The World Wide Web of Science: Reconfiguring Access to Information

12 Pages Posted: 15 Jan 2009

See all articles by Ralph Schroeder

Ralph Schroeder

University of Oxford - Oxford Internet Institute

Alexandre Caldas

Centro de Gestão da Rede Informática do Governo (CEGER)

Gustavo S Mesch

University of Haifa

William H. Dutton

GCSCC Computer Science University of Oxford

Date Written: June 22, 2005

Abstract

This paper presents preliminary results from a new study of how the Internet and the Web might reconfigure access to scientific information. The study combines qualitative and quantitative methods - in-depth interviews and webmetric analysis - to explore how the Internet and Web are reinforcing the role of existing sources of information, or tending to either 'democratize' or centralize patterns of access conforming to the expectations of a 'winner-take-all' process of selection. This paper reports the early findings of two case studies focused on the global issues of (1) climate change and (2) the Internet and society. The preliminary analyses provide some support for all three patterns - reinforcing, democratizing, and 'winner-take-all' - but also point to the need for indicators over longer periods of time and the triangulation of methods from webmetric analysis with expert groups and in-depth case studies of issue areas.

Keywords: internet, science, access to scientific information, webmetrics, patterns of access, climate change, knowledge

Suggested Citation

Schroeder, Ralph and Caldas, Alexandre and Mesch, Gustavo S and Dutton, William H., The World Wide Web of Science: Reconfiguring Access to Information (June 22, 2005). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1328360 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1328360

Ralph Schroeder (Contact Author)

University of Oxford - Oxford Internet Institute ( email )

Mansfield Road
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 4AU
United Kingdom

Alexandre Caldas

Centro de Gestão da Rede Informática do Governo (CEGER) ( email )

R. Almeida Brandão, 7
Lisboa, 1200-602
Portugal

Gustavo S Mesch

University of Haifa ( email )

Israel

William H. Dutton

GCSCC Computer Science University of Oxford ( email )

Department of Computer Science
Robert Hooke Bldg 010
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3PR
United Kingdom

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