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 ]
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Always adventurous publisher Taschen is launching its first line of 3D books, and, as youd expect from a house known for its outsize books--and subjects--the first Taschen books getting the 3D treatment are Taschens Big Body Parts series: The Big Penis Book and The Big Book of Breasts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's the Stieg Larsson show in 2010 paperback bestsellers. The first two books of his enormously successful trilogy racked up sales of more than 10,942,000 in their mass market and paperback editions. That's more than the combined sales of two other stellar sellersJames Patterson and Nora... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Barbara Casassus Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 09:03 The new-look Paris Book Fair will open on Friday [18th March] for four days as five of the leading French publishers ponder the raids by the European Commission competition officials a fortnight ago. Hachette Livre, Bayard... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 15/03/2011 - 09:58 Price and range have been highlighted as the most important factors in buying habits of online book buyers, with recommendation and review less crucial. In a survey of 91,500 customers worldwide on the Book Depository's... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 07/03/2011 - 15:05 The Big Green Bookshop has raised nearly half of its fundraising target to secure its future at the beginning of its appeal week. Owners of the London independent bookshop, Simon Key and Tim West, appealed to 1,000 loyalty... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 25/02/2011 - 08:45 The UK's big four publishing groupsPenguin, Hachette, Random House and HarperCollinscould be the worst hit in terms of exposure to the ANZ market according to Nielsen BookScan data, following REDgroup's collapse in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 25/02/2011 - 08:38 The Big Green Bookshop is appealing to 1,000 of its loyal customers to help secure its future by buying one book each. Owners Simon Key and Tim West of the indie in Wood Green, North London, have also set up an online donation... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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By Tim Conneally, Betanews Amazon on Monday pre-released a software update for Kindle e-readers running the 3.0 software which updates the interface for magazines and newspapers, adds a quick review section at the end of each book, and adds page numbers that match Kindle books with their print... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2011-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Caroline Horn and Philip Stone Richard and Judys childrens book club initiative, which launched a week ago, saw average sales across the 18 selected titles grow by some 226%. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams The Publishers Association [PA] has attacked the culture secretary's decision to allow communications watchdog Ofcom to "delay" the Digital Economy Act. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced yesterday [1st February] that Ofcom is to assess whether the Act's... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan and John Bishop are among the latest big-name celebrities to have been snapped up for autobiographies, as comedians look set to dominate the hardback celebrity memoir market again this autumn. Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydons memoir is... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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