Ask the Chefs: "Are We a Service Industry Or a Product Industry?"
We often talk about products and services, but which is our primary value base?
The Open Access Price Wars Have Begun
A new open access publishing service, Peerj, has been started by Peter Binfield, formerly the publisher of PLoS ONE. This augurs a price war among author-pays OA services.
Sizing the Market for Patron-driven Acquisitions (PDA)
Patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) has reached a market of approximately $20 million and is growing rapidly; it is likely to more than double over the next 18 months. University presses make up perhaps 25% of the total.
Publish-or-Perish Culture Promotes Scientific Narcissism
Publication rewards productive scientists but has the unintended consequences of isolating scholars, reducing knowledge transfer and steering scientists away from engaging in policy and the press.
Follow-up on BioMed Central's Sponsored Publication Fees — Granting Funders a View Into Editorial Reports
While BioMed Central’s responses are a mixed bag, a new finding surfaces. And this one might just beat all.
Crossing the Rubicon — Is the UK Going to Enable Open Access for All Taxpayer-Funded Research by 2014?
The UK Government Science Minister articulates a plan for open access and open data for UK research. The implications aren’t clear, but the intentions are.
IT Arrogance vs. Academic Culture — Why the Outcome Is Virtually Certain
Claims that technological innovations can smash cultures and revolutionize the fundamentals of scientific communication mistake superficial changes for deep changes. Technology alone isn’t enough. In fact, it seems that publishing changes technology.
Reproducibility — An Attempt to Test the Psychology Literature Underscores a Growing Fault Line
The growing perception that science is built on sand demands not only some new incentives, but also an understanding that science is not always easy — or possible — to replicate.
An Interview with Cameron Neylon, PLoS' New Director of Advocacy
An interview about open access, funding of science, publishable works, profit motives, and other topics of interest, with one of the more thoughtful advocates of OA publishing, Cameron Neylon.
Thinking Through a Strategy for Digital Rights Management
DRM (digital rights management) is a problematic response to a complex situation where copyright infringement becomes common. A management team needs a clear, progressive strategy to offset unauthorized use and may choose to drop DRM
The "Academic Spring" — Shallow Rhetoric Aimed at the Wrong Target
In another rhetorical land grab, OA activists are aligning themselves with the Arab Spring by claiming their boycotts are the start of an “academic spring.” Not only are the two not comparable, but obviously the wrong target of oppression and exploitation has been identified.
Review: "How Economics Shapes Science," by Paula Stephan
A new book on the economics shaping science is a treasure trove of facts arranged sensibly and put wonderfully into context. In addition, it’s an example of how to design a print book.
Interview with Paula Stephan — Economics, Science, and Doing Better
The author of “How Economics Shapes Science” responds to some questions stimulated by her fine work.
Ask the Chefs: "What's the Biggest Elephant in the Room?"
What issues aren’t we talking about enough? The Chefs discuss a surprisingly wide variety of elephants — from consumerization to emerging crises to legacy problems.
E-books in the Academy — A Story of Limitations and Affordances
The current crop of ebooks simply don’t do many of the things that scholars require, leading scholars to urge libraries to continue to collect print books. Perhaps a new kind of service is required to get more scholars to migrate to all-digital solutions.