Access to research inputs: open science versus the entrepreneurial university

Supporting the vital role of boundary-spanning physician researchers in the advancement of medical innovation

A wide range of stakeholders recognise that physicians play a vital role in medical innovation and, in particular, the importance of boundary-spanning engagement between physicians and industry in clinical research. While UK physicians are keen to take part in research, this article draws on a range of literature to identify apparent and anticipated challenges that discourage or prevent cross-sector engagement by physician researchers. To encourage greater interaction and exploration of associated support mechanisms, we present a full spectrum of engagement modes, funding opportunities and illustrative initiatives, showing how different stakeholders (from government institutions, charities, professional bodies and industry) can contribute to improving the engagement of physicians in boundary spanning research. We emphasise the importance of mutual understanding, trust and commonly shared practices, as well as adequate resources, to encourage these vital interactions.

What, Me Worry? Research Policy and the Open Embrace of Industry-Academic Relations

The field of research policy has conducted extensive research on partnerships between industry and academics and concluded that such collaborations are generally beneficial. Such a view stands in stark contrast to the literature in the philosophy of science which almost wholly finds such collaborations corrosive to scientific inquiry. After reviewing the respective literatures, I propose explanations for these polarized views which support the claim that both disciplines have only a partial vantage point on the effects of industry-funded science. In closing, I outline how the research agendas of each discipline might remediate their respective shortcomings.

Changes in academic libraries in the era of Open Science

In this paper we study the changes in academic library services inspired by the Open Science movement and especially the changes prompted from Open Data as a founding part of Open Science. We argue that academic libraries face the even bigger challenges for accommodating and providing support for Open Big Data composed from existing raw data sets and new massive sets generated from data driven research. Ensuring the veracity of Open Big Data is a complex problem dominated by data science. For academic libraries, that challenge triggers not only the expansion of traditional library services, but also leads to adoption of a set of new roles and responsibilities. That includes, but is not limited to development of the supporting models for Research Data Management, providing Data Management Plan assistance, expanding the qualifications of library personnel toward data science literacy, integration of the library services into research and educational process by taking part in research grants and many others. We outline several approaches taken by some academic libraries and by libraries at the City University of New York (CUNY) to meet necessities imposed by doing research and education with Open Big Data – from changes in libraries’ administrative structure, changes in personnel qualifications and duties, leading the interdisciplinary advisory groups, to active collaboration in principal projects.

Knowledge-sharing restrictions in the life sciences: personal and context-specific factors in academia–industry knowledge transfer

Purpose

Knowledge sharing in research communities has been considered indispensable to progress in science. The aim of this paper is to analyze the mechanisms restricting knowledge sharing in science. It considers three categories of academia–industry knowledge transfer and a range of individual and contextual variables as possible predictors of knowledge-sharing restrictions.

Design/methodology/approach

A unique empirical data sample was collected based on a survey among 212 life science researchers affiliated with universities and other non-profit research institutions. A rich descriptive analysis was followed by binominal regression analysis, including relevant checks for the robustness of the results.

Findings

Researchers in academia who actively collaborate with industry are more likely to omit relevant content from publications in co-authorship with other academic researchers; delay their co-authored publications, exclude relevant content during public presentations; and deny requests for access to their unpublished and published knowledge.

Practical implications

This study informs policymakers that different types of knowledge-sharing restrictions are predicted by different individual and contextual factors, which suggests that policies concerning academia–industry knowledge and technology transfer should be tailored to contextual specificities.

Originality/value

This study contributes new predictors of knowledge-sharing restrictions to the literature on academia–industry interactions, including outcome expectations, trust and sharing climate. This study augments the knowledge management literature by separately considering the roles of various academic knowledge-transfer activities in instigating different types of knowledge-sharing restrictions in scientific research.