How does the PUO-UOP support the Francophonie at uOttawa, in Ontario and across Canada?
When it first took shape, almost 90 years ago, the University of Ottawa Press (formerly known as Les Éditions de l’Université d’Ottawa) only published in French. So the Francophonie is certainly an integral aspect of our history.
By disseminating research conducted by Francophone researchers from Quebec, as well as from across Canada and around the world, we support the sustainability of the French language and enrich the corpus of knowledge in French. We are committed to knowledge dissemination that is wide-ranging and inclusive, both within academia and among the general public, most notably with the publication of literary works.
We are honoured to occupy a special place in Canada’s capital and our new location in the heart of downtown Ottawa allows us to build even more ties with the local community.
What place do Francophone books occupy among your current publications?
Books in French enjoy a central place in our catalogue. We are committed to providing Francophone researchers with a space to disseminate their research in their native language and to translating significant works published in other languages in order to enrich the research corpus available in French. Each year, we publish essays on literary studies, history, politics and public policy, sociology and law.
Among our most recent publications we find this collective work: Incidence de l’intelligence artificielle sur les revues de droit / Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Legal Journals, edited by Yan Campagnolo, which looks at the opportunities and challenges involved in relying on artificial intelligence when publishing academic papers. Its bilingual, head-to-tail format allows us to publish, in both French and English, this valuable research study on a very timely and relevant topic.
Moreover, Faire l’expérience de la démocratie : Les tiers-lieux de l’éducation à la citoyenneté des jeunes au Québec, co-edited by professors Stéphanie Gaudet and Caroline Caron, describes the innovative ways that civic education is being taught to youth in Quebec. The English version will soon be launched.
Also coming soon, Bibliothèques et archives dans les communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire : enjeux et devenirs, edited by Alain Roy, Lucie Hotte, Hélène Carrier and Linda Savoie, explores the issues and opportunities involved in preserving the history and heritage of official language communities in minority settings through the use of libraries and archives.
These are just a few examples of our extensive range of editorial offerings in French!
“We are committed to enriching the research corpus available in French and to providing a space for Francophone researchers to disseminate their work in their native language.”
Lara Mainville
— Director, University of Ottawa Press
How do you choose which research in French to publish?
Our selection process is based on academic rigour and our commitment to knowledge diversity. Our peer review groups gather experts together to evaluate the quality and relevance of the manuscripts we receive. We seek to support innovative research that is making a significant contribution to the field and that reflects current issues, including those involving the Francophonie.
Have you partnered with other Francophone organizations to encourage publication in French?
Yes, we maintain strategic partnerships with several institutions and agencies that aim to promote the French language. We cooperate closely with the Centre de recherche sur les francophonies canadiennes (CRCCF) at the University of Ottawa. We work with a network of international distributors to ensure that Canadian research published in French is disseminated around the world.
We also disseminate and distribute works published by the Presses universitaires de Saint-Boniface (PUSB), a small-but-mighty academic publishing house in the heart of Canada’s Francophonie that disseminates knowledge in French, with priority given to Western Canada and its French-language communities.
How do you see the demand for works in French changing within academia and the public?
We see sustained interest in works published in French, both in university settings and within a larger readership. Issues related to Francophone language, identity and culture generate keen interest, and open access initiatives considerably increase the visibility and use of these works.
How do you see the PUO-UOP evolving within Canada’s Francophonie in the coming years?
We intend to pursue and strengthen our commitment to the Francophonie by diversifying our catalogue even more, by promoting editorial innovation and by developing new dissemination initiatives. We will continue to host events, conferences and round tables to stimulate intellectual discussions and promote the richness of knowledge in French. In terms of the Francophonie, our goal remains the same: to strengthen the role of French in academia and within Canadian society.
Would you like to support the University of Ottawa Press? When you donate to endowment uO591N, you are directly supporting the publication of cutting-edge research and avant-garde literary works that would not otherwise see the light of day. Together, we can ensure that the door to knowledge remains open, inclusive and accessible for everyone.
