The Scholarly Kitchen
Archive for August 2010
The “Burden” of Peer Review
Do the benefits of peer review outweigh the work involved? How does post-publication review stack up in comparison? Continue reading
Is Amazon Still Man’s Best Friend?
Peter Brantley has written an insightful piece on some of the implications of Amazon’s much-vaunted high royalty payments to authors who publish directly with them (that is, with Amazon). Continue reading
Taxes Clash with Free Speech in the Philadelphia Blogosphere
Philadelphia extends local small business fees to bloggers making money, arguing they are just like anyone else trying to make money in the city. But given the free speech element, they aren’t “just like anyone else.” Continue reading
Penn & Teller on the Vaccines and Autism Debate: A Model of Great Science Communication
The now completely discredited vaccines and autism linkage is tackled here in inimitable and definitive style by two guys who really know how to stage a story simply and effectively. Continue reading
Today’s UK Researchers: E-journals Dominate, Access Not an Issue, Skimming Increasing
A set of findings confirm rather than surprise, but apparently some publishers are still behaving as if they’ll be surprised. Continue reading
The SSP IN Conference — An INfernal Event!
It appears that the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) will be holding another “IN” meeting next month over my strenuous objections as a long-standing member of the society. My objections are not concerning SSP holding a Fall meeting – indeed, the autumn is my favorite time of the year to repair to a fine club, properly provisioned with brandy and cigars, to discuss the affairs of the society with other learned gentlemen. ather, my concerns are regarding the topic of the meeting. “IN,” I am told, stands for INnovation, INspiration, and INteraction. I am wont to think of a more unholy trinity of concepts and think “INfernal” is more apropos! Continue reading
Rectifying Asymmetries — Experts Are Battered From All Sides, But Are We Any Smarter?
Is the Web making experts more susceptible to challenge? Is this a good thing for society as a whole? Or is it creating a confusion demagogues can exploit? Continue reading
Teaching the End of Print — Using Books Poised on the Edge of Oblivion
A teacher publishes a syllabus contemplating a print era bounded by two inventions — the printing press and the networked screen. It’s part of a sweep of interesting observations. Continue reading
The Noble Plastic Bag — A Naturalist’s View
Brutal and compelling, the lifecycle of the plastic bag is beautifully captured in this short film. Continue reading
Is CAPTCHA Vulnerable to Economics?
CAPTCHA is viewed as a technology solution to bolster access controls. But by involving humans as solvers, it’s been opened up to a labor market solution. Continue reading
Authors
The mission of the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) is "[t]o advance scholarly publishing and communication, and the professional development of its members through education, collaboration, and networking." SSP established The Scholarly Kitchen blog in February 2008 to keep SSP members and interested parties aware of new developments in publishing.
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The Scholarly Kitchen is a moderated and independent blog. Opinions on The Scholarly Kitchen are those of the authors. They are not necessarily those held by the Society for Scholarly Publishing nor by their respective employers.
