The Historical Development of Sri Lankan Scholarly Journal Publishing (1845 – 2010)

Abstract

Sri Lanka has a long history of writing and literary activities with historical records and archival evidence dating back to the 3rd century BC. Introduction of Buddhism marked the beginning of a new culture, and an era of academic and literary activities commenced during the 1st century BC when Buddhist scriptures were first committed to writing. However, scholarly journals or periodicals based on systematic organized research came into existence during the early 19th century when the country was under British colonial rule. While few important journals from the colonial era still continue, an increasing number have emerged over the years reflecting the country’s expanding academic and research environment. This paper recounts the last 165 years of evolution and progress in Sri Lankan scholarly journal publications from 1845 to 2010.