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LexisNexis survey finds info pros are very interested in 2.0 technologies
How can using 2.0 help researchers find highly relevant results? Scirus Topic Pages provide the answer
 Scirus and OCLC promote benefits of fulltext linking
Rights Spot: Regarding sharing and discussing research, prior to publication, what are Elsevier's policies?
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How can using 2.0 help researchers find highly relevant results?
Scirus Topic Pages provide the answer
Creating a meaningful online community model for scientific researchers presents a challenge. Any such model needs to reflect the less formal and community-driven approach of Web 2.0 applications, while also delivering the most relevant content.
Where can you find such a model? On the Scirus Topic Pages platform, a new, experimental and free online resource for the scientific community, at http://topics.scirus.com.
To learn more about Scirus Topic Pages, visit http://topics.scirus.com.
Scirus Topic Pages’ impetus
When conducting scholarly investigation, researchers are looking for the most highly relevant search results — accessible instantly. To help researchers in their quest for highly relevant search results, the Scirus team, in partnership with Elsevier Journals Publishing, is experimenting with ways in which to harness the wisdom of experts in specific topics and is creating Scirus Topic Pages as the mechanism to deliver the results.
Launched in beta in June 2007 and in continual development based on user feedback, Scirus Topic Pages is an online platform that allows authors to create pages on specific research topics. An editorial process, devised by Elsevier scientific editors, ensures that the pages are of the highest quality.
How to create a topic page
An author writes a summary article of 500 words giving an expert overview of a specific topic and submits the article along with bibliographic citations including Web links. The Scirus search engine then analyzes the article’s title and searches for and returns relevant results from the Scirus index and relevant results from the Scopus database. The summary and search results are uploaded to a new Scirus Topic Page, where researchers can find highly relevant sources on the specific topic, sources based on the recommendations of the expert as well as the automated capabilities of the Scirus search engine.
What’s in it for authors
By creating Scirus Topic Pages, authors can increase their visibility within their fields. Because the topic pages are indexed in search engines, authors have a tremendous opportunity for their work to be discovered by Web searchers.
To see sample topic pages or learn how to apply to create one, visit http://topics.scirus.com. 
Scirus and OCLC promote benefits of fulltext linking
Elsevier’s Scirus team and OCLC, the world's largest library cooperative, are launching an initiative to inform the librarian and academic community on the benefits of image-based fulltext linking from search engines to library journal holdings as supported by library link resolvers. Scirus is Elsevier’s science-specific search engine, freely available at www.scirus.com.
What is image-based fulltext linking?
Based on the OpenURL standard, image-based fulltext linking allows search engine users to find the shortest paths to the entitled fulltext of specific journal articles, if held by their libraries. If a library is enabled within Scirus, then if a user finds a journal article that is held by that user’s library, a fulltext icon appears beside the search result in Scirus. When the user clicks on this link, he or she is taken either straight to the fulltext or to an information page outlining entitlements. Image-based fulltext linking helps libraries solve the appropriate copy problem and optimizes usage of journal holdings by channeling users back to library holdings through search engines.
Supporting libraries
Scirus Library Partners acts as a support mechanism for librarians and the research community by reconnecting users to participating libraries through the search engine. Scirus Library Partners is a program allowing libraries to facilitate integration of their e-holdings with Scirus search results by taking advantage of the OpenURL standard. By using the OpenURL standard for transferring metadata of online journals, Scirus Library Partners automatically cross-references Scirus search results with library holdings of the institution with which a user is affiliated, resulting in the automatic display of institutional links where the fulltext is accessible. Participation in Scirus Library Partners helps bring back into focus for users the value of libraries as information providers and librarians’ expertise as journal content selectors.
Compatible link resolvers
The Openly Informatics Division of OCLC has been developing OpenURL-compatible linking software since 2000. OCLC’s Hosted 1Cate service and all other OpenURL linking services based on the 1Cate software fully support image-based linking and are supported by Scirus Library Partners.
More on the OpenURL standard, link resolvers and image-based fulltext linking:
http://openly.oclc.org/1cate/imagebasedlinking.html
More on how librarians can set up fulltext linking through Scirus:
www.scirus.com/srsapp/librarypartners/submitlibrary.jsp
Helen Gainford
Q: Regarding sharing and discussing research, prior to publication, what are Elsevier's policies?
A: Collaboration and discussion of research are integral parts of the research process and, as such, are to be encouraged. Questions for a publisher arise when there is public sharing of a paper slated for publication, or when results of the research reported in such a “preprint” paper are widely disseminated in some other manner. For example, recently we have been asked whether we have a policy on blog or wiki discussion of research activities.
As to preprints, with the exception of a small number of our journals (notably Cell Press titles and The Lancet), our policy is not to consider preprint posting as prior publication that would disqualify an article's consideration by a journal. For details on a specific journal's preprint policy, see the journal's page on www.elsevier.com.
We don't have a formal policy regarding wiki or blog discussion of findings intended for submittal for publication on ScienceDirect. We see this as an evolving area and we’re following our general approach of "watch, test and learn," with no predisposition to establish a policy prior to gaining more experience and gathering more examples.
www.elsevier.com/librarians/rightsspot
www.elsevier.com/copyright
