Journal calls study linking vaccine to autism a ‘fraud’
(ctv.ca): The editors of a prestigious medical journal are declaring that a British study, since retracted by its publisher, that claimed to have found a link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was "an elaborate fraud" based on the "falsification of data." In an explosive series of… Read More
Science journals in decline
(winnipegfreepress.com): A major psychology journal will be publishing a paper that purports to offer evidence for extrasensory perception, or ESP. Yup. A study that evidently followed established psychological research methods and was peer reviewed by four "trusted" experts provides "scientific" evidence in support of precognition. It is unlikely that the… Read More
NPG position statement on open access publishing and subscription business models
(nature.com): Nature Publishing Group (NPG) seeks to generate its income from a diverse range of sources according to where it offers greatest value to our customers – institutions, readers, advertisers, sponsors, employers, marketers and authors. The company continues to experiment with different business models in different circumstances. Top tier journals… Read More
Peer review and the scientific method are failing us
(oncampus.macleans.ca): Rigorous peer review and the scientific method ensure that what gets published in scientific journals is true or at least as close to truth as we can get. Unfortunately, that just doesn’t seem to be the case. Peer review often fails to detect major problems with research and that… Read More
Book industry battling e-book piracy, DRM issues
(myce.com): Consumers continue to embrace e-readers and e-books, with digital book publishing expected to be a big business in 2011. As the industry turns into a major cash cow, the concern over piracy could lead to rash decisions and more DRM. Actual DRM effectiveness remains unknown, with some companies and… Read More
Business Realities of Tablets and E-Readers
(editorandpublisher.com): There is a great deal of interest in the opportunities that tablets and e-readers are providing, and many see them as the saviors of newspapers. But publishers have to be careful about the hype surrounding these devices and should consider them thoughtfully before leaping on the bandwagon. One of… Read More
IPad publishing: Why the real challenge is the competition for attention
(guardian.co.uk): There's optimism but a lack of confidence in the news industry when it comes to exploiting the iPad. Conde Nast is doing selectively ambitious projects, and a handful of titles are carefully pushing out sensitively planned apps - aware of the scrutiny of developing for this high-profile platform. Beyond… Read More
(ISC)2 research shows focus on technology skills for cloud computing
(infosecurity-magazine.com): At the Infosecurity Europe press conference in London, January 11 2011, John Colley, managing director EMEA, (ISC)2, shared some preliminary results from the 2011 (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) conducted by industry analysts Frost & Sullivan. Colley revealed that 73% of the 7500 (ISC)2 certified professionals participating… Read More
Why Is the Internet Considered to Be “Artificial”?
(scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org): One of the social concerns stalking the Internet has been its perceived artificiality — there’s still a stigma to things like virtual reality, Facebook “friends,” and Internet dating. After all, these things aren’t real. They’re artificial. They represent a separation from reality that’s either strange or alarming. One overall… Read More
Pirated content sites attract billions a year, says study
(news.cnet.com): Web sites hawking pirated software and other digital goods are luring in about 53 billion visits each year. That's according to a report (PDF) released yesterday by MarkMonitor, a company that protects online brands for its corporate customers. Piracy sites made up the majority of the 53 billion visits,… Read More
