Editoria, università e la nuova “comedia”: riflessioni sul ruolo delle istituzioni di ricerca nella disseminazione della scienza

The paper addresses the relationship between publishing and the university in the new digital ecosystem. It ponders what disseminating research findings means in the light of new emerging processes, i.e., research evaluation, digital infrastructures for research and the allocation of quality-weighted (QR) research funding. It goes on to assess the economic weight of the academic publishing industry, both in absolute terms and in relation to the funding for national higher education systems. The essay then focuses on the leading actors in the new “comedia”: research evaluation, digital infrastructures and QR research funding. It concludes by answering the question of what academic publishing is today and what role the university has to play in the dissemination of research to get the most out of it.