How Not to Negotiate for Digital Rights
Jonathan Galassi misses the boat when he tries to argue with authors on moral grounds. Appeal to their pocketbooks.
The End of Kirkus Reviews: Gloom, Doom, and Sunshine
Kirkus Reviews is doomed. But for all the losses of old ways of discovering books, new ones keep cropping up. The future is bright for book publishing.
Let’s Hear It for Reckless Enthusiasm!
Innovations in scholarly communications often come about through bold and often reckless investments in new capacity, for which the utility is not always obvious.
Some Memorable Dishes from the Kitchen in 2009
As 2009 comes to an end, here is a selection of entries that left an especially nice flavor on the palette.
Do Medical Editors Discriminate Against Poor Authors?
Do medical editors have different quality standards based on the author’s geographic location?
Churn in the Book Space: Rational & Irrational Behavior Among Book Publishers
Two fiction publishers decide to delay release of their e-books, further marginalizing their books. Meanwhile, an STM book publisher gets it right.
Should Editors Influence Journal Impact Factors?
Is it ethical for editors to alert authors of relevant in-journal articles?
ScienceBlogs and “National Geographic” — A Partnership of Online Strengths
In addition to print’s continuing decline, blogs in science are mature, profitable, and going local, as SEED, ScienceBlogs, and National Geographic show through their moves.
What Happens When We Misplace the Credentialing Keys?
Self-publishing initiatives in consumer publishing a falling under harsh criticism. Why aren’t similar endeavors in the purportedly more disciplined area of scholarly publishing experiencing the same?
How Many Books Dance on the Head of an e-Pin?
Can the model used in the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records be extended to embrace e-works? Or should it be trimmed instead?
Breaking the Chain of Inquiry — When Journals and Journalists Fall Short
When an author conceals information, and a blog branded with a respectable newspaper plays along, it doesn’t engender confidence in the new information space.
Will the Writing Revolution Beget a Social Revolution?
Is the revolution in authorship and writing going to lead to more social upheaval? Two scholars argue it may well be the case.
Dealing with a Possible Email Glitch, While Spotlighting a Great Post
An email glitch on Wednesday might have hidden a great post. If you missed “Open Access and Vanity Publishing,” here’s your prompt to give it a careful read. It’s well worth it.
Publisher Reverses Plagiarism Claim
Under threat of litigation, Emerald reverses claim of plagiarism to “communication error.” Offending author allowed to correct and republish work.
O’Reilly Tools of Change, Frankfurt Edition
O’Reilly brings its Tools of Change meeting to Frankfurt, with mixed results. The keynotes were the most inspiring.