IMPACTS

The overall impacts of the WFSI are :

a) Scientific dissemination (area 5.1.3.1) including publishing and archiving. This should constitute by far main impact of the WFSI. Its impact should be especially strong on EU funded research.

b) Research excellence (area 5.1.3.1). Scientific dissemination has a major majors effect on research excellence since the latter depends much on efficient communication between researchers and of knowledge sharing.

It is also interesting to take into account the other areas listed the same global call. FP7-SCIENCE-IN-SOCIETY-2008-1. If WFSI objectives are reached, there shall be consequences or impacts at the institutional, national, European ( Regional), and international levels regarding the followings fields, starting with those are related to the FP7-SCIENCE-IN-SOCIETY-2008-1 call. In all SiS areas that are mentioned below, the WFSI should actively collaborate and coordinate with all the actions of the FP7-SCIENCE-IN-SOCIETY-2008-1 call that are related, even partially, to the project

c) Careers in Science. Scientific dissemination, especially publications, has a major impact on the careers of working scientists ( whether in Academia or in research laboratories from large companies), and as a consequence on the appeal of scientific careers for young people ( related area 5.2.2.2 Reinforcing links between science education and science careers )

d) Ethics in Science. Ethics do not only concern the research process per se, but also the communication process, including the peer-review review process ( related area 5.1.1.2 Research on ethics in science and technology SiS-2008-1.1.2.1 Ethics and new and emerging fields of science and technology - and also - area 5.1.2.2. Conditions for an informed debate on ethics and science )

e) Health and medical knowledge. Dissemination of medical research create specific moral challenges ( related area 5.1.2.1. Broader engagement on science-related questions SiS-2008-1.2.1.3 Governance in the production of health and medical knowledge ). Deprivation of access to medical literature may result in the death of people.

f) Scientific advice and expertise. The availability of scientific information to policy-makers is quite essential to lead to sound choices and decisions. ( related area 5.1.3.3 Improving the use,and monitoring the impact, of scientific advice and expertise for policy-making in Europe )

g) Gender issues in science. Providing for women a better access to scientific information seems to be examine in order to actively bridge the gender divide. The way scientific information is disseminated has some influence too ( related areas : 5.2.1.1 Strengthening the role of women in scientific research and scientific decision-making bodies - 5.2.1.2 Gender dimension of research - 5.2.1.3 Mainstreaming gender in Community research policy and programmes )

h) Perception of Science in Society. The very existence of the WFSI and participation of Civil Society and Media is going to promote a public debate about the role of scientific dissemination in helping public understanding of scientific issues ( related area :5.1.1.5 Public understanding of science and promotion of public debate )

i) Trust building. There are two aspects : Firstly transparent information may help to provide trust in the science community from other stakeholders. The second issue is to discuss whether a sound and appropriate scientific dissemination should be ruled through laws and decrees, or through self-regulation, or a combination of thereof.( related to Area 5.1.3.2. Promoting trust and self-regulation in the scientific community )

j) Media. By its very existence, the WFSI should have a serious impact and should contribute to bridge the gap between the media ( both specialized and general ) and the scientific community ( related to area 5.3.0.2 Training actions to bridge the gap between the media and the scientific community targeting the public )

The WFSI activity could impact on the whole FP7 activity Research capacities and in particular to Support to the coherent development of research policies, since research policies are dependent on coherent scientific dissemination policies. The WFSI is also going to impact on more general issues :

k) Policy making. It is hoped that the WFSI through its white papers should have an impact on policy making. At the European level, because this EU call has been at the request of the EU commission, one should expect that the WFSI should have an impact at the European level. Because of the WSIS context and UNESCO involvement; the WFSI should have a definite impact on the UN system. With national governments and with institutions however, one must not raise the expectations too high, unless there is a strong support at the local level.

l) Education and Training. Scientific literature is the direct source of knowledge for graduate students, as well as for advanced teachers, trainers, not to forget teachers to less advanced teachers and trainers. The impact of a sound and inclusive scientific literature policy is more indirect for the majority of students and teachers, but it is nevertheless extremely crucial in the long run.

m) Economy. This is a very crucial aspect that it is too often neglected in current debates about scientific publishing. This is not about the scientific publishing as an isolated market sui generis, but the role of scientific dissemination in the global economy. It is about time to see the forest, and not just thousands of trees. There are several questions that must be brought into the perspective of an inclusive debate :

Within a global picture, is the market of scientific publishing a subsidized market ? a captive market ?

Has the macroeconomic cycle been fully unveiled and understood ? ... because participating entities ( research departments, libraries, industry ) are not the same at the microeconomics level.

One major output of research is information. Politicians that are elaborating or voting public budget for research are doing so on rather vague assumptions that spending money on research is stimulating economy. The WFSI should catalyse more research on the logic between those assumptions and their implementations. In particular it should be examined and debated if it is good for economy that scientific information should be available at a very high price, or on the contrary to be freely available to the whole society, or only some segments like startups, SMEs educators & students, trainers & trainees, hospitals, medical entities, armed forces, police, the judiciary, civil society, etc... The pros and cons must be weighted.

Another specific aspect concerns economy relationships between developed and less developed countries that will be examined just below.

In summary, the WFSI should strive to bring economy experts, from governments, business sector and academia, into an open minded debate and to catalyse scientific research about the macro-economical impact of scientific dissemination.

n) Development agenda. The survival of humankind as a whole depends on a successful, efficient and balanced development all over our planet. Scientific research is the vanguard of development and a balanced development cannot be reached without a sound and balanced scientific dissemination. This question must be debated at the WFSI. In this context, the WFSI could interface with the International conference entitled “Modern Science and Technology Priorities for Development of Innovative and Knowledge-Driven Economy INNOVECO -2009", event proposed by the government of Georgia, and currently under consideration ( but not yet approved ) by UNESCO.

o) International relations. In the interest of peace, all countries and individuals in the world should feel that scientific information is fairly distributed and available. Quoting UNESCO's Constitution :.That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed;

p) Culture. Last but not least, the impact of science on culture ( arts, literature, etc..) must not be forgotten and the impact of science is precisely made through dissemination channels. One should not be shy to bring artists into the debate.

Table of expected WFSI impact strength in various issues at different levels.

The impact strength does not relate to the importance of the issue, but to the difficulties and time to get a noticeable impact.