Two Thoughts After the SSP Annual Meeting
Two long thoughts after the SSP Annual Meeting — about whether science is truly salvation, and reflecting on why non-expert information can be vital to an accurate scholarly record.
Blogging from the SSP Annual Meeting
The SSP’s Annual Meeting is underway. That means more blogging from sessions, about sessions, and inspired by sessions.
Cornell’s Open Access Author Fund
$50K is more than enough money for an author OA fund claims Cornell Library Board.
Successful Crowdsourcing Requires Feedback
Early feedback motivates future success in YouTube and Digg. Does the same feedback explain scientific publishing?
Traditional Books Become the Minority
Books made the traditional way accounted for less than 50% of US book production in 2008. Has the sea change come?
Stealing Culture: Plagiarism, Music, and Text
Lawsuits against British rock band, Coldplay, illustrate the blurred distinction between inspiration and theft.
Dark Secrets: Open Access and Author Processing Charges
Transparency and accountability are at the heart of Open Access. If only library advocates would walk the talk.
Researching Social Media
Should a federal agency start funding research into social networks? It might be the greatest idea since DARPA.
Chaos Plays Catch-up
An embattled math journal resumes publishing without its editor. Is this journal preparing to close shop?
Percy Jackson & the Joy of Discovery
While scholars worry about how to transmit and teach culture to young children, a teacher has struck gold doing it with brio!
I’m a Friend of “al” — A Rant
The disappearing -al ending seems part of a war on two innocent, helpful letters that exist because we still speak, and therefore seek sounds that let our jaws relax when we reach natural breakpoints. Why are STM editors killing the -al?
Open Access Voted Down at Maryland
Academic freedom cited as main counter-argument.
Are e-Books Already Mainstream?
Consumers are adopting e-books, and even as the base grows, the growth rate is phenomenal. It might be the year for a big shift.
Another New Chef in the Kitchen!
Welcome to David Crotty, a new chef in the Kitchen, who will be bringing dishes from his Bench Marks blog as well as creating new recipes here.
The Google Books Settlement: An Author’s Perspective
The Google Books Settlement has authors up in arms. I’m an author now, and I don’t know what they’re so upset about.