Possibilities of a Journal Club?

[jimmydasaint]

I just want to suggest a journal club here. It would function to broaden and increase the depth of learning of SFN members to a number of topics in various different areas of Science, and open up new scientific discoveries for exploration by this Forum.

 

For example, electron movement in bacteriochlorophyll would open up the topic to Chemists, Biologists, Physicists and the merely interested.

 

To start with, we can concentrate on review articles which cover a whole topic in a concentrated form. The journal club should be only limited to the more serious with more than 30 posts, and also have a time limit. After a two week time limit for comment and discussion, the topic can be archived, where it can be reached, but not re-activated by others. This would increase the pace and urgency of the discussion.

 

So, in short, we can study review articles in a given field, suggested by Mods, have a discussion by established members, and archive the article to move on to a new topic. Only one topic or journal article should be given in the journal club section.

 

Any views?

[ajb]

It is an idea that I have thought about also.

 

I think it will be hard to keep it going given the wide spread of interests and levels of knowledge of the users on this forum. I would love to be proved wrong on this.

[CharonY]

I agree with ajb. Considering that it takes time I think it would be very tricky. However, if it works out, it would be very interesting, too.

[imatfaal]

I worry that we are all too specialised for our own good and that the fraction of the population [creep]even such an erudite and well informed group as SFN[/creep] able to make a meaningful contribution to any hardcore scientific discussion is vanishingly small outside those already contributing to the debate. I think your idea is magnificent but unworkable, it would end up with the few experts in any particular area spending too much time explaining what they consider basics; ie any paper that is general enough to be understandable by the layperson will be too mundane for the cognicenti. I would love to see the return of the age of the "amateur scientist" making real contributions - and what better discussion medium than SFN - but I feel those days are well and truly past.

 

I hope I am wrong and this becomes a staple for SFN

[CharonY]

On the other hand, explaining an interesting paper in a simple way is a good training. The question is then whether there would be any interest. Or whether a blog would be a better medium, for instance.

[Stefan-CoA]

Blog would possibly be a better medium, although less interactive. Personally I think it's a great idea, I feel the same as imatfaal does. These days scientists are so focused on their area of specialty they forget that there is a whole universe of science out there. Wouldn't it be curious to see the return of the polymath? Maybe solve a physics problem using principles from biology or vice-versa? I definitely think this idea should receive a go-ahead. Maybe one could even present these discussions to the public then? Make science more accessible to the general populace, rekindle the flame? Maybe it's just hopeless dreaming.

 

Of course, one should beware the copyright laws, I'm not sure how legal posting papers is going to be, as sad as it is, some scientists really like their money.

[CharonY]

Well, since scientists don't make money with their publications, it is a non-issue. Quite the opposite, really. The more exposure, the better.

The journals may complain, though. However, there are always open-access journals or you can just link the article (which would be a bit limiting).

Edited April 19, 2011 by CharonY

[Ophiolite]

Excellent idea. The only way to find out if it would work is to try it. Further discussion would be fruitless.

 

On your marks......

[ajb]

Of course, one should beware the copyright laws, I'm not sure how legal posting papers is going to be, as sad as it is, some scientists really like their money.

 

The exact reproduction of an article may upset the journals. However, it will depend on the journal and I know that some will had back the copyright to the author after some time. In mathematics and physics we have the arXiv which is a depository for preprints. Using arXiv versions is the way to go if the journals don't have open access.

[Ringer]

Although it would be difficult due to different schedules and everything you could probably do something like this on irc just for the real time interaction

[Klaynos]

I think IRC would be the best way forward... Give people an article and a date and time... might be best to concentrate, at least to start with on things like insights review articles or similar... Which tend to be quite broad and aimed at a slightly less knowledgeable audience...