Chapter 7: What Have We Learned Today? A Synthesis of Cases Presented

The organizations profiled in this work are of diverse origins, structure, and purpose. There are both similarities and differences in their approaches to providing impact metrics services. The cases described also highlight benefits to the library or information center providing services and the parent organization. These cases underscore the best practices that are emerging from various areas of the scientometric, information science, and library communities.

Range of mission and purpose. Disciplines and missions extending from the advancement of hard science, technology and engineering, education and learning, regulatory enforcement, economic savings, community-supported publishing, and open access scholarship are all represented.

Funding sources of parent organization. A range of revenue sources fund these organizations, including government (both state and Federal, from legislative and agency sources), public and corporate donations, grants, organizational membership fees tuition, publication sales, and subscriptions.