XML 87 R69.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.7.0.1

Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2017 USD ($) Segment	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Information [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments | Segment	3
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 1,718,530	$ 1,727,037	$ 1,822,440
Shared services and administrative costs	(524,180)	(537,326)	(520,432)
Operating Income	206,153	188,113	237,739
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Contribution to profit	392,753	382,160	400,410
Operating Segments [Member] | Research [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	853,489	826,778	894,690
Contribution to profit	252,228	252,110	302,129
Operating Segments [Member] | Publishing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	633,449	695,728	747,105
Contribution to profit	125,703	126,058	97,642
Operating Segments [Member] | Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	231,592	204,531	180,645
Contribution to profit	14,822	3,992	639
Unallocated [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administrative costs	$ (186,600)	$ (194,047)	$ (162,671)

X

- Definition

Direct contribution to profit minus allocated shared services and administrative costs.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	jwa_ContributionToProfitLoss
Namespace Prefix:	jwa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The aggregate total of expenses of managing and administering the affairs of an entity, including affiliates of the reporting entity, which are not directly or indirectly associated with the manufacture, sale or creation of a product or product line.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Revenues
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=jwa_ResearchSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=jwa_PublishingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=jwa_SolutionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: