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Google to digitise books at Italian national libraries - 11 Mar 2010
Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, has announced an agreement with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage to digitise up to a million out-of-copyright works at the National Libraries of Florence and Rome. The libraries will select the works to be digitised from their collections, which include several rare historical books, including scientific works, literature from the period of the founding of Italy and the works of the nation's famous poets and writers. According to Google, the deal marks the first time the company has joined forces with Italian libraries. Also, it is the first time that the company has had a government department as a close partner on such a project. The costs will be covered fully by Google. These books will be available for inclusion in EU's Europeana project - of which the Florence Library is a contributing member - and other digital libraries. Google has similar agreements with Madrid's Complutense University, Oxford University, the Bavarian state museum and others. Search for more on Google books scanning project
Copyrights/Data Integrity/Ethical issues > General Information - Google Books
Research Information Network publishes new guide on peer review - 11 Mar 2010
The UK’s Research Information Network (RIN) has released a guide, Peer review: a guide for researchers (www.rin.ac.uk/peer-review-guide), that sets out the processes involved in peer review for both grant applications and publications. It also looks at the issues that have been raised in a series of recent reports on the costs of the system, and how effective and fair it is. The new guide provides researchers with an understanding of how peer review works and highlights some of the issues that surround the current debates about the peer review process. It looks at how effective peer review is in selecting the best research proposals, as well as in detecting misconduct and malpractice. Further, the guide looks at how fair the system is, and at the different levels of transparency involved in the process - from completely closed systems, where the identities of reviewers and those whose work is being reviewed are kept hidden from each other, and reports are not revealed, to completely transparent systems where identities and reports are openly revealed. The growth in the size of the research community and of the volumes of research being undertaken in the UK and across the world means that the amount of time and effort put into the peer review system is growing too, and that it is coming under increasing scrutiny. The report notes that burdens on researchers as submitters and reviewers are by far the biggest costs in the peer review system. It summarises some of the measures that are being taken to reduce these burdens, or keep them in check. A growing number of researchers are taking the view that they should be paid for the time they spend in reviewing grant applications and draft publications. But there are also concerns that such payment would significantly increase the costs of the system, and also of scholarly publications. A RIN report, published in 2008, estimated that if reviewers were to be paid in cash for the full economic costs of their time, then UK academic libraries would have to pay 45 percent more for their subscriptions to scholarly journals. The internet has speeded up the process of peer review, and widened the pool of reviewers who can be drawn on. It has also provided new channels through which researchers can communicate their findings, and through which other researchers can comment on, annotate and evaluate them. According to experts, these new opportunities bring new challenges as well. The take-up of the opportunities for open comments, ratings and recommender systems has been patchy to date; and currently there is a lack of clear protocols for the review of findings circulated in multiple formats, including blogs and wikis. The guide notes that the mechanisms for peer review will undoubtedly change in coming years, but the principle will remain central to all those involved in the research community. Search for more reference tools
Reference Tools > General Information - Peer review
Nature launches Nature Asia-Pacific Publishing Index - 11 Mar 2010
NPG Nature Asia-Pacific, the Asia-Pacific wing of Nature Publishing Group (NPG), has launched Nature Asia-Pacific Publishing Index, a website which measures the annual output of research articles in Nature-branded journals from countries and institutions in the Asia-Pacific region. The online service is available at www.natureasia.com/en/publishing-index/. Japan, China, and Australia are the top ranking nations in the Nature Asia-Pacific Publishing Index. The Publishing Index tracks research published from the Asia-Pacific region during the past 12 months in NPG's portfolio of over 30 highly cited Nature-branded journals, and will be updated weekly by downloading a 12-month window of data from nature.com, the online platform for Nature journals. The Index only covers Nature and the Nature Research journals. While it offers broad coverage of basic research in the life sciences, physical and chemical sciences, coverage of applied sciences, engineering and clinical medicine is relatively limited. To celebrate the launch of this new service, a special print supplement Nature Asia-Pacific Publishing Ranking 2009 has been included with the latest print copy of Nature. The rankings are based on data drawn from the website for the period January to December 2009. The Nature Asia-Pacific Publishing Index website enables users to analyse data by institution, country or Nature journal, and access historical data and graphs dating back to 1998. In 2009, 232 original articles from Japanese institutions were published in Nature and the Nature Research journals. 93 articles came from Chinese institutions, and 98 from Australian institutions. When corrected for the percentage of authors on the papers from a given country, Japan ranked first followed by China and Australia. Korea and Singapore also performed strongly with India beginning to emerge as a significant player. The data demonstrates the recent strong growth in output of high quality scientific research from China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. In 1998, China published just three articles in Nature and the Nature Research journals and, while the number of Nature-branded primary research journals has since doubled, the number of articles from China has increased 30 fold. At an institutional level, six of the top ten institutions in the 2009 rankings are in Japan. The University of Tokyo leads the table with 68 articles, followed by Kyoto University, Osaka University, RIKEN and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Search for more citation analysis services
Science, Technology and Medicine > General information - Citation analysis
Berlin Verlag launches new academic and professional division - Berlin Academic - 11 Mar 2010
Berlin Verlag, Bloomsbury's German sister company, has announced the launch of its new academic and professional division, Berlin Academic. Berlin Academic plans to make book and journal content available online under open access criteria on a dedicated electronic publishing platform, using Creative Commons licenses. At the same time, these book titles will be sold both in various e-book formats and in hard copy, using the latest short run technology or Print on Demand. The new company aims to become the publisher of choice for German and international scholars who wish to take advantage of the latest developments in digital publishing and reach out to the international research community. Berlin Academic will publish in English and German on subject areas within the Humanities and Social Sciences. A special focus will be 20th century history (e.g. Holocaust Studies), sociology (e.g. Migration and Urban Studies), the political sciences (Globalisation, Global Governance), philosophy (especially in the context of the natural sciences, such as neuroscience), cultural studies and linguistics. In addition, the Berlin Academic platform will be available to showcase and promote book titles and content of partner institutions. The new division hopes to foster collaborations within the academic world, and through public/private partnerships around the globe. A beta version of the platform is planned for summer 2010 with a final version being launched later this year. Search for more web-based information services
Web-based Information services
TCSR holds meeting on enhancing schools’ College Readiness using data - 11 Mar 2010
The second meeting of the Texas Consortium on School Research (TCSR), held last month, focused on improving College Readiness using data. Representatives from 21 public schools (school districts) in the state participated. TCSR(tcsr.edvanceresearch.com) is looking to build momentum as participating schools share peer data and develop and enhance district practices. The consortium continues its primary focus on the use of data to improve College Readiness and is actively identifying plans with the schools to expand topic areas in the near future. Two more such meetings are scheduled for 2010 with additional schools joining the consortium. The theme of the meeting centered around four primary areas: Understanding Research and its Practical Application; Use of Longitudinal Data Sets; Building a Community of Practice; and Developing District Capacity. TCSR is managed by the Regional Educational Laboratory - Southwest (REL Southwest) at Edvance Research (Managing Partner) in partnership with the University of Texas at Dallas Education Research Center (UTD-ERC) and Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR). It creates a forum which allows participating member schools across the state to collaborate in building research capacity to address critical issues to support school improvement efforts. Education representatives and researchers are looking to understand data and find the most effective methods to utilise this knowledge in their daily work. TCSR member schools are seeking to build a cohesive plan for identifying and sharing best practices; conducting research to know what works and what doesn’t work in their schools; and analysing data to find new ways to address issues. The consortium offers a venue for its members to interact and share data, ideas, successes and challenges that lead to collective and ongoing improvements in the interpretation and application of data. The members of TCSR are building a Community of Practice around school research. Search for more research methods/management information
Research Methods / Management > General information - Consortium Information
Publishing Technology announces enhancements to IngentaConnect - 11 Mar 2010
Publishing-specific software solutions provider Publishing Technology plc, UK, has announced the latest release of IngentaConnect, its flagship collection of e-publications. Ingentaconnect now includes Shibboleth 2 integration in anticipation of the forthcoming industry-compliant deadline of June 30th. Compliance with Shibboleth 2, a standards based, open source software package for user authentication, is the latest in several advances made to ensure the platform remains future-proof for its publishers and its users. IngentaConnect's compliance with the latest Shibboleth standard is enabled via OpenAthens SP, which also supports authentication for prior versions of Shibboleth to ensure continued access for those who have not yet applied for the newest standard and also other new technologies as the develop. In addition to Shibboleth 2, other enhancements include Open Access support to more clearly identify free and Open Access content to users, improved visibility of purchase and download options. The release also includes integration with RightsConnect from the Copyright Clearance Center. A 'More about this publication? / More like this' feature shares additional information with readers, such as editorial board details and highlights related articles as recommendations, potentially driving more usage and revenue opportunities for hosted publishers. In a related announcement, IngentaConnect has announced that three new clients have selected its online publishing package. Content from St Antony's International Review (STAIR), Northwestern University Press and Sense Publishers will all soon feature on IngentaConnect. Also, Content from City University of New York and Firenze University Press is now available. Search for more ebook platforms
ebooks platform > General information - compliance and standards
Registration for first webinar in the ARL-ACRL ISC series to close on March 15 - 11 Mar 2010
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)have announced that registration for the first webinar in the ARL-ACRL Institute on Scholarly Communication (ISC) series Strengthening Programs through Collaboration will close on March 15, 2010. The webinar, ‘Building on Success,’ is scheduled for March 22, 2010, 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. EDT. It will focus on the next phase of scholarly communication programme planning with an overview of where institutions are in their development. The scheduled speakers include Julie Bobay, Associate Dean for Collection Development and Scholarly Communications at Indiana University Libraries; Beth McNeil, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor at Purdue University Libraries; and Inba Kehoe, Copyright Officer and Scholarly Communications Librarian at University of Victoria Libraries. The series is expected to provide an opportunity for participants to develop and build on a network of colleagues. It is targeted to individuals from institutions that have sent representatives to previous ISC events, the ACRL ‘Scholarly Communication 101: Starting With the Basics’ workshops, or those who are in the midst of creating their own institutional scholarly communication programme. Search for more webinars
Conference proceedings/Debates/Workshops/Seminars > General information - industry information
Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery announces new executive appointments - 11 Mar 2010
The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, Inc. has announced two new executive appointments - Kent Anderson has been appointed CEO/Publisher and Dr. Vernon T. Tolo as Editor-in-Chief. Anderson and Dr. Tolo replace Dr. James D. Heckman, who is retiring after serving for ten years as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, American Volume (JBJS). Kent Anderson comes to The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery from The New England Journal of Medicine, where he worked for six years as Executive Director of International Business and Product Development and four years as Publishing Director for NEJM. Prior to that, Anderson was Director of Medical Journals and Professional Periodicals at the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is Editor-in-Chief of The Scholarly Kitchen, the official blog of the Society for Scholarly Publishing. He has served in various positions in STM publishing organisations, is a frequent speaker, and publishes the occasional scholarly article. Dr. Tolo has served as Chief of Orthopaedics at Children’s Orthopaedic Center in Los Angeles, CA since 1987. He has been President of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, as well as President of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, the Scoliosis Research Society, and the Orthopaedic Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Tolo’s clinical practice is at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and he has the academic position of the John C. Wilson, Jr., Professor of Orthopaedics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He has been Deputy Editor for Pediatrics at The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery as well as a member of the Board of Trustees. Search for more Orthopaedics related medical journals
Orthopaedics
Dear Subscriber - 11 Mar 2010
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