Sensationalizing geography #2 - Hot papers

GEOGIDIOT reads the GeogNews...
Ever wonder what are "hot papers" as listed in the GeogNews of the CAG?
Could "hot" mean stolen as in plagiarized or otherwise dishonest?
... Are the hot papers highly cited or innovative?
Not likely as some are in low impact journals!
Seem you only need to email in your paper details and it gets magically transformed into a "hot" paper!
A non-lazy database search will easily reveal these papers so why the need for duplication?
And there are hot papers listed in GeogNews (e.g. No. 218) that doesn't exist at all!
One is left to wonder about what is fact and what is fiction!

Thoughts? Share your comments below.

The sh*t canadian geographers might believe

GEONOVICE and GEOSMART chats...
It is said that "people all over the world are downloading and reading TCG (the Canadian Geographer)". That may mean journal relevance?
Wrong. Downloaded articles are not used often. The 10-yr average TCG impact factor is 0.602. The best year was 2006 at 0.82. In 2011 it is 0.56!
The Canadian Geographer journal has a "very high (and growing) library access rate". That may mean journal interest?
Wrong. Publishers bundle the journals in themes. Libraries buy the package. Low quality journals ride on the coat tails!
"The issue of impact factor is usually ignored unless it is high."
Wrong. Impact factor ranks a journal among its peers! A low impact factor in geography means low relevance in the group!
"Urge you to ... cite the journal. We are all the Canadian Geographer."
Wrong. Unnecessarily citing the journal by coercion leads to citation inflation and amounts to academic dishonesty!
Notes:
Journal impact factor - Defined as A/B, where A = current year citations to peer reviewed articles from past two years, B = total number of peer reviewed articles published by the journal in the past two years.
Schuurman, N. (2012). The Canadian Geographer, Editorial, 56(3), p.295.
Science (2012). Coercive citation in academic publishing, 335(6068), p.542-543.

Thoughts? Share your comments below.

Making sense of academic geo-dishonesty

GEOIDIOT confronts GEOSMART...
I am reading geography papers and I am confused about academic dishonesty!
What do you mean?
Well, a tweak here and there or half-baked research seem to get published like wildfire!
True! And article retraction is also increasing!
Always remember two things about the business
It isn't academic dishonesty until you get caught!
... Academic dishonesty is socially constructed, and gets meaning from the local tribe!
Are you saying that I should try not to get caught, and hang out with the right social tribe?
No, I didn't say that, you said it!!
Notes:
Academic Dishonesty -  The intended/unintended act of misrepresenting data, information or knowledge in an academic setting. Violations include plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, bribery, sabotage, etc.

Thoughts? Share your comments below.