逾万科学家联名抵制世界最大出版商爱思唯尔:其利润率超过苹果,让人们获得知识的代价过于高昂。最近 5 个多月来,在美国一个名为 “ 知识的代价 ” ( The Cost of Knowledge )网站上,已有全球 12196 位科学家签名抵制世界上最大的出版商(科学网: http://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2012/7/266578.shtm )。在这样一场 “ 学术之春 ” 运动中,学者们似乎找到了一把钥匙来开解禁锢学术知识传播的枷锁,即 “ 开源期刊 ”(Open Access Journal) 。 何为开源期刊 开放存取 (Open Access) 是一个新兴的研究领域,是国际学术界、出版界、图书情报界为了推动科研成果,利用互联网自由传播而采取的运动。其目的是推进利用互联网进行科学交流与出版,促进科学及人文信息的广泛交流,保障科学信息的长期保存和高效利用。 开源期刊 (Open Access Journal) 则 是在基于订阅的传统出版模式以外的另一种选择。即充分利用新的数字技术和网络化通信,在降低知识分享成本的同时极度扩大其传播范围与影响。只要具有网络资源,任何人都可以及时、免费、不受任何限制地通过网络获取各类文献,其中包括经由同行评审过的期刊文章、参考文献、技术报告、学位论文等文章信息,用于科研教育及其他活动。从而突破以往学术出版的种种壁垒,促进科学信息的广泛传播,便于学术信息的交流与出版,提升科学研究的共利用程度。 与传统出版模式相比,开源期刊这种新的学术信息交流更侧重于帮助学者 的文章和言论被尽可能多的引用和传播 。往往 OA 期刊的作者更多的不是期望得到直接的金钱回报,而是提供这些作品使公众可以在公共网络上利用。 统计调查表明, OA 出版可以显著提高论文的被引频次。例如,对 119924 篇公开发表的计算机科学方面的会议论文调查发现, OA 论文的平均被引次数为 7.03 ,非 OA 论文的平均被引次数为 2.74 ;又如,在电子工程学科中,发表于同一种期刊中 OA 论文的平均被引次数为 2.35 ,非 OA 论文的平均被引次数为 1.56 ;在数学类论文中,发表于同一种期刊中 OA 论文的平均被引次数为 1.60 ,非 OA 论文的平均被引次数为 0.84 (百度百科)。 开源期刊的误区 很多人在第一次接触到开源期刊这一概念时,都会不自觉给它贴上低于传统期刊的 “ 二等公民 ” 标签,认为它只是传统期刊的替补品。甚至有人误以为开源期刊就是在向作者卖版面费,只要交钱,就可以发论文。 这种观念是不可取的。凡事都有其两面性, 在传统出版方式下渐渐展露头角的OA出版方式,面对诸如此类的质疑再正常不过,我们不妨做一些更为乐观的展望。就目前OA出版社的情况来看,它还是有诸多闪光之处,比如 开放存取,投稿方便,出版快捷,提升影响,永久保存。 除开上文所提到的优势之外,严格的同行评审亦是一本成功的 OA 期刊不可缺少的环节。同行评议并不依赖以刊物的价格或介质,其作用,严格性,公正性亦不依赖于此。有理由相信 OA 期刊的同行评议完全可以做到和传统刊物的一样严格和公正,因为 网络媒体的传播、大众的监督都会为学术透明化、规范化和合理化营造生长环境。 OA 文献并不是免费生产或出版的。严谨的 OA 倡议者从不会说 OA 文献是可以免费制造的,尽管很多人会说此类文献生成比传统出版文献要便宜很多,甚至比仅在线提供的付费文献便宜很多。问题并不在于学术期刊是否可以免费制造,而是有没有比向读者收费,制造昂贵的知识获取壁垒更好的方式。对于读者的免费,而非生产者的免费。我们需要清楚明白 OA 文献不是免费(不需要成本)制造的。但这不妨碍其可以对读者和用户免费(不需要付费)。 开源期刊的现状 笔者曾收到过一封来自美国科研出版社 SRP ( Scientific Research Publishing) 的邀稿邮件。在邀稿函中写道, “ 致力于国际学术交流和知识的传播,从事英文图书和学术会议论文集,以及专业学术期刊的出版发行。旗下有多种英文期刊,覆盖领域主要有:通信与网络、自然科学、水资源保护、生物医学、医疗、计算机及管理等。这些期刊已被美国国会图书馆、 Inspec 、 ProQuest 、 Gale 、 EBSCO 等多家权威数据库全文收录,部分已进入 ISI 引用统计列表 ” 。 经调查得知,这是一家正在兴起的极具影响力的 OA 期刊杂志社。调查显示,有一些人对于此类 OA 期刊的邀稿表示反感,而笔者则在思考,对于新生事物我们是否应该要给与时间让其成长发展,对于学术界的发展我们是否应该多一份远瞻。 比起国内学者的质疑,国外学者们则陆续开始接受并向 OA 转型。哈佛大学图书馆顾问委员会曾在致哈佛全体教员的公开信中说,如今主要学术期刊的订阅费用不断高涨,订阅已难以维持,建议教员们 “move prestige to open access” 。( Faculty Advisory Council Memorandum on Journal Pricing )近期 英国政府通过了很激进的开放获取政策,两年之内,所有英国政府资助的研究,其发表的成果论文必须开放获取,相关学术期刊将在两年内陆续向 OA 转型。就连 北大生科院院长饶毅答《科学》记者问也说: “Any effort to block open access to the Internet would hurt the Chinese academic community and the long-term interests of China” (限制网络公开通达的努力都将损害中国学术界,和中国的长远利益)。 开源期刊的展望 开源期刊 是和版权,同行评议,收益,印制,保存,声望,质量,职业发展,索引以及其他一切与传统学术文献相关的特性和服务兼容。它的产生 为各领域的学者门打开了一扇新的学术之门。总之, 目前来看,OA给学术界带来的冲击是喜忧参半的,我们既不能一棒子打死,也不能盲目追捧 ,到底它是否能够最终影响到传统期刊地位变化和教师学术质量评价模式的调整, 我们不妨静观其变,但笔者固执地认为这场 “ 学术之春 ” 来的恰到好处 。 希望这样一把钥匙能被正视,重视,珍视,从而真正的开启一场 “ 学术之春 ” 。 原文引用地址: http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-762770-597559.html
中国菌物学会副理事长、中国科学院沈阳应用生态研究所研究员/北京林业大学微生物研究所所长戴玉成教授,在我国海南发现目前世界上最大的巨型真菌: 10.85m long, 82-88cm wide, and 4.6-5.5cm thick, weighs 400-500kg; it is also estimated to hold some 450 million spores ,打破了在英国皇家植物园发现的历史最为悠久巨型真菌记录。 据戴玉成教授描述,该“巨型真菌”至少已经生长20余年,该菌于2010年于海南发现,后来一直对其跟踪调查。 以下为英国BBC Nature采访戴玉成研究员的新闻报道。 (原文出处: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14294283 ) Giant fungus discovered in China By Matt Walker Editor, BBC Nature The most massive fruiting body of any fungus yet documented has been discovered growing on the underside of a tree in China. The fruiting body, which is equivalent to the mushrooms produced by other fungi species, is up to 10m long, 80cm wide and weighs half a tonne. That shatters the record held previously by a fungus growing in Kew Gardens in the UK. The new giant fungus is thought to be at least 20 years old. The first example of the new giant fungus was recorded by scientists in 2008 in Fujian Province, China, by Professor Yu-Cheng Dai of the Herbarium of biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenyang and his assistant Dr Cui. "But the type collection was not huge," Prof Dai told BBC Nature. However, "we found giant one in Hainan Province in 2010." Continue reading the main story Start Quote "We did not know the fungus can grow so huge” End Quote Bracket fungus expert Prof Yu-Cheng Dai The researchers were in the field studying wood-decaying fungi when they happened upon the specimen, which they describe in the journal Fungal Biology. "We were not specifically looking for this fungus; we did not know the fungus can grow so huge," he said. "We were surprised when we found it, and we did not recognise it in the forest because it is too large." The fungus, F. ellipsoidea, is what mycologists call a perennial polypore - otherise known as a bracket fungus. Being a perennial, it can live for a number of years, which may have enabled it to grow to such large size. Continue reading the main story The Hat thrower fungus is the fastest living thing on the planet By colonising the underside of the large fallen tree, the fungus also had a huge amount of dead and decaying wood to feed on, helping to fuel its growth. Fruiting bodies, such as mushrooms and toadstools, are the sexual stages of a many higher types of fungi, producing seeds or spores that produce further generations. The giant fruiting body of F. ellipsoidea forms a long, brown shape up to 10.85m long, 82-88cm wide, and 4.6-5.5cm thick. Tests on the density of the fruiting body suggest the whole thing weighs 400-500kg; it is also estimated to hold some 450 million spores. The fungus was found growing on the underside of a large tree "A small piece of the fruiting body is almost like my size," said Prof Dai. The previous record holder was a specimen of Rigidoporus ulmarius, a polypore with a pileate fruiting body found in Kew Gardens in the UK in 2003. It measured approximately 150cm in diameter with a circumference of 425cm. After their initial encounter with the new record-breaking fungus, the scientists took samples of it back to the lab where to be analysed. These tests revealed that the fungus was the species Fomitiporia ellipsoidea, and the researchers made two subsequent trips to study the specimen further.
中国科学院华南植物园是世界上最大的南亚热带植物园,其前身为国立中山大学农林植物研究所和中国科学院华南植物研究所,由著名植物学家陈焕镛院士创建于1929年。华南植物园集科学研究、植物保育、科学传播和植物资源利用于一体,广州迁地保护园区面积为333公顷,保存活植物13,000余种 遵循师法自然的中国园林美学思想,建立了世界级园林旅游景区、木兰园和姜园等30余个世界一流专类园以及特色鲜明的国家级专类园区,被誉为永不落幕的万国奇树博览会和中国南方绿宝石。入选羊城新八景的龙洞琪林(1986)融汇了中式园林和新岭南园林,以恢宏气势展示了激情浪漫的椰风葵林和富于四季景观变幻的温带风情,是一天看四季的世界级经典园林景区。被誉为广州新地标的温室群景区宛如四朵漂在水上的木棉花,展示了博大精深的世界植物奇观和赋予美丽传说的植物世界,是一日游世界的经典旅游景区。广州第一村飞鹅岭新石器时代遗址、南宋抗元名将文天祥的恩师朱澄古墓为广州珍贵的历史人文景观。此外,园内还建有科普信息中心、多媒体讲座室等科普旅游服务设施,开设了科普导游、研究生导游、旅游自行车、婚纱摄影等系列旅游休闲项目。 华南植物园还是AAAA级国家旅游景区、全国青少年科技教育基地、 全国科普教育基地以及植物学与环境教育基地,是广州十佳旅游景点和岭南园林文化游景点。 South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is the biggest south subtropical botanical garden in the world. Founded in 1929 by Woon-young Chun and formerly named as Institute of Agriculture and Forestry in Sunyatsen University or South China Institute of Botany of the CAS, the garden is a center of botanical research, biodiversity conservation, scientific education and resource utilization and development, as well as an oasis in the city of Guangzhou-333 ha. of beautiful horticultural display, including magnolias, gingers, palms, orchids and some other special collections with about 13,000 species of living plants. Longdong Qilin was designated as one of the best new scenic spots of Guangzhou. The World of Plants, SCBG Conservatory, was designed as four giant kapok flowers, adopted the city flower of Guangzhou, emerge silently in SCBG in the overlook of Guangzhou municipality. The first village of Guangzhou and a zonal vegetation garden, a conservation center for rare and endangered plants, urban ecological sight garden, and a center for science communication have been constructed with a total investment of RMB 300,000,000 yuan by Guangzhou municipality, Guangdong provincial government and the CAS.