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Reports on a White Paper prepared by the European Commission (EC) outlining future objectives in areas such as research and training. Details of the paper according to Antonio Ruberti, EC vice president in charge of research, training and education; Budget plans for its fourth Framework research program; Allocation of one third of the budget to information technology; Fragmentation of research effort and poor exploitation capacity as the biggest weaknesses.

Reports on the lack of scientist Members of Parliament as a `social failure' according to parliament secretary David Davies. Support for White Paper on science; Arguments on White Paper's compromising of science and basic research in favor of short-term, industrially-oriented objectives; Creation by government of MSc interface between first degrees and PhDs; Purpose of White Paper.

Focuses on plans released by the Great Britain Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) regarding the standards of higher education. Information on the internal paper on the agency's plans for higher education which leaked; Contents of the paper; Details on the QAA plans for higher education in Great Britain.

Opinion. Comments on the effect of the `Fairness at Work' white paper on university workers in Great Britain relating to industrial relations. Rights individuals in universities will have; Improvements which the white paper promises in the job market; Concerns regarding the protection of workers.

Reports in June 1998 that the British government has issued a consultation paper on the decline of the country's spending in the research and development sector. Criticism of the paper on its failure to address the role of universities in research; Under-funding of universities; Knowledge as an asset to high technology businesses.

Presents information as it relates to policies of journal publishers when billing persons for publishing research papers. Average amount of money charged to publish a research paper which is a page or more in length; Possible changes which can be made to the policies to encourage the publishing of research; Publications in which page charges are most prominent.

Looks at a theory presented by Warwick and Saint Andrews University researchers, which revealed that economists' traditional opposition to a statutory minimum wage is misguided. Indication that evidence is emerging to contradict the economic theory; Reference to the paper Minimum Wages for Ronald McDonald Monopolies; Information on the paper.

Reports that a consultation paper on lifelong learning, was published by the Welsh Office, while highlighting inclusions of a 1 million partnership between further and higher education. Similarity in the paper to that of the Learning Age paper published for English in March, 1998; Warnings that Wales is facing profound challenges; Information on the paper; Comments from Peter Hain, Welsh minister for lifelong learning.

Opinion. Comments on the green paper presented by David Blunkett, which focused on lifelong learning. Indication that the document went through ten drafts before it was acceptable; Indepth look at the contents of the document; Details on the green paper.

Presents information as it relates to a green paper on education proposed by David Blankest, Britain's education secretary. What the green paper entails; Reference to criticisms made regarding the green paper proposal; Views of persons involved in the education sector on the proposal.

Reports on the importance that counselling and careers advice must take in universities, as outlined by a briefing paper by the Department for Education and Employment (DFEE), in Great Britain. Title of the paper; Importance place on these areas as relates to students; Outline of contents of the paper.

Focuses on Luc Montagnier, who was acknowledged as the discoverer of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Reference to a book written by Montagnier; Rejection of his team's paper on HIV by the journal `Nature'; Publication of his team's paper by the journal `Science'. INSET: Campaign for due credit.

Reports on the proposals from the Training & Enterprise Council's white paper `Developing a Learning Society: A Lifetime of Learning, a Lifetime of Work,' to improve universities in Great Britain. Legislation resulting from the paper; Changes in the future roles of universities proposed in the paper.

Reveals that City Universe professor Steven Haberman has apologized in the `British Actuarial Journal' for the way in which he used material from 14 academic papers in one review article. Inadequate attribution of some authors in Professor Haberman's paper; Institute of Actuaries' tightening of its code of conduct to make plagiarism an offense.

Focuses on research papers presented at the Royal Economic Society's annual conference at Staffordshire University in England. Includes research paper on marriage and divorce among young Americans; Macroeconomics of happiness.

States that charities are funding more than twice as many biomedical research papers in Great Britain. Increase in the number of papers citing Medical Research Council support.

Reports on the political debate over education issues in Great Britain, resulting from the launching of the government's white paper `Learning to Compete.' Response of the Labour Party on the white paper; Proposals for the creation of education entitlement programs; Criticism of the Labour Party on the government's education policy.

Reports that the Universities Association for Continuing Education has condemned the European Commission's white paper on teaching and learning as too modest in its policy proposals. Support for the white paper's emphasis on building a learning society.

Reports that a paper entitled, `Widening Participation Routes to A learning Society' shows that expansion in further and higher education has failed to produce a significant increase in the participation among non-traditional learners in England. What the English National Institute of Adult Continuing Education calls for; Suggestions from the paper; What the Institute holds responsible for its cuts.

Reports on the publication on CD-Rom of a selection of state papers released at the start of 1995. Publication as joint project of HM Stationery Office, the Public Record Office and the Institute of Contemporary British History; Correspondence and papers from the prime minister's office, Cabinet minutes and memoranda; Foreign policy documents.

Reports on Higher Education Quality Council's (HEQC) questions over the necessity for new higher-level General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ). Consultation paper on higher GNVQ's issued by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ); Paper's alleged silence on how the quality of proposed new qualifications may be assured.

Reports on the Labor Party's hastening of the publication of its further and higher education policy paper. Warning of Tony Blair's education spokesman, David Blunket's view on gaps in the party's policy; Proposal of the paper for a consultative policy on lifetime learning.

Focuses on the condition of disability studies. Papers and movies on disability; Physical access issues; Medicalization of disability; Conditions connected with the term disability.

Focuses on the technology and television industry as of December 19, 1999. Use of resources by the American Cryptoacademic Harry Potter; Division in the Modern Language Association; Information on a paper on the death of Princess Diana of Wales.

Discusses how learned and professional societies in Great Britain fight against threats from advances in technology, declining journal circulations, extra demands from government and constant preoccupations with cash. Remarks from Jerry Cowhig, managing director of the Institute of Physics Publishing; Comparison of electronic publishing from paper publishing; Details on the Society for Endocrinology. INSETS: Political Studies Association;Biochemical Society.

Announces the decision of Save British Science (SBS) to start a policy review to assess its effectiveness in salvaging science initiatives from years of neglect and underfunding. Amount of investments allocated for SBS by the chancellor of the exchequer; Plan of issuing consultation papers to SBS supporters.

Discusses political studies in the United States (US) and Great Britain. Status of political research in the US; Information on politics as a degree subject; Details on a paper on the future of political studies in Great Britain; Need for diversity in political studies. INSET: The Latest Research From This Year's Political Studies Conferenc.

Reports on the increase of research journals being published in Great Britain, focusing on the use of citation records to establish which journals are the most prestigious. Why the use of citation records worry some academics; Information on the culture of citing references; Number of references a biological paper will typically have. INSET: A player, an umpire and a manager describe their roles in the....

Examines the durability of the journal `Nature' and its editor John Maddox. Maddox's formula for the journal; Comparison between the role of the journal in the 1870s and in the 1990s; Features; Treatment of authors by the journal's editors; Selection of papers for the journal; Maddox's career development; Reputation of the journal; Expansion plan for the journal.

Focuses on projects engaged in the dissemination of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein's unpublished papers. Accounts by trustee Anthony Kenny; Efforts by scientist-turned-editor Michael Nedo to transcribe and print Wittgenstein's works; Cornell project of 1967; Tubingen project of 1975; Norwegian Wittgenstein project; Claus Huitfeldt's establishment of the Wittgenstein Archive at the University of Bergen.

Cites the crucial nature of the routing and linkage functions of roads in Great Britain for healthy urban environments excellently demonstrated by the work of Bill Hillier. Paper-based techniques; Use of modelling techniques in school of architecture's visual simulation laboratory; Development of a CAD aid; Collaborative links with European institutions; Use of housing "tissues" in teaching and practice; Layout tissue.

Reports that Sir Ron Dearing's education committee of inquiry is split on plans to charge students a quarter of the cost of their higher education and the funding of research. Adoption of a funding formula used in further education; British government's plans for a Lifelong Learning white paper in autumn 1997; Expectations that the committee will recommend a four-tier student support system.

Replies to Professor Iain McLean's article in the January 17, 1997 issue of `The Times Higher Education Supplement,' about the role of Ron Dearing in the 1966 Aberfan disaster in Great Britain. Papers released by the Public Record Office; Dearing's alleged protection of the National Coal Board.

Reports that the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) is considering limited protection for departments which are unique in Scotland or whose subject is considered vital. Consultation paper on how SHEFC's funding methods could reflect the priorities determined by the Government's Technology Foresight Programme; Value of investment of the funding council each year.

Presents two sides of the debate concerning the economics and sociology of research in late 20th century. Impact of computer networks on academic publishing; Subscriptions to paper and electronic documents; Essence and purpose of academic communication.

The author argues in favor of fostering the role of British higher education in the creative industries. He claims that the most innovative part of the economy has been left out of the core research and innovation agenda. He explains the responsibility of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The author also comments on the Green Paper "Staying Ahead: The Economic Performance of the UK's Creative Industries."

The article focuses on the use of metrics, the measurements of indicators such as the number of times a published research has been cited, in judging the quality of an academic work. It cites that Newcastle University Business School senior lecturer Richard Hull found that the Web of Science online academic database wrongly assured him that the paper he was looking for was cited in articles from nine different journals. Errors are claimed to arise from the way a citation had been written.

The article comments that the British Academy is right to assert that academic work for science cannot be evaluated by measuring papers and citations. It stresses that research and peer reviews will gain in popularity and esteem once these activities led to promotions and salary increases. It states the importance of peer review to arts and social science researchers. The author cites that peer review for arts and social sciences research may likely be international.

The article reports that staff at King's College London in England have been ordered by their principal, Rick Trainor, to credit the institution in research papers. Trainor urged staff to use citation properly in order to position the school in the league tables as decision on research fund allocation is based on bibliometic measures. Jonathan Adams of Evidence explained the impact of problems in matching author addresses to institutions on the development of metrics by the Higher Education Funding Council.

The author focuses on the Ingelfinger rule in publishing results of scientific research. The principle of the rule came from editor of "The New England Journal of Medicine" Franz Ingelfinger who declared that he would carry only papers that had been neither published nor submitted elsewhere. The advantages of the rule according to its supporters as well as its disadvantages are presented. He cites the belief of publishers that media coverage increases the demand for their products and boost their income.

The author reflects on the assessment of scientists in Great Britain. He states that scientists are assessed according to the impact factors of journals that they publish in. He asserts that impact factors are distorted by positive feedback. He cites the effects of the H index, a measure that counts the scientists' papers and the citations they receive.

The author reflects on her dependence on a paper diary. She states that it is probably only inertia that stops her switching to an electronic diary. She asserts that the distress she has experienced during the research period is one good reason for overcoming inertia. According to the author, children and work do not really mix, and it is unfair to all concerned to pretend otherwise.

The author reflects on two 1991 documents regarding the White Paper on Higher Education in Great Britain. She mentions the arguments raised by former Member of Parliament (MP) and minister Enoch Powell, one of the authors of a document, against the merger of polytechnics and universities. Another document author, Ralf Dahrendorf, opposed the expansion of higher education. She cites that the idea that home students should pay fees never entered the documents.

The author stresses the need for professors to use the Internet and e-mails to reduce their paperworks in Great Britain. She notes that academics and students alike fail to read advice and notices posted on their schools' website. She urges academics to transfer their paperworks such as student handbooks and module specifications into the Web to save paper. She believes that student do not want to be burdened with endless instructions, guidelines and others.

This section offers news briefs related to higher education. The AllMediaScotland Web site is advertising Glasgow Metropolitan University's lectureship in photography and digital imagery. Dundee University in Tayside, Scotland offers a Web site featuring communication and entertainment media of the 20th century. Coventry University blamed operational problems for posting an online module test similar to a practice paper that had been posted on its Web site.

The article provides information on universities in Great Britain that have imposed green policies to improve their environmental credentials. Anglia Ruskin University in England has started distributing personalized prospectus for each student to cut paper use and postage cost. The combined heat and power system of Southampton University reduces its carbon emissions by more than 2,000 metric tons a year. Oxford Brookes University's electricity comes from hydropower.

Guidelines are presented in response to the possibility of bias in the assessment of coursework in Great Britain. It is stated that all indications of approval in coursework seminars and all signs of disapproval should be randomly distributed around the group. Academics are advised not to give special attention to students who hand their work on time. All coursework papers must be identified solely by number to avoid bias.

The article covers issues on British higher education as of May 2007. It cites the implications of pseudonyms chosen by contributors to the website www.bulliedacademics.blogspot.com. The Economics Department and the University of York issued a statement in response to error complaints in a microeconomics test paper. Cambridge University in England launched a master of philosophy (MPhil) course in screen and media cultures with a visit from actor and alumna Tilda Swinton.

The article reports on the poor control over the marking practices of academic examiners by British universities and colleges according to the Quality Assurance Agency. A briefing paper has concluded that universities and colleges have poor control over the marking practices of examiners. It also revealed that there are inconsistencies in the assessment and classification of degree classes among universities. The reasons behind the inconsistencies in degree classification are mentioned.

The article focuses on a consultation paper that aims to ensure that governing bodies take charge in operating institutions released by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). A single conversation scheme is being piloted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. SFC chief executive Roger McClure noted that the consultation focuses on the quality of data rather than on quantity. McClure believes that such practice could lead to the continual improvement of decision making.