Open is Eating the World: What Source Code and Science Have in Common

In 2011, Marc Andreessen said that software is eating the world. Since then, publishers have embraced technology. Specifically, the internet – an infrastructure and platform set dominated by open source software. As some academics start to see open source as necessary part of modern, open scholarship. do publisher need to seriously consider changing how we innovate?

Publishers Announce a Major New Service to Plug Leakage

Today, a group of leading publishers is announcing a major new service to plug leakage, improve discovery and access, fight piracy, compete with ResearchGate, and position their platform for the OA ecosystem. This new service shows that publishers are finally beginning to address digital strategy in an environment that has steadily eroded their ability to monetize the value they create. Does it go far enough to reset the competitive environment?

Who Is Competing to Own Researcher Identity?

The structural transition wrought by the internet continues to transform the journal-centric model of scholarly publishing into a researcher-centric model of scholarly communication. Success requires engagement with researcher identity, which is a struggle even for most of the largest publishing houses. Who is competing to own researcher identity and how can other publishers engage this vital role?

Life in a Liminal Space; Or, The Journey Shapes the Destination

A liminal space is the time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next’. It is a period of transition, uncertainty, and multiple paths forward. The first wave of an open access transition is upon us, driven by the APC model, moving us to favor quantity over quality, and resulting in massive consolidation in many areas of the market. What comes next?

Guest Post — Modern Comments and Their Discontents: When an Update Isn’t an Improvement

Modern “word processing” programs can do everything from check spelling and grammar to finishing your sentences for you. This might be convenient for the creator, but some “helpful” upgrades can wreak havoc for manuscript editors. In today’s Guest Post, Bruce Rosenblum and Sylvia Izzo Hunter explore the pitfalls of making the comments features less editor friendly.

Guest Post — Being Research Data

“Researchers have only so many hours in a day; if they can spend one less hour on a research article because we have implemented improved workflows and better technology, that’s one more hour they can spend on research to try to save my life, and the lives of all ALS patients.” In today’s post, Bruce Rosenblum shares his experience as a clinical trial participant and how that contributed to scholarly publications.