PhysMath Central Blog
Open Access is the answer for interdisciplinary research
A fascinating feature on interdisciplinary research in the lastest issue of Nature. Of particular interest is this quote (section marked in bold by me):
“Younger faculty tend to be concerned that if they get involved [in interdisciplinary work], their colleagues in the departments in charge of promotion and tenure will feel they haven't lived up to the standards of the discipline.” Other problems, he says, include finding places to publish — “it's much easier for people to get published in traditional disciplinary settings” — and finding an audience. A physicist could, say, publish a paper on stock-market patterns in Physical Review E, but how many economists will read it is another matter."
How many economists would subscribe, have access to or search a physics journal? Probably not many. However, research published in open access journals requires no subscription, is available to all and - due to the full-text being available online - is indexed by regular search engines, as well as the more specialist A&I databases. Serendipity is afoot.
Open access journals in interdisciplinary subjects makes sense. That is why we encourage researchers to get in touch and suggest areas where traditional journals are not working for their field.
Independent, open access journals on PhysMath Central.
Posted by Chris Leonard at 16:31 Comments (2)
Looking and laughing at the LHC
Listening to comedian Bill Bailey on my iPod on the way to work isn't something which would usually warrant a mention on the blog here, but today was different. Today he was talking about the Large Hadron Collider and that the fact that the experiment has such a wide spectrum of success:
"The spectrum of success for this scientific experiment ranges from 'nothing will happen' when they switch it on...
- Turn it off, turn it on again.
...or, it will create a black hole under Switzerland. That seems to me to be huge margin of error. Nothing or Apocolypse."
He goes on to speculate that if it doesn't work, scientists will get bored and put other things in it, like Maltesers and satsumas.
And to complement that thought, some great photos from the latest issue of National Geographic of the LHC. Although they refer to the Higgs as 'The God Particle', something which annoys every physicist I know.
Posted by Chris Leonard at 10:56 Comments (2)
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Hi PMCers, just a quick post to introduce myself.
I'm Morag Hickman, and I've answered PMC's call for an Assistant Editor. You can read the Official version of what I'll be doing here. I've got the Physics BSc, I've got the publishing experience, I even brought my own pen.
Personally, I spend my time making and selling shiny things, trying not to be deafened by two parrots and missing the seaside.
I'll be at the APS March meeting with Chris, so come and meet us if you dare!
Posted by Morag Hickman at 16:08 Comments (0)
Friday, March 7th: SCOAP3 day on PhysMath Central
Friday, March 7th is the date to mark in your calendar. This is the date we will be giving you a glimpse of the future in a SCOAP3 world.
As you may know, SCOAP3 is an initiative to get libraries to redirect subscription to pay for open access to all articles in high-energy physics. As such they will turn an entire field to open access and fund open access for all authors, all over the world, in high-energy physics journals.
On February 29th, there is a meeting at Berkeley to get US libraries informed and hopefully interested in making this vision a reality.
At PhysMath Central, we want to give authors a flavour of that future reality, so March 7th is a SCOAP3 day on the site. All articles submitted to PMC Physics A on March 7th will be peer-reviewed and accepted articles will be published without incurring an Article Processing Charge. Simply request a waiver with the words 'It's SCOAP3 day!'.
In the future, an article processing charge will be levied, but authors won't have to concern themselves about payment as SCOAP3 will cover expenses related to open access publication. As such, we hope this day will give authors a feel for the future where open access publication is the norm and publication costs are covered without them having to get involved.
Posted by Chris Leonard at 12:06 Comments (0)
Facebook fan page for PhysMath Central
We now have a fan page on Facebook! Yes, all you Facebookers out there can now declare your open access allegiances to PhysMath Central and get lots of associated information on where we are and what we are doing.
Posted by Chris Leonard at 15:38 Comments (0)
Meet us at the March APS Meeting
PhysMath Central will be exhibiting at the March APS meeting in New Orleans next month. Come and meet us (on stand 441) and also take part in our exciting 'elements' game where you could win an iPod shuffle or a PhysMath Central T-shirt!
Posted by Chris Leonard at 11:37 Comments (0)
PMC Physics B publishes its first articles
We are proud to announce that PMC Physics B, specilaizing in condensed matter, atomic, molecular and optical physics and the interfaces between these areas, has today published it first articles:
Welcome to PMC Physics B
Stephen Buckman and Peter Hatton
PMC Physics B 2008, 1:1 (4 February 2008)
Metal-insulator transition and electroresistance in lanthanum/calcium manganites La1-xCaxMnO3 (x = 0-0.5) from voltage-current-temperature surfaces
J C Knott, D C Pond and R A Lewis
PMC Physics B 2008, 1:2 (4 February 2008)
Electron cooling by carbon monoxide in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus
Laurence Campbell and Michael J Brunger
PMC Physics B 2008, 1:3 (4 February 2008)
You can publish your article with PMC Physics B here.
Posted by Chris Leonard at 16:39 Comments (0)