JISC

JISC Scholarly Communications Group, May 2002

Report summary

The report begins with its conclusions.  These emphasise the need to share intellectual output, the need to be able access it “anytime anywhere” and the need to recognise researchers  as “knowledge creators” who contribute to the economic success of the UK. They say there will be a long period of “hybridity” in which both print and electronic media are used to further those ends.

They then suggest a number of programmes to help open up access to library catalogue materials and say that funding programmes are needed to stimulate innovation in scholarly communications and ensure perpetual access to digital records, along with a number of other recommendations about establishing web archives, investing in new technology and changing culture. They make a large number of funding recommendations here.

In part 2, the authors explain the background of the Research Support Libraries Group and the Scholarly Communications Group and their missions.

In part 3, they lay down a set of recommendations for effective scholarly communication, making material accessible, preserving that material and rewarding researchers.

In part 4, they look at trends in content and library purchases, noting the increase in price in journals above the rate of inflation. Along the way they also note the (then relatively new) Open Archives initiative and correctly predict that it will grow in importance. They also look at the impact of the Research Assessment Exercise and the “disproportionate advantage” that gives to journal publishers, followed by an investigation of Consortial Licensing and other initiatives to make journals more freely available. They next  look at e-books, noting that this is an exciting growth area that UK and that organisations should be expanding their  capacity  to publish electronically.  In a section on Intellectual Property Rights they note the problems caused when academics sign over their rights to publishers and recommend more pro-active involvement from institutions in teaching staff their rights and the establishment of a set of model contractual clauses. There is then a now outdated section on peer review (predicting it will be less used in five years time) and a section on ‘the way forward’ pointing out the problems associated with the journal bundles publishers offer institutions.

Part 5 looks at current (ie 2002) trends. They note the increasing availability of e-format books and journals, the impact of multimedia and similar. They also look at barriers to future growth such as uncertainties about archiving and digital preservation, and frustrations relating to finding material online. There is an overview of current (ie past) JISC projects to facilitate Open Access programmes and improve scholarly communications, followed by a section on communications and the need to ensure perpetual access to digital records. There is then an overview of 2002 e-book formats and reading devices.

They then again present and expand on their conclusions.

Key points

Researchers

“The potential audience must be made aware that the publication exists.”

“The emergence of an e-science community will empower scholars to articulate their changing  needs and draws attention to the need to re-assess every stage of scholarly communications, with great sensitivity to disciplinary differences.”

Publishers

The radical new idea here is that in future publishers could not charge inflated prices simply because they control exclusive content.  Instead, a range of intermediaries, including publishers, would compete on the quality of their access systems and the ease with which they empowered the discovery and use of content by scholars.  The importance of this basic vision for the future transformation of scholarly communications cannot be over emphasised.

“The assignment of copyright by academic authors to commercial publishers using agreements drafted  by the publisher has had a detrimental effect upon scholarly communications.”

“While many publishers insist that journals as brands are important, the largest commercial scholarly  publishers appear to be undermining the individual journal title by bundling titles together and offering libraries a service rather than a collection of products.”

Institutions

“In the US and Australia, libraries are now spending significantly more to acquire fewer titles than ten years ago.”

Funders

"The UK and its universities need to build capacity and  undertake transformative change in the way research is communicated. Capital funding will be  essential to facilitate this.”

[There should be funding for a:] “Direct sponsorship of the Digital Preservation Coalition to help it deliver this national  strategy on an accelerated timescale is recommended.”

Read the full report (PDF)