Publishing of journal and conference papers is a required output of university
research. It represents an established method of disseminating research results
and circulating them among the rest of the research community. However, the
effectiveness of publication as a method of knowledge transfer must be debatable.
Knowledge is 'broadcast', but it may not reach those who need it. Papers usually
contain a limited level of detail, often for reasons linked to intellectual property
rights, and may be too superficial to make effective exploitation of the knowledge
possible. In addition, companies, particularly SMEs, may have difficulty accessing
academic published papers for licensing reasons, they may be considered too
theoretical and not sufficiently business-relevant.