Google Conquers Academia

[beamjockey]

The beta of Google Scholar is now online.

I like their slogan: "Stand on the shoulders of giants." Robert K. Merton, master of otsoggery, would have approved.

The first thing to do with such a tool is to egogoogle. Unfortunately, my one genuine scholarly publication doesn't seem to be in there. (Nor, ironically, is IAF-92-0494, "Compiling Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Space on Computer Networks," online anywhere. I could put it up, but I doubt anyone would actually care.)

Haven't found my internal Fermilab publications, but I haven't looked very hard.

Before anyone asks, the Twinkie Experiment was a hoax scholarly publication, and did not appear in a real journal. Nevertheless, it appears to be the one piece of scientific work I will be best remembered for when I am dead.

Comments

[shimgray.livejournal.com]

There's some interesting comments about their scope at ResourceShelf. Note that John Grisham appears to have many scholarly publications...

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Thank you for that first link.

B

[billroper]

Oh, my God. I appear to be listed in an article published in 2002 for work that I did in 1976.

I used to work in a research lab.

I can't believe that another William Roper has gone to work for Cal Meyers...

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

A seem to fare fairly well, but it does emphasise the fact that I have gone by several different versions of my name over the years...

[gomeza.livejournal.com]

Good lord, I'd forgotten that was you! When one considers the twinkie experiment as well as _____'s (?) pepperoni & oxygen rocket, there suddenly seems to be a possibility for a themed publication of space-related experiments involving food...

"i need a weenie with more structural integrity"

[daddy-guido.livejournal.com]

the man who conducted that sickness at Capricon was Chris Luchini, who was working for JPL at one point, but has possibly moved on to become an advocate the Orange Roughy.

Twenty seven pages!

[marsgov.livejournal.com]

Didn't even think to ego-google — hadn't even heard of the word, actually.

Searched for my last name and found (a) a paper by me as the top result (b) 27 other pages of papers. And yes, they're all relatives.

It would figure...

[vosque.livejournal.com]

That was you? Had that on my drive, back when disk space was at a premium, let me tell you!

Re: It would figure...

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Yup, years and years before we met. I am flattered.

Someday I should scan in the photos I took that night and put them on the Web.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

5650 entries for my first initial and last name, which I believe is only me. But only 2260 entries for my first and last name. Not sure what's going on there.

It's interesting to see who has cited my various papers.

B

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I see the problem. I need to put my name in quotes, so it does't find my surname in one author and my prenom in another.

First and last names: 1830 hits.

First initial and last name: 622 hits.

B

Nothing. nada. Zip.

[daddy-guido.livejournal.com]

geez, i can't believe my stunning thesis on "changes in the law enforcement community caused by military cyclical events" didn't make it.

I'll share the summary result of it so you don't all miss out -

1. If you want to create a void of personnel in law enforcement, start a war.
2. if you want to flood the emergency responder system with applicants, cut the size of the military by 10% or more.
3. When there is a glut of applicants, standards and training requirements jump significantly in the law enforcement community, and then, about 5 years later, in the military.

The paper was written in the mid-80's but accurately predicted trends 10 years or so after it was written. If I had to write it again today (or update it, the basic premise is still sound) I would tell you...
1. Now is a great time to apply for a fire or police position.
2. 5 years from now, (assuming we lower our military requirements overseas)there will be damn few police departments hiring.
3. Within 10 years, all police departments will require a 4-year degree, and the best departments will seek a masters. (current minimum is hs diploma in many rural or hard to fill areas, most metro areas require an associates, some ask for a bachelors, a very few departments in affluent areas offer bonuses for masters degrees)

My academic work wasn't nearly as sexy as you rocket scientists... academia doesn't give many kudos to law enforcement for their "scholarly works".
Yet WAY more people in this society interface with cops than rocket scientists, including those ivory tower inhabitants - go figure.

Re: Nothing. nada. Zip.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Interesting-- the more so since, As You Know, Bob, part of my family income derives from processing police recruits.

As to the sexiness of your work, point taken, but it's also the case that Google Scholar is biased toward some disciplines that have easy-to-grab databases of publications, such as computer science, and probably has much less availability for others, perhaps including social sciences.

If one needs a serious search of academic literature, one goes to an academic library, where they subscribe to for-pay citation indexes and databases. Google Scholar is for quick'n'dirty searches from one's desk, though I imagine it will improve with time if the idea catches on.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

I have made my paper with Jonathan Leech, IAF-92-0494, "Compiling Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Space on Computer Networks," available online. Google Scholar shows two papers that cite it, here and here.