[Dubai, 14 August 2023] – Zendy has signed a global licensing agreement with Bristol University Press, an academic publisher known for its commitment to advancing research and knowledge dissemination. The agreement will allow Zendy users to access academic resources from Bristol University Press across social sciences and aligned disciplines.
Bristol University Press has built a reputation for publishing world-class research that addresses pressing global challenges and contributes to the advancement of social sciences. Their dedication to inclusive knowledge aligns seamlessly with Zendy’s mission to make quality academic content accessible to individuals, researchers, and students regardless of geographical boundaries.
“We are excited to partner with Bristol University Press to offer our users a more diverse selection of research on our platform,” said Zendy Co-founder Kamran Kardan. “This collaboration underlines our commitment to connecting researchers, students, and knowledge enthusiasts with top-tier academic content, fostering collaboration and learning on a global scale.”
This announcement comes as Zendy continues to forge partnerships with prominent academic publishers to expand its content library and cater to diverse user interests. Zendy recently announced a series of new partnerships with IntechOpen,IEEE,IT Governance Publishing, and IGI Global.
The partnership with Bristol University Press reinforces Zendy’s dedication to nurturing a global academic community and making scholarly resources accessible to all.
About Zendy: Zendy is a product of Knowledge E. Since its inception in 2019, Zendy has connected over 200,000 users to academic journals, proceedings, articles, e-books, and more. Zendy is on a mission to make academic literature more affordable and accessible for students, researchers, and professionals worldwide. Zendy was awarded Best Startup – Education at the Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2022. To learn more, visit www.zendy.io.
About Bristol University Press: Bristol University Press is an academic publisher committed to publishing high-quality research that addresses global challenges and contributes to various disciplines. The press is known for its commitment to open access and the dissemination of knowledge for the betterment of society. To learn more visit, bristoluniversitypress.co.uk.
In the age of boundless information and technological advancement, the landscape of academia has seen a significant emergence of digital libraries. As the digital frontier expands, so does the potential of these databases to cater to the evolving requirements of scholars, researchers, and students worldwide. In this blog post, we explore the remarkable growth and purpose behind digital research libraries, unearthing how they are reshaping the way we access, curate, and interact with information in our pursuit of wisdom and understanding.
By definition, digital libraries provide readers with online access to a wide range of resources; these platforms are often utilised by researchers and students to track the latest breakthroughs, discoveries and developments within their respective disciplines. The true appeal of digitised libraries is their ever-evolving nature, from multimedia content to data visualisation tools; digitised information and research have significantly advanced content consumption in the sphere of academia.
Benefits of Digital Libraries
Accessibility
Digital research libraries can provide access to rare and out-of-print materials paired with features that are designed for user convenience such as advanced search filters, AI-powered tools and generated citations. Furthermore, the range of resources is not only limited to books but expands to journal articles, magazine & newspaper articles, case studies, reports and much more. Digital libraries expand the reach of academic research because accessibility is not limited to specific locations, unlike traditional libraries.
Preservation of Materials
Digitising older academic research ensures the preservation of fragile and rare materials. Traditional libraries hold materials that are vulnerable to physical deterioration and digitised libraries allow these materials to be protected from handling and environmental damage over time.
Personalisation
Digital libraries are engineered with intelligent algorithms that recommend and filter content tailored to your research consumption patterns, search history and discipline. This allows for easier navigation across vast databases to find academic research relevant to your study area.
Collaborative Learning
Some digital library databases are designed with social media-like features that allow researchers to review research papers and join communities. The integration of these features allows for collaboration between researchers which demonstrates their information literacy, and digital skills while also expanding researcher network and impact.
Single Sign In
Digital libraries provide access to a wide range of scholarly literature through a single pair of credentials rather than searching and accessing them separately within traditional libraries.
Impact of Digital Research Libraries on Research & Education
Digital research libraries have had a significant impact on advancing research culture in higher education as these databases aid in understanding intellectual growth, research productivity, planning and identification of research that could be in demand; allowing students and researchers to bridge the gaps quickly. Furthermore, The fast access to resources accompanied by powerful research tools will enable researchers to be efficient and thorough with their secondary research.
The digitisation of educational materials has also increased technological literacy through immersive and interactive learning modules. Through this digitisation, students and researchers have been at the forefront of these platforms’ development; the aspect of increased accessibility comes from not only worldwide access but also student and institutional discounts. Digital research libraries have had an imperative impact on the open-access movement in the academic realm due to the way in which they have escalated accessibility, inclusivity and affordability.
Challenges of Digital Research Libraries
Copyright agreements – this is a long and expensive process that requires technological libraries to navigate complex legal issues and it can result in the library not obtaining all the required resources.
Resource management – a digitised library has to ensure that the content available on its website has adequate discoverability and organisational structure that is both intuitive and user-friendly.
Technological infrastructure – these technological libraries have to invest significantly to establish accurate and standardised metadata which requires skilled staff
Quality Control – to digitise and disseminate academic research, the library would have to also invest in a team of experts to ensure the accuracy of digitally translated research.
Future of Digital Research Libraries
In 2013, Emerald Insights predicted digital research libraries will offer access to large databases. As of 2023, there has been significant growth in the number of digital libraries and their evolving offerings. Moving forward, academia and digitised libraries are expected to technologically evolve by integrating AI automation to ease the consumption of information. Moreover, there may be a rise in the integration of AR & VR methods to enable immersive learning and provide interactive content to better aid visual learners and researchers.
Furthermore, with the current growth of online learning platforms, the realm of research may witness an increase in partnerships between digital libraries and online learning tools to provide an array of resources seamlessly. Additionally, open access resources will play an essential role, because libraries that offer open access alternatives usually generate more traffic and disseminate content on a larger scale.
The most crucial role digitised libraries may arguably play in the future is enhancing global collaboration and interoperability, allowing research communities to share resources and insights on a global scale, potentially bringing institutions together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of Digital Libraries for students?
The main advantage of digital libraries from a student’s perspective is not being tied down to one specific library or location. Students can access academic research from anywhere in the world through a few clicks, this also eases the process of researching by developing content discoverability; students can find resources much quicker. Furthermore, digital libraries aid students’ technological literacy.
What is the primary purpose of Digital Libraries?
The primary purpose of digital libraries is to disseminate content faster and easier, while also providing global access to rare and out-of-print materials. The digitisation of academic research has allowed the general global population and research communities to collaborate and share scientific research easily.
Discover an array of academic resources now on Zendy where you can research worry-free.
Sick of wasting hours jumping between databases trying to find relevant research papers? Discover Zendy, the fastest and easiest way to discover over 85 million academic resources on one intuitive platform.
While research brings valuable discoveries, the very process of research discoverability can be considered challenging. Needing to access an array of databases and being met with paywalls and other restrictions can cause a researcher’s productivity to significantly decline. We value your time as a student, researcher, professor and lifelong learner hence we’ve built an intuitive platform that is an easy and effective method of conducting research. Zendy houses millions of journal articles, books and proceedings across a wide range of disciplines that are all accessible for free.
Undoubtedly, the open access movement has made significant strides in the world of research and academia. However, it is still challenging to locate relevant research papers across a number of open access databases and libraries without accessing a number of third-party websites. On Zendy, locating relevant research is not only simple but also quick. The platform utilises advanced filtering and intelligent search algorithms to deliver personalised search results.
Furthermore, the academic online library is designed with specific features to make locating, reading and consuming research much easier. Zendy’s latest AI-powered features which are summarisation and key phrase highlighting, have both been implemented to efficiently give readers a gist of the lengthy and informative research papers. It doesn’t stop there, Zendy also provides reading, favorites, and history lists to ease the process of re-locating previously visited research papers.
As an academic library, Zendy deeply recognises the importance of quality research that is available and accessible for students, researchers and professionals. In the current sphere of misinformation, evidence-based research is imperative for informed decision-making. We aim to make this simple, our academic library houses research content across all major disciplines within journals, proceedings, e-books, articles and much more.
To promote and implement equality in the field of research, building easier access to scientific research is important. Moreover, creating and maintaining legal gateways to access research is beneficial for readers and researchers alike, this not only boosts the reach of the study but also allows for significant improvement with key contributions from emerging regions. Zendy stands as a safe and legal gateway to provide access to scientific research to anyone, anywhere.
[United Arab Emirates, June, 2023] – Zendy, the AI-powered digital research library, has a global licensing agreement with IT Governance Publishing, a leading provider of books on information technology, cybersecurity, and governance.
As the demand for access to quality research continues to grow, Zendy is providing a solution to help promote a more equitable access model for individuals who are not associated with an institutional library.
With a vast collection of scholarly literature, Zendy strives to help publishers increase the visibility of their content to a growing audience of over 170,000 registered users from 162 countries.
IT Governance Publishing is known for its extensive portfolio of books focusing on information technology, cybersecurity, data protection, and governance best practices. This partnership will see IT Governance’s titles added to Zendy’s research library, enhancing the platform’s diverse range of content.
“Zendy is committed to providing users with the most comprehensive and diverse collection of research material possible,” said Zendy Co-founder, Kamran Kardan. “We are thrilled to partner with IT Governance and make their publications available to our users. Partnerships enable our mission to democratise access to knowledge, bridging the gap between researchers, students, and professionals globally. Through increased accessibility, we strive to reduce inequalities and empower individuals to drive innovation and make a lasting impact on society.”
“When I first met the team at Zendy and they explained what they had planned, I knew the importance of partnering with them, their mission is something that I believe is a great opportunity to grow equality around the world,” said IT Governance Publishing Relations Manager, Andreas Chrysostomou.
In today’s interconnected world, accessing diverse perspectives and research from across the globe is paramount. By providing a platform that transcends borders, Zendy ensures that users from different countries and regions can benefit from a wide range of scholarly resources, fostering a rich and inclusive learning environment.
Zendy is a product of Knowledge E. Since its inception in 2019, Zendy has connected over 170,000 users to academic journals, proceedings, articles, e-books, and more. Zendy is on a mission to make academic literature more affordable and accessible for students, researchers, and professionals worldwide. Zendy was awarded Best Startup – Education at the Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2022.
About IT Governance Publishing
IT Governance Publishing is a leading provider of books, training, and consultancy services in the fields of information technology, cybersecurity, and governance. With a comprehensive range of resources authored by industry experts, IT Governance Publishing supports individuals and organisations in enhancing their IT performance, managing risk, and complying with relevant regulations.
The SJR (Scimago Journal Rank) is a metric that measures the prestige and impact of scientific journals. It is based on the concept of prestige transfer via citation links. Developed by the Scimago Lab, the metric ranks journals based on the citations received by their articles and the SJR scores of the citing journals. The SJR metric considers not only the total number of citations but also the quality of the citing journals as the subject field, quality and reputation of the journal have a direct effect on the citation of SJR.
A higher SJR score indicates that a journal has received more citations from other prestigious journals, signifying a higher level of influence and impact within the scientific community. However, the Scimago Journal Rank is just one of many metrics utilised to evaluate the quality and impact of scientific journals, and it should be considered alongside other measures such as the impact factor, h-index, and expert opinion when assessing the significance of a journal.
Why should you utilise SJR?
The Scimago Journal Rank is a public resource, meaning no subscription is needed to access and view any journal’s rank or score. SJR covers all disciplines, taking into account all relevant aspects of a journal tailored to the subject area. Moreover, the rankings are optimised to factor in the differences in citation behaviour between disciplines. It can be argued that SJR is a well-rounded metric, here are some key benefits of utilising it:
Evaluate journal quality
SJR provides a quantitative measure of the prestige and impact of scientific journals. The score considers both the number of citations received by a journal and the quality of the citing journal. By utilising SJR, you can easily assess the relative importance and influence of different journals within a discipline.
Identify influential journals
SJR scores journals based on their impact and visibility within the scientific community. The score can identify the most influential journals in your area of research, allowing you to target your publications to maximise their impact and reach.
Compare journals within a field
SJR provides a comprehensive comparison of different journals within a discipline. You can assess the standing and ranks of journals based on their SJR scores and determine which ones are more widely recognised by the scientific community.
Benchmark research output
SJR also provides rankings at national and institutional levels. It can assist in benchmarking the research output of different countries or institutions, enabling you to assess their scientific productivity.
Stay updated on scientific trends
By regularly consulting SJR, you can keep track of the evolving landscape of scientific journals, including emerging journals, new research areas, and trends within your field of interest.
How is SJR calculated?
The SJR (Scimago Journal Rank) is calculated using a methodology that counts the number of citations a journal receives. The source of citations is also taken into account; citations from prestigious citing journals. The steps involved in calculating the SJR score are:
Collection of data: The methodology is initiated by collecting data on citations from Scopus, which is a comprehensive bibliographic database of scientific literature.
Weighting citations: Each citation received by an article within the journal is weighted based on the importance of the citing journal. The methodology considers the SJR of the citing journal as an indicator of its prestige. Higher-ranked journals contribute more to the SJR score of the journal being evaluated.
Normalisation: To account for differences in citation practices between fields of study, the SJR algorithm implements a normalisation process. This process adjusts variations in citation patterns and citation potential across different disciplines.
Prestige of the citing journals: Journals that receive citations from more prestigious and influential journals are given higher weight in the calculation.
Journal self-citations: Self-citations, which are citations made by a journal to its own articles, are excluded from the SJR calculation. This ensures that self-referencing does not influence a journal’s SJR score.
Iterative calculation: The Scimago Journal Rank is calculated iteratively, taking into account the rank scores of the citing journals. This iterative process helps adjust the scores and establish a relative ranking of journals within specific subject categories.
What are the limitations of SJR?
While the SJR (Scimago Journal Rank) metric is widely used and provides valuable insights regarding the impact of scientific journals, it is important to consider its limitations. Some of the limitations of the SJR metric are:
Subjectivity of Journal Rankings
The rankings provided by SJR are based on algorithms that consider citation data and the prestige of citing journals. However, the determination of prestige is subjective and can vary across different research communities or disciplines. The choice of specific journals in the Scopus database can also have biases in the rankings.
Limited Coverage
SJR relies on the Scopus database for citation data, which may not include all journals across all disciplines. Certain fields or niche journals may be underrepresented in the database, leading to an incomplete representation of the research landscape.
Focus on Citations
SJR heavily relies on citation data as the primary focus of a journal’s impact. While citations can be a significant unit of measurement, they do not capture other aspects of a journal’s quality, such as editorial standards, scientific rigour, or societal impact. The metric does not assess factors like the published research’s novelty, originality, or practical applicability.
Time Lag
SJR scores are updated annually, which means there can be a time lag in reflecting the most recent developments and impact of journals. This delay may not capture the immediate influence of newly published research.
Field Normalisation Challenges
While the Scimago Journal Rank attempts to normalise citations across different fields, variations in citation practices and publishing patterns can still have biases. Certain disciplines may have higher citation rates due to their nature or popularity, leading to potential imbalances in the rankings.
Limited Transparency
The specific details of the algorithm used to calculate SJR scores, including the weighting and normalisation methods, are proprietary information and not publicly disclosed. This lack of transparency can make it difficult to fully understand and critique the metric.
What is the difference between Scimago Journal Rank and Journal Impact Factor?
The journal impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. It is used to measure the importance or rank of a journal by calculating the times its articles are cited. The calculation is based on a two-year period and involves dividing the number of times articles were cited by the number of articles that are citable.
The main differentiating point of SJR and Journal Impact Factor is that the Scimago Journal Rank measures prestige and Journal Impact Factor measures citation impact. Both metrics utilise citations to settle a journal’s score. Moreover, both metrics rely on different databases, SJR relies on Scopus while Journal Impact Factor relies on Journal Citation Reports (JCR), these well-reputed databases assist the algorithms with which each score is decided. Additionally, SJR scores are optimised to compare journals across disciplines while the journal impact factor is not; using this metric you may only compare journals within one discipline.
In conclusion, the Scimago Journal Rank is a valuable metric that determines the prestige of a specific journal. This article explored why as researchers, you should be utilising SJR and how it is calculated while highlighting the metric’s limitations. To help you gain a better understanding, the article also included a brief comparison between the Scimago Journal Rank and Journal Impact Factor. While SJR is arguably a well-rounded metric, it should not be the only method of analysis and should be considered along with other metrics and expert opinions to draw final conclusions about a specific journal.
Research is the systematic study of knowledge or information on a specific topic of interest. The advancement of technology we see in our world today across the fields of engineering, medicine, architecture, agriculture and more is possible because of the contribution of researchers. If you have a natural curiosity for exploring new ideas, a career in research might be the perfect fit for you. However, getting started in this field can seem daunting, as there are various paths you can take.
In this blog, we will guide you through the measures you can take to launch a career in the ever-growing field of research; we discuss everything from identifying your research interests to obtaining the necessary qualifications and exploring different job opportunities.
Educational Requirements to Have A Career in Research
A career in research is immensely beneficial for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers. The beauty of having a career in research is all the different branches of subjects that are open to exploration; scientific research and a plethora of commercial and public sector research are great examples of the variety. To excel in research, the key quality is to have knowledge and dedication towards your chosen specialism; since research is a field heavily associated with academia and education, a strong educational background is also required, you must have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree.
A career in research can also be obtained with just a bachelor’s degree. As you progress within your education, you may also climb up the career ladder within research, most positions in the field of research require a master’s degree and experience with research coursework.
Potential Jobs and Industries To Pursue
Launching a career in research opens doors across various industries like educational institutions, government institutions, industrial laboratories, corporate institutions, hospitals, insurance companies, private companies and industries. These fields can advance their policies, technology and progress because of the research conducted to find solutions and further improve practices.
Listed below are the positions you can take on to build your career in research.
Research Psychologist: As a researcher in psychology, you will be working across studies and research projects specialising in the study of human and animal behaviour. This area of study is usually beneficial to the health sector and experiments are typically conducted under the supervision of universities and relevant health organisations.
Medical Research Scientist: The field of medicine is always evolving. As a researcher in medicine, you will be tasked to develop medicinal cures for diseases; the responsibilities that come with this role are to plan, conduct, record & derive solutions from relevant experiments. This area of study is typically required in research institutions, hospitals, and government laboratories.
Biological Science Researcher: The field of biology leads you to discoveries and explorations that are directly connected to organisms. The scope of research within this field is to closely study the life cycle of organisms and find effective solutions to issues they may face. This area of study is usually utilised in government agencies.
Market Research Analyst: This role assesses consumer behaviour to analyse and predict the suitability of a product or service within the relevant market and demographic. This role also delves into the financial information of companies to analyse and derive profits and losses.
Agriculture and food scientist: This role is dedicated to researching methods to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural establishments and products. Agriculture and food scientists usually work in food manufacturing facilities, research & development in life sciences and universities and government entities.
Physical scientist: Specialising in sciences dedicated to non-living objects, physical scientists are involved in physics, chemistry, astronomy and geology. The research involved in these disciplines focuses on physical properties and energies. Physical scientists usually work in academic settings and private industry or research organisations.
Research mathematician: As a research mathematician, you would be involved in providing abstract theorems, and developing mathematical descriptions to interpret and predict real-life concepts. You would also be involved in the application of mathematical principles to identify key trends in data sets. This role presents the opportunity to pursue a particularly diverse range of pure and applied maths like algebra, combinatorics and numerical analysis to name a few. Research mathematicians usually work in research or commercial organisations.
Economic research analyst: The role of an economic research analyst is to review and analyse economic data to prepare reports detailing the results of executed research. This role also requires you to conduct surveys to determine and analyse occupational employment statistics, wage information, labour supply and demand, tax revenues, agriculture production and insurance and utility rate structures. Being an economic research analyst is a well-rounded role that is in demand in an array of sectors.
How can you conduct effective research within your discipline?
Conducting adequate research is a crucial skill for academics and professionals. The process of conducting research can be complex and time-consuming, requiring careful planning, attention to detail, and critical thinking skills. To execute effective research, you must be able to identify your research question or objective, locate and evaluate relevant sources, and synthesise information into a meaningful and coherent body of knowledge. However, to stay on top of the exchange of information and research within your area of study, you must implement the following practices and strategies:
Work on important problems
To build a successful career in research, it’s imperative to develop an acute sense of importance to assess which problems are worth solving. As conducting research is not simply answering a question, it is a deep exploration of all aspects of a single issue; with limited resources, the most pressing issue is awarded a solution. Furthermore, the research you take on builds your portfolio as a researcher. Addressing and working on important and prevailing issues gives noteworthy results that can improve your leverage as a researcher within your field.
Be welcoming to new issues
While researching a specific topic, as a researcher, you may encounter another issue that does not have as much research on it. It’s important to look for new questions and aspects of research within problem areas in your respective field as these are usually motivated by current affairs within the discipline. You will need to acquire the skill to explore something entirely new within an area of study, not only will this bring your research more visibility as it will give new insight and perspective but it will also be a topic that you explored first.
Know the literature
The best practice to stay informed within your discipline is to read the available academic literature. This will sharpen your ability to not only write your own research but also recognise which topics are emerging and what has been previously done. As a researcher, the best habit you can create for yourself is to read. Any research paper that is accessible to you will potentially provide not only new aspects of research to you but also become more knowledgeable of your discipline.
In conclusion, starting a career in research can be daunting, however, with these key strategies and roles; you can map out which sector and position your abilities and qualifications are best suited for. Due to research being an ever-growing field, there are endless discoveries to be made and with the growth of the open access movement; the field of research is becoming more diverse and open to the contribution of all relevant demographics.
Valuable scientific research papers are usually stored behind paywalls. Sci-Hub is a platform that emerged in 2011 as a means to ‘remove all barriers in science’ while the initiative and establishment of Sci-Hub made strides within the open access movement, various questions and concerns have been raised about piracy and intellectual rights infringements as well is how the future of research will be impacted. From individual authors and researchers to publishing giants, this blog presents a comprehensive framework of the strengths and limitations of platforms like Sci-Hub.
What is Sci-Hub?
Sci-Hub is a website that provides free access to scientific research papers and academic articles that are behind paywalls. It was founded by Alexandra Elbakyan in 2011, with the goal of making scientific knowledge accessible to anyone, regardless of their financial resources or institutional affiliations. The site uses proxy servers to bypass the paywalls of major scientific publishers and provide users with free access to articles that would otherwise require a paid subscription. The use of Sci-Hub is controversial, as it is illegal in many countries and has been the subject of lawsuits by major publishers. However, it has also gained a large following among researchers and scholars who see it as a way to access scientific research.
Why so many are attracted to Sci-Hub?
An eminent argument is that Sci-Hub disseminates scientific research papers within emerging regions globally, this is done with no restrictions and in an effort to enhance the accessibility of research. As an open access platform, the establishment of Sci-Hub adds pressure on publishers, libraries and databases alike to provide open access alternatives to level the field within academia.
Providing access to high-quality scientific research in emerging countries not only promotes equality within academia but also has the potential to increase the contribution from these countries and provide new perspectives and areas of study within research communities. Moreover, research papers are undoubtedly impacted positively by increased visibility and transparency.
Why is Sci-Hub controversial?
As Sci-Hub gains popularity, it is a controversial platform known to part-take in copyright infringement. The platform operates by providing free access to scientific research papers that are behind paywalls. By bypassing these restrictions, Sci-Hub has published and disseminated a vast collection of copyrighted material without the permission of publishers, making it a hub for copyright infringement.
Due to Sci-Hub operating outside the traditional publishing model and obtaining its content illegally, this flags significant quality control issues; without the peer review process and editorial supervision provided by reputable journals, there is a concern about the research being disseminated by Sci-Hub.
While Sci-Hub has gained popularity; Sci-Hub also does not provide key metrics. This impacts the revenue streams of publishers and individual authors as the metrics to track and produce credibility are not taken into account. This lost data has the potential to negatively impact current and future research communities. Metrics like downloads and citations are significant to assessing a researcher’s credibility and career, Sci-Hub does not allow researchers or readers to access this information which creates a roadblock for research communities to operate on reliable metrics.
Furthermore, Sci-Hub undermines traditional publishing methods. Due to the platform not relying on article fees and subscriptions; the platform cannot fund the dissemination of quality scientific research. While Sci-Hub’s mission is to increase accessibility, this can be challenging as the platform has been banned in several countries because of Sci-Hub’s illegal methods of obtaining content, it is worth mentioning that the platform has been accused of using email phishing methods and gaining access to 42 university databases. In addition, the research available on Sci-Hub is not reviewed or updated making the research old and less relevant.
What actions can the research industry take?
Undoubtedly, platforms like Sci-Hub exist because of the gaps present in the research sector. To discourage the use of illegal platforms like Sci-Hub, the research industry can take several significant actions, such as making research papers more affordable and widely available, improving the quality and scope of open access research papers, negotiating better deals with publishers, and substantially increasing public funding for research. Additionally, researchers can publish their work in open access journals or deposit their manuscripts in institutional repositories, which can make their work more accessible. An increase in awareness about the implications on the research community of using pirated content can also help discourage the use of sites like Sci-Hub by readers and learners.
In conclusion, the principle that Sci-Hub was built on is to grant access to emerging regions, low-income students and researchers to the world of scientific research. While this is an admirable foundation, the dismissal of the established processes in the industry is harmful to the future of researchers. To significantly reduce the usage of pirated platforms, all stakeholders in the publishing spectrum must work together to create and promote affordable and accessible models of dissemination.
Discover millions of journal articles, e-books, proceedings and so much more now on Zendy.
In the current data-driven era, the importance of analytics in academic research cannot be overstated. Analytics help determine editorial decisions and give publishers insight into how their publications are being consumed, making analytics an indispensable tool for researchers across both STEM and HSS fields. In this blog, we assess and explore how analytics enable researchers to extract insights and make evidence-based decisions while also considering the benefits and limitations of analytics within academic research.
Benefits of analytics
Analytics within academic research provides insight into how research papers are being utilised by readers, taking into account the platforms the research is being consumed on, the citations it receives and how it is being shared.
Analysing metrics relevant to academic research helps to identify author and reader behaviour. This results in informed editorial decisions, along with better
Analytics also allow academic research publishers to streamline their workflow by calculating submission and acceptance timelines. This also has the potential to depict and analyse peer-review times and provides a thorough analysis of the data mentioned within a manuscript submission.
Identifying the most cited research within a specific discipline can benefit authors’ own academic research with accurate sources from well-reputed journals and/or authors.
Consuming academic research from legal platforms which respect copyright guidelines aid publishers in collecting accurate data to produce and publish new academic research papers. Furthermore, this collection of data and metrics aids researchers advance within their careers as it helps establish researcher credibility through H-index scores and other metrics.
Drawbacks of analytics
The collection and analysis of reader data to depict usage and engagement can raise privacy concerns especially if personal details are also extracted.
The data collected within academic research can be biased or misinterpreted if not examined rigorously. For example, data on citations and downloads may not accurately convey the impact of research but rather the popularity of the author or journal.
The growth of analytics in academic research may create an overreliance on metrics. This can potentially shift the focus to trending topics and authors rather than original, relevant and impactful research.
Currently, there is no standard method for collecting and reporting analytical data within academic research. This lack of standardisation leaves room for misinterpretation, fabrication and biased numbers.
Platforms like Z-library, which provide free but illegal access to academic research and publications, pose a threat to the analytics used by publishers. Z Library bypasses traditional publishing by engaging in the unauthorised sharing of copyrighted content. It hosts digital copies of books without the explicit permission of the authors or publishers. This violates copyright laws and intellectual property rights. This can undermine the ability of publishers to make data-driven decisions about which articles to publish and promote, and can also affect the accuracy of analytics data. Which in turn affects the measurement of the true impact of academic research publications.
In conclusion, the growth of analytics within academic research is undeniable. While metrics allow publishers, authors and readers to depict how accurate their sources are and how well their research papers are performing, this comes at the cost of potential privacy concerns, fabrication of data and the lack of a standardised approach to collecting and reporting analytical data. However, investing time and resources to establish safe practices that produce accurate metrics can greatly benefit all parties involved in academic research; publishers can use this data to cater to readers by creating personalised lists and recommendations while also encouraging researchers to work within certain subject areas across different disciplines.
Discover millions of journal articles, e-books, proceedings and so much more now on Zendy.
Zendy announced today the launch of its new AI-powered features that help researchers streamline the literature discovery process. Unlike traditional tools that rely on simple statistical methods, Zendy’s AI-based summarisation and keyphrase highlighting tool comprehends the underlying meaning of research papers, resulting in more accurate information for the researcher.
With these new features, Zendy will continuously enhance its AI-based tool with new papers available in its platform. The new papers will be used to fine-tune the models to generate even more insightful information, providing researchers with the most up-to-date and relevant insights.
With the depth of content available to researchers, reviewing literature is one of the most time consuming, yet critical, aspects of the research process. AI-based summarisation can significantly optimise literature review by automating the process of identifying the most relevant information in a large body of literature.
Keyphrase highlighting within academic texts spotlights critical concepts in the text, making it easier for researchers to quickly and efficiently identify the most important information related to their research question.
We’re pleased to offer researchers a more intelligent way to utilise and continue their discovery through research papers,” said Zendy Co-founder Kamran Kardan. “It’s critical that the industry leverage the best technologies to deliver value to the research discovery process and enable a more effective and equitable experience for students, researchers, and professionals. The correct use and implementation of AI and machine learning has the power to make a true difference in creating a more knowledgeable world.”
In addition, Zendy’s is building topic classification models that will deliver AI-based personalised search results to enable researchers to discover papers based on their interests and preferences.
Zendy’s latest AI-based summarisation and keyphrase highlighting features are now available in beta-mode to users, and the platform will continue to evolve with new papers and enhanced AI capabilities, providing researchers with the industry’s most advanced research tools available.
Zendy is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with IntechOpen, a leading global publisher of Journals and Books within the fields of Science, Technology and Medicine. Zendy will host IntechOpen’s Book Series and open science journals, offering all the benefits of open access to authors, users, and readers.
Zendy a product of Knowledge E, provides seamless access to millions of articles, journals, e-books, and more. Comprehensive filters enable users to search effectively for content, making it easier for them to identify, read, cite, and save the content that they need.
As members of the SDG Publishers Compact, both Knowledge E and IntechOpen share the same commitment to increase awareness, publish and disseminate scientific research that supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is why we are thrilled that the Sustainable Development series will be featured on the Zendy platform, as this is how we can all work together to contribute and achieve the SDGs.
Zendy Co-founder Kamran Kardan said, “IntechOpen has been a driving force in the open access movement, and we are proud to partner with them to further our shared mission of democratising access to knowledge. With IntechOpen’s extensive portfolio of scholarly work and Zendy’s cutting-edge technology, we can make a significant impact on improving the accessibility of scientific research in developing regions, ultimately contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”
Viktorija Žgela, Head of Editorial Development at IntechOpen, commented: “The journey towards more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future starts with collaborative efforts. The scholarly communication landscape with all its stakeholders, including researchers, publishers, online libraries, and service providers that facilitate and enrich the publishing experience and the communication of the scientific output, is part of this journey. Therefore, it is a pleasure to partner with Zendy because we share the same vision, mission, and values: to make academic content accessible to everyone in the world.”
