Technical Infrastructure and Policy Framework for Maximising the Benefits from Research Output

Electronic publishing is one part of a much larger process. There is a research lifecycle from creation of a programme for funded research through research proposals, projects, outputs (including publications), exploitation (both for further scholarly work and for commercial or quality of life benefits) and creation of the next programme. Throughout this lifecycle information is the lifeblood; publications are used and created at all stages. The vision proposed brings together electronic research publications with associated datasets and software all contextualised by a CRIS (Current Research Information System) which provides information on projects, persons, organisational units, outputs (products, patents, publications), events, facilities, equipment and much more. Via the CRIS, research output can be linked to financial, project management and human resource data: indeed finally the cost of production of a publication can be compared against its benefit. Realising the vision requires advanced IT architectures including GRIDs and ambient computing. Against this vision current debates about subscription-based publishing and gold author-pays open access publishing, about grey literature and green open access self-archiving can be regarded with clarity and objectivity. The way ahead is clear: funders of research should mandate green self-archiving for the benefit of research and of the twin beneficial consequences: wealth creation and improvement in the quality of life. These benefits far outweigh any shortterm benefits from the publishing industry in profits or tax-take. There is still plenty of market opportunity for publishers and their doomsday predictions are unsustainable.