Weighing up the benefits of the peer-review system
In many industries people are reluctant to contribute comments and ask questions at the end of a conference session. Not so the scholarly publishing…
December 2010/January 2011
The information battle
Sometimes the scholarly information sector can seem like a battleground. Publishers and other information-providers wrestle with trying to please librarians and researchers, as well…
The future of research in tough times
What do research-intensive institutions need to do to maintain and expand their expertise? A recent review of higher education in the UK highlighted the…
Pressure over prices
It’s no secret that academic libraries worldwide are facing the most difficult economic challenges ever. Libraries’ acquisition budgets throughout Europe are at best static…
Ebooks help tackle information mountain
‘I use ebooks for work and leisure; I like them as I can carry a lot of books while travelling, but still feel awkward…
The start of an adventure
‘Open-access publishing… establishes the framework in which a much wider repertoire of adventures can take place… All of these adventures are tremendously exciting because…
Database versus search engine
There is plenty of enthusiasm for search engines like Google from researchers and the general public alike. Google and Google Scholar are well-known for…
Reinventing reference
How ironic it is that, to get a routemap to the future of ebooks, it may be best to consult an atlas.Elsevier’s BrainNavigator is…
Experts give new slant on peer review
What are the limitations of the peer-review process?Pre-publication peer review is still important but there is a lot of pressure now on the review…