Alternative-academic (Alt-Ac) careers, encompassing roles benefiting from doctoral training but extending beyond traditional tenure-track positions, are increasingly significant in Library and Information Science (LIS). This rise is attributed to several factors: the shift from Mode 1 (discipline-oriented) to Mode 2 (problem-oriented) knowledge production, advancements in digital technologies creating new opportunities, and the expanding interdisciplinary scope of LIS. China provides a unique context for studying this phenomenon, given the recent substantial growth in LIS doctoral programs and the reclassification of "Library and Information Science" to the more comprehensive "Information Resource Management." This study uses text mining of job postings to analyze the landscape, characteristics, and evolutionary trends of Alt-Ac positions within Chinese LIS. Specifically, the research aims to identify types of Alt-Ac positions and their institutional distribution, analyze evolutionary trends in these roles and their competency requirements, and explore the broader impact of Alt-Ac positions on the academic labor market and knowledge production paradigm in LIS. Previous studies have predominantly focused on individual-level factors influencing Alt-Ac career choices, lacking a holistic contextual understanding. This study fills this gap using a novel, large-scale data-driven approach.

The literature review examines the evolution of the concept of Alt-Ac careers, tracing its origins and highlighting the ongoing debates surrounding its precise definition. Early definitions emphasized humanities and social science PhDs in non-traditional settings (Nowviskie, 2010; Rhody, 2010), while later expansions broadened the scope to encompass roles bridging academia and industry (Rogers, 2013). The review acknowledges the connections between Alt-Ac's emergence and broader structural changes in the academic ecosystem, such as the rise of Mode 2 knowledge production (Gibbons et al., 1994), increased doctoral education, and demand for versatile, doctoral-level talent (Larson et al., 2014). The review also summarizes existing work on the motivations, experiences, and skills required for Alt-Ac professionals (Chambers et al., 2019; Sanders, 2014; Kelly et al., 2023). Finally, the review highlights the specific challenges and opportunities within the context of LIS doctoral education in China, emphasizing the rapid growth of doctoral programs, the evolving disciplinary structure, and the impact of factors like the COVID-19 pandemic on the academic job market (Tian et al., 2023; Zheng, 2020). The review concludes by noting the limitations of current research—a lack of holistic ecosystem analysis, comparative research across institutions, and empirical studies in specific contexts—which this study aims to address.

This study primarily employed quantitative methods, specifically text mining techniques, combined with manual coding to analyze a large-scale dataset of job postings. Data was collected from the "LIS Jobs" WeChat official account, a platform developed by the authors, which continuously gathers job postings from various websites. The data comprised 7832 job postings from 334 institutions between 2016 and 2023, focusing on positions requiring a doctoral degree. Data analysis involved several steps: 1. Manual coding of institutions into categories such as higher education, research institutions, government, cultural institutions, and enterprises. 2. Named entity recognition (NER) using a BERT-BiLSTM-CRF deep learning model to automatically extract key entities from job descriptions, such as departments, job titles, required disciplines, skills, and other relevant attributes. The model achieved high accuracy (86%), recall (90.8%), and F1 score (88.33%). 3. Iterative clustering of similar entities through manual review and coding by a team of three LIS doctoral students to ensure the validity and reliability of the extracted entities. This resulted in a structured dataset containing information on institution type, department, job title, required discipline, education requirements, and other relevant attributes. This multi-dimensional approach allowed for a comprehensive examination of the diverse landscape of Alt-Ac careers.

The study revealed an uneven distribution of Alt-Ac positions across various institutional types. Higher education institutions, particularly university libraries, constituted the largest concentration (63.2%), followed by research institutions and think tanks (11.7%), government and public sector (8%), cultural institutions (6.6%), state-owned enterprises (4.8%), military and police institutions (4.2%), and healthcare institutions (1.5%). The roles within these institutions varied significantly: higher education institutions focused on academic services and innovation; research institutions on knowledge brokering and policy engagement; government on civic engagement and public service; cultural institutions on cultural heritage preservation and community engagement; state-owned enterprises on competitive intelligence and innovation management; military and police on information assurance and intelligence analysis; and healthcare on medical knowledge organization and evidence-based decision support. Further analysis identified nine functional types of Alt-Ac positions: Collection Development and Digital Humanities, Research Data Management, Subject Services and Research Support, Archival Management and Compilation, Information Systems and Technical Services, Scholarly Communication and Publishing, Academic and Industry Research, Administrative Management, and Intelligence and Patent Analysis. A three-dimensional framework categorized these functions based on resource construction vs. intelligence research, subject services vs. social functions, and traditional vs. emerging orientations. Longitudinal analysis (2016-2023) revealed key evolutionary trends: a decline in traditional Alt-Ac positions and a rapid increase in emerging positions, a significant increase in research support roles integrated into the entire research lifecycle, a surge in think tank research positions expanding from academia to industry and government, and the growth of cross-boundary positions in interdisciplinary fields. These findings highlight the increasing convergence of data, technology, and societal impact in shaping the evolving landscape of Alt-Ac careers in LIS.

The findings highlight the transformative impact of the digital revolution on the LIS knowledge service ecosystem and the crucial role of Alt-Ac professionals as agents of change. The shift from traditional, resource-focused roles to data-driven, knowledge-intensive positions reflects a broader paradigm shift in knowledge production. The study's results emphasize the need for a more fluid and competency-based approach to talent cultivation in LIS doctoral education, advocating for interdisciplinary curricula, transferable skills training, and stronger industry-academia partnerships. The study also underscores the need for a more holistic evaluation system that recognizes the broader societal impact of Alt-Ac contributions, moving beyond traditional metrics focused solely on publications. The growing importance of Alt-Ac roles in non-academic sectors demonstrates the expanding scope and societal relevance of LIS expertise. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the "third space" between academia and industry, challenging the traditional dichotomy and proposing a more dynamic and integrative approach to academic careers.

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the emerging landscape of Alt-Ac careers in Chinese LIS, revealing diverse roles and evolutionary trends driven by digitalization and interdisciplinary collaboration. The findings underscore the need for LIS doctoral programs to adapt their curricula to cultivate versatile skills and foster strong industry partnerships. Future research should address limitations by expanding data collection to include private sector institutions and incorporating qualitative studies to gain deeper insights into the experiences and career trajectories of Alt-Ac professionals. The study emphasizes the crucial role of Alt-Ac professionals in driving innovation and shaping the future of the LIS field.

The study primarily relies on data from publicly available job advertisements, potentially underrepresenting Alt-Ac positions in the private sector. The analysis focuses on quantitative data, limiting the depth of understanding regarding the lived experiences and career trajectories of Alt-Ac professionals. Future research could address these limitations through broader data collection and the incorporation of qualitative methods.