Is Peer Review A Big Bad Joke?

Is something rotten in the world of academic publishing? Yes, if you read a blockbuster piece in the latest issue of Science magazine showing how many open–access journals have little or no quality control, and apparently put hard cash (in the shape of author contributor fees) before time–honored quality control procedures. Impersonating a fictitious biologist named Ocorrafoo M. L. Cobange, the "gonzo scientist" John Bohannon created an erroneous paper reporting on the anti–cancer properties of a certain lichen. He submitted the work to 304 scientific publications that use an open–access model, which means they don't rely on paywalls and reader subscriptions that had been traditional in the academic publishing industry. More than half of the journals (157) accepted the egregiously flawed paper, often without asking for changes. For example, the Journal of International Medical Research, published by Sage, sent an immediate acceptance letter along with an invoice for $3,100. Bohannon says his "sting" calls into question the open–access movement, which has grown in response to the high cost, and perceived elitism, of traditional journal publishing:Read Full Story     Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2013-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #quality control #high cost

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July’s Best Reviewed Nonfiction

Laura Cumming’s Thunderclap, Kate Zambreno’s The Light Room, and John McPhee’s Tabula Rasa all feature among the best reviewed nonfiction titles of the month. Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.” * 1. Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life & Sudden Death by... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-28 09:00:49 UTC ]
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My big Birmingham bookshop crawl: why booksellers are suddenly thriving

In 2009, two bookshops a week were closing in the UK and the days of physical books seemed numbered. Now, indie stores are booming. What explains the turnaround – and can it be sustained?When Sarah Mullen was asked to set up a children’s book festival in a leafy suburb of Birmingham in 2012, she... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-27 09:00:32 UTC ]
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Read an 1890 review of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

These days, if you use your book review to call an author a pervert and instruct him to abandon writing for the sake of public morality, most reputable editors will palm you a paltry kill fee and mothball your screed. Not so, it would seem, in 1890. Here’s how an outraged book critic for The […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-24 18:10:37 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2023-07-20 09:00:24 UTC ]
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Apple’s powerhouse headphone brand Beats has a new designer. See his first big product

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[ Fast Company | 2023-07-19 10:00:00 UTC ]
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IPG Lays Off Nine, Including Key Editors at Chicago Review Press

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Strip Tees,’ by Kate Flannery

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[ The New York Times | 2023-07-14 09:00:33 UTC ]
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Kobo Plus Review: Is This the Best Kindle Unlimited Alternative?

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[ Book Riot | 2023-07-11 10:32:00 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2023-07-09 09:00:19 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2023-07-09 09:00:12 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2023-07-01 09:03:10 UTC ]
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[ Engadget | 2023-06-29 15:28:56 UTC ]
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[ Engadget | 2023-06-26 17:00:03 UTC ]
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[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-09 08:53:52 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Guardian | 2023-06-08 08:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2023-06-06 09:00:19 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2023-06-02 09:00:39 UTC ]
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