e-Research infrastructures and scientific communication - Ralph Schroeder - June 12 - IATUL 2007

Ralph Schroeder
Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford, UK
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/

e-Research infrastructures and scientific communication

Oxford e-Social Science Project

* Emergent Patterns in Scientific and Scholarly Communication

Background
* networks of tools and data shared by communities of researchers

Is e-Science a niche, or is it the new science (the new system of knowledge production).

Emerging Patterns
* Recognition of data as valid scientific outputs
* Fragmented communication system in relation nto e-Research
* Alternative models of dissemination by-pass traditional models

Components of Infrastructures and e-Research
* Policy
* Organizational and technical forces
* Everyday practices of researchers
* Openness
- various parts of the digital infrastructure ... should be able to interrelate in a flexible
and seamless way
- difficult to achieve in practice
- forms of openness still fluid

traditional distinction between tools and resources being blurred

Developing Countries
* levels of participation
- network
- scientific communication

DCs mostly not at cutting edge in uses of truly advanced networks

OA and IRs provide a level of participation for DCs in scientific communication

Challenge: consideration of how the developing world may be kept in line with e-Research
developments

Conclusions
* e-Research systems add a layer of complexity
* Making open systems extend to DCs involves a range of issues