Time Travel and Journal Publishing

Can journal publishers travel backwards in time? You may think the answer is no, but consider the following case. Along with Ginestra Bianconi of Queen Mary University of London, I edited a special issue of European Journal of Applied Mathematics on “Network Analysis and Modelling.” To introduce the special issue, Ginestra and I wrote an editorial. As […]

The promiscuous use of promiscuous in zoology papers

Watch your language about promiscuity, suggest Elgar, Jones and McNamara — and watch out for other people’s language. Their study explains: “Promiscuous Words,” Mark A Elgar [pictured here , above left], Therésa M Jones [pictured here below, right] and Kathryn B McNamara, Frontiers in Zoology, 2013, 10:66. (Thanks to Ed Yong for bringing this to our […]

In Lamentably-Successful Search of Rotten, Scammy Journals

Reader (when reading a study) and writer (when submitting a study for publication) beware — if the journal publishing (or offering to publish) that study is not known to you. Dan Vergano explains, in this National Geographic article: Fake Cancer Study Spotlights Bogus Science Journals A cancer drug discovered in a humble lichen, and ready […]

Antarctica research discovery: A mighty publishing empire

A mighty publishing empire grows (sort of) in Antarctica (sort of). Investigator Matthias Ehrgott writes: “Some time ago I wrote to you about the Antarctica Journal of Mathematics. It seems the research activity in Antarctica has now considerably expanded to many sub-areas of Engineering, Bio- and Information Technology.”  Ergott gave us a copy of this […]

Improbable Research