Science
Vol 33(3), August 2007
By
Apr 20, 2008 - 11:26 PM

Van Noorden R. Computers learn chemistry. Chemistry World 2007;2:4.
Chemists who trawl through the thousands of chemistry papers published every month must wish their computers could do the job for them and maybe one day they will: that’s the ultimate goal of Project Prospect, an initiative of Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing. Starting in February 2007, papers in the electronic RSC journal will be written in such a way that their data can be read, indexed, and intelligently searched by machine. The aim of this project is to create a chemical version of the semantic web, where computers can understand the meaning (semantics) of information, rather than simply display data.

Soler JM. A rational indicator of scientific creativity. Journal of Informetrics 2007;1(2):123–130.
An index to measure scientific creativity, in terms of creating new and useful knowledge, and therefore to evaluate the scientific merit.

Rhoten D, Pfirman S. Women in interdisciplinary science: exploring preferences and consequences. Research Policy 2007;36(1):56–75.
Reports three studies aimed to investigate gendering and other factors (race, ethnicity) in interdisciplinarity. Limited data suggest that, overall, women tend to be more interdisciplinary than men and this is probably due to “different gender-based ways of knowing”. The “Matilda effect” (coined by MW Rossiter) in science is cited, as a corollary to the “Matthew effect” (by RK Merton), to underline that women tend to receive less credit for their scientific work than their male colleagues even when they deserve more recognition.

Stone JH. Communication between physicians and patients in the era of e-medicine. New England Journal of Medicine 2007;356(24):2451-2454.
An experience of using a secure internet link to communicate with physicians and medical staff members. Secure Web messaging about routine issues was an attempt to direct round-the-clock communication into a manageable channel. The e-medicine model comprised online appointment scheduling, electronic prescription refills, general messaging capabilities, and “web visits” with physicians. Despite the advantages of e-medicine, physicians, who face ever-increasing demands on their time, were hesitant to accept new responsibilities that might increase their workload.


© Copyright 2008 by European Association of Science Editors