Obstacles to Scholarly Publishing in the Social Sciences and Humanities: A Case Study of Vietnamese Scholars

Authors : Phuong Dzung Pho, Thi Minh Phuong Tran

Publishing scientific research is very important in contributing to the knowledge of a discipline and in sharing research findings among scientists. Based on the quantity and quality of publications, one can evaluate the research capacity of a researcher or the research performance of a university or a country.

However, the number of quality publications in Vietnam is very low in comparison with those in the other countries in the region or in the world, especially in the fields of social sciences and humanities.

Employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the current study investigates university lecturers’ attitudes towards research and publication and the obstacles to local and international publication at one of the main universities in social sciences and humanities in Vietnam.

The study found the main barriers to publication are funding and time for research and publication, among many other obstacles. From the analysis of the data, the study would also argue that lecturers’ obstacles to publication may vary across faculties (or disciplines), ages, qualifications, education, research and publication experience.

The findings in this study may be applied to other institutions in Vietnam or in other countries where English is used as a foreign language.

URL : Obstacles to Scholarly Publishing in the Social Sciences and Humanities: A Case Study of Vietnamese Scholars

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/publications4030019

Research Data Sharing and Reuse Practices of Academic Faculty Researchers: A Study of the Virginia Tech Data Landscape

Author : Yi Shen

This paper presents the results of a research data assessment and landscape study in the institutional context of Virginia Tech to determine the data sharing and reuse practices of academic faculty researchers.

Through mapping the level of user engagement in “openness of data,” “openness of methodologies and workflows,” and “reuse of existing data,” this study contributes to the current knowledge in data sharing and open access, and supports the strategic development of institutional data stewardship.

Asking faculty researchers to self-reflect sharing and reuse from both data producers’ and data users’ perspectives, the study reveals a significant gap between the rather limited sharing activities and the highly perceived reuse or repurpose values regarding data, indicating that potential values of data for future research are lost right after the original work is done.

The localized and sporadic data management and documentation practices of researchers also contribute to the obstacles they themselves often encounter when reusing existing data.

URL : Research Data Sharing and Reuse Practices of Academic Faculty Researchers: A Study of the Virginia Tech Data Landscape

Alternative location : http://www.ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/article/view/10.2.157

State of Data Guidance in Journal Policies: A Case Study in Oncology

Author: Deborah H. Charbonneau, Joan E. Beaudoin

This article reports the results of a study examining the state of data guidance provided to authors by 50 oncology journals. The purpose of the study was the identification of data practices addressed in the journals’ policies.

While a number of studies have examined data sharing practices among researchers, little is known about how journals address data sharing. Thus, what was discovered through this study has practical implications for journal publishers, editors, and researchers.

The findings indicate that journal publishers should provide more meaningful and comprehensive data guidance to prospective authors. More specifically, journal policies requiring data sharing, should direct researchers to relevant data repositories, and offer better metadata consultation to strengthen existing journal policies.

By providing adequate guidance for authors, and helping investigators to meet data sharing mandates, scholarly journal publishers can play a vital role in advancing access to research data.

URL : State of Data Guidance in Journal Policies: A Case Study in Oncology

Alternative location : http://www.ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/article/view/10.2.136

Coût des publications : propositions concrètes. L’exemple des Annales de l’institut Fourier

Créées en 1949, les Annales de l’institut Fourier (aif) sont une revue internationale en mathématiques fondamentales gérée par l’institut Fourier, à Grenoble. Forte d’un haut niveau d’exigence, elle reçoit chaque année environ 300 soumissions et publie entre 80 et 90 articles, dans six fascicules, ce qui représente un peu plus de 2700 pages.

Les soumissions des jeunes chercheurs, en particulier français, sont particulièrement appréciées. La revue est un des fleurons du laboratoire et constitue une vitrine scientifique internationale.

Elle compte ainsi parmi les membres de son comité de rédaction deux femmes (Maryam Mirzakhani et Christine Lescop) et deux lauréats de la médaille Fields (Maryam Mirzakhani et Stanislas Smirnov).

Comme nous allons le voir, la revue a toujours suivi le fonctionnement d’une revue académique « classique ». En 2015, les aif ont fait le choix du libre accès : comment cette évolution a-t-elle été possible ?

URL : http://smf4.emath.fr/Publications/Gazette/2016/147/smf_gazette_147_14-18.pdf

Assessment of and Response to Data Needs of Clinical and Translational Science Researchers and Beyond

Objective and Setting

As universities and libraries grapple with data management and “big data,” the need for data management solutions across disciplines is particularly relevant in clinical and translational science (CTS) research, which is designed to traverse disciplinary and institutional boundaries.

At the University of Florida Health Science Center Library, a team of librarians undertook an assessment of the research data management needs of CTS researchers, including an online assessment and follow-up one-on-one interviews.

Design and Methods

The 20-question online assessment was distributed to all investigators affiliated with UF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and 59 investigators responded. Follow-up in-depth interviews were conducted with nine faculty and staff members.

Results

Results indicate that UF’s CTS researchers have diverse data management needs that are often specific to their discipline or current research project and span the data lifecycle. A common theme in responses was the need for consistent data management training, particularly for graduate students; this led to localized training within the Health Science Center and CTSI, as well as campus-wide training.

Another campus-wide outcome was the creation of an action-oriented Data Management/Curation Task Force, led by the libraries and with participation from Research Computing and the Office of Research.

Conclusions

Initiating conversations with affected stakeholders and campus leadership about best practices in data management and implications for institutional policy shows the library’s proactive leadership and furthers our goal to provide concrete guidance to our users in this area.

URL : Assessment of and Response to Data Needs of Clinical and Translational Science Researchers and Beyond

Alternative location : http://escholarship.umassmed.edu/jeslib/vol5/iss1/2/

Les pratiques de recherche documentaire, de publication et de diffusion scientifique des productions de la recherche à l’Université Paris-Sud : questionnaire à destination des chercheurs, enseignants-chercheurs et doctorants

Il s’agit de l’analyse détaillée des réponses à une enquête en ligne à destination des chercheurs, enseignants-chercheurs et doctorants de l’université Paris-Sud sur leurs pratiques de recherche documentaire, de publication et d’archivage de leurs productions scientifiques.

Cette enquête a été réalisée du 3 février au 7 avril 2015 dans le cadre du projet du Schéma Directeur numérique de l’université Paris-Sud de réservoir des productions de la recherche à des fins d’archivage systématique, de diffusion et de valorisation.

URL : Les pratiques de recherche documentaire, de publication et de diffusion scientifique des productions de la recherche à l’Université Paris-Sud

Alternative location : http://archivesic.ccsd.cnrs.fr/hal-01292693v1

De l’usage des revues juridiques dématérialisées : A propos des interactions entre TIC et recherche juridique

Si la réussite d’une revue juridique se traduit tant par la diversité des thématiques abordées et de ses auteurs que par l’actualité des propos, force est de reconnaître que sa longévité est un critère tout aussi pertinent. Une existence qui doit essentiellement sa pérennité à l’investissement originel de ses créateurs et continu de ses contributeurs.

Il faut avouer que le support dématérialisé évince toute contrainte financière substantielle pour une revue et que l’accès libre aux articles (le fameux open-access) facilite grandement la diffusion des travaux de recherche. La revue Neptunus du Centre de Droit Maritime et Océanique de l’Université de Nantes a ainsi été précurseur dans la diffusion des idées sans contrainte matérielle ou financière.

D’ailleurs, quelques années après sa création en 1994, des prises de position et des appels en ce sens, hors de nos frontières nationales, initient une réflexion, désormais ancrée dans toutes les politiques d’innovation et de recherche…

URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01288752