Digital Insights
Sequential Explanatory Analysis of the Relationship between Accessibility and Visibility of Scientific Output on the Web: Communication Strategies in the Subfields of Advertising and Public Relations
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Andrea De Santis, Angel Torres Toukoumidis, Luis Fernando Morales Morante
The use of digital platforms, in particular social networks, has transformed the communication of a researcher's scientific work, which becomes visible, accessible and measurable to the public of interest. New strategies and tools are emerging that facilitate the transfer of knowledge to society, an activity that is valued and recognised as a complement to the researcher's productivity. Using a sequential explanatory methodological design, we analyse the communication practices of 78 advertising and public relations researchers with high scientific visibility in impact journals (Scimago Journal Ranking) in the two subfields. The study aims to: i) identify the types of documents used to communicate their research work; ii) determine which and how many digital services are used to communicate their scientific output; iii) analyse the relationship between the quantity and types of documents published in digital services, their accessibility and representativeness, with the visibility achieved by researchers as a result of communicating their scientific output on the web. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on the analysis of scientific work and the use of digital media for the evaluation of researchers' communicative activity. It shows the centrality of the diffusive model in the communication of scientific research also in the digital sphere, and the proliferation of more informal and free circulation publications. The conclusions lead to the definition of communication strategies for the management of the researcher's web visibility and scientific production through digital services.
Disruption and Interference - Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Publishing Outlets: Perspectives from a Journal Publisher
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sithabile Thungo
The developments in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have caused significant changes in the scholarly publishing landscape. This study examines how AI disrupts and interferes with traditional publishing ecosystem from the perspective of a publisher. The impact of AI is felt throughout the entire publishing process. On the one hand, utilizing automated tools driven by AI has resulted in a more efficient submission and review process. These tools help identify appropriate reviewers promptly, detect plagiarism accurately, and evaluate the overall quality of submissions swiftly. Additionally, AI-powered language and grammar checks have improved the readability and coherence of manuscripts significantly - increasing their likelihood of being accepted for publication. AI's influence on publishing journals is vast and encompasses various aspects. On the other hand, AI tools are also being used by authors to draft manuscripts with line or no input from such authors. This is especially a concerning area as there are several challenges associated with this transition. It is thus imperative to address concerns about the ethical implications of AI-generated content, ensure transparency in decision-making procedures, and tackle any bias present in algorithms. Drawing views from the affairs of African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies (AJIMS), this paper highlights the continuous alterations resulting from AI and emphasize its capability to streamline operations, improve content discoverability, and offer valuable insights. Successfully navigating these changes in an ethical and efficient manner will determine how well we can balance AI-driven innovations with the traditional values of scholarly publishing in the future.
"You Are the Infringement": Creative Publication in the Age of Copyright and Algorithm
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rob Larson
How can writers seek audiences in an age when many pathways of exposure to the market have been given over to algorithms? This study explores the oppressive predicament authors face on multiple fronts: the algorithm, the traditions of gatekeeping associated with the few remaining historic companies, and now in even more pervasive circumstances, shadowbanning and de-amplification. These limiters go far beyond the targets of controversial content. Authors can be deamplified due to simple auto-detected copyright infringement, regardless of whether a writer can argue for fair use. This jeopardizes journalism, documentary, and even unintentional or inadvertant inclusion of licensed material in the background of captured creative or journalistic material. This new research explores creativity in the age of autodetection, and the implications suggest a hijacking of the world by injection of mass semiotics into culture, followed by the stifling and limitation of creative expression by claiming copyright dominion over the public sphere.
