This document discusses text and data mining (TDM), including what it is, the issues around it from a publisher perspective, and potential solutions. TDM involves using software to identify trends and connections in large amounts of text and data. While it has been used commercially for years, a study found that 69% of academic researchers have never used it. Publishers are generally working to facilitate TDM by researchers within legal and technical limitations to prevent unauthorized sharing of content. Standardizing formats and access could help overcome technical challenges around TDM.

1. Text and data mining – the way forward
www.alpsp.org 30 June 2016

2. Agenda
• What is TDM?
• What are the issues?
• What are the solutions?

4. What is TDM?

5. What is TDM?

6. What is TDM?
• NOT a simple internet search

7. What is TDM?
• NOT a simple internet search
• Text: human readable to structured data
• Data: software to identify trends, connections

8. What is TDM?
• NOT a simple internet search
• Text: human readable to structured data
• Data: software to identify trends, connections
• NOT new
– Financial and business industries
– More recently, interest from scholarly research

9. What do miners need?
• Content
– Access to, or copy of

10. What do miners need?
• Content
– Access to, or copy of
• Software
– To convert content (where required)
– Tools

11. What do miners need?
• Content
– Access to, or copy of
• Software
– To convert content (where required)
– Tools
• Skills/knowledge

12. Issues? (publisher perspective)
• Copyright
– Is this really what’s holding TDM back?

13. Issues? (publisher perspective)
• Copyright
– Is this really what’s holding TDM back?
• Do researchers really know what the opportunities are,
and how to take advantage of them?
• What are the technical challenges that need to be
overcome?

14. PRC study
• TDM survey of researchers (520 respondents)
– global
– cross-discipline
– wide age range
– primarily academic institutions

15. PRC study
• TDM survey of researchers (520 respondents)
– global
– cross-discipline
– wide age range
– primarily academic institutions
• 69% report never using the technique

16. PRC study
• TDM survey of researchers (520 respondents)
– global
– cross-discipline
– wide age range
– primarily academic institutions
• 69% report never using the technique
• further 7% tried once, but haven’t used again

17. PRC study
• TDM survey of researchers (520 respondents)
– global
– cross-discipline
– wide age range
– primarily academic institutions
• 69% report never using the technique
• further 7% tried once, but haven’t used again
• 11% use regularly

18. PRC study
• Two third of respondents interested to learn more
– consider useful for
• literature review
• extracting new facts
• finding hidden links

19. PRC study
• Existing users
– Advantages
• time-saving
• perform tasks could not otherwise do
– Where
• Equally using offline or online content
– Using
• Open source, off-the-shelf or other services

20. Issues? (publisher perspective)
• TDM can involve copying lots of content
• Different legal systems
– UK – exception
– EU – likely exception
– Other countries considering
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21. TDM and legislation
• TDM is happening now…
…and has been for some years
• Licensed for commercial use (pharma, financial,
business)

22. TDM and legislation
• TDM is happening now…
…and has been for some years
• Licensed for commercial use (pharma, financial,
business)
• What effect did the exception in the UK have?

23. • where user has lawful access to content
• for computational analysis
• research for non-commercial purpose
Effect of UK exception (introduced October 2014)

24. • where user has lawful access to content
• for computational analysis
• research for non-commercial purpose
• Guidance notes make clear that:
– Publishers/content providers are able to provide
reasonable measures to maintain their network
security or stability
Effect of UK exception (introduced October 2014)

25. Why is there a call to keep this non-commercial?
• Commercial?
– Already licensing and support for commercial mining
in finance, pharma and other businesses
• Protection of content
– Hackers, sharing of usernames and passwords
– Human-readable experience

26. Effect of UK exception (introduced October 2014)
• Publishers Licensing Society survey
– Few requests being made
– Access being facilitated, unless project outcomes will
directly compete with publisher product
Year % publishers
approached
Total TDM
requests
2013 16% 79
2014 15% 91
2015 14% 84

27. Copyright and TDM
– In general, publishers working to facilitate TDM

28. Copyright and TDM
– In general, publishers working to facilitate TDM
– Many now have statements to support mining
• http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-826542.html
• http://www.springer.com/gp/rights-permissions/springer-s-text-and-data-
mining-policy/29056
• https://www.elsevier.com/about/company-information/policies/text-and-data-
mining
• http://www.microbiologyresearch.org/authors/editorial-policies

29. Copyright and TDM
– In general, publishers working to facilitate TDM
– Many now have statements to support mining
• http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-826542.html
• http://www.springer.com/gp/rights-permissions/springer-s-text-and-data-
mining-policy/29056
• https://www.elsevier.com/about/company-information/policies/text-and-data-
mining
• http://www.microbiologyresearch.org/authors/editorial-policies
– But what happens when there is uncertainty?

30. PLSClear
– don’t have legal access?
– request permission centrally (not just for TDM)

31. Technical challenges
• Technical challenges
– facilitating access to bona fide miners
• Prevent theft of content
• Protecting platforms

32. Technical challenges
• Technical challenges
– facilitating access to bona fide miners
• Prevent theft of content
• Protecting platforms
– Lack of standardization
• Content format
• Interfaces with researchers' preferred mining tools

33. Technical challenges
• Technical challenges
– facilitating access to bona fide miners
• Prevent theft of content
• Protecting platforms
– Lack of standardization
• Content format
• Interfaces with researchers' preferred mining tools
– Access to both subscribed and non-subscribed
content

34. • RightFind™ XML for mining
– Produces standardized data
Overcoming technical challenges

35. • Crossref text and data mining services
– DOIs
– Metadata API
– Delivers full text from publisher sites
Overcoming technical challenges

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