Perspectives

Since the late 1990s there have been two drivers of growth in STM and scholarly publishing: site licensing and global expansion. As successful as these activities have been, we appear to be nearing if not a peak, at least a plateau. So the question is, where is the growth going to come from?

The websites and online resources of professional associations are too often designed around the organizational structure of the association itself, instead of the information seeking behavior and workflows of their members. What are some strategies associations might consider that put the needs of their members and other users first?

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Elsevier has issued a sweeping series of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) take down notices regarding Elsevier-published content to Academia.edu, a file-sharing network for researchers and other academics. Is this a footnote or the end of a chapter in the annals of digital science publishing?

Given the pace of technological change, new sources of professional information, the increasing competition for attention, shifting demographics, and an uncertain economy, an effective strategy is more important than ever. Not-for-profit organizations tend to focus less on these activities than those in the commercial sector but this "strategy gap" can be overcome.