ukpmc.ac.uk

Current developments, future plans (plus quick overview of the RIC)

UHMLG Spring Forum

Woburn House Conference Centre

March 9th, 2009

Paul Davey,

UK PubMed Central Engagement Manager

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What is UK PubMed Central?

Originally a mirror site of National Institutes of Health PubMed Central, a free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journals (established in 2000)

Full-text articles (as opposed to PubMed, which provides links to journal abstracts and link-out to full text articles in PubMed Central) from peer-reviewed biomedical and health research journals (must reach National Library of Medicine standards)

Access to 1.4 million+ full-text articles and 18 million+ article abstracts (through PubMed)

Links to other databases, e.g. NIH MedLine and Genbank accessed through Entrez search engine

A development programme (more later)

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Why should there be a UK PubMed Central?

Cutting down, where possible, duplication of research activity

Adding to a global resource, by working with the UK’s leading biomedical and health research organisations and charities

Drawing upon considerable experience of activities undertaken already at National Library of Medicine, NCBI and National Institutes of Health

Developing a resource driven by the needs of the UK research community

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UK PubMed Central funders

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Mission for UK PubMed Central

To become the information resource of choice for the UK biomedical and health research community by:

Establishing a comprehensive sustainable repository for UK-funded research outputs

Improving information retrieval and knowledge discovery through the development of text and data-mining solutions

Providing access to additional content that integrates seamlessly into the UKPMC website

Creating comprehensive analysis and reporting tools for researchers and funders to inform strategy and policy making

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Partner’s development programme

European Bioinformatics Institute: Providing comprehensive bibliographic data (PubMed, patents etc) to the UKPMC search system (e.g. by linking to their CiteXplore database)

With NaCTeM, analysing full-text articles in UKPMC to extract biological entities and link them to relevant databases

British Library: Brings expertise in identification and cataloguing of additional content to augment the research publications

Mimas at University of Manchester: Developing grant-related information for funders and grantees, assisting in technical integration, whilst ensuring service continuity throughout

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The Department of Health view

Research Government framework – clear government policy to provide free access to research being undertaken and its findings (following appropriate review)

Preservation of research outputs for current, and future, generations to access

Development of systems which will link to UK PubMed Central to Department of Health’s own systems through NIHR

Electronic copies of any research papers accepted for publication must be submitted to UK PubMed Central within six months of publication

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Some challenges for engagement and addressing these

Challenges

Differentiation with US counterpart

Disenfranchising our users

Researchers commitments to submit their material to UKPMC

Some ways to address

Consultation with user community; working closely with NCBI sharing information etc.;

Outline benefits to researchers: citation and visibility, cuts down duplication, working with them to develop the resource

Work closely with funders: we need to demonstrate the value they are getting from their investment

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Some endorsements

“The Department of Health has supported the concept of UK PubMed Central since the outset. It offers a valuable resource to the UK and

international research communities…”(Professor Dame Sally C. Davies)

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So, again, what is important about it?

We have the backing of key funders in the UK, and the foundations of an exciting working relationship with the NIHR

In the longer term, will enable researchers to become more efficient and effective

Developing a UK identity that builds upon world-wide recognition of PubMed Central in the United States

We have the opportunity for our colleagues in the US to gain a valuable insight into how PubMed Central could grow into a ‘culturally driven’ resource with the advantages of linking to research undertaken anywhere in the world

Our development will be informed by the UK’s research community

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The Research Information Centre

Builds on a University of Leeds VRE project included defining the role of libraries in managing VRE outputs

Enables direct engagement with the STM community better understand their needs as a result

Explores new ways in which users interact with content and metadata Web 2.0, social networking sites

“Closing the loop” information management throughout the research lifecycle

Supporting our strategic objective by helping make research more efficient

A collaboration with Microsoft

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The Research Information Centre – the research lifecycle

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Project objectives

Identify information sources, tools and services to support STM research allow users to populate with additional sources, services etc

Explore the application of new services collaborative filtering of literature; continual queries

Identify common functional requirements for a VRE enable prototype to be easily repurposed

Build on commercial software, to extent possible with support for interoperability

Intuitive to use and navigate; user configurable “If I can’t figure it out in 15 minutes, I will quit using it”

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Where we are now

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A biomedical prototype major open access databases in integrated search links to biomedical funding bodies use as a model for other domains

First closed beta release May 2008 search/discover and funding collaboration and storage 24 diverse groups tested July-Sep 2008 Feedback collated Oct 2008

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Initial feedback

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Key value of RIC VRE is sharing and managing research objects across networked team

The concept of a federated search service was well accepted.

Rating and annotating research objects, transfer to/from social network sites was a hit.

Confirmed value of a personal project repository: papers, references to bookmarks.

Slide library, bibliographic formatting tool were very well received Users want assurances data will be secure, by a neutral and trusted service

provider.

Ambivalence about threaded discussions, perhaps a generation related issue.

We underestimated value of pre-populated information resources – they want all…

Would best serve groups not already well supported by information management tools

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Where next

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Complete lifecycle functionality

Enhancements of existing functionality in light of feedback

Modularisation of codebase to enable development and customisation

Domain-specific population of resources partnership with biomedical organisations prototype in environmental sciences

For more information about the Research Information Centre, contact Stephen Andrews, stephen.andrews@bl.uk