Case studies

Summary

Much day-to-day work in research support is to develop educational materials and planning and delivering workshops. LibGuides provide the first contact point for researchers to find information about transformative agreements or copyright and intellectual property. Workshops (or a somewhat quaint term, ‘bibliographic instruction’) are organised to instruct in the use of platforms and tools and they also offer opportunities for interactions and questions which may lead to further consultation services. The complexities of scholarly publishing mean that answering questions about a topic (e.g. open access) usually involves advice on another (e.g. copyright and licensing). The following case studies are adapted from a ‘Publishing and Dissemination Plan’ assignment in a Scholarly Communication module. They are ‘scenarios’ where a researcher is seeking to develop a research dissemination plan and/or societal impact strategy, showcasing the interconnectedness of the topics covered in this book.

Case study 1 – Inter- or multi-disciplinary research

Sharon is a third-year doctoral student working at the intersection of Information Technology Law and Media Studies. Her thesis evaluates the fundamental rights and rule of law in relation to online disinformation regulation. She has been advised that she needs to publish at least two articles before graduation to be competitive on the job market. She has questions about publishing her work due to its inter- or multi-disciplinary nature. What would be the best ways to find scholarly publications that would be right for her career?

As inter- and multi-disciplinary research becomes common, Sharon's question is relevant to many. In her PhD studies, she reads and references works in the subject areas of information technology, communication and media and law. Where should Sharon aim to publish her work?

We can first use Scopus to find high-ranking journals in her research area. There are two relevant subject areas: ‘Law’ and ‘Communication’. After browsing the two subjects, she decided that she will narrow her search to law journals on account of her use of a doctrinal legal research method.

The subject area ‘Law’ retrieves 1,013 results. The highest-ranked journal is Government Information Quarterly, which has a CiteScore of 14.5. Should Sharon aim to publish in this journal?

In Chapter 2, we discussed the scope and objectives of a journal and the importance of the intended audience. So, we’ll advise Sharon to browse the journal website, including the ‘About this journal’ page.