Placement Scheme Case study - Katie Arthur (KCL)

Placement organisation: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group

Katie Arthur, LAHP-funded KCL student, undertook a placement at Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group within the journal editorial department, while also collaborating with marketing and production as well as the books division.

The placement gave Katie a comprehensive insight into the processes of academic journal and book publishing. It allowed her to get a sound understanding of the types of roles available across the industry and the transferable skills necessary to apply to them. The insight into academic publishing allowed her to be better prepared to engage from the academic side, understanding the importance of timely and reliable delivery as well as what commissioning editors are looking for in book proposals. Katie was able to develop a number of key skills during her placement including: database management, research to briefs and research presentation, stakeholder and project management. The placement was a particularly enjoyable, engaging and rewarding opportunity. Routledge had put significant work into making it a mutually beneficial experience and this has cemented the partnership between LAHP and Routledge who will continue working together on future collaborations to support students and early career researchers. This has been an invaluable opportunity to learn about the industry, informing her interactions with academic journals and publishers in the future, giving her the confidence to know the resources available and how to approach academic publishing from both sides. 

Katie’s placement provided a number of successful outcomes including a blog for the Routledge website, research into the competitor online marketing, funding streams in the arts, practitioner research opportunities and management of the subscription databa