Scholarly communications

Introduction

A question of definition

The words "scholarly communication" are used in various ways. The scope of the term is wider than "scholarly publishing" and covers the authoring, publishing (in a broad sense), and reading of information produced by members of the academic community for teaching or research. "Information" in this context may be in a variety of formats.

All change?

Many people involved in scholarly communication, particularly the intermediaries between author and reader, feel that the structure within which they work is changing. There is no agreement on the timescale for change and only limited consensus on the ways in which the structure is changing, but the move from a paper to an electronic working environment is changing the role and function of the stakeholders in scholarly communication.

Issues for authors

Authors are submitting manuscripts to publishers electronically but still value the traditional peer review process. They are becoming increasingly aware of issues which are outside their role as authors but which they can influence, such as copyright ownership or the existence of alternative publication outlets. The SPARC Europe "Create Change" programme aims to raise awareness amongst authors and journal editors of these wider issues.

Issues for publishers

Publishers are aware that the current scholarly communication model is under stress due to rising prices and rising submissions from authors but are uncertain about how to move to new business models without losing either profits or market share. UK publishers are working with the academic library community to explore new business models. Major publishers are also working with the international library community to devise reliable usage measures.

Issues for librarians

Librarians also see the need for change in the scholarly communication structure and have been managing a wide variety of projects which could lead to a better system for authors and readers. In the UK many of these projects have been funded by JISC and UK projects have contributed to international work through developments such as the Open Archives Initiative.

Issues for readers

Readers of academic literature increasingly access content in electronic format. Their route to that information may be structured - e.g. through a subject or institutional portal - or it may be unstructured - e.g. through a general search engine like Google. Both quantity and quality issues are difficult for readers in an electronic environment. The huge volume of information available through the Internet makes selection of relevant information cumbersome. Easy access is vital once readers locate relevant content and the Budapest Open Access Initiative aims to achieve that goal.