The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools has revolutionized the way we think about information. In a landscape where the rate of research output has increased immensely (the COVID-19 pandemic being the most extreme example, with 28,000 articles being published in the first six months of 2020), new technologies can allow us to process extensive datasets, address information overload and draw insights - without needing to read thousands of articles.
As a publisher, we are an enabler of the growing number of research publications. Every piece of research is valuable, and we want to understand, derive and deliver advanced technologies to help organizations make decisions with a body of evidence. This has culminated in the launch of Nature Research Intelligence, our portfolio of AI-based solutions that summarize research to better enable organizations to make data-driven decisions.
While developing these products, it became clear that within research organizations different departments don’t operate in silos. While AI initiatives are usually led by research and development (R&D) groups, they also provide an exciting opportunity for information professionals. In fact, a new role of the library is emerging, where the librarian doesn’t just provide content to researchers and Business Intelligence Managers, but helps them use these technologies to make sense of their data and develop informed strategic decisions.
But how do they bridge the gap with their R&D colleagues, and promote the unique skills they can bring to AI and ML initiatives?
We wanted to explore this topic in greater detail and share these new insights with our communities, so we partnered with Mary Ellen Bates, information industry expert and principal of Bates Information Services, to deliver a talk at the 2022 Special Libraries Association conference. Ahead of the session, Mary Ellen interviewed four Springer Nature customers working within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, to learn more about their experiences of working with R&D departments—particularly in the wake of technological changes to the information landscape.
This white paper brings together the findings from those interviews, addressing some of the key challenges faced by information professionals when working with R&D groups, and highlighting how advanced technology projects bring a unique opportunity for them to demonstrate their impact to colleagues across their organizations.
Daren Howell, VP Nature Research Intelligence, Springer Nature
