"Anger and Invective," and Scholarly Communication
How different issues bear on facts vs. feelings has a lot to do with how vitriolic exchanges can get.
Most NIH-Sponsored Trials Slow to Publish, Many Aren't Published, Most Fail to Report Data, Studies Show
Fewer than half of NIH sponsored clinical trials are published within 30 months, and 4 out of 5 FDA trials fail to publicly register results (as mandated by law), studies published in the BMJ report. Authors and sponsors may be the strongest source of reporting bias.
The Price of Parody in an Era of Scorched-Earth Publishing Politics
Why is there such invective around certain topics in scholarly publishing? Perhaps when you ask questions and play with ideas, you’re bound to get some backlash. But how far is too far?
Revisiting a Little-Known RWA of the Past — The Restaurant Welfare Act of 1958
Can we learn a lesson from a prior clash of RWA and FRPAA years ago?
When Journal Editors Coerce Authors to Self-Cite
Editors of business journals strategically coerce authors to increase citation rates, a new study in Science reports.
Mysteries of the Elsevier Boycott
The Elsevier boycott puts a target on one company, but for no clear reason when you look harder at the facts, and the demands aren’t clear. Just what kind of boycott is this?
The Elsevier Boycott — Does It Make Sense?
The boycott of Elsevier may have unintended consequences for smaller not-for-profits, scientists in smaller domains, and accessibility overall. And examples of solutions don’t look like solutions once you understand them a bit better.
The Research Works Act: Is It Time For a Rally To Restore Sanity?
When it comes to discussions about access, the silent majority focused on doing science is presented with real choices, not all of which square with the scorched-earth rhetoric that too often dominates.
Better Late Than Never? Economists Grapple with Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure
A major economics association establishes conflict of interest and disclosure rules for its publications, expecting others to follow. But is the lateness of these rules reassuring, or maddening?
The Secret to Your Perfect Look — By Adobé
The secret to a beautiful you? Just apply this, and all your concerns about your appearance can disappear.
Trickle-Down Thinking — Does Anyone Understand Why Universities and Not-for-Profits Have Large Endowments?
Follow the money in academic publishing, and you find ponds that resemble the larger lakes of academia in general. By mimicking endowment practices originating at large universities, are not-for-profits limiting their ability to grow?
Tweets, and Our Obsession with Alt Metrics
Can tweets predict future citations? A study of article tweets raises validity and ethical concerns.
Getting Real About Amazon — Taxes, Prices, Competition, and Long-term Strategies
Amazon’s retail juggernaut has many people upset, but perhaps we should all reflect on the fact that a company devoted to customer service, thin margins, and a long-term disciplined strategy can thrive.
Dangerous Restraint — Is Censoring Science in Anyone's Best Interest?
A controversial request that two journals censor full data reporting for fear of bioterror raises many questions, points to precedents, and hints at a better way to handle the problem than stifling scientific information.
Measuring the Wrong Things — Has the Scientific Method Been Compromised By Careerism?
As we continue to measure the number of papers, citations, and the combination, perhaps we should be measuring a much lower number — the number of studies that can be replicated after publication.