The Tablet Wars Are On, With Big Stakes for Publishers
(scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org): The long-anticipated deluge of tablets is finally upon us. The iPad had the market to itself from its launch in April 2010 up until now – almost an entire year. And what a year it was for iPad sales. According to KPCB industry analyst Mary Meeker, Apple sold nearly… Read More
E-readers: The future of learning?
(my.hsj.org): In an increasingly technological world, classic paper books may be on the way out. With e-readers like the Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, or the Apple iPad with iBooks, many students are already switching to digital books. Read More
U.S. digital project signals the rise of versatile e-textbooks
(thestar.com): Interest in open educational materials has been mounting steadily in recent years as educators and funders seek to leverage the millions of articles that are freely available under open access licences and to develop flexible materials that can be used on any platform and updated or amended without running… Read More
E-readers growing in popularity as publishers predict the ‘year of the e-book’
(telegraph.co.uk): While so-called ‘silver surfers’ are often thought to be more cautious about new technology than younger people, new research shows that, where e-books are concerned, they are every bit as keen. Six per cent of over-55s own an e-book reader, compared with five per cent of those aged 18-24,… Read More
British Medical Journal and Technorati among sites hit by Google downranking
(guardian.co.uk): Some - but not all - 'content farms' have lost out through Google's latest update, but real sites that generate real news and information are among the losers too, says new research. An analysis by Sistrix, an independent company that looks at how sites rank against huge numbers of… Read More
Researchers And Social Media: Uptake Increases When Obvious Benefits Result
(scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org): University College, London’s Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research (CIBER), recently released a commissioned report on Social Media and Research Workflow. The study is based around a survey of active users of social media and provides an informative picture of the technologies they are using. Though… Read More
Taxonomy: The naming crisis
(independent.co.uk): Taxonomy really began as a science in the 18th century with the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, whose naming system is still used. The work is key to the conservation and management of biodiversity, yet there are more unknown than known species. One of the challenges for taxonomy is that… Read More
Research Practices Must Be Changed to Minimize Fraud, Deception
(prnewswire.com): Scientists, journals, the media and public need to reassess how studies are conducted, published and promoted, say U-M physicians in JAMA commentary. In 1998, a study linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism in children appeared in a respected medical journal. For a decade, the study… Read More
Publishers Remain Committed to Expanding Online Access to Books And Upholding Copyright Despite Court Decision
(publishers.org): While the March 22 decision of U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin on the Google Book Settlement Agreement that was filed on November 13, 2009 is not the final approval, it provides clear guidance to all parties as to what modifications are necessary for its approval. The publisher plaintiffs… Read More
The rejected Google e-books settlement: What it means and what comes next
(latimesblogs.latimes.com): More than a year after giving it preliminary approval, U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin on Tuesday rejected the Google Books Amendment Settlement Agreement, yet left a door open for the parties to try for a revision. "The motion for final approval of the ASA is denied, without prejudice… Read More
