Die Arbeit untersucht im Rahmen einer kulturanalytischen Medienlinguistik mit vier Einzelfallstudien exemplarisch das wissenschaftliche Bloggen deutschsprechender Soziolog_innen. Dafür sind zwei Leitfragen zentral: (1) Welche Konturen der Praktik innerwissenschaftlichen Bloggens lassen sich aktuell nachzeichnen? (2) Wie konkretisiert sich eristisches Handeln als wesentliches Strukturkennzeichen der Praxis interner Wissenschaftskommunikation im Rahmen dieser Praktik? Den Ausgangspunkt bilden theoretische, begriffliche und methodologische Klärungen. Mit einem konsequent medienlinguistischen Ansatz wird deshalb zunächst ein erkenntnistheoretischer Standpunkt herausgearbeitet. Für die empirische Analyse wird dann der Forschungsstand zu historischen und rezenten Entwicklungen in der Wissenschaftskommunikation sowie zu ihrer Konzeptualisierung gesichtet und diskutiert: Dabei kommt es zu einer grundlegenden Problematisierung und prozessbezogenen Rekonzeptualisierung des medienlinguistischen Kommunikationsformenbegriffs ebenso wie des Eristikbegriffs der Wissenschaftssprachenforschung. Die Ergebnisse der vier Einzelfallstudien erhellen das Bloggen der deutschsprachigen Soziologie in seinen infrastrukturellen, sozialisatorischen, ethnotheoretischen und nicht zuletzt sprachlich-kommunikativen Dimensionen umfangreich. Sie zeichnen das Bild einer im Interim befindlichen Praktik. Diese entwickelt sich im Spannungsfeld zwischen den Normen interner Wissenschaftskommunikation und der medialen Spezifik von Weblogs. Dies führt unweigerlich zu Konflikten. Die unterschiedlichen Strategien ihrer Bewältigung führen im Effekt zu je unterschiedlichen Verortungen des Bloggens im kommunikativen Haushalt der Wissenschaft. / This study examines a relatively recent phenomenon, the practice of scholarly blogging, with regards to its eristic dimension which is conceived as an overarching characteristic of all scholarly communication. In order to do so, the practice of scholarly blogging itself has to be explored first: What are the essential characteristics of scholarly blogging? What linguistic means are used to serve the eristic purposes in said practice? To answer these key questions, the scholarly blogging of German-speaking sociologists is examined in four case studies. Theoretical, conceptual, and methodological considerations situate this study in culture-analytical media linguistics: An according epistemological perspective is developed. In preparation of the empirical analyses, the stand of research regarding historical and recent developments as well as the common conceptualizations of scholarly communication are then examined and discussed. The notion of communication form, central to German media linguistics, is consequently scrutinized and re-conceptualized as process rather than structure, as well as the notion of eristics, central to German linguistics of scholarly communications. The findings of the four case studies shed light upon blogging of German-speaking sociologists in the following dimensions: regarding media infrastructure, processes of socialization, conflicting ethnotheories, and, most importantly, linguistic means for eristic purposes. The case studies show a practice currently evolving, in tension between the norms of scholarly communication and the specific mediality of the communication form weblog. Which inevitably prompts conflicts: The different strategies of coping with these conflicts effectively place blogs on different positions in the communicative household of academia.

Libraries have traditionally facilitated each of the following elements of research: production of new knowledge, its preservation and its organization to make it accessible for use over the generations. In modern times, the library is constantly required to meet the challenges of information explosion. Assimilating resources and restructuring practices to process the large data volumes both in the print and digital form held across the globe, therefore, becomes very important. A recourse by the libraries to application of successive forms of what can be called as Digital Library Technologies (DLT) has been the imperative. The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) is one recent development that is expected to assist the libraries to partner in setting up virtual learning environment and integrating research on a near universal scale. Future extension of this concept is envisaged to be that of Grid Computing. The technologies driving the â Gridâ would let people share computing power, databases, and other on-line tools securely across institutional and geographic boundaries without sacrificing the local autonomy. Ushering an era of the ubiquitous library helping the e-research is thus on the card. This paper reviews the emerging technological changes and charts the future role for the libraries with special reference to India.