Changes in the Structure of Information Distribution
The distribution of information in the chemical industry has long had a fixed structure. At the center are papers and patents, and both the evaluation of research and the allocation of research funding are built on top of that system. Research results are first published as peer reviewed papers, and in the case of corporate research, patent filing is prioritized. From there, the information spreads to academic societies, trade journals, and industry newspapers.
By contrast, a completely different mode of information distribution has been established in the IT industry. Research findings and technical knowledge are often first published in blogs or technical notes. Papers do exist, but they are not the center. Media such as GitHub, technical blogs, and personal notes serve as primary information sources.
This difference is not merely cultural. It originates in differences in industrial structure and the cost of information.
Characteristics of the chemical industry
• reproducibility of experiments is important
• equipment and materials are required
• patent value is high
Characteristics of the IT industry
• code can be reproduced as is
• experimental cost is low
• disclosure accelerates development
This gap appears as a difference in the structure of information distribution.
Informatization and Blog Style Communication
In recent years, changes have begun to appear in this structure. In particular, publication in the form of blogs and technical articles is increasing in the fields of materials, energy, and recycling.
What lies behind this is the speed of information distribution.
Publishing a paper takes time. It must go through the process of peer review, revision, and publication. By contrast, a blog can be published immediately. There are increasing examples of corporate laboratories, startups, and individual researchers publishing technical notes.
The content that is published is not necessarily research results. Rather, the following kinds of content are common.
• organization of technical trends
• organization of the state of a research field
• organization of technical issues
• working notes during research
In other words, it is not a medium of proof, but a medium of organization.
Papers are a medium of proof
Blogs are a medium of organization
This division of roles is beginning to take shape.
This structure was established first in the IT industry.
In the IT field,
code
↓
blog explanation
↓
SNS discussion
this three layer structure is common. In the chemical field as well, while papers and patents remain the core, a form is beginning to appear in which surrounding information gathers in blogs.
Will the Chemical Industry Follow?
It is unlikely that the chemical industry will fully shift to an IT style information distribution model. The reasons are clear.
First, the impact of the patent system is large. New materials and processes have high patent value, and the timing of disclosure is strictly controlled. Early disclosure is a risk for companies.
Second is experimental cost. In IT, published code can be executed as is. In chemistry, equipment, reagents, and safety management are required. The barrier to reproduction is high.
Third is safety. Chemical processes involve the risk of accidents. Caution is required in handling published information.
For that reason, the following structure appears realistic.
Papers and patents
proof of research results
Blogs and technical articles
organization of research status
SNS
discussion and supplementation
It is the same three layer structure as in the IT industry, but the center remains with papers and patents.
However, there are places where change is occurring. In particular, the following areas.
• recycling technology
• material trends
• regulatory trends
• industrial analysis
These are fields in which organized information has higher value than papers.
It is not research itself, but the layer of information surrounding research that is likely to become blog based.
As a result, the information structure of the chemical industry will not become fully IT like. However, amid the flow of informatization, a blog style layer of knowledge is forming around papers and patents. This structural change has already begun in part of the materials industry.