WED165: Overview of Massage Therapy

How Scientists Produce & Share Their Work

The life cycle of information can differ based on a scholar's field of research. Scientists value standards of practice that influence how they produce and share their work.

The methods for producing science information will impact

...how it is published and communicated, which in turn affects

...what format it is published in and

...where you can find it.

With the information you find, you will need to know the best ways to incorporate its concepts into your research and to provide appropriate attribution so that you can produce information,

...and the cycle begins again.


Creative Commons License  All references to the science information life cycle are based on the fabulous tutorial created by the University of California Irvine Libraries Department of Education and Outreach, "Find Science Information Online Workshop." 

Science Information Formats

Scientists have many options for sharing information.

Format

Timeliness

Review Process

Audience/Access

Conference Proceedings

Presented immediately, sometimes published 1-2 years later

Possible peer-review

Limited - fellow scientists almost exclusively; publication access varies and may require professional affiliation

Listserv/Email

Immediately shared

No formal peer-review process

Limited - fellow scientists almost exclusively; typically inaccessible to general audience

Blog Posting

Immediately shared

No formal peer-review process (potential exceptions may emerge)

Fellow scientists primarily, though openly accessible to general audience

Scholarly Journal (Article)

Timely but not immediate, avg 3-9 months

Formal peer-review process

Fellow scientists primarily, students and researchers; some open access though many available only via subscription (library pays for database access)

Book
(Reference and/or standalone title)

Very slow, avg 1-3 years

Editorial process, not peer-review

Wider audience, though specialized to science interests; comprehensive and/or narrowed specialized topics typically expensive, available in library collections 

Creative Commons License  The above has been modified based on material created by the University of California Irvine Libraries Department of Education and Outreach, "Find Science Information Online Workshop."