Communicating knowledge: how and why researchers publish and disseminate their findings
This report looks at how researchers publish and why, including the motivations that lead them to publish in different formats and the increase in collaboration and co-authorship. It also explores how researchers decide what to cite and the influence of research assessment on their behaviours and attitudes.
The full report and supporting documents, and a briefing are available to download below. This report has been published by the RIN in conjunction with JISC. A short podcast is also available, interviewing Michael Jubb, Director of the RIN and Neil Jacobs, Programme Manager Information Environment at JISC about the report’s key findings and implications.
Researchers want to develop new knowledge and understanding of the world we live in and to communicate their findings to others. Increasingly, however, they are being pulled in different directions in deciding which channels of communication they should adopt, from professional society journals and conferences to less formal means such as social networking tools.
So just how do researchers decide when, where and how to communicate their work? Based on evidence gathered from an extensive literature review, bibliometric analysis, focus groups, interviews and an online survey, our report presents a comprehensive view of how researchers communicate their work across the range of disciplines in the UK.
The report examines the motivations, incentives and constraints that lead UK researchers in different subjects and disciplines to publish and disseminate their work in different ways. It explores how and why they cite other researchers? work, as well as how their decisions on publication and citation are influenced by past and anticipated research assessment.
This research has been carried out at a time when there has been considerable debate about the format of the Research Excellence Framework (REF). We hope that the key findings identified in the report may help to illuminate some of the issues raised in the continuing discussions about the structure of the REF.
For Blog and Twitter posts please use the tag: #researchb09
Hard copies of this report and briefing are available, email contact@rin.ac.uk
Comments
Anonymous said on 31 December 2011 at 6:02am:
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Anonymous said on 13 December 2011 at 5:49pm:
Thanks greatly for posting these reports. Communication channels have changed drastically each year, and it’s extremely important to decide which avenues will communicate their findings to the largest audience, appropriate audience, as well as provide a level of professionalism. However, with social media facets this can be hard to do. Although, I do think there is a benefit in having a GPS Tracker that lists a location with each post you make. I find this provides a level of realism that can be appreciated as coming from an actual, respectable source. Great job again.
Anonymous said on 19 November 2011 at 6:22am:
The reasearchers report podcast truly impressive. I just surprised to see the behaviours and attitudes of researchersand how they increase in collaboration and co-authorship. That does sound eye opening report for the blinds. thanks!
Anonymous said on 18 November 2011 at 4:42pm:
Handsome statement, something like that well worth assumption. Recently I add the reasech tidings on online contest although noticed huge response.
Anonymous said on 18 November 2011 at 3:37pm:
I’m just downloading now the report and supporting documents, the one that has been published in conjunction with Graham and Green JISC.
Anonymous said on 16 September 2011 at 4:32am:
I trust this report and i think its 100% geniune.I will keep following your blogs on my unlock iphone 4.3.5 and post my opinions on it.
Anonymous said on 08 September 2011 at 6:29am:
I do agree that researchers play an important part in our society. Just like other professions, they also have their own set of motivations that help them pursue their research. This not only happen in UK though the case study was being conducted there, but also in the whole world. Mike Dillard review also conducted interviews, discussions and reviews regarding this matter.
Anonymous said on 10 May 2011 at 11:45am:
In the global world that we live, day-in day-out new things occur and happen, and without findings with clear researching one might be ignorant. And this call for evrybody researching but not only commenting on one’s research. Please never mind i also see this to be an interesting one of course.
Charles Kerryson.
Anonymous said on 22 April 2011 at 8:17am:
Researchers are driven by a need to improve our knowledge and understanding of the planet we inhabit, and also to communicate their findings to others. But both governments along with other funders are increasingly thinking about demonstrating the social and economic returns from their investments in research, and in assessing research performance. The many various criteria for achievement, and also the lack of any consensus how success ought to be assessed or measured, however, imply that researchers often Sensa reviews discover themselves in receipt of confused or conflicting messages. And they’re taken in various directions in deciding which channels of communication they should adopt.
Anonymous said on 01 April 2011 at 4:51pm:
Here was a lot of new information for me about researchers, I sometimes wondered why so keen to tell about their research.
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Anonymous said on 24 January 2011 at 9:50pm:
In the past 20 years our world has rocketed into a realm of instantly available knowledge and information. At the click of a couple buttons, or even with a simple text, we can be given every piece of pertinent information on any given subject. I understand how these researchers must feel. Do they publish their work where they will receive the most peer attention, where they will be assured to get the information to the masses or to get the most attention for reposts and retweets? Unfortunately I don’t think there is a “right” answer, but as peers and researchers alike begin to expand their view of what constitutes a “peer reviewed article” this information will in turn find it’s way to more and more people.
Carly S.
hcm
Anonymous said on 13 November 2010 at 6:54pm:
I have to agree with the other posters. Really eye opening report, thanks for sharing!
Anonymous said on 13 November 2010 at 6:53pm:
Really eye opening report, thanks for sharing!
Anonymous said on 09 November 2010 at 2:56pm:
A research on why researchers share their research. Hmmm, very interesting.
Anonymous said on 02 November 2010 at 2:34am:
I found this report extremely eye opening, thank you so much for putting this up.
James
Anonymous said on 19 October 2010 at 9:30am:
Well the report was 100% authentic and as per fact of society. at least now it is the time to come front and do something for others
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