IMLS National Forum on Data Mining Research Using In-copyright and Limited-access Text Datasets: Discussion Paper, Forum Statements, and SWOT analyses

This discussion paper foregrounds discussion at “Text Mining with Limited-Access Data,” a National Forum funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. The forum convened twenty-five stakeholders for a day-and-a-half long meeting to explore the current landscape for text data mining using texts that are under copyright or protected by licenses, including terms of use licenses, that limit access and use. The stakeholders include librarians, researchers, legal experts, content providers, and representatives of professional organizations. Prior to the forum, project team members interviewed stakeholders to learn more about their perspectives on research that employs use-limited text data, and to guide forum participants in drafting written statements and SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analyses. This paper reports on the progress of the National Forum project, as well as synthesizes participant responses to the interviews and in their forum statements. It intends to establish a shared vocabulary and key points of consideration for the forum. Initial forum statements and SWOT analyses are included as a separate document.IMLS LG-73-17-0070-17Ope