Publisher's Synopsis
Recent decades have seen a massive increase in the amount of scientific research worldwide, in the quantity of information available and in the channels of communication. This growth, coupled with financial limitations on the academic community, is leading to recognizable strains and difficulties for scientists and information providers. For example researchers are unable to keep aware of all current published work in their area, and libraries have to limit journal holdings and thus restrict browsing. Increased emphasis on citation ratings and the need to provide researchers with training in new information retrieval methods add to the pressures on practising scientists.;Even greater changes can be foreseen in the near future - access in the developed world to high-speed data networks (such as SuperJANET in the UK), developments in the storage, retrieval and reading of computer-held material, changing technology and economics of print-on-paper publishing, growing availability of "instant" document delivery systems, and greater emphasis on cost-effectiveness of both researchers and libraries.;In order to assess the consequences of such changes for the information system and for researchers and research, The Royal Society, The British Library and The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers initiated a study of the STM information system. Their aim was to look at the system from the point of view of the practising researcher and what he or she needs in order to pursue research effectively. The study particularly addresses the changing economics of the information system and the need for training and education of users in new information sources.
