What is publishing? It is the first problem that publishing research should contact.

Different understandings of the connotation of publishing activities have different understandings of the framework of publishing knowledge system.

Therefore, Chinese and foreign publishing circles attach great importance to the study of publishing connotation and form different understandings. Japanese scholars believe that "a series of acts of copying manuscripts, pictures, photographs and other works through mechanical or chemical methods such as printing, sorting them into various publications and releasing them to the public are collectively called publishing." British scholars believe that publishing refers to "providing books, maps, printed matter, photos, songs or other works copied by copying, printing or any other means to the public".

American scholars believe: "Publishing-the preparation, printing and production process of publications provided to the public in the form of printed matter or electronic media." Korean scholars believe that publishing is "printing manuscripts, documents or pictures, music scores, etc. for the purpose of distribution or sales, so that they can be used and published".

Article 6 of universal copyright convention published by 197 1 defines a publishing house as the act of copying a work that can be read or perceived visually in a tangible form and spreading the copy to the public.