Fun with Toponyms
Place names tell us all sorts of interesting things about history and people. Also, what is the longest one word place name in the world?
Having the Courage to Explain Research in Plain Language
The Curse of Knowledge is when we assume everyone else understands what we’re talking about, when they don’t. Good communication happens when we have the courage to make it simple.
What is Slang and How Does it Die?
Why are companies so effective at ruining slang?
Off for the US Holiday — More Grammar
We are off today and tomorrow for the US Independence Day holiday. Also included, a song that hews carefully to archaic rules about prepositions at the end of sentences.
The Power Imbalances of Language Policing
Is there a “right” way to speak, or is language policing more revealing about the anxiety of the scolder than the expression of the speaker?
SSP Conference Debate: AI and the Integrity of Scholarly Publishing
Will artificial intelligence fatally undermine the integrity of scholarly publishing? A formal debate from the annual meeting of the Society for Scholarly Publishing.
Guest Post — Accessibility Powered by AI: How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Universalize Access to Digital Content
Digital transformation can revolutionize the world, turning it into an inclusive place for people with and without disabilities, with accessibility powered by artificial intelligence.
Guest Post — OER or OERs: Can There Can Be Only One (Acronym)?
Why say OERs when Open Educational Resources is already plural? A guest post from librarian Emma Wood on the confounding inconsistencies of language.
Guest Post: AI and Scholarly Publishing — A (Slightly) Hopeful View
The impact of the changes artificial intelligence will cause rests on how creative humans can be at harnessing novel technologies to the greatest benefit. The challenge, then, for publishers, is to ensure they are the creative adopters leading the charge, as opposed to being trampled by better customer experiences created by other technological disruptors.
Textpocalypse: A Literary Scholar Eyes the “Grey Goo” of AI
What will the “grey goo” of AI generated text do to us? A scholar of writing and technology talks with us about AI and Large Language Models.
Fallout from the Implosion of Humanities Enrollments
What does the decline of the English major mean for society at large, and university presses in particular?
Guest Post — Academic Publishers Are Missing the Point on ChatGPT
Avi Staiman discusses the value that ChatGPT can bring to scholarly communication, particularly leveling the playing field for English as an Additional Language authors.
Is the Letter “R” a Vowel? What is a Vowel Anyway, and What Does How You Pronounce “R” Say About You?
Did your teacher lie to you when they told you that the only vowels were A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y?
Thinking About ChatGPT and the Future — Where Are We On AI’s Development Curve?
A compilation of links and a video to incisive analyses of ChatGPT and what it means for the future.
Guest Post — Introducing Two New Toolkits to Advance Inclusion in Scholarly Communication: Part 1
The first of a two part series introducing new toolkits from C4DISC: Guidelines on Inclusive Language and Images in Scholarly Communication and the Antiracism Toolkit for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.