"Librarians" — An Endangered Species?
A recent analysis suggests some worrisome trends for librarianship.
The Amazon Boycott — Power, Taxation, Big Companies, and Intertwined Economies
A boycott is being organized in California against Amazon to oppose Amazon’s resistance to collecting state sales tax. But Amazon may be too interwoven in the world today to be effectively opposed.
Are Cash Bonuses the Right Incentive for Science Authors?
Rewarding scientists with cash bonuses when they publish in prestigious journals drives up submission rates but has no effect on publication success, a new study reports.
I'm Being Followed — New Advertising Technologies and User Self-Identity
Following users across the Web is an increasingly common way to expand ad inventory. But can scholarly publishers expect users to accept it?
Sometimes We Post Pictures of Cats, and Sometimes We Speak Truth to Power
The network effect is a peculiar thing. It can be about lolcats or insurrection. Either way, it’s a new and different power.
Will Open Data Solve Peer Review Concerns?
All primary data should be made openly available, a UK government report recommends.
The Human Spirograph Visits the National Academy of Sciences
Patterns drawn by a man on his stomach. Only by seeing and listening did I realize how inspired his approach truly is.
Treat a Book Like a Start-Up? Only By Confusing Process With Form
An experiment in agile book publishing reveals some interesting divisions between process and form.
Creativity or Responsibility — What Happens When an Organization Chooses Poorly?
Google and Apple have different cultures. One is thriving while one has chosen a different path. That choice may prove significant.
NASA's Vital But Forgotten Role: Stimulating the Pursuit of Frontiers
NASA makes us look up and inspires young children to pursue science, all for 1/2 a cent on the tax dollar. Why are we letting it slip into oblivion?
Is Something Fishy Going On? Citations Suggest Correction Comes Slowly, If It Comes At All
Rebuttals are cited less, don’t change citation patterns for original papers, and generally fall flat. And you thought science was self-correcting?
The Economic Mess — A Factor We Cannot Ignore
The economic stagnation sweeping the globe is hitting academia. For publishers and others, the implications can be severe and long-term.
Is the Internet Bad for Our Brains? The Answer Is Subtle and Complex, But Quite Reassuring
More proof that Google isn’t making us “stooopid” — rather, we’re just being human, and that’s OK.
The First-World Problems Rap — A Little Perspective Before the 4th of July
A teen nails the woes of the blithely pampered.
The Social Media Revolution — The 2011 Update
The social media revolutions continues to roll onward.