Research in Africa: A Tale of Many Countries Told in Bubbles
National economies and science usually move together. Why is Nigeria so different?
The Rise of China: Data Show How Science Follows Economic Growth
Within a few short years, China has become an economic and scientific powerhouse. Watch the dynamic bubble plot.
The Healthy, Wealthy Corner — What 200 Years of Scientific Progress Can Do
While we can tied up in the minutiae of scientific reporting and pursuits, the grand overall effect is impressive, as this video shows.
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.
How Meaningful and Reliable Are Social Article Metrics?
New publishing initiatives link concepts like “importance” to social metrics like popularity and sharing. Is this logical? Can these metrics be easily gamed?
E-books and Their Containers: A Bestiary of the Evolving Book
Books take the shape of their containers, and the containers in turn shape the kinds of books we create. The new ebook containers have different affordances, which must be studied to develop a successful ebook program.
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?
Low-Hanging Fruit and the Re-Ordering of the Value Chain
As new business models emerge and funding sources change, can professional societies and not-for-profits respond? Or will they keep their heads buried in the sand?
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.
We Are All Cyborgs Now — The Humans At the Center of Technology
Extending our mental lives and creating communication wormholes — in addition to carrying more than we ever thought we could — is all the result of becoming cyborgs.
10 New Business Models in 2010 — A Primer on Innovation
Want to see the business models behind PatientsLikeMe.com, Groupon, and Spotify? Here they are, along with 7 others from 2010.
The Decline Effect Postulate Fails to Find Its Theory
The truth isn’t disintegrating, but perhaps weaker or ad hoc theoretical frameworks are dissolving more quickly these days.
Open Access Repositories Lack Trust — But Is Trust Really Necessary?
Should institutional open access repositories be run like journals?
Phil's Pick for 2010: The Unintended Use of a Blog Post
A traffic phenomenon from a post about PLoS ONE may indicate that impact factors are more important to authors than PLoS believes.
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.