Research Publications

Research publications are dominated by the paper model with deep roots in print. Although most publications are available online, the format is still raw digitization of print material. It's almost as if even the most innovative academics reject the idea that digital revolution could bring positive changes to research quality.

Take science publications for example. During active research, researchers often employ large data sets for study. At the end of the process, only tiny bits of selected statistics appear in published paper. Since data generally can not be reduced to statistics due to Shannon entropy, the conclusion based on statistics may be dubious. One hears lies, damn lies, and statistics not for trivial reasons. Often, there is no way for a reader to verify a published paper without original data. Yet, academics cling to the traditional paper model. Digital technology should be employed to improve verifiability of research publications! Programs and data may be bundled together for readers to scrutinize.

It's a opportunity for journals. In addition to print content, journals may offer vastly more complete digital content for added value. Library subscriptions work without technical difficulty. The status quo is maintained only because of the conservative force behind the academic world.

For the convenience of readers, research publications with programs and data may be designed to take advantage of tablets for optimal reading experience. Interactive content and visualization are often more clear and concise than stated words.

Here a concrete use case is provided that's the field of media studies. Media studies often encompass huge volume of videos. In current published paper, however, there is absolutely no place for videos. Readers are left to trust the integrity of the researcher. Why not let readers verify the integrity of the researcher with digitally published raw video data?