TIME TO TRASH THE JOURNAL? - Seminar by Dr. Paul Guinnessy

TIME TO TRASH THE JOURNAL? - OIST Seminar by Dr. Pauy Guinnessy, Web Director Physics Today

Abstract:

For nearly 350 years the main way scientists have communicated new advances and discoveries has remained unchanged: the scientific journal. Today that model is under stress. Increased research output, time constraints, cost of production and the rise of new types of
journals are changing the way we make our research results available to the public. This talk will summarize some of these threats, concerns and opportunities by the scientific and publishing communities. It will describe some changes in behavior by researchers trying to keep up to date in their field and also make some predictions of changes to scientific publishing over the coming decade.

Profile:

Paul Guinnessy is the Web Site Director and Strategy Manager for Physics Today magazine, a member benefit to the 10 physical societies connected to the American institute of Physics. This position involves planning the strategic direction of the Physics Today web site which has more than 100,000 print readers, 170,000 unique visitors to the web site each month, 2.5 million on Facebook, and 65,000 on Twitter. The web site and its associated products (email, Facebook, twitter) are in the process of transition from four separate systems to a new unified content management platform and JATS XML format for which Guinnessy is responsible. As part of his job, Guinnessy provide reports based on surveys and other material, on the future strategic direction of scientific publishing, social media, and magazine publishing to the publisher and other divisions at the American Institute of Physics and AIP Publishing, the societies journal publishing subsidiary. Unlike many positions with this responsibility, this position includes developing the business plan for new products, such as mobile apps, tablet products etc... as well as the more technical aspects of web site design and development.

In addition to developing new products for Physics Today and AIP, Guinnessy also writes for Physics Today on issues related to publishing, nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, the environment, science and government policy, and space. He has a degree in Astrophysics from London University, is registered as a Chartered Physicist (Cphys) from the Institute of Physics (UK), conducted research on sand dune movement in environmental science, and has been involved with Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs for more than twenty five years. In the past he has written for the Economist, the Independent, the Sunday Times and numerous other publications.