Responsible content mining

Abstract The prospect of widespread content mining of the scholarly literature is emerging, driven by the promise of increased permissions due to copyright reform in countries such as the UK and the support of some publishers, particularly those that publish open access-journals. In parallel, the growing software tool set for mining, and the availability of ontologies such as DBPedia mean that many scientists can start to mine the literature with relatively few technical barriers. We believe that content mining can be carried out in a responsible, legal manner causing no technical issues for any parties. In addition, ethical concerns including the need for formal accreditation and citation can be addressed, with the further possibility of machine-supported metrics. This chapter sets out some approaches to act as guidelines for those starting mining activities.