Some trends in postgraduate studies in publishing in Ibero-America

Abstract

The objectives, subjects, and graduate profiles of postgraduate publishing programmes in the Ibero-American region are examined. The study analysed 16 postgraduate programmes at university institutions in Spain and Ibero-America and interviewed 109 people, including programme coordinators, graduates, and editorial directors. In terms of objectives, the results show that institutions prioritise improving the skills of professionals in the productive and commercial sectors. Publishing houses also offer training programmes to qualify and update the profile of publishers and standardise the publishing processes throughout the value chain. In terms of subjects, there is evidence of a preference for editorial processes through the use of ICT, which to some extent affects their professional performance. The graduate profile emphasises editors who are skilled in editorial processes, followed by administrative editors with ICT skills, entrepreneurs, and experts in editorial design. These findings confirm some of the assumptions of the project. Specifically, the training of editors is mainly focused on the creation of digital products. In addition, master's level training programmes at prioritise commercial needs, and technical training is prevalent in Ibero-America.