Scholarly communications begins with the process of creating the work itself (the research, analysis, writing, collaboration) and continues through the production, distribution, and evaluation of that work. In order to consider the totality of the scholarly communication enterprise, one must also consider its sustainability (ACRL, 2019). The work may exist in print or digital formats and may or may not be textual.
Scholarly artifacts have been long understood to include items like monographs, edited volumes, and journal articles. In addition, many disciplines are expanding their consideration of scholarly artifacts to include new and emerging media. These remain validated for quality by the peer review of relevant experts and measures defined by institutions and scholarly disciplines. Other considerations have traditionally included authorial affiliation with a university or research institution and the credibility and scholar-recognized quality of the publication agencies themselves.
New technologies and changes in the research and dissemination landscape for scholarly works come with a host of challenges for scholars: