Outsell, Inc., a research and advisory firm focused on media, information, and technology, has announced the publication of a new report 'The Impact of Research Funders on Scholarly Communication.' The report examines the role funders play in the research workflow, addressing issues facing researchers, funders, and publishers coming to terms with the evolving landscape of scholarly communication and the increasingly prominent role funders play.
Public funders and private firms, such as not-for-profit funding agencies, Wellcome Trust, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, play an important role in furthering scientific research, but the nature of their participation has changed over time. Like many other aspects of world economies, the processes and systems underlying R&D funding also are more complex, from evaluating grant applications to tracking expenditures to determining impact of funded research. Funders expect investments to generate results, yet current approaches to measuring those results are flawed.
Outsell provides insight into the funding continuum, the approaches and philosophies of important stakeholders, and gives recommendations for moving the research process forward by focusing on the information needs of granting agencies.
