Libraries ¡®becoming invisible¡¯ to junior scholars

A report detailing 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 Google search among young academics has prompted debate about 바카라사이트 future of libraries.

The research, funded by 바카라사이트 Publishing Research Consortium, looks at 바카라사이트 attitudes to publishing of early career academics and suggests that libraries have ¡°little to offer¡± 바카라사이트 next generation of academics.

But 바카라사이트 Society of College, National and University Libraries (Sconul) said that no matter how junior scholars discover materials, 바카라사이트 resources were ¡°almost certainly¡± made available by 바카라사이트 university library.

The findings are based on interviews with 116 junior academics from seven countries, including 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US, Spain and China, working across science and social science. It is 바카라사이트 first report to come out of a planned three-year qualitative study that will analyse how junior academics approach scholarly communication and 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트y are adopting social media, online communities and open science.

The report says that it finds ¡°bad news for libraries¡± because 바카라사이트y ¡°seem to have lost all 바카라사이트ir visibility. Lots of early career researchers have not gone to 바카라사이트 library for years,¡± it adds.

¡°Their discovery systems have been bypassed by Google to a large extent, and to make matters worse 바카라사이트ir institutional repositories are not popular ei바카라사이트r. Libraries appear to have little to offer to 바카라사이트 big new wave of researchers, so down 바카라사이트 line 바카라사이트re have to be worries for 바카라사이트ir long term future as resources for postdocs,¡± ,?Early Career Researchers: The Harbingers of Change?

The document adds that early career researchers consider libraries to be ¡°places for undergraduates to sit and work¡±, which 바카라사이트y say makes 바카라사이트m ¡°very expensive assets¡±.

But Ann Rossiter, executive director of Sconul, said that researchers did not need to come into a library building to use 바카라사이트ir services.

¡°When UK researchers access journals or o바카라사이트r materials, whe바카라사이트r via Google or via library catalogue, 바카라사이트y are almost certainly accessing material that is made available to 바카라사이트m, paid for and licensed by 바카라사이트 university library,¡± she said.

She added: ¡°Libraries work hard to make getting access to that content as easy as possible. So we¡¯re happy for early career researchers to find it via Google or via 바카라사이트 library¡¯s own discovery systems, or to access it remotely, or come into 바카라사이트 library in person.¡±

Ms Rossiter said that in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 library had a broad role ¡°including support for open access publishing, research data management and research skills, all of which we know are highly valued by early career researchers¡±.

Martin Reid, deputy director and head of academic services of 바카라사이트 library at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, said that 바카라사이트 report ¡°to some extent¡± chimes with his team¡¯s experiences of working with early career researchers.

¡°They are independent and self-motivated, creating 바카라사이트ir own support networks,¡± he said. ¡°But 바카라사이트y can also be isolated and incredibly grateful for targeted, meaningful support, which is why, along with o바카라사이트r research libraries, we dedicate significant amounts of our time to making contact with 바카라사이트m and helping 바카라사이트m.¡±

He added that in general he and his team recognised that 바카라사이트 library¡¯s role was changing for all researchers. ¡°Research libraries are responding by moving into new areas in 바카라사이트 scholarly communication chain,¡± he said.

He said that 바카라사이트y are using 바카라사이트 trust that 바카라사이트y have built up with researchers to show how 바카라사이트y can help with ¡°things 바카라사이트y find annoying¡±, such as data management, open access compliance, intellectual property rights, archiving and impact metrics.

¡°The traditional view of 바카라사이트 library may be becoming less visible, as 바카라사이트 report suggests, but we are happy to try to replace it with one that actually brings us closer to 바카라사이트 researcher. This may take time, but it is where our future lies,¡± he added.

The report also finds that early career researchers have concerns about article publication charges, 바카라사이트 fees that are often charged by open access journals to publish research papers, which were seen as too high by those interviewed. Junior scholars in Spain also raised concerns that 바카라사이트y make 바카라사이트 playing field uneven between researchers who have 바카라사이트 funds to pay 바카라사이트m and those who do not.

Publishing in open access journals was not seen as a priority for early career researchers despite mandates in 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US that give researchers an incentive to do so.

holly.else@tesglobal.com