Re: Speaking of beefing up publications...

[Richard Feinman <RFeinman@downstate.edu>]

I didn't mean to be sneering at anybody.  Their answers were fine but
growing suspicions is not facts.

  = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Richard D. Feinman, Professor of Biochemistry

(718) 871-1374
FAX: (718) 270-3316

"Joseph J. Esposito" <espositoj@gmail.com>
Sent by: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
06/08/06 08:10 PM
Please respond to
liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Re: Speaking of beefing up publications...

Professor Feinman's deconstruction of Sharon Begley's article on
manipulating impact factor adds to the discussion, but I don't
understand the need for the sneering remarks concerning Mary Ann
Liebert and Vicki Cohn.  Really, what have these women done
except answer a reporter's questions?

Joe Esposito

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Feinman" <RFeinman@downstate.edu>
To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 3:21 PM
Subject: Speaking of beefing up publications...

> Sharon Begley has made an article out of n=1.  "Dr. West was 
> asked to cite more studies that had appeared in the respiratory 
> journal"  The rest of the article does not have another 
> example. Below are quotations from the article of people who 
> have suspicions of somebody else but don't do the practice 
> themselves (italics); my comments in bold.  One person is 
> quoted as having been asked to make inappropriate changes; 
> everything else is unsubstantiated.  Was this article about 
> anything?  Where is the evidence that this of any significance? 
> IF is not a particularly good thing in my view and is probably 
> less important than anecdotally perceived prestige of journals, 
> but this is real throw away journalism.
>
> I don't usually read the WSJ but I remember they were able to
> "Artfully Try To Boost Their Rankings" by picking up the story
> that Dr. Atkins was obese at death without checking sources or
> asking if maybe he had been on television the week before and
> was seen to not be obese.  Journalism is a wonderful thing.
> "What, the article was not about anything?  I'm sorry,
> tomorrow's edition is already out."
>
> Martin Frank, executive director of the American Physiological
> Society, which publishes 14 journals, is that "we have become
> whores to the impact factor." He adds that his society doesn't
> engage in these practices.
>
> One strategy is to publish many review articles, says Vicki
> Cohn, managing editor of Mary Ann Liebert Inc., a closely held
> New Rochelle, N.Y., company that publishes 59 journals?
> "Journal editors know how to increase their impact factor
> legitimately," says Ms. Cohn. "But there is growing suspicion
> that journals are using nefarious means to pump it up."
>
> But presumably she doesn't mean that she does this.

[SNIP]