Versita launches largest ever Open Access journal program

Academic publisher Versita announced today the launch of a new program of Open Access journals. 100 Emerging Science Journals are being launched in 2012. The program's focus is on young and rapidly developing fields of science, which have not yet been covered by a designated journal. The emerging topics have been identified in Life Sciences, Chemistry, Medicine, Physics and Mathematics.

The Emerging Science Journals program has already won support in the research community. Many distinguished scientists have become members of the editorial boards of the journals – among them Sir Harold Kroto, Professor at Florida State University, 1996 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry; most recent Medicine or Physiology Nobel Prize Winner – Prof. Jules A. Hoffmann or one of world's top chemits – prof. Didier Astruc.The journal editors hail from the world’s most prestigious universities and research institutes, such as Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Cambridge, or Max Planck Institute.

One of the main reasons of this outstanding support is the Open Access publishing model, which provides free and unlimited access to the journal articles for all interested readers. In view of Academic Spring – and with Open Access gaining a momentum across scholar communities worldwide - Versita is not planning any publication fees for the first two years. Still, the journals will use sophisticated online submission and hosting technology solutions, and will be covered by all applicable abstracting databases.

“The emerging topics identified by Versita have all been experiencing growing interest among scientists in recent years. We believe that starting this publishing program in open access format will facilitate dissemination of the latest research results, making the journals the primary publishing options and a default communication hubs for authors writing in these scientific areas.” comments Jacek Ciesielski, founder and CEO of Versita.

Source: http://versita.com/

Book arms students with tools to fight stress

Even though I work hard, the teacher expects more of me. I am disappointed when I don’t do as well as others. I am confident about achieving my plans for the future.

Through a maze of more than hundred such questions aiming to identify the stress levels and ‘psychological self-constructs’ of students, a new book “Stressed... But Not Out”, based on a doctoral thesis, seeks to zero in on stress and tackle it among school students.

Giselle D’Souza, an associate professor at St Teresa’s Institute of Education, surveyed 1,092 Class 10 students over a two-year period for her PhD thesis. These findings, now compiled in a book, contain tools for identifying stress based on a scoring scale alongside suggestions for parents, schools and students.

The book was released last month and is likely to become available through schools from June. D’Souza has already conducted stress management workshops in a few schools.

The study found that stress scores were higher wherever scores for three ‘psychological self-constructs’ were lower: the academic self concept (sense of self-worth in academics), efficacy (sense of ability in performing any task) and locus of control (do you think you control your own life).

“This is the first such tool that has been created for the Indian context,” said D’Souza. The tools will also help zero in on the kind of stress students face: whether exam-related, achievement-related or social stress.

Source: Hindustan Times dated 3 May 2012

Cabinet to take up copyright Bill today - Indian Express

Cabinet to take up copyright Bill today - Indian Express

Anubhuti Vishnoi Posted online: Thu Apr 26 2012, 00:44 hrs

 

New Delhi : The Cabinet is likely to take up long-pending Universities of Innovation Bill and Copyright (Amendment) Bill on Thursday. Both the legislations will come with changes factoring in recommendations by stakeholders and parliamentarians.
While the amendments to the Copyright Bill will drop the controversial statutory licensing clause for radio broadcast, the Innovation Universities Bill will drop the clause to set up 14 such varsities.

The new Cabinet note will allow existing varsities to upgrade to innovation university status if they adhere to required standards. The numerical target of setting up 14 such varsities has been dropped on grounds of non-feasibility and the argument that even a few of them will help serve the purpose of fostering a research eco-system, as aimed. While the Bill, when it first went to Cabinet earlier this year, ran into trouble with 20 ministries/ departments raising red flags over a range of issues, the legislation has passed muster after being vetted by a Committee of Secretaries.

The Universities of Innovation Bill aims at establishment of varsities that will encourage superlative academic quality and research output. These will be set up either by the
government or private entities or through public
private partnerships and offer unmatched academic freedom.

The amendments to the Copyright Act, 1958, on the other hand, aim at according unassignable rights to ‘creative artists’ such as lyricists, playback singers, music directors, film directors, dialogue writers, who will be paid royalty every time the movie they have worked for is aired on a television channel. The Bill has run into a series of difficulties with clauses challenged by the film industry, book publishers and broadcasting industry. The legislation was opposed in Parliament in the last session over the statutory licensing for radio broadcast of literary and musical works.