Taylor & Francis reports that it publishes over 2,500 journals and more than 8,400 new books annually, with a digital library exceeding 202,000 eBooks. The group maintains offices and operational hubs in multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, US, India, China, Singapore, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.2

Taylor & Francis functions primarily as a publisher rather than a university or research institute. Its core role involves distributing scholarly research and knowledge generated by academics, researchers, societies and experts through journals, books and digital platforms. Researchers produce knowledge, which Taylor & Francis supports via editorial, peer-review and publishing infrastructure, enabling access by universities, professionals and the public.

The company collaborates with individual authors alongside learned societies, associations, institutes, trusts and other organisations, currently partnering with more than 700 scholarly societies.3 Its stated corporate purpose is “to foster human progress through knowledge”.4

1798: Foundation

The origins of Taylor & Francis date to 1798, when Richard Taylor launched the Philosophical Magazine, one of the earliest scientific journals published by an independent commercial entity. This publication established the foundation for the company’s enduring involvement in scholarly journal publishing and its connection with the scientific community.5

1852: Partnership formation

In 1852, chemist William Francis joined Richard Taylor. This partnership eventually led to the adoption of the modern name, Taylor & Francis, and facilitated continued engagement with scientists and academic communities.6

1936: Incorporation

Taylor & Francis became a private limited company in 1936. Historical records indicate that its directors and shareholders included leading scientists, reinforcing the company’s close identity with the scholarly community.7

1965: Expansion into book publishing

Although originally focused on journals, the company expanded significantly into book publishing in 1965. This growth, initiated by the launch of Wykeham Publications, evolved into a major component of the group’s operations, resulting in the publication of thousands of new titles annually.8

1988: Formation of Taylor & Francis Group

Following the acquisition of Hemisphere Publishing in 1988, the company adopted the name Taylor & Francis Group to reflect its increasingly diverse portfolio of publishing imprints.9

A pivotal development in the group’s history was the acquisition of Routledge in 1998. Routledge possesses a distinct publishing legacy, particularly within the humanities and social sciences. This acquisition more than doubled the size of Taylor & Francis, establishing the combined entity as one of the world’s leading research publishers.10

Routledge is now associated with disciplines including philosophy, sociology, politics, international relations, education, psychology, history, cultural studies, media and communication, linguistics, geography, and arts and humanities. Taylor & Francis describes Routledge as a leading academic publisher in these fields.1112

CRC Press serves as the group’s primary imprint for science, engineering, technology, mathematics, statistics, computer science, medicine, environmental science and professional technical subjects. Taylor & Francis acquired CRC Press in 2003.13

While there is some overlap, the portfolio is generally differentiated as follows:

• Routledge: Humanities and social sciences.
• CRC Press: Science, technology, engineering and related professional fields.
• Taylor & Francis: Broad scholarly journal and book publishing, with particular strength in science, medicine, technology and engineering.14

In 2004, Taylor & Francis merged with Informa, integrating it into a larger international information and events business. Today, Taylor & Francis operates as Informa’s Academic Markets division.16 While Informa manages broader information services, events and exhibitions, Taylor & Francis specifically oversees academic publishing activities.

Taylor & Francis

The core Taylor & Francis brand is active across a wide range of disciplines but maintains particular strength in science, medicine, technology and engineering.14

Routledge

Routledge acts as the group’s principal humanities and social sciences publisher, holding significant influence in academic books and reference works.

CRC Press

CRC Press specialises in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and professional or technical publishing.

F1000 Research

Acquired in 2020, F1000 Research is an open research publishing platform dedicated to rapid and transparent publication.15

Dove Medical Press

Dove Medical Press is an open-access medical publisher that joined the group in 2017.

PeerJ

PeerJ, acquired in 2024, is an open-access science publisher covering biomedical, life, environmental, physical and computer sciences.16

Journals constitute a central pillar of the business, with the portfolio comprising over 2,500 titles.2 These publications disseminate original research, reviews, theoretical papers and case studies. The publishing workflow typically progresses from manuscript submission and editorial screening through peer review, revision, editorial decision, production and online publication. Taylor & Francis emphasises peer review as a critical component of this process.

Coverage spans virtually every major academic discipline, including physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, medicine, public health, psychology, economics, business, sociology, political science, international relations, law, education, philosophy, history, geography, communication, media studies, cultural studies and the arts.

Taylor & Francis publishes more than 8,400 new books annually and maintains a backlist exceeding 180,000 titles.6 Formats include research monographs, edited collections, textbooks, handbooks, encyclopedias, reference works, professional books and eBooks. These publications serve both academic researchers and students or professionals.

Taylor & Francis Online serves as the principal digital platform for scholarly journals and articles, hosting millions of journal articles. This platform enables researchers to search, read, download, cite and share content, marking a fundamental shift from print-only distribution to digital accessibility.7

Open access (OA) has become integral to the group’s strategy. OA models ensure scholarly research is available online without reader payment barriers. Options include fully open-access journals, hybrid journals, open-access books and chapters, as well as dedicated platforms like F1000 Research, Dove Medical Press and PeerJ. Open-access options are available across more than 95% of the journal portfolio.7

It is important to note that open access does not necessarily imply free publication; depending on the model, authors or their institutions may pay an article processing charge (APC).

Taylor & Francis is deeply embedded in the academic library market, providing institutions with access to journal collections, eBooks, databases, reference works and digital archives. Users often access content via institutional subscriptions negotiated by their university or library.

For researchers, the company provides infrastructure throughout the publication lifecycle. Pre-publication support includes journal selection and submission systems; during publication, services cover copyediting, typesetting and DOI registration; post-publication activities involve digital hosting, indexing, marketing and citation tracking. Authors benefit from global reach and the backing of hundreds of scholarly organisations.3

Many academic and professional societies lack large-scale publishing infrastructure and instead partner with commercial publishers. Taylor & Francis collaborates with over 700 such societies, providing journal production, online hosting, subscription management, marketing, peer-review systems and distribution services. This positions the group as a publishing partner for academic communities rather than solely a proprietary publisher.3

Taylor & Francis operates as a global organisation with activities spanning North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and other regions. Informa reports approximately 2,500 employees worldwide, with key hubs located in the US, UK, India, China, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Japan.2 This international footprint reflects the inherently global nature of academic publishing, where authors, editors, reviewers and readers are distributed worldwide.

Throughout its history, Taylor & Francis and its acquired imprints have published works by numerous prominent intellectual figures, including Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Jean-Paul Sartre, Judith Butler, Stuart Hall, Alice Walker and Angela Merkel. The specific relationship between individual authors and the current group varies due to the acquisition of historical publishing lists over time.

The company’s visual identity references its historical roots through the symbol of an oil lamp, representing the transmission and preservation of knowledge. Older logos depicted a hand pouring oil into a lit lamp with the Latin phrase alere flammam (“to feed the flame”). The modern logo retains a stylised oil-lamp motif, symbolising the continuity of learning and the transmission of knowledge to future generations.

Revenue streams are diversified across several areas:

• Journal subscriptions: Institutional payments for access to subscription-based journals.
• Open-access publishing: Charges paid by authors, institutions or funders to make articles freely accessible.
• Book sales: Sales of academic and professional books in print and electronic formats.
• Institutional eBook packages: Digital collections licensed to libraries.
• Reference products and databases: Licensing of specialised digital content.
• Society publishing: Provision of publishing services for academic and professional societies.

Taylor & Francis operates within a sector characterised by ongoing debate regarding institutional subscription costs, market concentration among large publishers, article processing charges, access inequalities, copyright issues and the relationship between commercial publishing and publicly funded research. These challenges are not unique to Taylor & Francis but are systemic to scholarly publishing. Publishers maintain that fees support essential activities including editorial management, peer-review infrastructure, digital hosting, archiving and long-term preservation.

Simultaneously, the group has invested in open research strategies, incorporating fully open-access journals and dedicated open-research businesses to complement traditional subscription models.

As of 2026, Taylor & Francis functions as a comprehensive global academic publishing ecosystem. The group currently publishes over 2,500 journals and 8,400 new books annually, alongside more than 202,000 eBooks across over 200 subjects.2 It remains a London-rooted, globally operating entity that has evolved from an 18th-century scientific journal publisher into a major provider of scholarly content and open-access research, operating as part of Informa PLC.

1. Our company – Taylor & Francis
2. Our brands – Taylor & Francis
3. Why publish with Taylor & Francis? | Taylor & Francis Online
4. Our history – Taylor & Francis
5. Why choose Taylor & Francis – Taylor & Francis
6. About Our Books – Taylor & Francis
7. Taylor & Francis Open Access | Taylor & Francis Online
8. Full article: About Taylor & Francis, the Academic Division of Informa plc
9. About Us | Taylor & Francis eBooks, Reference Works and Collections
10. About – Routledge Resources Online – The Renaissance World | Taylor &
11. About – Romanticism | Taylor & Francis eBooks, Reference Works and Col
12. About – Routledge Historical Resources – 19th Century British Society
13. Routledge & CRC Press About Us
14. Mission & overview | Taylor & Francis | Editor Resources
15. Contact us – Author Services
16. informa.com