Government and research policy guide from the RIN

Government and research policy in the UK: an introduction

Describes the nature, roles and responsibilities of the different Government bodies involved in research policy and funding, and the relationships between them. We hope that it will help researchers and others to understand how policy is made and implemented in key areas such as research infrastructure, career development for researchers and funding.

RIN ejournal online survey - Amazon vouchers

Researchers at University College London are undertaking a major study on the use of e-journals at a number of universities, including the University of Edinburgh. The first phase of the study analysed usage data from the ScienceDirect and Oxford Journals databases, and the results raised a number of interesting questions as to how scholars seek and use information.

The next phase examines user behaviour in more detail, focussing on the following subject areas:

-Chemical Engineering
-Chemistry
-Earth sciences (geology, geophysics, planetary sciences)
-Economics
-History
-Life sciences (including agricultural, veterinary and biological)
-Physics

If you are carrying out research in any of these subject areas we hope you will be able to complete a short (10 to 15 minutes) online survey. There is a prize draw for Amazon vouchers......

Direct to the survey:

Intermediate Edinburgh University Library information page

Closes end of November.

RIN - advice on paying open access publication charges

Research Information Network and Universities UK have produced a new guide to provide advice on paying open access publication charges: that is, fees levied by some journals for the publication of scholarly articles so that they can be made available free of charge to readers, immediately upon publication.

Paying for open access publication charges: Guidance for higher education and research institutions, publishers and authors

The guide also sets out recommendations for universities and other research institutions, publishers, research funders, and authors.

JISC have also published a report on the economics of open access publishing:
Economic Implications of Alternative Scholarly Publishing Models Exploring the costs and benefits

Research Information Networks' briefing on scholarly journals in the current financial climate

An outline of three points of pressure on academic library's budgets and what they mean for a University's community are given in:
The Research Information Networks' briefing on scholarly journals in the current financial climate

For an Edinburgh University Library perspective, see Papers 3a and 3c of:
the Library Committee meeting on 11th February 2009.

Ensuring a bright future for research libraries - launch event

The Research Information Network (RIN) is holding an event to launch a new guidance booklet, "Ensuring a bright future for research libraries: A guide for vice-chancellor and senior institutional managers" in London on the evening of 18 November.

The report will be launched by Professor Robert Burgess, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leciester and the RIN's Director, Michael Jubb will discuss the framework the guidance provides in terms of ensuring library and information services keep up with the changing needs of researchers.

The briefing document for the guidance is available from here. The full guidance and case studies will be available after the launch event.