This document summarizes a discussion between librarians, publishers, and early career researchers about challenges in social science research. Key findings include the need to improve search skills training for researchers, promote library resources on publisher platforms, and provide more transparency around journal inclusion. Participants also discussed how libraries and publishers can work together to demonstrate the value of research to institutions through metrics beyond usage statistics. Finally, ways to improve open access funding and teaching materials were discussed.

1. Supporting effective communication and
workflows in social science research:
summary of a group discussion
Charleston Conference Session, Nov 2011
Bernie Folan
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2. What’s happened and why
 Conversations with various librarians about challenges they face
 Librarians explaining greater need for librarians and researchers to
talk, with publishers listening
 Informal roundtable discussion chaired by SAGE, facilitated by the
RIN (Research Information Network), librarians and social science
early career researchers (6-8 of each)
 Article published in Serials July 2011 summarising key finding
 Survey developed to test response to the challenges uncovered
 Charleston Feedback Session Nov 11
 UKSG Feedback Session Apr 2012
 Next...
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3. Problems in the discovery, use and creation of
research material
Key Findings
 A need to combat reliance on narrow discovery methods and
misunderstanding of search tools by some experienced researchers
who are supervising doctoral students.
 Browsing outside discipline is essential, but it is now a predominantly
search culture.
 A need to improve adoption of search and browse skills training
amongst all researchers and appoint institutional advocates.
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4. Problems in the discovery, use and creation
of research material (continued)
 Greater transparency is needed on service inclusion and overlap
between widely-used services and gateways (for both researchers and
librarians).
 Library branding needs greater prominence on publisher platforms to
highlight library value
 Education on OA funding mechanics is needed at senior level in
universities.
 Institutions with devolved budgeting need improved systems to
purchase cross-disciplinary material as well as fund OA submissions.
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5. What librarians and researchers need from each
other to improve research workflows
 A need for greater attendance of librarians at departmental
subject meetings and other fora to better understand researcher
needs and concerns.
 A need to explain the mechanics of content purchasing and its
challenges to researchers.
 Explanation of senior financial managers on agreed common
themes (eg. finer detail of usage analysis) is required to avoid
misunderstandings.
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6. How can librarians and publishers work together
to demonstrate value and impact of research
material on their institutional strategic goals
 Institutions require institutional-level data reporting, beyond usage
statistics, (e.g. author numbers, usage patterns of institutionally
generated research, and effects of purchased material on research)
 Institutions can be poor at knowing and valuing what they have, for
example PhD numbers.
 It is essential, though challenging, for authors to demonstrate the
impact of their research beyond academia.
 There is a need for a single robust and universal academic ID and profile
site. Numerous initiatives in existence, but there needs to be one
solution that can be tied into academic appraisal and help showcase
institutional output.
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7. Resources beyond scholarly articles and
chapters for research and output
 Researchers are using a wide variety of alternative research
resources, from blogs and Twitter to Listserves.
 Libraries could optimize use and generate more revenue from their
special collections and archives and market them better beyond
niche research circles.
 To differing degrees, and dependent on discipline, researchers are
contributing beyond journal articles and book chapters. Mostly they
are observing a careful balance between openness and traditional
publishing.
 Some librarians now get ALL of their professional information from
blogs and Twitter.
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8. Institutional mechanisms for funding open
access in the humanities and social science
 Increased lobbying of Research Councils and other bodies required to
make funding available and access to it transparent in Social Sciences
 Improved education about OA funding is needed at senior levels to
ensure facilities are in place.
 Greater education around what OA means and how it works is needed
by researchers at all levels – many are unsure and are confusing ‘open’
with ‘free’.
 Greater efforts to persuade ‘big names’ to publish in newer OA outlets
are essential to move things along in favour of OA as a valid concept in
the humanities and social sciences.
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9. The library’s evolving role in providing
teaching material alongside research content
 Teaching materials should be available within the institutional network
not at an outside link.
 E-textbooks and e-books are still too expensive and DRM issues stand
in the way of success.
 There is a wide variance in the sophistication of reading list support
tools and practices in use. Reading list compilation provides many
challenges. Good practice needs to be more widespread with systems
put in place to combat bad practice.
 Higher education IT departments are often in institutional silos. They
could work together to find solutions to challenges with more creation
and sharing of open source programming solutions.
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10. Have your say....
SURVEY
http://bit.ly/SocSciSurvey
ARTICLE (PDF)
http://bit.ly/SocSciArticle
Bernie Folan
SAGE, London
Email: bernie.folan@sagepub.co.uk
Twitter: @berniefolan
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/berniefolan Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
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