The role of scientific and technological literature is to record scientific and technological knowledge. It has accumulated countless useful facts, data, theoretical methods, ideas and assumptions, recorded countless successful or failed experiences and lessons, reflected the level of scientific and technological development under certain times and social conditions, and predicted the future development trend and direction. Sci-tech literature is the most effective means to accumulate and disseminate information in space and time, and it is the most basic and main source to obtain sci-tech information.

Scientific and technological literature plays an important role in human social practice in the following aspects:

(A) storage function

Scientific and technological literature is a treasure house of knowledge stored and shared by human beings and an important source of scientific and technological development in human society.

(2) Transmission function

The development of science and technology has continuity and inheritance. Scientific and technological literature is a bridge for the inheritance, reference and development of science and technology, and it is the main means for human beings to transmit scientific and technological information. There are informal communication channels (such as seminars, visits, lectures, exhibitions, etc.) ) and formal communication channels (in the form of documents), and the latter is the most important means of communication.

(3) Recognition function

Scientific and technological literature is an important symbol to measure academic level and scientific research achievements. When evaluating a scientific research achievement, it is often compared with previous published literature, and at the same time, the viewpoints, methods, technologies and data put forward in the literature are compared item by item to prove the advanced or novelty of the achievement.