciplinary academic field that manages to exploit texts as a source of extractable data using algorithmic analysis. This thesis discusses how the technology is already, and could be used as an aid to support processes in trade fiction publishing. Three case studies prove how involvements of text mining in trade fiction publishing have a profound impact on the content of the published material.Show less
A case study of De Correspondent's move to include a paperback publishing division to their online platform for research journalism. An analysis of the current market situation in publishing in the...Show moreA case study of De Correspondent's move to include a paperback publishing division to their online platform for research journalism. An analysis of the current market situation in publishing in the Netherlands, and what De Correspondent's developments and choices might mean for the future of the book.Show less
‘The Lorelei: “Verfasser unbekannt” – Fact or Fiction’ explores the earliest sources of a rumour, saying that the Nationalist Socialists changed the attribution of the famous German folk song from...Show more‘The Lorelei: “Verfasser unbekannt” – Fact or Fiction’ explores the earliest sources of a rumour, saying that the Nationalist Socialists changed the attribution of the famous German folk song from Heinrich Heine, its actual author, to ‘author unknown’. Research shows that the rumour has its roots in the German emigrant press, being repeated so often that it even persists today. The rumour appeared late 1934, i.e. earlier than the source that is usually named as the earliest source: the preface of Walter Behrendson’s book ‘Der lebendige Heine im germanischen Norden’. The conflict between the song as a symbol of genuine German culture and the author’s Jewish origin was even mentioned before 1934, namely in a satire dated early 1932.Show less
As the Internet facilitates not only the passive consumption but also the active creation of media content, the lines between the two categories blur continuously. At the same time new content is...Show moreAs the Internet facilitates not only the passive consumption but also the active creation of media content, the lines between the two categories blur continuously. At the same time new content is created and shared with unprecedented speed and available in abundance. Among the many industries deeply affected by this development is publishing: Readers are now creating their own book reviews on YouTube. The thesis at hand examines how this BookTube phenomenon affects cultural and social contexts of reading. BookTube constitutes a dynamic new agent in the field of trade publishing due to its specific resources in social and symbolic capital. It functions as an amplifier for authors and publishers while disrupting established forms of book reviewing in traditional media. Furthermore, BookTube exemplifies that online platforms have a particular relevance to the generation of ‘digital natives’ in terms of reading and consuming habits and the forming of its attitude towards books.Show less
The features of the academic book are changing in a digital environment. The materiality and fixity are challenged, digital books have the tendency to become networked objects and there are more...Show moreThe features of the academic book are changing in a digital environment. The materiality and fixity are challenged, digital books have the tendency to become networked objects and there are more possibilities for interactivity. The academic book publisher is challenged to engage with this changing paradigm. This thesis argues that the publisher can continue his cultural and intellectual role in society by exploring new digital possibilities and engaging with end-users.Show less
The aim of this thesis paper is to understand the change in the relationship between libraries and society as part of the effects of today’s changes in technology, to analyze how this change is a...Show moreThe aim of this thesis paper is to understand the change in the relationship between libraries and society as part of the effects of today’s changes in technology, to analyze how this change is a reflection of how the very structure of information is being altered by the ways it is conveyed through digital platforms, and to trace its social impact. We are a culture of the book, the way we perceive and interact with the world has been shaped by the implications of print culture, and now this way is being transformed by the implications of digital culture. The different properties attributed to digital technologies enable people to have a more active and significant role in the construction of knowledge in culture.Show less
The desire to gain the sense of belonging to the world of writers motivates many aspiring writers to buy creative writing how-to books as owning such books is a way to construct a self-image of...Show moreThe desire to gain the sense of belonging to the world of writers motivates many aspiring writers to buy creative writing how-to books as owning such books is a way to construct a self-image of being a writer. They use creative writing books as accessories allowing them to embody the writer's role. Because of this strong - however unrealistic - desire to belong to the writer's world, aspiring writers are an easy target for publishers and authors of creative writing manuals. Persuading amateurs that it is possible to become a part of this world is the main marketing strategy of authors and publishers of creative writing guidebooks being aware of the motivation of their target audience.Show less
In this thesis, I have looked at the influence of the internet on academic publishing and, as a consequence, academic culture and practice. I have tried to present a plausible narrative on how...Show moreIn this thesis, I have looked at the influence of the internet on academic publishing and, as a consequence, academic culture and practice. I have tried to present a plausible narrative on how academic work on a daily basis has changed and what consequences there are for the role of books. The efficient digital distribution of journal articles through the digital library have made the article relevant in two new ways: (1) it is now the single most important means of scholarly output, at the cost of books; and (2) it is almost always accessed digitally, often not through the journal title, but directly through a full bibliographical reference search request or as one of the results of a search query on topic, key word or other sort of search entry. The instant availability of almost all peer-reviewed journal articles ever published is a great contribution to the world of science, for obvious reasons. It comes with certain costs to it as well, however. Finding and accessing articles with such ease makes the book a relatively more difficult-to-access item. Especially for a new generation of students, the book seems less relevant. They are presented with articles more than books, and come from a background in which books are less prominent. For scholars, an article is easier to write than a book, but it counts as more when their citation indices are put together. A vicious circle comes into being. As an academic’s publication record becomes more important in order to keep his job, he will choose to write more articles. University libraries focus on presenting the articles efficiently in a digital manner and make the library into a computer workspace instead of a place for searching and reading books. The digital availability of articles leads to less diversity in sources and the older the titles the less they are cited. Publishing companies are faced with lower demand for books and are struggling to make ends meet financially. Every step of this circle in itself doesn’t lead to a catastrophe, but it is the feedback loop that strengthens itself and the aggregate outcome that causes us to be worried about the future of books in academia.Show less
During the print era, publishing was marked by the constraints of the book as a physical object with publishers as the industry's gatekeepers deciding which manuscripts would reach the public. In...Show moreDuring the print era, publishing was marked by the constraints of the book as a physical object with publishers as the industry's gatekeepers deciding which manuscripts would reach the public. In contrast, the age of Web 2.0 is defined by an abundance of freely available resources for information and entertainment. The problem is no longer of the scarcity of content, but rather the attention paid to it. With more and more books published each year by both independent publishers and large publishing conglomerates, and increasing competition from other media formats, the question has become how and where readers discover new books. Focussing on the English Language Trade Market, this thesis reviews market dynamics both in the traditional publishing environment and the online environment, arguing that the discoverability problem limits the diversity of the literary landscape. This issue can be traced back to big publishing's increasing emphasis on author brands as well as the infrastructure of social media which not only adheres to the 'Winner-takes-all' principle, but also caters to the commodification of their users, favouring form over content.Show less
The possibilities for exerting reader responsibility as an expression of democracy on the Internet are manifold. Reader responsibility may be seen as the process of finding, accessing, making sense...Show moreThe possibilities for exerting reader responsibility as an expression of democracy on the Internet are manifold. Reader responsibility may be seen as the process of finding, accessing, making sense of, interpreting, judging, and putting to use the information that can be gained through reading, and thereby turning it into knowledge. However, the 'democratisation discourse' on the Internet is often (mis-)used to promote mere economic aims, even under the guise of ‘digital socialism’. This is not only an obstacle to understanding reader responsibility and the process of reading, but also to gaining access to knowledge and making use of information resources successfully and effectively. It is encouraging to see though that the potential presented by reading and writing is (partly) being implemented. Historically, this occurred through commonplace and reference books, and currently it is happening through Pinterest and Wikipedia - despite some problematic economic and political circumstances. Embracing the responsibilities of the reading process will be conducive to developing the political potential of reading and as such be beneficial for society at large. Despite the connected and implied struggles of this, it is important to realise that readers can only turn information into knowledge and utilise it in their lives by being active and informed.Show less
In our digital age, with its blogs, social media platforms and image sharing possibilities, it appears that photographers are increasingly turning to print to get their message (or rather, images)...Show moreIn our digital age, with its blogs, social media platforms and image sharing possibilities, it appears that photographers are increasingly turning to print to get their message (or rather, images) out. This thesis seeks to investigate the contemporary phenomenon of the photozine, a self-published photography publication, generally with a small print run and available at a low price. It is argued that the photozine is embedded in the history of fanzines and artists' books, but that it is also a direct result of new technologies offered by the digital age, and a perfect example of what Alessandro Ludovico has dubbed post-digital print culture.Show less
It has been argued that handwriting is slowly becoming less important in favour of typing. This is because handwriting seems to take up more time and effort than typing does. The underlying...Show moreIt has been argued that handwriting is slowly becoming less important in favour of typing. This is because handwriting seems to take up more time and effort than typing does. The underlying objective of this study is to examine the importance of handwriting. The aim of this study is to determine what factors are important to take into consideration when it comes to handwriting and to provide further evidence for the importance of handwriting as opposed to typing. This study covered four main topics in order to examine the importance of handwriting. This was done by looking at whether handwriting practice and the teaching of handwriting was decreasing in schools, then by looking at the differences between handwriting and typing, before establishing the importance of handwriting by examining the movement involved. Finally it drew a connection between handwriting and literacy. In order to examine these topics, a multitude of sources were examined and consulted. These ranged from neurological research articles, where the results were achieved by test subjects, to organizations testing the literacy of people, to websites that described concerns voiced by educators. This dissertation aimed to give an accurate representation of these sources by citing them appropriately. Taken together, these sources provided an overview into the main topic of the importance of handwriting. From this study it became clear that cursive handwriting is no longer an obligatory part of school curriculum in both the United Kingdom and the United States, and that there is a decrease in proper handwriting. In addition it also identified that bad handwriting can have disastrous consequences in professional fields. In regards to the differences between handwriting and typing, it has become clear that handwriting has a significant influence on the recognition of characters that typing lacks. Furthermore, handwriting aids people in their memory retention, helps build more complicated sentences than with typing, and leads to a better composition of a written text. Finally it described that handwriting and literacy were connected and a better handwriting performance lead to a better reading performance. It was concluded in the dissertation that handwriting continues to take up an important position in education, and should therefore not be given a secondary place next to typing. Handwriting attributes to academic success and higher literacy rates and bad handwriting would soon lead to a worse literacy rate. The study has indicated that a further education in handwriting should always be present in order to sustain the future for literacy, readability of text, and memorization of characters.Show less
