I thought the scans, while a bit tedious to completely collect, we're a unique addition to the gameplay in that it added replay value whilst simultaneously deepening the story and characterizing the Metroid universe. One would first assume that the Space Pirates are all just the mindless drones beneath Ridley and Mother Brain, but the logs and scans seem to suggest that they're a much larger and more autonomous organization, with Ridley only being in military command.
I also like that the scans don't mention Mother Brain that much, if at all, since I always thought a big brain in a jar controlling a criminal group was kind of silly.