The public clash between Hachette and Amazon has been making headlines for a while now, most recently around J K Rowling’s latest novel. Amazon bowed to consumer pressure after complaints that the book…
Hardback, paperback … it’s always good to read between the lines.
Dave Sag
Five years ago, in the midst of the rancorous parallel importation debate the Productivity Commission undertook a thorough examination of book prices in Australia compared to comparable prices in the US…
Review sites like TripAdvisor could become liable for any fake reviews they host under a new crackdown in Italy.
scanna283/Flickr
The internet is an endless source of information. But who is liable if the information is wrong or, at least, misleading? Existing laws on publishing, information and privacy were not designed for the…
Is that a Kindle in your pocket? Then I’m just not interested.
VanKeefer
Mills & Boon, the guilty pleasure of many a reader over the decades, is shunning the Kindle in favour of launching its own app. You can now download your favourite bodice ripper and read it discreetly…
The threat of legal action can have a “chilling effect” on academic freedom.
Shutterstock
In February 2013, the journal Frontiers in Psychology published a peer-reviewed paper which found that people who reject climate science are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. Predictably enough…
The content of zines can be as idiosyncratic as individual publishers choose.
scott_bl8ke
Zines are small-circulation, self-published magazines. Their emergence can be traced back to fanzine, a term used by science-fiction fans from the 1940s to set their amateur publications about popular…
Children’s literature can help build empathy and cultural understanding.
basheem
Kerry Mallan, Queensland University of Technology; Amy Schoonens, Queensland University of Technology e Cherie Allan, Queensland University of Technology
Australia’s relationship with Asia has always been a focus for heated debate and, often, misunderstanding. What role do books play in moulding this relationship? A research project underway at the Queensland…
Christopher Barnett’s magnum opus was first published on Facebook.
tausend und eins, fotografik
Tomorrow, a new book by the Adelaide-born performance poet and playwright Christopher Barnett will be launched in Melbourne. Titled when they came/ for you: elegies/ of resistance, it’s the first time…
Today’s court decision is an important win for Google – and society.
Horia Varlan
Australia wants to foster innovation in a digital economy, but our copyright laws discourage businesses from investing in new technologies and make it harder for individuals to access the knowledge upon…
As Arena celebrates 50 years in print, we need independent publications more than ever.
Micah68
It’s intelligent. It’s left-wing. It’s pathbreaking. It’s non-commercial. It’s fiercely autonomous and it has loyal readers. Arena is the kind of media entity that, in the world of Rupert Murdoch and Tony…
Publishing a peer-reviewed paper isn’t easy, but new research confirms it’s worth the fight.
Cartoon by Nick Kim, Massey University, Wellington
It doesn’t matter whether or not you think it’s fair: if you’re an academic, your publishing record will have a crucial impact on your career. It can profoundly affect your prospects for employment, for…
The secrets neuroscientists unlock about a cat’s brain will simply be locked up again, behind paywalls.
mayoofka
Erin McKiernan, National Institute of Public Health of Mexico
His eyes brighten and his voice rises as he tells me about his latest results. He is excited. He should be. His lab is unravelling the details of how new memories are formed in the brain. Then I ask him…
It may not be to everyone’s taste, but open is the way of the future.
biblioteekje
Tectonic shifts are happening in the way scientific research is done. These changes, and the ways they may eventually affect us all, are chronicled in a new collection of articles commissioned by Nature…
Publishers have made journal subscriptions prohibitively expensive, says Harvard Library.
Frederik Questier, Yanna Van Wesemael
Harvard Library says it can no longer afford the vast cost of academic journal subscriptions, and has advised staff at the university to support open access publishing instead. In a memorandum posted on…
Traditional publishing methods could soon be a thing of the past.
Unhindered by talent
Most forms of publishing across the globe are in a state of flux. But university-based scholarly publishing faces a set of challenges all of its own. How can an industry whose target audience is so highly…