Journal Access Initiatives: Where Are They? Why the World Health Organization? and What Is HINARI?

Abstract

The move from print to online journal publishing has allowed the proliferation of journal access programs aimed at poor countries. These programs offer access to online journals on very favorable terms to developing country institutions and readers and are based on the premise that developing world scientists can contribute significantly to ameliorating the conditions of life in their countries. The authors give a brief overview of the environment in which these programs emerged, discuss different orientations of the major programs, examine the case of the Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI), consider why the World Health Organization (WHO) runs a journal access program for developing countries, and conclude with the accomplishments of HINARI.     

What is Mentoring?

What is mentoring? Is it just a buzz word or is this really valuable? How can mentoring help one to grow and advance personally and professionally? How and where does one even begin? Many of us have these questions. In this article, I will share my perspective and provide some reflections on these questions based on my own personal and professional journey.     

What price semiparametric Cox regression?

Lifetime Data Analysis - Cox’s proportional hazards regression model is the standard method for modelling censored life-time data with covariates. In its standard form, this method relies on...     

Linked Data: What Is It and What Can It Do?

There has been a lot of talk, discussion (and even buzz) on the Internet and in the library world recently on the whole issue of linked data and what it may mean, accomplish, and even change in the Internet and library worlds. This article will attempt to clarify what linked data is, some of the issues surrounding it, and explore some possible implications.     

Linked Data: What Is It and What Can It Do?

Abstract

There has been a lot of talk, discussion (and even buzz) on the Internet and in the library world recently on the whole issue of linked data and what it may mean, accomplish, and even change in the Internet and library worlds. This article will attempt to clarify what linked data is, some of the issues surrounding it, and explore some possible implications.     

Open Access: How Are Publishers Reacting?

Abstract

Open Access (OA)—defined simply as “free, unrestricted access (to primary research articles) for everyone”—exists in various forms. Authors can achieve OA either by self-archiving their articles on the Web or by publishing in an OA journal. OA journals themselves may adopt a model of delayed OA, partial (or hybrid) OA, or full, immediate OA. But for any of these alternative models of cost recovery to work, it is necessary to know what the real costs are. More research is needed to begin to evaluate the financial and nonfinancial effects of Open Access on all those involved.     

What works?: selectivity models and meta-analysis

What works seeks to identify rehabilitative treatments which are successful in reducing the likelihood that offenders will reoffend. A large number of small case–control studies have been reported in the literature, but with conflicting results. Meta-analysis has been used to reconcile these findings, but again with conflicting results. We reanalyse one of the published meta-analyses in the corrections literature and argue the importance of specifically modelling heterogeneity and selection bias. A sensitivity approach is advocated, suggesting lower average effects and substantially increased measures of uncertainty. The method is tested on a medical example where independent confirmation from a large controlled trial is also available.     

What happens when an ice sheet melts?

The great ice sheets covering Antarctica and Greenland have enough frozen water locked in them to raise the global sea level by some 70 metres. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet may be inherently unstable and if it collapses the universal belief is that it would raise sea levels by 5–6 metres globally. But that estimate is wrong. What happens to sea levels when an ice sheet melts is complex and surprising. In some places, even, levels can go down. Jonathan Bamber explains.     

Publish or Perish: How Are Research and Reputation Related?

A study of twenty-seven fields in 350 highly ranked universities examines the relationship between reputation and rank. We find that many metrics associated with research prowess significantly correlate to university reputation. However, the next logical step– looking at the relationship that links different academic fields with the reputation of the university–did not always offer the expected results. The phrase “publish or perish” clearly has very different meanings in different fields.     

Are the Order Statistics Ordered? A Survey of Recent Results

The distributions of coherent systems with components with exchangeable lifetimes can be represented as mixtures of distributions of order statistics (k-out-of-n systems) from possibly dependent samples by using the concept of the signature of Samaniego (1985 Samaniego , F. ( 1985 ). On closure of the IFR class under formation of coherent systems . IEEE Trans. Reliabil. R-34 : 69 – 72 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This representation, together with Rychlik's (1993 Rychlik , T. ( 1993 ). Bounds for expectation of L-estimates for dependent samples . Statistics 24 : 1 – 7 .[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) results, can be used to obtain sharp bounds on the distribution (or the reliability) function and on the expected lifetime of the system. Also, this representation can be used to determine the asymptotic behavior of the hazard rate of the system when the order statistics are ordered in the hazard rate order. Moreover, the lifetime distributions of coherent systems (and in particular, of order statistics) can also be represented as generalized mixtures (that is, mixtures with some negative weights) of distributions of series system lifetimes by using the concept of the minimal signature defined by Navarro et al. (2007a Navarro , J. , Ruiz , J. M. , Sandoval , C. J. ( 2007a ). Properties of coherent systems with dependent components . Commun. Statist. Theory Methods 36 : 175 – 191 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This representation can also be used to determine the final behavior of the hazard rate of the system through the behavior of the hazard rate of the series systems. In particular, it can be used to show that the order statistics are, under some conditions, asymptotically hazard rate ordered. However, in general, this result is not true, that is, the order statistics need not be hazard rate ordered.     

What Do Interpolated Nonparametric Confidence Intervals for Population Quantiles Guarantee?

The interval between two prespecified order statistics of a sample provides a distribution-free confidence interval for a population quantile. However, due to discreteness, only a small set of exact coverage probabilities is available. Interpolated confidence intervals are designed to expand the set of available coverage probabilities. However, we show here that the infimum of the coverage probability for an interpolated confidence interval is either the coverage probability for the inner interval or the coverage probability obtained by removing the more likely of the two extreme subintervals from the outer interval. Thus, without additional assumptions, interpolated intervals do not expand the set of available guaranteed coverage probabilities.