Suchergebnisse

Let's try to imagine a world where scientific illiteracy is the exception rather than the rule. That is a world of subjects who are, in the vast majority, informed and aware of the main ongoing scientific debates, and who are capable of critically and independently thinking about them. A world in which everyone could dispose of the resources to develop a thoughtful opinion on cloning techniques, genetically modified organisms, new anti-cancer therapies or even on the origin of life on Earth and the final destiny of the universe. If this world were possible, what would it look like? The scepticism about the feasibility of such a scenario is justified, however it is equally undeniable that during the twentieth century there have been such profound transformations in the relationship between science and public opinion as to make the question at least legitimate and worthy of an answer.

Il saggio analizza i rapporti fra editoria e università nel nuovo ecosistema digitale. Si interroga su che cosa voglia dire disseminare i risultati della ricerca scientifica alla luce dei nuovi processi emergenti, ovvero: la valutazione della ricerca, la digitalizzazione degli strumenti di valutazione e la distribuzione premiale dei fondi destinati alla ricerca. Procede quindi circoscrivendo la rilevanza economica dell'editoria scientifica sia in termini assoluti, che in relazione agli stati nazionali e alle politiche di sviluppo dei sistemi dell'istruzione universitaria. Successivamente, mette a fuoco gli attori protagonisti della nuova "comedia": valutazione della ricerca, infrastrutture digitali e premialità. Conclude, infine, rispondendo alla domanda che cos'è la nuova editoria scientifica e qual è la parte che l'università deve giocare nella disseminazione della scienza per trarne il maggior beneficio. The paper addresses the relationship between publishing and the university in the new digital ecosystem. It ponders what disseminating research findings means in the light of new emerging processes, i.e., research evaluation, digital infrastructures for research and the allocation of quality-weighted (QR) research funding. It goes on to assess the economic weight of the academic publishing industry, both in absolute terms and in relation to the funding for national higher education systems. The essay then focuses on the leading actors in the new "comedia": research evaluation, digital infrastructures and QR research funding. It concludes by answering the question of what academic publishing is today and what role the university has to play in the dissemination of research to get the most out of it.