Difficulties in Defining Errors in Case Against Harvard Researcher
(nytimes.com): The still unresolved case of Marc Hauser, the researcher accused by Harvard of scientific misconduct, points to the painful slowness of the government-university procedure for resolving such charges. It also underscores the difficulty of defining error in a field like animal cognition where inconsistent results are common.. Read More
OAPEN — Open Access Book Experiment in Humanities, Social Sciences
(scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org): The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) in the United Kingdom has put out an invitation for publishers of monographs in the social sciences and humanities to participate in an open access experiment called OAPEN-UK. The study comes with £250,000 (almost US $400,000) of support from JISC-collections to fund the… Read More
IPad, netbooks and other devices make computer-buying decision harder
(nj.com): There’s no one-size-fits-all decision. A lot depends on what other computing devices, from laptops to e-readers, you’ve already got. What’s more, now is a decidedly murky transitional period, largely because the iPad is spurring innovation in tablet computers and portable devices. No one really knows where these developments will… Read More
EPA Needs to Complete a Strategy for Its Library Network to Meet Users’ Needs
(gao.gov): The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) library network provides agency staff and the public with access to environmental information. A 2006 attempt by EPA to reorganize its network by consolidating libraries and making more materials and services available online caused concern among users, and in 2007, EPA put a moratorium… Read More
Copyright Is A Fear-Based Reaction To Open Access To Knowledge
(techdirt.com): The question of copyright seems to weigh heavily on just about everyone's mind. Copyright is only perceived as an obstacle if you are intent on maximizing access to the works of human intellect and creativity. If you are afraid of what open access means, then copyright looks like a… Read More
Can Cloud Computing Dial Back the Data-Energy Overload?
(pro.gigaom.com): Cloud computing is often seen as a net addition to IT’s growing draw on the world’s energy supplies. But what if it could bring energy efficiency gains to offset its role as a booster of IT growth? A new study from Microsoft, Accenture and WSP Environment and Energy says… Read More
Funding still an uphill struggle for African academies
(scidev.net): African academies are still battling to obtain funding and recognition from policymakers despite several efforts to strengthen them. This message came out of the sixth meeting of the African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI) taking place in Somerset West near Cape Town, South Africa, this week (7–11 November).. Read More
Lack of Plan for EPA Libraries Threatens Access to Environmental Information
(ombwatch.org): After more than three years of development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has yet to complete a strategic plan for its library network or to inventory the network’s holdings, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The Bush administration controversially moved to close several agency libraries, but opposition… Read More
EBook business heats up as sales projections surpass US$1-billion
(financialpost.com): The book publishing industry is on the verge of a digital reinvention. With sales of paperless books now expected to reach US$1-billion by year’s end, tripling to US$3-billion by 2015, eBooks are set to become the standard way of reading. At that size [of sales] and higher, not only… Read More
Digital to Represent 20 to 28% of Publishing’s Profits, says Forum d’Avignon/Bain & Co. Report
(publishingperspectives.com): A new study, “Publishing in the Digital Era,” commissioned by the Forum d’Avignon and compiled by Bain & Co. states that e-readers, tablets other digital reading devices “could be in the hands of 15 to 20% of the developed world’s population by 2015,” and offers an unprecedented opportunity for… Read More
