Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!uunet!bionet!pucc.princeton.edu!A71BISHO%SUVM
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Date: 10 Aug 89 17:07:45 GMT
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We are participating in a study, sponsored by the Congressional
Office of Technology Assessment (OTA),  on the impact of computer
networks on scientific research and will be reporting our
results to OTA this fall.

Several bills are now before Congress that could
significantly affect the development of research networks,
and we feel that the views of the research community must
be represented.

We would appreciate your insight into some basic questions:

- Have computer networks changed the ways we do research
(in the broadest sense:  research methodologies, analytic
techniques, conceptualization, project administration,
etc.)?

- What particular problems or issues do researchers face
when using networks (technical, institutional, economic,
psychological, or other problems)?

- Are patterns of scholarly communication changing (the
informal communication among colleagues or the formal
publication process)?

Any sort of response you may offer is appropriate --
personal anecdotes, opinions, complaints, or whatever.  We
are especially interested in the role that computer
networks play in the way you conduct research.

Thanks for your help!

Ann Bishop, Philip Doty, Charles R. McClure
School of Information Studies,
Syracuse University