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Had I Been Editor in Chief

Had I Been Editor in Chief

i recently applied for the editor in chief position at Psychological Science. i didn't get it, but i got far enough to be asked to write a vision statement, responding to eight prompts.

Rejected Article Tracking with the CrossRef API

Rejected Article Tracking with the CrossRef API

Nothing burdens the heart of a journal editor more than rejecting an article. Partly, this is because you know you're giving someone…

"Destructo-Critics" and Mean Bloggers: The Study | Absolutely Maybe

"Destructo-Critics" and Mean Bloggers: The Study | Absolutely Maybe

A couple of years ago, psychologist Susan Fiske launched a broadside against science bloggers - since taken offline - packed with name-calling.

Researchers Reject APC-based OA Publishing As Promoted by Plan S

Researchers Reject APC-based OA Publishing As Promoted by Plan S

Lynn Kamerlin, Bas de Bruin and their colleagues have been the most vocal critics of Plan S from the very beginning, braving continuous opposition from certain OA leaders. Now that final Plan S guidelines were released, the chemists publish this Open Letter expressing their worry about a possible dystopian OA future.

Better Metadata Could Help Save The World!

Better Metadata Could Help Save The World!

Widely available high-quality, up-to-date, complete metadata could significantly speed up the dissemination of scholarly research. Metadata 2020 is working to make this a reality.

The Politics of Open Access in Action

The Politics of Open Access in Action

Open access is a movement constituted by conflict and disagreement rather than consensus and harmony. Given just how much disagreement there is about strategies, definitions, goals, etc., it is incredible that open access has successfully transformed the publishing landscape.

Chief Scientist Calls for Formal Action to Bake in Better Research Practices

Chief Scientist Calls for Formal Action to Bake in Better Research Practices

"Our focus has to shift from quantity to quality…we must abandon the assumption that a passive apprenticeship system works" Dr Finkel calls for formal action in Nature journal to improve better research practices. Nature published an article by Dr Finkel on 19 February 2019 on how to move research from quantity to

Plan S and the Transformation of Scholarly Communication: Are We Missing the Woods?

Plan S and the Transformation of Scholarly Communication: Are We Missing the Woods?

Plan S has injected a much-needed sense of urgency to the debate about transformation to full and immediate open access, but what are we missing in our focus on the minutiae of compliance?

Brexit and UK Science

Brexit and UK Science

The Royal Society is working to achieve the best outcome for research and innovation through the Brexit negotiations and support continuing relationships and build new ones across Europe and beyond.

Are We Being Wilfully Blind About the Transformation That's Needed in Scholarly Publishing?

Are We Being Wilfully Blind About the Transformation That's Needed in Scholarly Publishing?

The recent fashion for “transformative” Read-and-Publish agreements - are they really what’s needed to deliver affordable open access? An opinion piece.

Broken Scientific Publishing Models and Fee Structures

Broken Scientific Publishing Models and Fee Structures

The world's first and longest-running scientific journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society began publishing in 1665, and it…

Standardisation and Difference: the Challenges of Infrastructures for Open Access

Standardisation and Difference: the Challenges of Infrastructures for Open Access

In the last few years, there has been a marked shift in the debate on open access publishing from a focus on (mere) outputs to one on infrastructures. With terms such as 'community-led', 'the commons' and 'governance' regularly bandied about, advocates for OA are increasingly looking away from commercial publishers and towards infrastructures designed by …

The Death of the Literature Review and the Rise of the Dynamic Knowledge Map

The Death of the Literature Review and the Rise of the Dynamic Knowledge Map

Almost every academic article starts with a literature review. However, although these short research summaries can be beneficial they also introduce opportunities for unverifiable misrepresentation and self-aggrandizement.