Not the Answer — An Academic Carefully Assesses the Arguments for Open Access
A long, thoughtful essay by a UK academic contemplating open access merits attention, for obvious and subtle reasons.
Should the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) Stop Using PMC As Its Publishing Platform?
Using free government infrastructure that’s not available to everyone else raises questions of fairness, which lead to questions of harm. But who is harmed may be both obvious and subtle.
MOOCs and the Cycle of Hype
Thoughts on the future of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
Does Green Open Access Rot the Brain?
The ongoing Internet conversation about Green OA continues, with members of the library world noting that the availability of Green OA versions of articles is indeed a factor in the cancellation of journal subscriptions.
UPDATED — 73 Things Publishers Do (2013 Edition)
An updated version of the “60 Things Publishers Do” list, recognizing a baker’s dozen of contributions provided via comments, other Chefs, and a changing world.
US Federal Open Access Rulemakings To Come
The US government’s rulemaking process will drive the implementation of the OSTP’s open access policy. An overview of that process is presented.
A New Science Blogging Scandal: Deja Vu All Over Again
A new science blogging scandal shows that the conflicts between commercial platforms and bloggers continue to dog the integration of blogs into mainstream media outlets.
Stick to Your Ribs: Interview with Paula Stephan — Economics, Science, and Doing Better
An interview from April 2012, which remains as relevant today in explaining the incentives driving much of the behavior in academic research centers and scientific and scholarly publishing.
Seeking a Path toward Open Access for Books
It is challenging to come up with an open access program for books that is financially sustainable. One strategy has been proposed by Unglue.it, which uses crowdfunding to purchases copyrights from authors.
Link Miser — Why the NLM Links to PubMed Central Versions Directly from PubMed Search Results
Why does PubMed preferentially link to PMC versions in its search result lists? Emails from 2011 suggest it’s specifically to generate more traffic to PMC and show off NLM services.
Driving Altmetrics Performance Through Marketing — A New Differentiator for Scholarly Journals?
Does the rise of altmetrics mean a shift in the journal publishing landscape where marketing and publicity efforts surrounding articles take precedence?
The Conversation on Green OA Continues
The debate on Green OA continues, as many people challenge the premise that the existence of Green OA articles will result in the cancellation of subscriptions to those articles.
Bringing eBooks to Book
Is there really a strict divide between readers of books and ebooks?
The Times They Are A'Changing – Or Are They?
The results of the most recent ALPSP publisher survey offer some surprising results.
When It Comes to Green OA, Nice Guys Finish Last
Green Open Access can lead to the cancellation of subscriptions to journals. The environment for OA, however, is full of nuance and resists easy characterization.