Research Cooperative Review (Issue 10, 23rd March 2011)

Dear Members,

Since last month , not much has happened in the quiet world of the Research Cooperative, but much has happened in the world at large -- with social foment, immense movements of the ground we stand on, a tsunami spreading energy half way around the world, nuclear technology proving its weaknesses, and human foresight likewise.

I hope that future research will somehow give us less foment (more peace) and greater foresight (ability to predict earthquakes), though some suppose that we already know enough about the world, and just need to improve in the wisdom area.

Is 'research' or 'science' only about 'knowing' and 'knowledge'? Our many approaches to the world, through research and science, also offer ways of thinking about ignorance, and ways of recognising that we are ignorant about many things.

Whatever each of our members may think about such matters, social, physical, and philosophical, I hope that the network will help us all to do well our work in research and communication, so that we can all benefit from the insights and discoveries made by the entire human community, on our small and wonderful and terrible planet.

About the Research Cooperative : we now have an attractive little map showing the locations of all our recent visitors from around the world (and possibly from beyond, if other planets have internet access). The positions of the red dots do change, hour by hour. They represent the approximate locations of most visitors to our network over the last 24 hours (including members and non-members).

The top page has been reorganised to help lead visitors more fairly to all areas of the site. We are constantly looking for ways to help members find each other and make useful connections. The number of group pages featured in the central panel has been reduced. Now displayed are the main categories of groups created for discussion within our site ( writing advice, communication projects, publishers and journals, and research communication ), and also the groups representing our main categories of membership ( researchers, editors, translators, image makers, publishers and journals ).

All members are asked to consider how to contribute to all of these areas of our network. It is only through your efforts that the network will come to life as a diverse (and highly talented) working community. I doubt that such a breadth and depth of talent has ever previously been assembled in one place for the task of getting research published.

PJM (Admin., Research Cooperative)

The new display on our top page: