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fourier jr
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what does everyone think of this?
although I've never had anything published nor even submitted anything i think i more or less agree with andrew odlyzko:
i think journals like those would enable crackpots to get their "research" out to the world more easily, but if there is space for comments & review maybe the bad stuff would get filtered out eventually. i think it's at least worth a try. if wikipedia is anything to go by maybe these online journals could work. only one way to find out...
Web journals may turn peer-review system on its head
Last Updated: Monday, October 2, 2006 | 8:42 AM ET
The Associated Press
Scientists frustrated by the iron grip that academic journals hold over their research can now pursue another path to fame by taking their research straight to the public online.
Instead of having a group of hand-picked scholars review research in secret before publication, a growing number of internet-based journals are publishing studies with little or no scrutiny by the authors' peers. It's then up to rank-and-file researchers to debate the value of the work in cyberspace.
The web journals are threatening to turn on its head the traditional peer-review system that for decades has been the established way to pick apart research before it's made public.
In November, the San Francisco-based nonprofit Public Library of Science will launch its first open peer-reviewed journal called PLoS ONE, focusing on science and medicine. Like its sister publications, it will make research articles available for free online by charging authors to publish.
But unlike articles in other PLoS journals that undergo rigorous peer review, manuscripts in PLoS ONE are posted for the world to dissect after an editor gives them just a cursory look.
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Democratizing the peer-review process raises sticky questions. Not all studies are useful and flooding the web with essentially unfiltered research could create a deluge of junk science. There's also the potential for online abuse as rogue researchers could unfairly ridicule a rival's work.
Supporters point out that rushing research to the public could accelerate scientific discovery, while online critiques may help detect mistakes or fraud more quickly.
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although I've never had anything published nor even submitted anything i think i more or less agree with andrew odlyzko:
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/10/02/tech-peer.htmlAndrew Odlyzko, a mathematician who heads the University of Minnesota's Digital Technology Center, is encouraged by the growing number of online journals. Whether they will work — he's not sure. Some researchers might only post unhelpful one-liners for fear of reprisal. Granting anonymity may boost participation, but could lead to "malicious postings from cracks," Odlyzko said.
i think journals like those would enable crackpots to get their "research" out to the world more easily, but if there is space for comments & review maybe the bad stuff would get filtered out eventually. i think it's at least worth a try. if wikipedia is anything to go by maybe these online journals could work. only one way to find out...
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