Editorial : recognizing the academic publishing service ecosystem

Purpose: This paper aims to provide a personal view of the institutions underpinning the academic publishing service ecosystem as a basis for a discussion of change and innovation. Design/methodology/approach: A 25-year comparison of the norms, rules, practices, meanings and symbols in the service ecosystem is made. Findings: Eleven institutional states have been identified, which represent the good, and not so good, changes that have occurred over the period. Originality/value: This editorial represents an approach, using service ecosystem concepts, to gain an understanding of service innovation possibilities in the academic publishing domain.