The Rhetorical Consequences of STM "Madlibs" — Saving [ __________ ] from [ ____________ ]
Instead of filling in the blanks of attribution with the same old agents, maybe we need to go beyond the usual suspects.
The Rapture of Demand — Caring for Orphan Works Left Behind
The orphan works problem is not easily resolved, but it may not be such a big problem, as books mostly become orphans because there is little demand for them.
Contemplating Bitcoin — Is This a New Currency? Or a New Type of Scam?
A new form of cybercurrency is edging into the mainstream, but is it something we should embrace or repel?
Copy Editing and Open Access Repositories
Are author manuscripts in institutional repositories “good enough” for public consumption?
What Patron-Driven Acquisition (PDA) Does and Doesn't Mean: An FAQ
Patron-driven acquisition — what does it mean? This FAQ deals with how PDA approaches books, journals, and libraries.
Stick to Your Ribs: When Did Print Become an Input?
The mental models associated with print are still defining how we work and design. Why has this persisted?
Is Piracy Really the F**king Answer?
A viral book sensation’s obvious story may not be as obvious as some think, harder to replicate, and indicative of a strong counter-trend.
Stick to Your Ribs — Ghost Writers in the Sky
From the archive: an interview of a medical ghostwriter and an inside view of the medical communications industry — both speakers featured at the 2011 SSP Annual Meeting.
Medical Writer Caught Plagiarising — and Other Man Bites Dog Stories
Humor about scientific misconduct may reflect a deeper, more serious side of academic culture gone wrong.
Fear-Mongering, Confusion, and Paranoia About Privacy — Are We Sweating the Small Stuff?
Privacy concerns seem aimed at the small stuff, but could expand into a system of censorship.
Brand, Context, and Containers: Publishing Into and Across the Digital Network
Established publishers don’t have the luxury of start-ups of ignoring existing operations, which makes it harder to fully engage with the Web. But an established brand can help create an extended marketing network.
Bike Sharing Comes to the Academic Library
At Cornell University, you can rent a bicycle from the circulation desk. Should the library be peddling a different brand?
A Parable of Innovation in Publishing — A Mostly True Story
This is a parable of the role in innovation in publishing and makes the case that we should not criticize companies that try and fail to do new things.
Keynes vs. Hayek, Round 2: Top Down or Bottom Up?
This time, the winner is . . . just as ambiguous.
The P-Word: Is Matched Text the Same as Plagiarism?
A massive study of student papers by Turnitin reveals that many are copying text from Wikipedia and other user-generated sites, but it’s not clear in distinguishing text-matches from plagiarism.