For those of us who love reading these things even when we can't undesrtand a word that's written, take a look at http://www.doaj.org/

If they make it work, it could be a great resource.

For those of us who love reading these things even when we can't undesrtand a word that's written, take a look at http://www.doaj.org/

If they make it work, it could be a great resource.
There's far too much money in selling electronic subscriptions to universities for such a site to be as extensive as it could be :( .

There's far too much money in selling electronic subscriptions to universities for such a site to be as extensive as it could be :( .

Unfortunately that's true.

I'd like to see a situation where work generated from taxpayer's money enters in to the public domain (but with the publishers and authors retaining copyright) after a couple of years.

Theres also http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ and http://www.plos.org/ which I use a fair amount :D

Cheers Neil - I love this sort of thing. :)

Theres a move at the moment to change the model for publishing scientific papers where the paper's authors pay for the publication and the end product is open access :)

Theres a move at the moment to change the model for publishing scientific papers where the paper's authors pay for the publication and the end product is open access :)

Seriously?? I have no idea how that would work. There's no way I could pay to publish my own papers and my institution would undoubtedly find a way of refusing to as it does with everything else :rolleyes:

There's far too much money in selling electronic subscriptions to universities for such a site to be as extensive as it could be :( .

I hate how we are instructed by uni to read these essential online journals which are apparently free access through the university library but they seem impossible to retrieve, even when you've signed in...? I think the system definitely needs to change somehow.

There's ADS if you like physics (astro-, geo- or otherwise): http://ukads.nottingham.ac.uk/

Marvellous - thanks so much for this link.

I hate how we are instructed by uni to read these essential online journals which are apparently free access through the university library but they seem impossible to retrieve, even when you've signed in...? I think the system definitely needs to change somehow.
I've never had a problem accessing online journals. Most are password protected, either via the publisher or through something like Athens. Others have the password plus the additional requirement that you must be on the uni network, which is a pain in the bum unless you have external access to the uni system from home (something that gives you a uni IP address. Is that telnet? I don't know the techie details, but it used to work for me).

I prefer the online journals, especially as they're in pdf format. It's easy to find the ones you need, download the pdf to disk and print them at your leisure. It's better than lugging the volumes to the photocopier.

It really should be straightforward to access the journals you need online. Have a word with the tech people if you're having difficulties, because it does make life much easier :) .

I'm just finding it amusing that the people with the largest number of posts are in academia :hihi: :hihi:

Speaking of which, better get my backside into the lab ;)

I've never had a problem accessing online journals. Most are password protected, either via the publisher or through something like Athens. Others have the password plus the additional requirement that you must be on the uni network, which is a pain in the bum unless you have external access to the uni system from home (something that gives you a uni IP address. Is that telnet? I don't know the techie details, but it used to work for me).

I think a lot of institutions will have switched to VPN access for this by now - Sheffield Uni certainly have. Is it possible, Funkymiss, that the articles to which you were directed were published before the earliest period the ejournal subscription pays for? - You might have to resort to the unthinkable: going over to the library and using a photocopier... (although it's common knowledge that a few months in the lab can frequently save a few hours in the library :hihi: ).

The peer-reviewing process is certainly in need of an overhaul, anyway. Anonymous experts in the field of study may seem like the perfect guardians of quality in research, but this approach leaves open the possibility of such an assessment being tainted by grudges, pride or jealousy. The process is meant to vet against poor research being presented alongside good research. But is it really needed? Who would have thought that collaborative projects like Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) would achieve such a high standard of accuracy in so short a time? Online blogs are emerging as viable communicative channels for scientific progress reports - as has happened with the recent Higgs boson 'evidence'. If articles are peer-reviewed (and revised) by anyone with an interest, how would you decide who gets the funding, though? Work would always have to be cross-referenced, and could be rated for quality.

Anyway, thanks for the links :thumbsup:

I think a lot of institutions will have switched to VPN access for this by now - Sheffield Uni certainly have.

Have Sheff Uni really switched to VPN? this is news to me....anywhere I can find out how it all works?

Have Sheff Uni really switched to VPN? this is news to me....anywhere I can find out how it all works?

VPN was implemented years ago (2003 maybe?) superseding the old Web Gateway (have a look at this (http://www.shef.ac.uk/cics/services/) page)... as a way to access ejournals etc. from outside the University Intranet. Many functions are now available through Muse anyway. You do need to connect via VPN for wireless access on-campus though...

Ahh, i'll try the VPN link. Only started the PhD here in 2004, and after using a really good VPN set up at Hallam during my degree, I tried to set it up at Shef Uni. It was hopeless - and then I was told that as I was a student and not staff that I wouldn't be able to VPN! AAARRRGGGHHH!! I use Muse a lot, but if the VPN works i reckon it'd be far better. Cheers!

I'm just finding it amusing that the people with the largest number of posts are in academia :hihi: :hihi:

Speaking of which, better get my backside into the lab ;)

Oi!

I'm self employed - and a GREAT boss to work for, according my staff. :)

..according my staff.

most of which post on SF :hihi: :hihi: (only kidding JoeP!)

most of which post on SF :hihi: :hihi: (only kidding JoeP!)

Part of the job description. :)

A substantial proportion of students are still reluctant to make use of the online databases which are freely available to them. There used to be a good reason for this, i.e. they were complicated to access and use. In recent years, the process of accessing these has been made much simpler, but many students still shy away from them and rely on internet sources instead. This is a pity, because they have access to many sources which are not available to non-students, unless they are prepared pay a lot of wonga.

As for the 'open access' issue, comprehensive open access just ain't gonna happen, because it would make no commercial sense. I notice that few if any of the journals listed are top flight or heavyweight publications. Journal publication is a business for the publishers, even it it is not for the academic contributors.