June 2006 Archives

From a press release issued June 22, 2006 by SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and ARL (Association of Research Libraries):

The Create Change Web site, a popular resource on scholarly communication issues ... has been updated to provide faculty with current information, perspectives, and tools that will enable them to play an active role in advancing scholarly information exchange in the networked environment.

The new Create Change Web site is based around the idea that the ways faculty share and use academic research results are changing rapidly and irreversibly. By posing the question, "Shouldn't the way we share research be as advanced as the Internet?" the site outlines how faster and wider sharing of journal articles, research data, simulations, syntheses, analyses, and other findings fuels the advance of knowledge. It also offers practical ways faculty can look out for their own interests as researchers.

The Create Change Web site includes sections on digital scholarship and new modes of communication; examples of change in diverse fields; and ways to stay informed on new developments. It offers tailored guidance for researchers who play many roles in their professional lives -- as researcher, author, reviewer, editor, editorial board member, society member, faculty member, or teacher. The site features selected news items; an ongoing series of interviews with scholars from different disciplines; and scores of links to other Web sites and resources.

One of the changes brought about by computer technology is the (sometimes) overwhelming generation of scientific data. An article in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education talks about some of the issues and management possibilities. You can participate in an online discussion of this topic on Thursday, June 22 at 2 p.m. on the Chronicle's Colloquy site. A transcript will be made available at the site following the discussion.

The prestigious science journal Nature has announced a 3-month trial for a new form of peer review. Authors will have the choice of posting their article submissions on a preprint server for open comments by others in the field. The trial will not affect the traditional closed review process and it will not influence the likelihood of publication. At the same time, the journal has set up a forum for readers to discuss and debate issues on the topic of peer review.

Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) introduced legislation in early May that would require many federal agencies to ensure that articles resulting from funded research are made freely available online within 6 months of publication. The Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) would apply to agencies with extramural research budgets of more than $100 million and would include the National Science Foundation and the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, and Transportation, among others.

You can read the full text of the Act at Senator Cornyn’s web site. For more information and links, see the special web page on FRPAA created by The Alliance for Taxpayer Access. The Association of American Publishers is one of the publishing groups who has voiced opposition to the Act.