Mapping the Scholarly Communication Landscape 2019 Census
Type: Authors/Editors: Zotero key: Date:
keywords: #scholcomm
Summary
Definition of Scholarly Communication Resource
The project team determined that for the purposes of this study, SCRs would be defined as organized groups building, offering, or using tools, platforms, and services in ways that enable active engagement and participation in the scholarly communication and publishing process. We intentionally included SCRs with both open and proprietary software code bases, for profit and nonprofit orientation, and a range of implementation models. Given the library-based project team’s desire to better understand the landscape of tools, platforms, and services with which they interact, we further defined SCRs as tools, platforms, and services that enable the library to actively engage, not as a user or conduit to users, but also as a contributor or conduit to contributions.
Conceptual Model
Impact
System-level
- Durable, scalable, and long lasting open scientific and scholarly infrastructure delivers benefits on a global scale
- Critical groundwork that will inform ecosystem-level work to strengthen scholarly infrastructure
SCR-level
- Healthy maturation through lifecycle stages
- Users/stakeholders can trust their investment in the SCR
- SCR contributes to the creation of a integrated, end-to-end, robust, sustainable infrastructure
Outcomes
Vision outcomes
- A strong vision and roadmap for growth, including:
- a well-defined identity
- user community-informed growth goals
- tracked progress against goals
- known relationship to adjacent work underway in the broader landscape
- Stakeholders (including funders, community members, and end users) are identified
- SCR goals and activities are aligned with stakeholder interests and needs
Infrastructure/design outcomes
- Technology is current and appropriate
- Technical debt is low
- There is a roadmap to avoid obsolescence
- Integration with other systems to allow for interoperability
- Optional/won’t apply to all SCRs
- Data/content produced by the SCR is secure and available for long-term use
- Optional/won’t apply to all SCRs
Admin/finance/HR outcomes
- Cost of operations is known
- Fiscal and organizational models and sustainability planning are appropriate
- SCR has adequate financial and staff resources
- Financial resources are appropriately matched to function (stable funding for ongoing operations, term-limited funding for term-limited projects)
- SCR is fiscally transparent and includes appropriate checks and balances
- Paid staff are adequately supported (e.g. through training) and appropriately evaluated
Engagement outcomes
- Efficient, systematic communication keeps SCR stakeholders well informed about developments, activities, and needs
- Stakeholders understand and articulate the goals and work of the SCR, its growth trajectory, and the ROI they receive from it
- Stakeholders from different groups are aligned in their understanding and activities related to the SCR
- Stakeholders have channels through which to engage with the SCR; opportunities and expectations for engagement are clear; stakeholder engagement is valued and contributions are recognized
Governance outcomes
- Decision-making processes are clearly defined and well-informed by data and stakeholder needs/input
- Decision-making processes are transparent and stakeholders understand how decisions are made
- Checks and balances are in place to ensure accountability to stakeholders