Google Scholar provides citation metrics

Google announced today that they have made citation metrics available to scholars: http://googlescholar.blogspot.com/2011/11/google-scholar-citations-open-to-all.html
According to the announcement, this free service is “a simple way for authors to compute their citation metrics and track them over time...”
This will provide an additional path to track citation impact, and is similar to services provided by Scopus database and Web of Knowledge.

Evaluating education journals

I'm providing a link to a site created by the Education librarian at Michigan State which pulls together both resources and commentary on the evaluation of education journals. This is a question that librarians in all disciplines regularly receive when faculty are trying to document their scholarship impact for promotion and tenure.
http://libguides.lib.msu.edu/content.php?pid=57490&sid=421433

APA Style DOI/URL Flowchart

In case you wondered where I've been, I'm up to my eyebrows in writing at the moment, but I will get caught up--eventually. Still this caught my eye. It's a flowchart posted last fall on the APA Style blog that tells you when and how to use DOI's and URL's when citing articles. Here's a simplified version for citing articles, consistent with APA, from Radford University.

Deadline approaches for replacing 1st printing of APA 6th Ed.

I'm forwarding the information I received on one of my listserv's. The deadline for replacement is Dec. 15!!
If you purchased a first printing copy of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, you are eligible for a free replacement copy from the APA. The first printing of the new edition (dated July 2009) contains many errors. To correct this, the APA is giving two choices:
· Download and print the eight pages of errata sheets, to use with the first printing
· Contact the APA for a free replacement copy (second printing). The APA FAQ sheet has all the information to request a replacement.

Please have the following information before you call the APA Service Center:
· Date of purchase
· Place purchased
· Amount paid

Replacing APA 6th Ed, first printing

This was sent out by APA's customer service to a colleague on Oct. 30...
"In order to receive a replacement manual you must return your current copy of the 6th edition to APA no later than December 15, 2009. We would like to make this transaction as cost neutral to you as possible, so efforts are being made to provide you with pre-paid postage you can use to return the book to us. We expect this process will be available the first week in November. If you are interested in a replacement copy please contact the APA Service Center at your convenience for further information. Service Center staff can be
reached at: 800 374-2721 from 8:30 AM- 6:30 PM (EST) M - F. Email
correspondence can be directed to order@apa.org.

APA finally does the right thing!

Apparently the pressure has paid off and APA is going to replace the flawed first printing of the APA manual. There was a brief storty today: Inside Higher Ed and a longer one in the Chronicle The information has been posted on a Facebook page organized to boycott purchase of the manual. I reprint the instructions here:

"I have just received word that After November 2, call APA at 1-800-374-2721, ext. 5510. Ask for instructions on how to go on-line and print a mailing label you can use to return your copy and receive a corrected copy."

An added note (3 pm, Oct. 28): I just saw on a listserv: "they (APA) said starting Nov. 2 they would have a form online and let us all fill it out. They would then send us a mailing label to return the copies. The only copies they would take would be copies purchased no desk copies or free copies. "

If you want to buy the corrected APA 6th Ed...

This blog from Education Librarian, Kate Corby, is trying to pull together info from publishers to assist buyers in getting a corrected (i.e., 2nd printing) of the APA Style Manual 6th Ed. She states,
"My purpose here is to gather and make generally available, information for anyone who would like to buy a second printing copy of the new sixth edition Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
My initial dismay at the situation of multiple pages of corrections to the newly released edition has turned to fascination with how the booksellers are responding to the issue. So I'm actively gathering information and hope to provide useful information that students and faculty as well as librarians can use.
Your comments are welcome, especially those that add new information, all comments will be moderated. I would prefer not to post hearsay, please include snips from emails with vendors, etc. to validate information whenever possible."

APA is taking a lot of flak...

Inside Higher Ed added their chastisement to the general griping about all the mistakes in the first printing of the new APA manual. The article has links to the corrections as does my earlier blog post.

Corrections to APA 6th Ed. Manual

APA has now categorized the "corrections" (not errors :-) to the new 6th edition of their publication manual, so it doesn't seem like such a long list. The majority of errors....err, make that corrections...are in the sample papers. If you know someone who has a first printing of the manual, you should alert them to the changes. The categorized lists are here.
A separate link to the corrected Sample Papers is here. A new 2nd printing has been issued.