Today’s UK Researchers: E-journals Dominate, Access Not an Issue, Skimming Increasing
A set of findings confirm rather than surprise, but apparently some publishers are still behaving as if they’ll be surprised.
Rectifying Asymmetries — Experts Are Battered From All Sides, But Are We Any Smarter?
Is the Web making experts more susceptible to challenge? Is this a good thing for society as a whole? Or is it creating a confusion demagogues can exploit?
Reference List Length and Citations: A Spurious Relationship
Like ice-cream and murder, there is no causal relationship between reference length and citations. Now go tell Nature.
One Report, Two Findings: Library Roles Changing, Open Access Not Compelling
Ithaka S+R has published a report on libraries and open access. Libraries are still important in the lives of scholars, but the trends are not in their favor. Open access doesn’t seem to be meeting scholars’ needs.
Improving Peer Review: Let’s Provide an Ingredients List for Our Readers
We describe many aspects of studies, but “peer reviewed” is a generic label for a multitude of recipes. Maybe we should start listing what went into it.
Science Blogging as a Public Outreach Tool — Unfulfilled Potential or Unrealistic Expectation?
A recent study points out that science blogs are failing to provide much in the way of community outreach and education to the non-scientist public. Is this really a failure, or is it an unrealistic expectation?
Science and Web 2.0: Talking About Science vs. Doing Science
So far, Web 2.0 tools for scientists have failed to gain much traction with researchers. Is this because they’re tools for talking about science rather than tools for doing science?
Rethinking Open Data Initiatives: It Turns Out Open Data Costs Money, Needs a Purpose
Experienced Open Data advocates realize that making data available costs money, making people aware of the data costs money, and creating a community of users costs money. And that data aren’t that easy to open.
Is Google Making Us Stupid, Part II: Perhaps, If We Don’t Seek Truth Over Information
Is a creeping computerization of our intellects making us less willing to accept that truth and knowledge may begin and end with human beings?
Breaking the Chain of Inquiry — When Journals and Journalists Fall Short
When an author conceals information, and a blog branded with a respectable newspaper plays along, it doesn’t engender confidence in the new information space.
An Old-Age Problem Among Reviewers?
Are older reviewers more cursory in their reviews? A study by the editor of the Annals of Emergency Medicine suggests as much.
Ghostwriters & Ghostresearchers: Supernatural Forces in Scholarship
Ghostwriters and unnamed contract researchers might scare up controversy, and frighten away the truth. And they’re only part of the problem.
Challenging Assumptions on Open Access Cost Savings
European countries could save millions of Euros if they switched to open access publishing and self-archiving, a report suggests. But is this report based on valid assumptions?
Paying for Open Access Publication Charges
New report outlines guidelines for establishing central publication funds. Success of these funds may spell failure for libraries.
Should You Pay To Get Cited?
Two Swiss economists claim that the supposed Open Access citation advantage can be explained by self-selection and recommend authors save their research dollars.