"Patenterprise" — Jean Luc Picard, Apple, and Androids
In space, nobody can hear you litigate.
How Did They Get My Email Address? The Accidental and Plentiful Supply of Academic and Scientific Contacts
The open nature of email addresses on journal sites may be feeding the email harvesting machine for academic emails. Worse, it may also be exposing these for potentially fraudulent activity.
Bury Your Writing — Why Do Academic Book Chapters Fail to Generate Citations?
Books and book chapters have a competitive disadvantage in citations, but it’s not accessibility that makes the difference — there are more reasons, and more changes needed.
Photography at One Trillion Frames Per Second — Light's Glamor Shot
A new high-speed camera has the potential to reveal the world of light in completely novel ways. This video is amazing from start to finish.
The "Facebook Fallacy" and Whipsaw Attitudes Toward Web Advertising
Facebook’s IPO has disappointed many, but to think that it presages a complete meltdown of the online ad market is a bit of an overstatement.
Georgia State Redux: And Now the Trouncing Is Complete
What once appeared to be a lopsided ruling has, in its final form, turned into something much more definitive.
The NPR Model and the Financing of Scholarly Communication
The “listener support” model works in some cases. This fact alone suggests it may not have a robust future in the funding of scholarly initiatives.
Disruption — Are We Seeing a New Type Emerging in Academic Publishing?
When we hear “disruption” invoked, we think it’s about technology and innovation. What if there are other types of disruption? What if there isn’t a market demanding change, but others demanding disruption?
Data Integrity and Presentation — Journalism, Verification, Skepticism, and the Age of Haste
Representing data graphically is always tricky. It doesn’t help when a journalist misses many opportunities to verify the data, provide context, and ask some probing questions.
Driving Innovation: Finding the Balance Between Fair Reward and Profiteering
Vitriol may have obscured important points in a post last week. The growing business strategy of our era is to drive the cost of everyone else’s product to zero in order to make more money from your own product. This imbalance stifles innovation and creation.
Interview with Fred Dylla, Executive Director and CEO, the American Institute of Physics
An interview with Fred Dylla of the American Institute of Physics, and why funding is at the heart of many issues we currently face.
Lessons from University Presses — Economics, Spin, Misfits, and Mission
The University of Missouri saga has many lessons for publishers of all types. But perhaps the harshest lesson is that we’re in a tough business.
Echoes of England — European Commission Backs Open Access by 2014 in Statement
The EU follows in lockstep with the UK, with a statement instead of a mandate. Are the gloves about to come off?
The FDA Spies On Its Own Scientists — Cloaks and Daggers Emerge When Scientists and Authorities Clash
A lurid story of intramural hijinks at the FDA shows how far from mission an organization can drift when it gets its priorities wrong.
Predictable Problems — The UK's Move to Open Access
The RCUK announces its OA plans, including a six-month embargo. Now, speculation snaps into reality, and we will see if a number of lurking unintended consequences come to pass.