As a publication of Knowledge Futures, Commonplace is a space to discuss the digital infrastructures, cultures, and actions needed to distribute, constellate, and amplify knowledge for the public good. We aim to highlight the work and promise of existing groups and individuals to reach beyond current norms and structures to generate alternate, better, more open, and equitable knowledge sharing practices. Commonplace redraws our lines of reference to influence public opinion about our current state as well as what is possible.
Our mission is to publish viewpoints around what the future(s) of knowledge should look like toward collective action and broader advocacy. We do that as providing a platform for other’s to share their thoughts and calls to action to improve and restore balance to the publishing and informational ecosystems.
Commonplace acknowledges that there are many futures and cultures within this space, so we strive to share and reflect the range of voices and opinions within this ever changing and evolving space. We do this by sharing fresh perspectives and provocative ideas that combine theory and practice in addition to balancing play and critique in order to create cultures around and beyond publishing and academia.
As a futures-oriented publication, we encourage any and all possibilities that could serve an equitable knowledge economy and and are interested in actionable items that can be applied to create social infrastructure towards more open and equitable publishing systems.
We hope that Commonplace is where you go for inspiration and for guidance on how to spark inspiration in your own work and sphere
We started Commonplace to continue to make connections and focus on community-lead efforts within the knowledge production and publication ecosystem. By asking and investigating into what healthy discourse and networks could and should be, we open the space up for conversations that spark real changes. By using the PubPub platform, these types of conversations take shape and come to life right here.
We also try to lead by example and through experimentation both through publishing practices and business models. As such, we do not take any money from advertising and keep our publication free to access and free from ads.
Starting in 2023, we will offer contributors monetary compensation for their work with us. Offering contributors honorariums for their work, even if it’s merely a symbolic gesture, allows us to recognize that we’re asking for contributor’s limited time and attention and compensate their efforts
Read more about how we’ve come to define our mission and organize our publication in this narrative:
Conversations and investigations to what healthy knowledge futures can look like manifest and take shape right here. Commonplace cultivates these ideas through different Formats:
Guidelines: Toolkits, suggestions, resources to apply
Convos on the Common: Podcast with invited guests
Annotations: Republished articles for community annotation and reflection
Five Things to Think About: a monthly thought-letter for healthy diversion
Special series, like the Media Literacy Toolkit
We will publish two series per year. Calls will be issued about four months ahead, so keep an eye out for topics and deadlines!
These formats fall into different thematic categories or paths:
Community Impact: Works that focus on people-first systems and projects
Cyberspaces: Pieces that discuss digital cultures
Knowledge Design: The aesthetics and process of knowledge production and information sharing
Libraries: All things library related
Openness: On creating accessible, transparent, and “open” scholarship and publishing systems
ScholComm: Pieces on the cultures of scholarly communications
Social Justice: Making the changes we want to see in the world
Sustainable Pathways: How to make infrastructures that last
Learn more about how and why we started and a list of topics we hope to cover in our press release: