Access to Journal Articles - Global Results Published
OXFORD, England, December 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Across the world, researchers in all disciplines rate journal articles as the most important type of information - and they can get access to them. But there is more to be done.
These are the main conclusions of a new global study released by the Publishing Research Consortium (PRC) (http://www.publishingresearch.net)
Over 3800 researchers responded to the survey. 93% found access to journal articles 'very easy' or 'fairly easy'.
The main types of important information that they found difficult to get hold of were 'data sets, data models and algorithms'.
'This survey is a rich source for publishers and all those interested in information transfer' said Bob Campbell, Chairman of PRC. 'Although it's reassuring that the vast majority of researchers can get the articles they need, it also points up areas where all parts of the community need to work harder to help the researcher.'
The study extends an earlier PRC study looking at the UK only (also available on the website http://www.publishingresearch.net). This new study gives breakdowns by geographical area, subject discipline, type of institution, author characteristics etc. Information types looked at, as well as articles and data, included books/monographs, reference works, theses, clinical guidelines, patents, conference proceedings, archives, market research reports, trade publications, technical information. The study focussed on those researchers who had published at least one article in one or more of 18,000 peer-reviewed journals.
PRC plans further studies of users of research information who do not publish in journals. 'We would like to hear from any potential partners who, perhaps on a regional basis, would like to join with PRC in further work' said Campbell.
The study is available, without charge, from the PRC website at : http://www.publishingresearch.net
About The Publishing Research Consortium (PRC):
The PRC is a group representing publishers and associations supporting global research into scholarly communication in order to enable evidence-based discussion and objective analysis ( http://www.publishingresearch.net). PRC's objective is to support work that is scientific and pro-scholarship, in order to promote an understanding of the role of publishing and its impact on research and teaching.
SOURCE Publishing Research Consortium
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