Research communication costs in Australia : Emerging opportunities and benefits

Abstract

This report to DEST was prepared by the Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University. Released in September 2006, it explores the costs involved in research communication activities and some of the potential benefits available through emerging, more open, scholarly communication alternatives.

The environment in which research is being conducted and disseminated is undergoing profound change, with new technologies offering new opportunities, changing research practices demanding new capabilities, and increased focus on research performance. This changing environment raises a key question: are there new opportunities and new models of scholarly communication that could enhance the dissemination of research findings and, thereby, maximise the economic and social returns to public sector investment in R&D? This study makes a significant contribution towards helping us answer this question.