BioMed Central Blog
Improved support for additional material files - "mini-websites"
With the upcoming launch of BMC Research Notes (which will have a strong data focus) BioMed Central's development team has been hard at work improving the handling of additional material files.
One request we have had from authors is to make it possible to upload collections of files that can be conveniently navigated in the web browser - essentially a miniature website associated with the article. This functionality has now been added to our publication system.
To submit such a 'mini-website' as an additional material file, all you need to do is to ensure that the homepage is named index.html, and sits in the root folder of the content you wish to submit. Then convert the folder hierarchy into a ZIP archive, and upload this ZIP file using the regular manuscript submission system, which will recognize and process it automatically. Full guidelines are provided in each journal's Instructions for Authors (example).
Readers of the published article will have a choice of whether to download the ZIP file to view locally on their own machine, or alternatively they can follow a link to view the contents of the ZIP file via the BioMed Central website.
Several articles already published by BioMed Central have included such mini-website zipfiles, and the data for these articles have been converted to take advantage of the functionality. See for example Additional File 1 from the following article in BMC Evolutionary Biology:
Research article
Natural hybridization in heliconiine butterflies: the species boundary as a continuum
Mallet J, Beltrán M, Neukirchen W, Linares M
BMC Evolutionary Biology 2007, 7:28 (23 February 2007)
[Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
Posted by Matthew Cockerill at 19:06 Comments (0)
UK PubMed Central announces workshop and online survey to shape future development plans
Researchers, librarians and research administrators working in the UK may be interested in the following update from UK PubMed Central:
1. UKPMC Workshop
We are entering the next stage of developing UKPMC into an innovative and useful resource for UK researchers. We want to ensure that your needs and ideas are heard and incorporated at the outset and to this end we are holding a free one-day workshop on the 4th February 2008.
If you have an interest in helping us shape this vision, then please register for this free workshop. Places are limited - so respond today to reserve your place.
2. UKPMC Survey
We would like to know your opinion on the current service and resources you would like to see in
the future. This is your opportunity to influence the improvements that we make to the site.
Posted by Matthew Cockerill at 18:15 Comments (0)
Government report highlights need for research into cleaner next-generation biofuels
The debate surrounding the use of biofuels continues today with the publication of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report, “Are biofuels sustainable?”.
In the report, committee members acknowledge the power of biofuels to cut greenhouse gas emissions from road transport, but warn that a more balanced policy is needed in order to minimise wider environmental damage.
The production of biofuels continues to be controversial. There is concern that first generation biofuels, produced from conventional crops, may even have a detrimental overall effect on the environment. However, the development of next generation biofuels holds great promise. Research and technological advances are driving a move towards “cleaner” biofuels, and efforts are concentrated globally on realising the potential of this expanding field. The ongoing research in this area has wide implications for the environment, and is a topic of huge significance globally.
BioMed Central will launch its new journal, Biotechnology for Biofuels, in the Spring of 2008, overseen by Editors-in-Chief Michael Himmel, Bärbel Hahn-Hägerdal, Chris Somerville, and Charles Wyman, and supported by an international Editorial Board. Biotechnology for Biofuels will feature the latest cutting-edge research in the field, reviews and commentary articles from both Academia and Industry, and will run a blog, dedicated to all aspects of the biofuels world.
To keep abreast of the latest developments with Biotechnology for Biofuels, please register to receive regular updates.Posted by Anna Webb at 13:26 Comments (0)