From July 3rd to 5th, 2017, “the Exploration and Practice of the Subject Periodical Cluster in the Knowledge Service” Periodical Salon was successfully held in the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of Chinese Academy of Sciences. This salon was hosted by the Editological Society of Scientific Periodicals of Chinese Academy of Sciences (ESSP) and sponsored by the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIEER). Professor Zhang Wei, vice director-general and secretary general of ESSP, Professor Qu Jiansheng, director of the Lanzhou Library of NIEER, Professor Gaofeng, vice director of the Lanzhou Library of NIEER, Professor Yang Bao, young scientist of NIEER attended this salon. 46 editorial offices of scientific periodicals from Chinese Academy of Sciences, national ministries and committees, universities and colleges, Science and Technology Bureau of Gansu Province and 83 editors from related institutions participated in this salon.
This salon consisted of two parts: keynote report and editorial forum. Hou Chunmei, professor of editorship of Lanzhou Library of NIEER and Professor Yang Bao, vice director of the desert and desertification research program of NIEER were specially invited to give a keynote report on “the scientific periodical cluster and the knowledge service”. Respectively from the perspectives of professional publishers and scientists, Professor of editorship Hou Chunmei and professor Yang Bao made reports on “the exploration and practice of the subject periodical cluster in the knowledge service” and “my scientific research and scientific periodicals”. Hou Chunmei’s report introduced the background and meaning of the construction of the subject periodical cluster, compared the periodical clusters at home and abroad and analyzed the current condition of domestic and foreign cluster construction by the case study method. This report also predicted the development trend and prospect of the knowledge service of the subject periodical cluster. Based on the practice of the construction of the resources and environment scientific periodical cluster (LoRES), Hou Chunmei figured out the solutions for unceasingly exploring the information science subject service, documentation service, the combination of the resource platform construction and the periodical work. She also shared the positive exploration, experience and future planning of the subject periodical cluster in the knowledge service. Professor Yang Bao, from a scientist’s point of view, analyzed the positive effect of scientific articles on scientific research, and its importance for the establishment of researchers’ confidence. According to his experience of submission and peer-reviewing for PNAS, he expressed his expectation as a researcher for the scientific periodicals, and suggested that domestic scientific periodicals should emphasize the reviewing process, strengthening the consciousness of serving people and enhancing the efficiency of services.
After the keynote reports, all the participants started discussions about the problems and solutions of the subject periodical cluster, the contents of the cluster construction, the technology need, the operational mechanism, the position of the subject periodical cluster in the knowledge service, and the relation between the subject periodical cluster and the development and transformation of periodicals. They put forward specific suggestions and thoughts, and contributed respective insights. During the salon, participants also visited and communicated with NIEER.
Vice director-general and secretary general Zhang Wei made concluding remarks on this salon. She figured out that as an important activity of the academic community, periodical salons take a free form to facilitate the communication among each other. In the salon, participants could put forward problems and start a discussion, which is valuable to their work in future. In 2017, ESSP has hosted three periodical salons. The theme of each salon was designed based on tracking the global forefront research on scientific periodicals and the exploration of prospective issues of periodicals of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Zhang Wei also mentioned that (1) the driving force of the subject periodical cluster and periodical reform originated from the development of science and technology. The progress of science and technology as well as the research methodology generated new needs, which brought about the need of the periodical reform. The competent departments of Chinese Academy of Sciences timely found this development trend and put forward the needs of periodical reform goals catering to the development trend. The 13th-Five-Year Development Plan of Scientific Periodicals of Chinese Academy of Sciences further promoted the periodical reform and development of Chinese Academy of Sciences.; (2) the new editing platform and the development and application of the publishing platform were practical to enhance the productivity and improve the capability of the cluster added-value service. The inter-agency development of the subject periodical cluster required the support of technological methods, which was beneficial to remove the barrier among institutions, provided added-value services and established mechanisms for the stakeholders to attract the active participation of periodicals; (3) the subject periodical cluster was confrontedwith the problems of systems and mechanisms. For this, Chinese Academy of Sciences has made specific guidance policies and provided financial support to guide and encourage several periodicals to participate in the periodical reform. Currently, some exploratory experience is acquired and worth promotion. (4) Scientific periodicals are important components of science and technology resources. The knowledge service is one important direction of the science and technology resource’s construction and development. It is necessary to think about the paths towards the knowledge service and specific promotion measures for the development of the scientific periodicals of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The participants positively respond to this salon. They think that this salon has triggered the thinking fire, and showed the charm of practice. The theme of this salon is bright and the horizon of the keynote reports are broad. This salon introduces typical cases and rich information. In it, participants took liberal discussions, and they communicated their ideas, and especially thoughts about the subject periodical cluster and the knowledge service were sublimed. The number of participants in this salon also hits a historical high. The success of this salon provides valuable cases for the reform and exploration of the scientific periodical cluster in Chinese Academy of Sciences and nationwide. It will promote the construction and development of the subject periodical cluster’s knowledge service.