The Research Information Network, the Institute of Physics and the Royal Astronomical Society invite you to attend the launch of their report “Information Practices in the Physical Sciences” on 22 November at the Institute of Physics.
The report uses seven case studies to understand how researchers in the physical sciences find, access, use and share information. Centred around users of a resource, members of a department or participants within a research field, each case presents several viewpoints on the changing nature of research.
The study suggests that new technologies are widening access to information and making computation faster. But their effects upon researcher practice are more subtle, and there are interesting tensions between new behaviours and existing infrastructure. As technology enables bigger and broader collaborations, even including the general public, how can traditional publishing systems acknowledge the specific contribution of each collaborator? In the disciplines where pre-print archives have trumped Google Scholar as a first point of call for information, what is the future role of the library?
The Oxford Internet Institute, co-authors of the report, will address these and other questions at the event, followed by short discussions from three panellists. We will then open the floor for a Q&A session, and conclude with drinks and more informal discussion.
We hope that you will be able to join us, and look forward to seeing you there.
Senior Fellow
Eric T. Meyer is a Senior Fellow of the Oxford Internet Institute. His research looks at the changing nature of knowledge creation in science, medicine, social science, arts, and humanities as technology is embedded in everyday practices.
Former Research Fellow
Dr. Monica Bulger recently completed a Research Fellowship at the Oxford Internet Institute and is currently a consultant on child protection and digital media literacy for multi-national organisations including UNICEF and the BBC.