Will Reference Books and Journals Survive? A Debate
A debate at PSP reveals much, especially after it ends.
The Journal of Universal Rejection, and Suggestions for Improving It
While the JofUR may represent a culmination of many trends in publishing, there’s still room for improvement.
Don't Look Back — Do Scientists Squelch Citations to Justify Claims of Novelty?
A study showing that randomized controlled trials don’t cite much of the preceding literature suggests there’s a problem, but it’s unclear exactly what the problem is.
When Fraud Hits Medical Science: The Decade of the Vaccine-Autism Scandal
Now that the vaccine-autism link has been shown to be based on a fraud, will ego continue to trump humility in the face of evidence?
Ben Goldacre: A Gift to Skepticism
An interesting and entertaining debunking of some obvious fluffs in medical science, with a chilling reminder of how libel laws in some countries can kill scientific discourse.
Morality and Economics: Is a Trapdoor Opening Beneath Open Access?
With the economic benefits of open access open to reinterpretation, will the moral benefits prove sufficient to withstand the coming scrutiny? And will it all begin a race to the bottom?
Wikipedia Turns 10 — Let's Celebrate It!
Wikipedia’s 10th anniversary must be acknowledged, and its seismic, worldwide redefinition of the reference work recognized.
Michael's Pick for 2010: The Disruption (or Not) of Scientific Publishing
Why hasn’t scientific publishing been disrupted? The question created one of the year’s most-read posts.
Open Access Repositories Lack Trust — But Is Trust Really Necessary?
Should institutional open access repositories be run like journals?
Trouble Recruiting Peer-Reviewers? Blame Spam!
A problem in recruiting competent peer-reviewers may be the fault of email spam blockers, not the unwillingness of academics to review.
David's Pick for 2010: Peer Review May Be Old and Imperfect, But It Still Works
After wondering at the supposed burden of peer-review, more evidence emerged that it still works well, and is probably less taxing than other alternatives.
Kent's Picks for 2010: The Wikification of Research Reports
The movement to publish more and more demands that we find ways to preserve the trust we’ve built while taking advantage of the sunlight public availability can provide.
Should Open Access Journals Charge Submission Fees?
If submission fees result in a more sustainable business model, why are open access publishers opposed to the idea?
Weighing the Costs and Benefits of Open Peer-Review
Do the benefits of open peer-review outweigh the costs? A BMJ study argues “yes,” but there are caveats.
Sage Open: Open Access Publishing Comes to the Social Sciences, Humanities
Is there demand for open access journals in the social sciences and humanities? Or does Sage see opportunities in unspent equity funds?