April Fools' Day: Just Say No
John Oliver offers an important public service message about the horror that is April Fools’ Day.
Guest Post: Karin Wulf on Open Access and Historical Scholarship
As we consider the future of scholarly publishing generally and of open access in particular, we need to keep in mind the deep differences between the humanities and the applied sciences when it comes to both the production and the consumption of scholarship–and the implications of those differences for new dissemination models.
SXSW Interactive 2015: More Relevant Than Ever
SXSW Interactive 2015. It may be over but its impact is not. Highlights from SX and reasons why Interactive is beneficial to everyone in publishing and communication.
Copyright and Open Textbooks: The Case of Boundless
Boundless Textbooks used to offer free alternatives to popular and expensive college texts, using information available on the open Web. Then came the inevitable lawsuit, and an out-of-court settlement. What does the Boundless program look like now?
More Creative Commons Confusion: When Does NC Really Mean "Non-Commercial"?
A recent non-controversy once again shows how much confusion exists around what exactly Creative Commons licenses actually mean.
Advancing Research Communication & Scholarship – An Interview with Robin Champieux and Jill Emery about this New Conference
April sees the first Advancing Research Communication & Scholarship conference, described by the organizers as providing a “broad and collaborative forum for addressing and affecting scholarly and scientific communication. Find out more about this new meeting in our interview with two ARCS 2015 Board members, Robin Champieux and Jill Emery
Taking Our Eye Off the Ball — Why Is Science Suffering in the Modern Age?
While more scientific information than ever is available, science itself is struggling for funding, for cultural footholds, and for priority in society. What has gone wrong?
The Flatscreen Install — Moving Collaboration from Print to Digital
Would adding a big flatscreen TV to my office might make a difference? Yes, in big and important ways.
Small Fly, Big Impact: A History of Drosophila Research (and Why It Matters)
A charming short film about the history and importance of the fruit fly Drosophila as a model organism in biomedical research.
Big Sister: Some Beneficial Aspects of Collecting User Data
The collection of end-user data is going to become more important for all publishers and may serve to describe those publishers that will be most successful in the coming years. Although data-collection is often thought to be a malignant instance of “Big Brotherism,” it may in fact be benign when implemented thoughtfully.
Ask The Chefs: What Did You Learn in 2014?
Find out what the Chefs learned in 2014 and share your most important lessons!
Quantifying the Costs of Open Access in the UK
A new report, commissioned by London Higher and SPARC Europe, tries to quantify the costs undertaken by UK higher education and public sector research institutions in complying with open access mandates. The resulting numbers are quite interesting.
Ask The Chefs: What Is The Best Career Advice You’ve Ever Received?
We’ve all had someone special that we met or worked with that went out of their way to offer us advice, give us much-needed context, or maybe the encouragement to keep pushing forward. What advice are you thankful for?
Slow and Steady — Taking the Time to Think in the Age of Rapid Publishing Cycles
Simple things are often more complex than we initially think, and the push for faster publication may be an expensive and risky trend to follow too much further.
Guest Post: Phill Jones on Learning from the Next Generation of Researchers, A Report on the Early Career Researcher Panel at the STM Frankfurt Conference
Guest Chef Phill Jones returns to discuss the lessons learned at the Frankfurt STM panel meant to introduce publishers to the realities of the lives of postdocs.