This informal communication has the advantages of timeliness, selectivity, completeness, and development of personal rapport. Disadvantages include the possibility that researchers become too exclusive and miss important advances made by others outside their network, or that young researchers may have difficulty gaining access to the network. Notebook Bound books in which scientists record the progress of their research. Important in obtaining patents because they can be used to prove when and where events took place or discoveries were made. Laboratory notebooks are owned by the organization for which a scientists works.
Access is limited to approved individuals within the organization.
Letters Journals Provide rapid publication of preliminary communications of fundamental research. Some journals include letters and short articles of this kind in the same issue as full-length research articles. Letters journals are indexed by indexing services. Conference Papers and Proceedings Conference papers are reports of research that are read at a conference or meeting. Proceedings are collections of conference papers that are published as a single volume.