Scholarly Communications in Flux Michael Jubb Director, Research Information Network Bloomsbury Conference on E-Publishing and E-Publications 29 June 2007

1. Researchers behaviour and perceptions as information users 2. Researchers as creators of information and key developments in the scholarly communications system 3. Some conclusions

The Enlightenment Ideal

1. Researchers behaviour and perceptions Two recent studies: Researchers Use of Discovery Services Researchers Use of Academic Libraries and their Services

The Role of Information in Research: a Crude Model Defining a set of research questions, issues or problems Identifying relevant existing knowledge Accessing, analysing, and evaluating existing knowledge and data Designing a methodology for generating new knowledge Applying the methodology and discovering new knowledge Combining old and new knowledge to answer research questions and to enhance understanding Disseminating the outcomes of research in a form that is both sustainable and retrievable

What do researchers want to find and use?

What Discovery Services do they Use? Ranked research discovery service/sourceRating 1. General search engine Internal library portal Specialist search engine Research colleague Subject-specific gateway Abstract and indexing service, bibliographic database External library or library portal Browsing internal library shelves Citation index Librarian List-servs Blogs3.5 See

The long tail of discovery services Seehttp:// Most to least popular by number of mentions

Researchers Use of Library-Provided Finding Aids See

The gap between discovery and access Researchers in all subjects now expect to access resources directly on their desktop, or at home, or on the move Expectation of seamless movement between discovery services and information resources: from reference to abstract to full text (and vice versa) Main frustration in all subjects is with inability to access journal articles where there is a subscription barrier Librarians agree…….

Familiarity with Methods for Finding Open Access Content See

Visits to the Library Seehttp://

Where do researchers access material? See

How Useful are Print Resources? See

How Useful are Digital Resources? See

2. Researchers as Creators of Information: developments in scholarly communications

Key Outputs: Journal Articles and Data Journal articles still the key information output E-Science and the data deluge? Concerns about data management and curation availability of knowledge, skills and expertise lack of clarity as to roles and responsibilities Virtual Research Environments and Virtual Research Communities 51% of researchers and 75% of librarians believe they will be major drivers of change 51% of researchers have never heard of them and 31% have heard of them but dont know much about them

Where do UK researchers publish? See

Familiarity with Options for Making Outputs Open Access

Does Your Institution have an Institutional Repository? See

How Useful are Institutional Repositories?

The Gold Route

Blogs, Wikis and Social Networking

Core Functions of the Research Communications System Doing research to generate new knowledge and understanding Assuring the quality of information outputs Ensuring appropriate recognition and reward Presenting, publishing and disseminating information outputs Facilitating access and use Assessing and evaluating usage and impact Preserving valuable information outputs for the long term

Key Players in Research Communications Researchers as creators, disseminators and users Research funders Public, charitable and commercial sectors National policy-making bodies Research institutions Publishers and aggregators Libraries and publicly-funded service providers Commercial information service providers

3. Some Conclusions See Research Funders Policies for the Management of Information Outputs %20Final%20Report.pdf

The need for evidence Researcher behaviour and needs Changing research methods and cultures Disciplinary differences Gap between the leading edge and the mainstream Virtual research environments, e-science Open access Take-up of new services The information landscape Highly distributed, nationally and internationally Roles and responsibilities of key players

Policy, Process and Service Development Sustaining world-class research and research communications Continuity and change Challenge and response Enhancing efficiency and impact Evaluation and quality assessment (Biblio) metrics Knowledge transfer and social/economic impact Balances and interfaces International, national and local Researchers, service providers and institutions Commercial and non-commercial providers

Whats the New Enlightenment Ideal?

Thank You Michael Jubb Research Information Network