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.
Data-mining Google Books: Does the Reader Have To Be Human?
The data-mining of the Google books database has great promise, but who owns the data-mining rights?
For Open Access Journals, Size Does Matter
Is the growth of open access journals a sign of market success or dysfunction? Two new studies analyze the data and come to opposite conclusions.
The Nature Network Implosion — Hmmm, This All Seems Awfully Familiar . . .
Another science blogging network implodes, a sign that the age of exuberance is giving way to the business realities.
The Ambient Authorship and Subtle Potential of Sensor Publishing
Sensors are being applied to mobile phones, which will launch a new suite of publishing opportunities. By aggregating and interpreting the data uploaded from these mobile sensors, publishers can create new services and open up new markets.
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?
Physician, Heal Thyself: Medical Ghostwriting Uncovered in a Clinical Textbook
NIH-funded researchers append name to ghost-written textbook. Is it time for physicians to heal themselves?
Anxiety and Clichés About the Digital Generation? It's Still the Economy, Stupid
A recent New York Times Magazine feature plays off fears that the next generation is prone to distraction and underachievement. The facts, and an apparently superior media outlet, argue otherwise.
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.
Disruption, Aggregation, and Third Parties
Is our future defined by third-party aggregators? Or is there a business opportunity there worth fighting for?
Whither University Presses?
A new collection of essays in the Journal of Electronic Publishing focuses on various issues facing the university press world today, but perhaps does not consider the possibility of presses taking on a more central role in their parents’ strategy.
2010 Internet Trends from Mary Meeker
Mary Meeker sums up 2010 in this slideshow, and invites us to ponder yet again what kind of ride we’re in for.
Daniel Radcliffe Sings Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements”
Harry Potter may be a magician, but Daniel Radcliffe is more of a scientific sort.
One World Publishing, Brought to You by the Internet
The sale of e-books over the Internet will lead to a restructuring of the book business and the evolution of truly global publishers.