The publication of scientific papers is the focus of PhD students, as they have a clause which obliges them to publish at least one paper in an internationally recognized journal during their studies before being allowed to acquire a new title. This can create enormous pressure, especially if the thesis is already written and the publication is still pending or not published. The Introduction to Scientific Publishing is an indispensable guide to the complex world of journals, reviews, publishers, editorial boards and citation databases. Productivity can significantly affect their promotion, appointment, financing, or even contract renewal. Particularly useful to junior researchers and PhD students, this book is full of useful tips and explanations of specific concepts and complex publishing procedures.
It is understood that students can only meet these requirements if their mentors provide them with adequate guidance and support. The discussion that takes place between administration, academics and even students is enriched with many terms and acronyms, such as “impact factor,” “ISI journal,” “Web of Science,” or “ranking.” However, at times they seem to lack the necessary experience regarding these issues and the terms are used without a thorough understanding of the subject. This in turn creates confusion and can even lead to wrong decisions. Accordingly, a brief guide covering various topics related to scientific publishing could be useful. In addition to the print edition, the Center for the Promotion of Science has also published an open-access electronic edition, which is available in its entirety here: http://nauka.cpn.rs/
Knowledge must respect the facts, and therefore the truth itself. Information does not have to do this, and opinions – well, they are sometimes gratis. They are easy to form, with little or no cost. The problem, however, is that we cannot solve climate change, the challenges of the Middle East, serious online abuse or democratic disagreement, no matter how many of us there are and how quickly we collect or read articles, new posts, comments and supporting or disapproving replies they get on the web. It is not new that other people influence us, nor is it new that we are subject to phenomena such as herding, the lemming effect, the passive observer effect, group thinking, collective exaggeration and the mistakes of the majority. But it is new that modern information technologies have increased and reinforced these phenomena. Infostorms talks about social psychology on speed.
“Infostorms is a sophisticated and accessible investigation into the crucial information flows that shape and govern so many aspects of our social, economic and political lives. It elegantly manages to select crucial results in a variety of technical fields, from logic to game theory, from economics to psychology, and make them cast new and much needed light on the infosphere. An interdisciplinary tour de force not to be missed.” (Luciano Floridi, University of Oxford)
“We all drown in the polluted information surrounding us. What people need is means of navigation, meaning and alignment. Infostorms is a thoughtful, well-written and scary warning to every media organization: Change!” (Ulrik Haagerup, Executive Director of News, Danish Broadcasting Company)
