SEB Bulletin January 2008
Research Information Network
WE ARE ALL PUBLISHERS NOW…
By convention, learned publishing - through the medium of a journal article or a monograph - is the recording and making available, for scrutiny, of the definitive results of research. But publication is not an end in itself, and it is sometimes worth being reminded of this. In the realm of academic endeavour, the act of publishing is anchored within a continuum of closely inter-related activities that constitute the scholarly communications process. Such is the tightly-woven nature of these interrelationships that the very meaning of 'publication' is not always entirely clear.
The Research Information Network (RIN) has worked with researchers, publishers, funders and librarians to define scholarly communications as a set of closely-linked activities that starts with the pursuit of research aimed at generating new knowledge and understanding and then seeks to fulfil six broad purposes or objectives which flow roughly in sequence:
- assuring the quality of the information outputs generated by researchers
- ensuring appropriate recognition and reward through the protection of intellectual property rights
- presenting, publishing and disseminating information outputs digitally, orally, in print and other forms
- facilitating access to and use of information outputs by researchers and others who have an interest in them
- assessing and evaluating the usage and impact of information outputs
- preserving digital, printed and other information outputs, so that those of long-term value are accessible for the indefinite future
- Publishing is explicitly included in the third of these purposes. But surely it is inherent in all the others too?
The point about these publishing-related purposes is that they all require active engagement from more than one category of protagonist in the theatre of academic endeavour, be they researchers, research funders, librarians, data managers… and of course publishers themselves. So, in a sense, we are all 'publishers'. In the fast-evolving world of research information, roles and practices are changing, not least those of researchers themselves as producers of information and data; and the traditional role of publishers as quality assurers, hosters of content, and providers of search, navigation and access is also changing - some would say being undermined - because new technology and associated new habits allow these functions to be undertaken in different ways, formally or informally.
Each set of protagonists therefore face a series of questions and challenges which all impact upon their roles as 'publishers', for instance:
Researchers, in their capacity as creators of information, might ask themselves where and how they can publish the results of their work. How important for them are the imprimatur and publishing services of a journal or monograph publisher? Would they issue preprints for comment and evaluation before journal/monograph publication? What use might they make of blogs, wikis and other informal means of distributing and communicating the results of research? How can they ensure the most seamless possible linkage between published output and the unpublished material (notably data) that might underpin it?
Libraries are also facing significant challenges, in the way that they develop their services now and in years to come. How do they provide value-added on top of the services that researchers and publishers can access or provide for themselves? What role can or should libraries continue to play in the long-term preservation of research outputs, both published and unpublished, through such means as institutional repositories?
Data managers face similar challenges, since data constitute an increasingly important output of research in their own right. What role do they play in the dissemination and preservation of such outputs? What might be the place of specialist data centres and archives as repositories with a responsibility for ensuring integrity and quality assurance of data?
Funders have a key role too, since they provide the investment that ultimately leads to publication; they have a clear interest in ensuring a return on this investment by seeking to ensure the widest and most effective possible dissemination of research outputs. As such, what is their role in promoting and supporting the development of an innovative and sustainable information infrastructure that helps to maximise this dissemination?
In the face of such growing interest in activities associated with 'publishing', how might publishers of learned journals and monographs evolve their business model to ensure that their own services retain a distinctive edge? How can the expectations of the various players be met?
There are no simple answers to these questions. However, it may be that one way of helping to address them is to consider how 'publishing', in the broadest sense, may be deconstructed into a series of distinct but interlinked activities; and in turn who - including publishers - is best equipped to perform them and to provide the corresponding services. The investigation of these activities is very much the business of the RIN, whose role is to conduct research, develop the evidence base, set out guidance and advice, and promote innovation to meet the information needs of UK researchers.
Stéphane Goldstein
Planning and Projects Manager
Research Information Network
www.rin.ac.uk