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University education in veterinary science has been available in Australia for the last 130 years. In spite of the fact that nearly 90% of veterinarians are employed in private general practice they are seldom found to author veterinary literature. Practitioners predominate in Australia and are often the first to encounter a new animal disease, yet they seldom contribute to veterinary knowledge by publishing articles. Academics, government veterinary officers and specialists overwhelmingly dominate when it comes to published articles. In this monograph, Dr John Maxwell, a rural practitioner, asks the question, "Why is veterinary literature in Australia produced - almost exclusively - by non-practitioners?" He does this by examining his own career as a rural practitioner, during which he has published over 50 articles against considerable resistance from those who administer veterinary literature in Australia. As a country veterinarian, John Maxwell has seen it all and, in this monograph, details his experiences in having scientific articles published and thus contributing to veterinary knowledge.

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Maxwell, John
John Maxwell graduated BVSc from the Veterinary School at the University of Sydney on 16 January 1964 and have been engaged in rural practice ever since; the last 53 years in my own practice at Katanning in the south west of Western Australia. He has a number of higher qualification and has been awarded two doctorates. Heis married to Julie Ann and they have three children, sixgrandchildren and two great grandchildren.

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