The impact of the Internet on academic research practices

Abstract

This paper discusses some aspects of the use of the Internet which have the capacity to impact significantly upon research practices within universities. These include changing patterns of collaboration, challenges to accepted notions of intellectual property and copyright, concerns regarding the validation of electronically based information, changes to the time-frames associated with scholarly research, and the respective roles of electronic and hard copy publishing. Each of these areas is of considerable importance in terms of the role of universities in the future.Special reference is made to a longitudinal study currently being conducted at Australian Catholic University concerning the impact of Internet access on the research practices of academic staff. The study places particular emphasis on identifying and examining possible changes to patterns of collaboration in research and academic writing both within this geographically dispersed, multi-campus institution and with colleagues from elsewhere. Of special interest is the degree to which traditional concepts of ‘distance’ remain relevant to the activities of the Virtual Campus.KeywordsAcademic writingCollaborationCopyrightCommunication technologyResearchVirtual campus