Taylor & Francis Social Sciences and Humanities Library | statement

In the last 24 hours there has been online discussion regarding Taylor & Francis, following a member communication sent by the Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA).

This communication focuses on Taylor & Francis content available in China. We are proud to publish the depth and breadth of research available across our journals portfolio, including Asian Studies Review (ASR), rightly pointed out by the ASAA as one of the world’s leading Asian Studies journals.

The communication begins with reference to ‘censorship that has restricted access to the Asian Studies Association of Australia’s journal’. To be clear, Taylor & Francis does not participate in censorship in China, or anywhere else.

The ability to sell publishing services, or any other services, into China is controlled by import agencies. They have the right to select what they would like to import.

Our entire Social Sciences and Humanities journals package (the SSH Library, which ASR is included in) has been available to purchase by libraries in China up to September 2018.

All of our Science, Technology and Medicine journals package is available to libraries in China.

From September 2018, the Chinese import agencies opted not to include 83 of the 1466 journals in the SSH Library in the package available to purchase by Chinese libraries. This change was discussed with a number of our society publishing partners earlier this year. We have been open and transparent with them and taken feedback and soundings on this.

Our view has always been that everyone should be able to read the research we publish via their usual access routes. We will continue to work towards being able to sell the complete SSH Library in China, and to be open and frank with our publishing partners on the selling options available to us.