Vanishing Ghost Authorship
The prevalence of ghost authorship in the medical literature may be in decline, a new study reports. Is the issue really social or is authorship partly a problem of definition?
Red, Green, and Blue — The Library Classification System Parody
Full of “all kinds of odd mappings between the categories and the world they describe,” library organizational systems get a jolly send-up in this pre-Google British comedy sketch.
Gaming the Impact Factor Puts Journal In Time-out
Attempts to game a journal’s Impact Factor can result in being de-listed from the Journal Citation Report. Most offenders learn their lesson and return to normal citation behavior.
The Aaron Swartz Case: What Does It Mean?
Let’s suppose, for the sake of argument, that the allegations against Swartz are proved and that he’s convicted. What would his case mean? It seems to me that it raises a number of questions that have received insufficient attention up until now.
F1000 Journal Rankings — The Map Is Not the Territory
Does the release of a journal ranking metric signal a change in vision for post-publication peer review?
The Journal Usage Factor — Think Locally, Act Locally
If the Journal Usage Factor were run like an election, it would be a system where each party runs its own polls, hoards its own votes, provides no paper trail, and has the power to ignore any appeal.
It's About Time We Discussed the Business of Identity
Information tailored to the user requires identity services that are useful and trusted. Will Google+ create a new baseline standard? Whither ORCID? Why can one succeed while one might be doomed? And what might the world look like for scientists when these opportunities are captured?
Branding, Plausible Deniability, and the New York Times
Publishing materials under a trusted brand, then attempting to disavow that content when complaints arise about bias and professionalism doesn’t reflect well on the New York Times, paper or corporation. Having a portfolio of products requires responsible management of the brand constellation. Hiding out in the thicket of brands is craven.
Have Journal Editors Become Anachronisms?
It has become fashionable to rally against the elitism of journals and their editors. An economic argument for why we still need them both.
A Tale of Self-Plagiarism — A Critic of Publishers Proves a Prostitute Is As a Prostitute Does
A critic of publishers and eminent economist is caught in a swirl of allegations about self-plagiarism.
Back to School: Rethinking the Textbook
There are many new companies seeking to disrupt the college textbook model. Here is a taxonomy of the strategies, with some comments on the likelihood of their being adopted.
Rallying Cries vs. Reality: Profits and Publishing Meet Academics and Idealism
The comments on a recent post revealed a litany of rhetoric that doesn’t quite match up with nuanced reality.
Graphical Displays, Statistics, and Thinking Straight — "Picturing the Uncertain World"
Simplifying the complex isn’t a simple task. A new book by a practiced hand and statistician proves entertaining and enlightening.
The Subtle Conflicts of Interest All Humans Face
Not all conflicts are monetary. Sometimes, the pressure to do something good can lead to biased behavior.
Mountains Out of Molehills, and the Search for a Retraction Index
A retraction study hits some familiar conceptual problems, and a proposed retraction index runs into a deeper issue.