Hello SHOE list,

This may be a familiar problem for those of you who work in business schools -- so your advice would be much appreciated. 

My institution is AACSB accredited, and for decades, we have never recognized academic books as a "scholarly publication." Instead, they are classified as a "scholarly activity," equivalent to a conference presentation. 

I would like to change this policy. However, my chair and associate dean have asked how they can know if a book publication is 'legitimate' given the flood of pay-to-publish offers we receive daily from digital 'publishers.' For journals, we use impact factors and Web of Science data. 

Suggestions and example/actual policies would be much appreciated. You can email me directly if you prefer at [log in to unmask] 

best wishes,

Marianne