Introduction

In this chapter we intend to provide a summary of current issues within the research community that are of particular relevance to library and information services. This chapter should be read in parallel with Chapter 3. The latter considers researchers and the nature of research; this chapter looks at policy issues at the interface between research activities and the library and information domain.

Issues facing researchers in the current higher education environment are many and varied. Those highlighted here include ideas relating to scholarly communications, academic freedom, financial interests, ethical issues, freedom of information and knowledge transfer. The lastmentioned has implications for the research–teaching nexus, covered in Chapter 3: knowledge transfer approaches and activities occur within and across institutions and across disciplines. Knowledge transfer does not just focus on research and research-related knowledge but also links to the teaching and extension missions of higher education institutions (HEIs). Other important issues affecting researchers are workforce planning, performance management and the position of contract research staff, which is also discussed in that chapter.

Scholarly communication

What is the main reason for academic publication? Is it truly scholarly communication? Is it to satisfy the RAE, to gain promotion or tenure? Job opportunities, tenure, promotion, rewards and recognition tend to be dependent on the attention received by papers which researchers publish and therefore impact can be more important than royalties (Cronin and Overfelt, 1995; Walker, 2002). It is clear that for the researchers that we interviewed communication was a critical element of their research activities, making their work available and engaging in scholarly debates. Equally, as tenure decisions and careers are based on publication, researchers must publish.

The RAE has had a substantial impact on the nature of academic publishing and academic careers, but it has not been the only driver in changing our focus on scholarly communication. Slow dissemination of research results via scholarly journals coupled with serials pricing issues and easier access to technology have encouraged the emergence of alternative publication models in the form of e-prints and self archiving. An e-print is ‘a digital duplicate of an academic research paper that is made available online as a way of improving access to the paper’ (Swan et al., 2005).