Q&A for Plenary Session 1

Q (for Muir): Why is research not being done on accuracy of reporting?
A (Muir Gray): Various reasons though librarians should also look to this and be involved, with statisticians, in looking at reporting of trials etc.


Q: What will publishing look like in 2015

A (James Gray): Elsevier, Wiley, etc. Huge cosolidations in publishing industry. Can see these broadening out as they serve audiences requiring truly tailored content. If they can meet these demands they will continue to grow.

A (Kevin Guthrie): Layering in the system - platforms but also decentralised activities. Imagine a landscape that looks more like eBay: a set of services clumped together (e.g. PayPal, review of sellers, etc. are the services clumped together there) to serve niche markets.

A - Muir Gray: Thousands and thousands of small publishers as well as large ones.

Q: For Muir: Can you trace back the positive bias to funding bodies wanting to find positive results?

A (Muir Gray): Very much so. People hate disease and they want to feel they will crack it but many solutions harm as well as helping and we have to be honest.

A (Kevin Guthrie): Reality is that you must please the funder if you want to be funded. Same is true of advertising etc. How does the nature of your model effect what you produce is a core question for all types of publisher and researcher.

Q: In the old days books were delivered to libraries and they were responsible for access and preservation. In the new model libraries buy access only. Whose responsibility is preservation?

A (James Gray): This is not really established. JSTOR does some excellent work in this arena. Libraries are looking at this and Publishers are looking at what could be done. Solutions are not all in place yet though taking place. National Libraries have a key role but are yet to make their stand.

A (Kevin Guthrie): "Warning: This is shameless self promotion!" - we are involved in an organisation called Portico looking at preservation. There must be not for profit mission driven initiatives in this area though. Must be expanded or the mission of Portico must be expanded.

A (delegate from National Library of Netherlands): As Portico mentioned I should mention our role. We are official preservation for Elsevier. We must make a "safe places network" around the world to ensure long term preservation.