1. Access to Science Research for Everyone
The greatest validation of scientific contribution is a peer-reviewed academic publication. But the face of academic publishing is changing as traditional journal publishers have come under attack from proponents of open access, which could change the mode of knowledge distribution in the sciences as we know it, discusses Yoo Jung Kim, in her post in the PLOS Blog.
The blog post says (quote): Even if most individuals do not fully appreciate the significance of scholarly articles, they will benefit indirectly. For instance, according to the Journal of Medical Internet Research, patients benefit when health care professionals have access to the latest research. Furthermore, smaller businesses without the means to pay for expensive journal subscriptions can capitalize on the knowledge made available by open access publications. Larger institutions can also benefit from reduced subscription fees. According to a 2012 memorandum from Harvard library's faculty advisory council, Harvard University's annual cost for journals from scholarly providers was nearly $3.75 million in 2012, which prompted the council to conclude that "continuing these subscriptions on their current footing is financially untenable."……………(unquote)
The full entry can be read Here.
2. UK research can tackle global challenges but only if we heed lessons on research impact
The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is a £1.5 billion fund announced by the UK government to support cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges faced by developing countries. As the GCRF looks to fund interdisciplinary research and maximize its impact, James Georgalakis, in his post in The Impact Blog, reflects on what can be learned from previous examples of successful evidence-based policymaking; from the importance of effective networks to the establishment of long-term research and knowledge initiatives.
The blog post says (quote): Achievement of genuine interdisciplinary research, in which the social sciences are fully integrated, is one big challenge that the GCRF must meet if it is to deliver on its promises. However, a further concern is just how much of GCRF is going to be designed taking on-board the valuable learning arising from years of cutting edge research that emerged from largely Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and DFID funded projects. Although we all love to moan about a DFID log frame, along with the Canadians, it was DFID that really led the development research impact agenda and forged entirely new approaches to strengthening evidence-based policymaking. A whole industry has sprung up servicing the needs of the development studies and research-to-policy communities with impact toolkits, how-to guides, specialist consultancy services and trainings, all aimed at building individual and institutional research uptake capacity……………(unquote)
The full entry can be read Here.
3. Working Effectively with Consultants
Why and how do organisations hire consultants? What are some of the traps and limitations to using RFPs? What are some alternatives? Michael Clarke, in his post in the Scholarly Kitchen Blog, explores these and other topics related how to work effectively with consultants, based on a panel discussion at the 2016 AAUP meeting.
The blog post says (quote): So is there an alternative to an RFP for consulting services? An RFI (request for information) is one alternative that can be just as valuable. It helps clients understand who has the right capabilities and experience for a given engagement and can provide some insight into how a consultant might approach a problem. Circulating a project brief is another alternative to drafting an RFP that can accomplish much the same thing. Word of mouth referrals from other organisations are also good indicators. Once you find the right consultant via an RFI or referral, then work with the consultant on getting the proposal or statement of work right at the onset through a series of conversations. Consultants can fit projects to budgets, work backwards from deliverables or outcomes, change timetables, or look at alternative methods (consulting is not a product)……………(unquote)
The full entry can be read Here.
4. The Latest in Search: New Services in the Content Discovery Marketplace
When it comes to seeking and retrieving scholarly content, databases like PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus are well established go-to resources. In the last 5 years, mainstream tools like Google Scholar and ResearchGate disrupted learned publishing and academic library supply chains – right alongside the dawning of web-scale library discovery services like Summon and EDS. Lettie Y. Conrad, in her post in the Scholarly Kitchen Blog, looks at a new generation of cutting edge search tools.
The blog post says (quote): All the three new discovery tools aim to offer greater precision in content discovery across the world of relevant resources. They know that comprehensive search is important, but not all users care to drink from the Google firehose. The new services are focused on sharpening researchers' tools for filtering the noise of information overload from web-scale search - something the current giants of mainstream and institutional discovery software have not perfected. The new services aim to increase the contextual presentation of links to full-text content, but are going about in unique ways……………(unquote)
The full entry can be read Here.
5. Author embraces e-publishing with series of e-books
Technology closes spaces and opens worlds. In the publishing industry, the advent of e-books allows people living almost anywhere on the planet to download a story instantaneously. And it makes way for small publishers to come together to put their art into the world with relative ease, notes Jenn Watt, in her post in The Minden Times post.
The blog post says (quote): Being electronic books means that all of the work IslandShorts publishes can be accessed night or day and in multiple formats. You can read on your Kindle or Kobo, computer or smartphone. You can buy them outright on Amazon or iTunes or KoboBooks or you can get them through the library’s e-book service, Overdrive. Fay acknowledges that the weight of a book in your hand and the familiar waft of paper and ink is missing in the digital format, but he sees it as its own form of art. The technology allows more people to participate in publishing. E-publishing is very democratic in that anyone can publish what they write. Self-published authors can no longer afford to put writing out there that might not otherwise have been picked up by traditional publishers……………(unquote)
The full entry can be read Here.
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