Guest Post – Wikipedia’s Citations Are Influencing Scholars and Publishers
Rachel Helps, the Wikipedian-in-residence at the BYU libraries discusses the intersection of scholarly journals and Wikipedia.
Old Media, New Media, Data Media: Evolving Publishing Paradigms
We typically classify publishers as Old Media and New Media, but now we have companies that are part of a new paradigm, the Dat Media company. Such companies sit above both Old and New, studying patterns in usage and in the databases of information aggregated by publishers.
The Andraka Saga Continues — Vengeance via Wikipedia, and a More Complete View of the Claims
The Jack Andraka story develops further. SSP pages on Wikipedia are taken down by a disgruntled commentator. And Andraka’s draft paper gets a preliminary review, and both the reviewers and Andraka admit it’s less game-changing than the media has led us to believe.
The Jack Andraka Story — Uncovering the Hidden Contradictions Behind a Science Folk Hero
The story of a teenage science whiz who used free information sources to create a novel cancer screening test may be full of holes. Whether it is or not, it no longer seems the clear, happy story the media wanted to tell.
Wikipedia's Writing — Tests Show It's Too Sophisticated for Its Audience
Wikipedia aims to be an encyclopedia for everyone, but its core version is too difficult for most readers, and even its Simple English offshoot falls short of its readability goals.
The Portal Problem, Part 2: The Plight of the Library Collection
In my previous posting, I focused on what I believe to be dim prospects for the Encyclopedia Britannica as it transforms from a set of printed volumes into a networked online information portal. My skepticism stems from the fact that […]
The Portal Problem, Part 1: The Plight of the Britannica
Did the Encyclopedia Britannica stop printing because of the limitations of print? Or is there something more pernicious at the roots of Britannica’s problems?
The End of the Salad Days — Where Is Google Headed Next?
Google once represented the spirit of Internet optimism distilled into a successful company. Now, with more cynical plays and shuttering experiments, what does Google’s new approach tell us about the Internet of tomorrow?
Cheat Sites: Where Students Turn to Crib Papers
A study of matched content in student papers submitted to Turnitin reveals where students turn for sources but is unable to distinguish instances of plagiarism from valid scholarly use.
The P-Word: Is Matched Text the Same as Plagiarism?
A massive study of student papers by Turnitin reveals that many are copying text from Wikipedia and other user-generated sites, but it’s not clear in distinguishing text-matches from plagiarism.
Why Does Availability Seem to Drive Down the Quality of Information Goods?
While it seems that availability drives down the quality of information goods, some exceptions make it clear this is not an unavoidable fate. Can scientific publishing beat the trend?
Why Is the Internet Considered to Be "Artificial"?
The artificiality of Internet inventions and experiences is about novelty, not artificiality. We’ve always been pretenders.
Wikipedia Turns 10 — Let's Celebrate It!
Wikipedia’s 10th anniversary must be acknowledged, and its seismic, worldwide redefinition of the reference work recognized.
The Publishing Partisans — Conservatives, Reformers, and Upstarts
Publishers today fall into 3 broad categories when discussing the role of digital media, and these categories almost have the outlines of political parties. But which party is equipped to lead?
Wikipedia + POD = A Flooded Amazon: The Endless Spigot at Alpha- and Betascript Publishing
Another German publisher tries to profit off printed Wikipedia entries, this time by flooding Amazon with POD compilations.