The Evolution of Scientific Publishing

Abstract

Scientific publishing is undergoing rapid change. A new generation of users is having an impact on how research is being disseminated. Whereas interdisciplinary approaches are becoming more prevalent in research, specialized journals continue to be launched by academic publishers and requested by scientists. There are budget implications to these challenges. Libraries are being forced to respond to these changes by embracing new modes of dissemination of scholarship. As research funders introduce policies requiring public access to research outputs scientists are also coming to realize that they have a role to play in creating change in the wider communication of science. In this presentation I will cover the evolution of scientific publishing, describe how libraries are responding to constraints in the present system and evaluate emerging trends which are destined to have an impact on the future of scholarly communication.