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[ Publishing Workflows ] November 21, 2022

The Many Ways Technology Has Shaped the Research Ecosystem

Advances in technological innovations have drastically changed the way we conduct and disseminate research. But is the research industry going far enough? Read on to see how technology can improve efficiency and remove barriers to accelerate early-stage research.

Is technology useful to early-stage research?

The digital revolution is full steam ahead and affecting more than just the process of scientific investigations. The entire research lifecycle - from experiments in the lab to analyzing evidence and publishing results - has seen the impact of technology. Researchers can now collaborate seamlessly from anywhere, build upon already-established results, and share their findings faster than ever. Technology has also proved to be significantly useful to scholarly publishing as it allows for greater quality of research and efficiency in the peer review process. Among other important uses of technology, we now have software that enables publishers to perform integrity checks. Tools like this help the scientific community prevent fraud in research and avoid the cost of retractions.

The future of early-stage research and scholarly publishing now greatly depends on how well these technological innovations are adopted and integrated. As the need to streamline manual publishing workflows and efficiently share research results grows, we will see an increase in the use of technology to transform research.

 

Impact on qualitative and quantitative research

As researchers become more familiar with technology-assisted analytical processes, the scientific research landscape has seen an increase in efficiency and ability to prevent human errors. Technological tools now assist scholars in improving the research process for a greater chance of finding results faster. Data collection, analysis, interpretation, documentation, and dissemination of results are all easier through the enhancements provided by emerging technologies.

This proves that technology has greatly impacted qualitative and quantitative processes that stimulate further thinking and investigation among researchers.

 

What is the future of technology in scientific research?


Some of the most important elements of scientific research are interdisciplinary collaboration, validation of results, and publication. The impact of any research will not be felt if it does not get to the dissemination phase, and technology is key to making that happen. Before the introduction of technology in the research lifecycle, the use of traditional processes meant that research would take years to reach the mainstream. Imagine if the various experiments for the vaccine against COVID took years to achieve results, the world would still be in the midst of a devasting pandemic. This is one of many reasons why efficiency in the entire scientific research lifecycle is pivotal to advancement in science. So the better question is; would scientific research have a future without technology?

 

How technology can further impact science

 

  • Research collaboration and discovery

Discovery is the basis for progress in science. Researchers need to take advantage of new technologies to collaborate from far distances, enlarge their research boundaries, and get more clarity by exchanging ideas to make discoveries faster.

 

  • Publishing and dissemination

Technology makes it possible for publishers to disseminate research at scale in the digital space. Publishing is fundamental to research as it allows researchers to share their work, expose their findings to critical evaluations, and give credit to contributors that help everyone involved advance their careers. With technology, publishers can ensure greater research integrity, efficiency in peer review and increase the impact of research.

 

  • Archiving and access

Preserving research, whether it comes in the form of conference proceedings or digital records of posters and presentations, is essential for the future of science. Virtual libraries are the best place to preserve knowledge and make it accessible to world learners anytime and anywhere. Archiving data in digital forms also makes it easier to reproduce and replicate results, ensuring better quality of information as other researchers build upon those findings.

 

Conclusion

As the use of technology becomes ever more pervasive, the future of science will be shaped by researchers, publishers, and other stakeholders who embrace digital innovations to improve their capacity for handling scientific research. At Morressier, our digital technologies are transforming various aspects of the research lifecycle, including scientific conferences, scholarly publishing, and everything that affects growth in the research community.

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