Sharing Knowledge: Scientific Communication - SSOAR

Reflections on the Value Chain of Scientific
Information
Hans E. Roosendaal, Peter A. Th. M. Geurts 1
University of Twente, The Netherlands
Justification
This paper is a record of an invited presentation given at the IuK conference held
in March 2003 in Osnabrück. As such the paper cites freely from previous publications
of the authors, albeit sometimes in a different context resulting in some
different and new observations and conclusions. The reader will find these specifically
in chapter 4.2. The used citations are clearly marked in the text of this
paper.
Abstract
This paper discusses recent and possible future developments in the value chain
of scientific information under the influence of engines for change, such as the
use of ICT and developments in research and education.
The increasing use of ICT in information for research and education will further
the creation of institutional repositories at individual academic institutions
or at consortia of academic institutions. These repositories will store the
institution’s research information production in a way that is sustainable and leans
itself for direct distribution to other institutions around the world. These developments
have a major impact on the positions of all stakeholders in the value
chain. The establishment of institutional repositories by academic institutions
may well lead to a structural change from a high margin/low volume to a low
margin/high volume scientific information market.
It is argued that such a new value chain in scientific information is feasible, in
particular if the international developments in education are taken into the equation
and are fully grasped by the academic institutions. Such developments are
the introduction of the Bachelor-Master system in academic education throug-
1 Hans Roosendaal is professor of scientific information in the School of Business, Public
Administration and Technology, and in the Department of Computer Science. Peter Geurts
is methodologist and works at the School for Business, Public Administration and Technology.
This research is carried out in the Centre for Telematics and Information Technology
(CTIT).