Potential of mobile applications for information support of scientific research

Modern society is characterized by a shift from computer to mobile technologies. Given this trend, the library community increasingly is mentioning to mobile applications as a promising area for the development of the information community. But the development of this software is costly and does not guarantee the expected results. The purpose of the study is to assess the potential of mobile applications to improve the information support of scientific research, to determine their main advantages and disadvantages. The work is based on information provided in the Google Play Market. Mobile applications containing scientific material have been searched, selected, and classified. There are few Russian libraries on the mobile app market. The author proposes to assess the potential of applications based on the results of the analysis of its three components: demand, supply, and opportunities. The analysis is based on the users' opinion, expressed through download, evaluation, and comment. The characteristic features of a mobile application with great potential for optimizing the information support of science are identified. The pros and cons of using such software by libraries are specified. The author believes that each library should decide for itself whether to develop its mobile application based on its capabilities.