Fractional
Quantifier Prefixes (sub-multiples of ten) Used in Chemistry
for
Units of Measure such as Mass, Moles, Volume, and Time
Use and Misuse of Published Literature
Immeasurable value of the science literature resides in its use to reveal
what is knowable. A complex "garden of knowledge," the literature
is designed to be continually cultivated, grown, harvested, digested,
and seeded. In the absence of care, its fruits wither and rot. Neglected
and ignored, its vast facts lay strewn about otherwise capable
of revealing much but in the end, telling nothing.
Science is built up with facts, as a house is
with stones. But a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap
of stones is a house.
[La Science et lHypothese (1908), Jules
Henri Poincaré (18541912), French mathematician, physicist, philosopher
of science; excerpted from The Columbia World of Quotations (1996),
quote #44785]
The discussions offered here focus on the immense value and pitfalls
of the often underutilized published literature. One notable, real-world
example of mining the published literature to a gain higher-level synthesis
of knowledge is the systematic, ongoing review of randomized controlled
medical trials (RCTs) performed by the Cochrane
Collaboration.
"Literature
Forensics? Door to What Was Known but Now Forgotten"
(by C.G. Daughton) [PDF, 110 KB]
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For further discussions on "Literature
Forensics", also see: |
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(i) "Literature Forensics: Navigating Through
Flotsam, Jetsam, and Lagan,"
by C.G. Daughton
[The Scientist 2002, 16(4),12 (Feb. 18)]
available: http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2002/feb/opin_020218.html
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(ii) "The Disregard Syndrome: A Menace
to Honest Science?" by Isaac Ginsburg
[The Scientist 2001, 15(24), 51 (Dec.
10)]
available: http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2001/dec/opin_011210.html
(access requires free registration) |
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(iii) "Demand Citation Vigilance"
by Eugene Garfield
[The Scientist 2002, 16(2), 6 (Jan 21)]
available: http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2002/jan/comm_020121.html
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(iv) "A Case for Reviews" by W.R. (Bill) Klemm
[The Scientist 2002, 16(9), 13 (Apr 29)]
available: http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2002/apr/let2_020429.html
(access requires free registration) |
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(v) "Do Not Disregard" by Ramon M.
Fusaro
[The Scientist 2003, 17(15), 11 (28 July)]
available: http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2003/jul/letters3_030728.html |
Case Study: "Literature Forensics and Life or Death"
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"Johns Hopkins Tragedy: Could Librarians
Have Prevented a Death?" (by Eva Perkins, Information
Today, 7 August 2001):
http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/nb010806-1.htm
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"The Blame Game" (by Barbara Quint,
Searcher, October 2001, 9[9], 6-9):
http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/oct01/voice.htm
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Case Study: Lesson in the critical importance of verifying
primary sources
[On 27 September 2002, major world print and telecast news
sources reported on a purported WHO genetic study that forecasted
the human gene for blonde hair would eventually become extinct
(from the selective pressure of mimicry). Below is one of
the many first reports that failed to check the primary source,
as well as a follow-up corrective story and the correction
that the WHO had to publish] |
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"Blondes 'to die out in 200 years'"
(BBC News, 27 September 2002)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2284783.stm
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"Clarification of erroneous news reports
indicating WHO genetic research on hair colour" (World
Health Organization, 2 October 2002)
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/statements/statement05/en/
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"Lazy Citing" |
"Copied Citations Create Renowned
Papers?" (M.V. Simkin and V.P. Roychowdhury, 8 May 2003)
http://xxx.lanl.gov/ftp/cond-mat/papers/0305/0305150.pdf)
[PDF, size not available, 3 pp.] |
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"Copied citations
give impact factors a boost" (Tom Clarke, Nature 2003,
423:373)
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v423/n6938/full/423373a.html
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"Paper trail reveals references go unread by citing
authors" (Philip Ball, Nature 2002, 420:594)
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v420/n6916/full/420594a.html
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"Selective Reporting/Citing" |
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"Evidence b(i)ased medicine—selective reporting
from studies sponsored by
pharmaceutical industry: review of studies in new drug applications"
(H. Melander, J. Ahlqvist-Rastad, G. Meijer, B. Beermann,
BMJ 2003, 326:1171-1173 [31 May])
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/326/7400/1171%20 |
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