Data-mining the Library
Libraries generate a great deal of information about their own processes, including circulation records. Making that information available to others could be the basis for a consortium to share and market such library data.
Policy, Shmolicy: Many Authors Disregard Self-Archiving Embargoes
When it comes to self-archiving final manuscripts, NIH-funded authors either do not understand–or blatantly disregard–government and publisher policy. What can be done?
Economic Stocks and Flows — A Lecture Using a Phillips MONIAC Economic Analog
A fluidic computer designed to model a national economy holds lessons for doing things directly and physically. Sometimes, you have to get your hands wet.
Fast and Faster — F1 Cars Getting Faster, Blow Fast Regular Cars Away
Amateurs hope they can emulate the professionals they admire. In a set of videos of F1 racing courses, it’s clear that amateurs can’t compete with professional drivers.
Citation Cartel Journals Denied 2011 Impact Factor
Fifty-one journals are suspended from the Journal Citation Report for “anomalous citation patterns.” Whether or not you agree with the impact factor, sanctions help maintain the integrity of the scientific publishing enterprise for everyone.
Ready for Some Pizza — Visualizing Pizza Delivery in NYC and Beyond
Tracking pizza deliveries tells us a lot about one of our major cities, its inhabitants, socioeconomic aspects, and more.
Not Free, Not Easy, Not Trivial — The Warehousing and Delivery of Digital Goods
The idea that digital goods have no ongoing cost and can therefore be free has several problems, the basic one being reality itself.
Second Course: Liveblogging the 2012 SSP Closing Session
3:30 p.m.: David C. notes that publishers are in an interesting quandary — they’re castigated for making a profit, yet they’re asked to make huge ongoing investments to make information more findable and usable. Publishers need to bring out the […]
Mary Meeker's Internet Trends 2012: The Reimagination of Nearly Everything
Mary Meeker has been spearheading Internet trend tracking for years now. This year’s update shows that Internet growth remains robust. But the real news is the growth in smart device adoption — smartphones, tablet computers, e-readers. And the trend looks […]
The Black Market for Facebook "Likes," and What It Means for Citations and Alt-Metrics
Purchasing artificial trust and reputation on the Internet has never been easier or cheaper. What does this mean for metrics-based evaluations?
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.
Watching the Winds — Breezy and Revealing Visualizations of Our Most Common Weather Companion
Science data can be beautiful.
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.
Universal Citation Paper Lacks Universality
A bold claim that citation impact is comparable across fields is disputed by researchers who question why uncited papers were excluded from the analysis.