Author: Liz Allen

Annual Reviews publishes first multidisciplinary autonomous systems review journal

Liz Allen Announcements, Journal News, News

The Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems, led by Editor Naomi Ehrich Leonard, highlights theoretical and applied research in control and robotics that drives and enriches the engineering of autonomous systems.

Annual Reviews, a nonprofit publisher of scholarly review journals for more than 85 years, announces the publication of the first volume of the Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems, its 49th review journal. The new journal is the first of its kind to cover both the broad fields of control and robotics and their fundamental roles in the increasingly important area of autonomous systems.

Topics in the first volume cover control and its connections to game theory, distributed optimization, Kalman filtering, geometric mechanics, privacy, data-driven strategies, and deep learning, together with robotics and its connections to manipulation, materials, mechanisms, planning, decision-making, and synthesis. Applications include artificial touch, soft micro and bio-inspired robotics, minimally invasive medical technologies, rehabilitative robotics, autonomous flight, airspace management, and systems biology.

Tremendous progress across industry and academia has advanced the theory and applications of control, robotics, and autonomous systems. The global robotics market is expected to reach $67 billion by 2025, with significant annual growth rates, according to industry analysis conducted by Boston Consulting Group. Autonomous vehicles are already on the road and in the air, while robots vacuum floors at home. Scientists explore the ocean with fleets of autonomous underwater vehicles. At hospitals, surgeons and engineers are supported by robotics to deliver minimally invasive medical interventions, diagnostics, and drug delivery. Veterans and many others benefit from advanced prosthetics. The comprehensive reviews in the Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems provide expert syntheses that cover decades of foundational research and assess the challenges and potential future directions of these fields.

On publishing the inaugural volume, the journal’s Editor, Dr. Naomi Ehrich Leonard, addressed her vision for the journal and the value of review articles in a highly multidisciplinary field:

“The opportunities are enormous for control, robotics, and autonomous systems to help make the world a better place. Search and rescue, environmental monitoring, surgical assistance, and smart grids are just a few high-impact applications. This journal provides a much-needed unifying forum for the richly varied and ever-evolving research that promotes creativity and advances control, robotics, and the engineering of autonomous systems. Researchers and practitioners alike will find the articles of great value in learning and integrating across the many interconnected disciplines that contribute to this fantastically exciting field.”

The control field features innovation, development, and application of methodologies for the design and analysis of autonomous system response to sensory feedback, with the aim of regulating the stability, speed, accuracy, efficiency, reliability, and robustness of autonomous system behavior. The robotics field features innovation, design, analysis, creation, operation, and application of robots from industrial to nano-scale, from the bottom of the ocean, to the inside of the human body, to the surface of Mars, and everywhere in between. To fully cover the research at the nexus of control, robotics, and autonomous systems, the journal’s articles connect to many related fields, including mechanics, optimization, communication, information theory, machine learning, computing, signal processing, human behavioral sciences, and biology.

Dr. Leonard, who is the Edwin S. Wilsey Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, has been recognized as a MacArthur Fellow. She pursues collaborative, multidisciplinary research in control, dynamics, and robotics with engineers, oceanographers, biologists, and choreographers. She has explored the mechanisms that explain the collective dynamics of animal groups, including killifish, honeybees, caribou, and starlings, and has developed bio-inspired methodologies for control of robot teams. One of Dr. Leonard’s largest projects culminated in a field demonstration in Monterey Bay, California, of an autonomous ocean-observing system that featured a coordinated network of underwater robotic gliders.

The full volume, publishing online May 29, 2018, will be freely available online for an initial preview period.

Annual Reviews is a nonprofit publisher dedicated to synthesizing and integrating knowledge to stimulate the progress of science and benefit society. For more than 85 years, Annual Reviews has offered expert review journals which today span 50 titles across the biomedical, life, physical, and social sciences.  Annual Reviews launched Knowable Magazine in 2017, an open access digital magazine to explore the real-world significance of this highly cited scholarship and make it accessible to broad audiences.

Congratulations to Daniel S. Nagin, winner of the 2017 NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing

Liz Allen Awards

scireviewingWe are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2017 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Award for Scientific Reviewing, presented this year in criminology, is Daniel S. Nagin. Dr. Nagin is the Teresa and H. John Heinz III University Professor of Public Policy and Statistics at Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, USA, and a Committee Member of the Annual Review of Criminology (which will publish in 2018).

He will receive his award during the Annual Meeting of the NAS in Washington, DC on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 2pm (follow the live webcast #NAS154). Eva Emerson, Senior Editor (forthcoming digital magazine), and Samuel Gubins, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, will attend the ceremony.

The NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing was established in 1977 through a gift from Annual Reviews together with the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) to recognize the importance of reviews to the scientific method. Annual Reviews currently sponsors the award in its entirety.

The award recognizes authors whose publications have reviewed important subjects of research, rendering a significant service to science and influencing the course of scientific thought. Since its establishment, the award has been presented to 39 recipients, two who have gone on to win a National Medal of Science in the Biological Sciences and two who proceeded to win a Nobel Prize.

Dr. Nagin is being honored for exemplary reviews of the scientific literature on the crime-prevention effects of criminal and civil sanctions. These reviews have altered the course of criminological theory and empirical research, and have greatly informed analysis of public policy. His work appears in many leading publications, including Annual Reviews, which is publishing an article and response from him in the 2017 volume of the Annual Review of Law and Social Science. 

new_logoAnnual Reviews is a nonprofit publisher dedicated to synthesizing and integrating knowledge for the progress of science and the benefit of society. To find out how we create our highly cited reviews and stimulate discussion about science, please watch this short video.

The NAS is a private, nonprofit society of distinguished scholars. Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. The NAS is committed to furthering science in America, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community.

 

 

Reengineering our website: why, what, and how?

Liz Allen Redesign

Every website needs a periodic refresh as the digital landscape is constantly evolving. Here at nonprofit publisher Annual Reviews, six years have elapsed since our last major redesign, and we wanted to upgrade our user experience. We are pleased to announce a number of site enhancements that will benefit our online community.

For readers:

  • Automatic optimization of on-screen experience for all devices and screen sizes, and seamless pairing to an institutional subscription
  • New article layout and functionality facilitates rapid scanning for easier online reading
  • Search functionality provides more flexible filtering with improved image, author, and multimedia results

For authors:

  • A new section highlights information for preparing the review that you were invited to write, including journal-specific requirements

For librarians:

  • Dedicated section provides improved, centralized navigation to Librarian and Agent resources
  • Specialized functions for account administration remain unchanged but we have enhanced account security

“We are delighted to offer our end-users and stakeholders a more modern, adaptable and intuitive experience,” said Director of Technology Paul Calvi. “This reengineering has been made possible thanks to the partnership between the talented crew here at Annual Reviews, our design agency Interactive Strategies and advances in our online publishing platform, Literatum by Atypon Systems Inc”.

new_logoSome of you may have noticed that our logo has also evolved. Our goal here was to make it just a little easier to read online. As for the different stripes, they represent the colored bindings of our print editions which have been such an important part of our history.

We welcome your feedback via Twitter or Facebook.

All chemists like flashes, bangs and smells – in conversation with Professor Richard N. Zare.

Liz Allen Journal News

Nonprofit research publisher Annual Reviews is fortunate to have the ongoing support of many illustrious researchers that serve on our Boards and Committees. Professor Richard N. Zare is the Chairperson of the Annual Reviews Board of Directors and the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor of Natural Science at Stanford University, USA.

laserRichard was interviewed about his life and work by his former postdoc Dr. Andrew Alexander, who is a reader in Chemical Physics from Edinburgh University in Scotland. Andy prepared a series of short videos from his conversation that vary in length from 2-4 minutes which makes the content highly watchable.

That the pair know each other well is immediately clear through the relaxed and frequently funny tone of the videos which have 13 themes ranging from one entitled “Motorbike Story” through “Mentoring a Research Group” (pictured below, the Zarelab, 2016).

zare

Across the video series, Richard tells self-deprecating stories from his early childhood and young adult years that shape the person he has become today. He also explains his professional path to success as a combination of a series of influential relationships combined with an innate curiosity which he believes is a key component for a productive scientific career.

As Richard says: “Follow your heart – find something you love and throw yourself into it.” Those wishing to dig deeper into his work with Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) can read his Autobiographical article “My Life with LIF: A Personal Account of Developing Laser-Induced Fluorescence.” If you are interested in seeing some photos of the young Richard and finding out even more about his life then we invite you to read this additional article “The Hydrogen Games and Other Adventures in Chemistry.”

U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden Cites AR Article in WSJ Op-Ed

Liz Allen Journal News

Earlier this week, we were delighted to learn that U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden referenced one of our articles in his opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) entitled “How Short-Termism Saps the Economy.”

Vice President Joe Biden. Image credit, public domain, Wikipedia.
Vice-President Joe Biden. Image credit, public domain, Wikipedia.

“Short-termism—the notion that companies forgo long-run investment to boost near-term stock price—is one of the greatest threats to America’s enduring prosperity,” Biden writes.

Further down the piece, the WSJ links to an article in the Annual Review of Financial Economics entitled “CEO Compensation,” written by expert authors Carola Frydman and Dirk Jenter. In it, they describe the evolution of CEO pay and discuss the impact of the oftentimes direct link between share price and compensation.

If you don’t subscribe to the WSJ, you can register to read the article for 24 hours without a credit card.

 

2017 NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing – Call for Nominations in Criminology

Liz Allen Awards

Annual Reviews is pleased to sponsor the 2017 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Award for Scientific Reviewing, presented in criminology.

The award was established in 1977 through a gift from Annual Reviews together with the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) to recognize the importance of reviews to the scientific method. Annual Reviews currently sponsors the award in its entirety.

The NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing recognizes authors whose publications have reviewed important subjects of research, rendering a significant service to science and influencing the course of scientific thought. Since its establishment, the award has been presented to 38 recipients, two who have gone on to win a National Medal of Science in the Biological Sciences and two who proceeded to win a Nobel Prize.

This year’s selection committee defines “reviews” broadly to include not only formal review articles but any publication that synthesizes and critiques existing research, offering useful new perspectives on a field. The award will honor the cumulative effect of the candidate’s writings, which may be embodied in multiple publications. To nominate a review author in the field of Criminology, you must submit your application by Monday, October 3, 2016.

Annual Reviews was founded as a nonprofit organization to synthesize the ever-increasing volume of scientific research and data in a growing number of disciplines. Since the publication of the first Annual Review of Biochemistry in 1932 to our newest journal the Annual Review of Criminology in 2018, Annual Reviews has brought to its readers the best in comprehensive scientific review literature.

The NAS is a private, nonprofit society of distinguished scholars. Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. The NAS is committed to furthering science in America, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community.

Annual Reviews at the SSP Annual Meeting – Vancouver bound!

Liz Allen Conferences & Events

SSP38thAM_SmallImageThe Annual Reviews team is heading to Vancouver next week to continue our participation in the Annual SSP (Society for Scholarly Publishing) meeting which has previously been held right on our doorstep in San Francisco (we’re based in Palo Alto). We’re looking forward to flying out of the fog and exploring a new city!

For those of you who don’t know us, Annual Reviews is a nonprofit publisher of highly cited reviews that synthesize the research literature in a clear and compelling style to stimulate discussion about the science that shapes our lives.

Here’s a brief rundown of who will be there and the panels where you can find them:

Also in attendance, Marquita Druker (Marketing Specialist), Anna Fleming (Institutional Marketing Specialist) and Andrea Burtness (Project Coordinator, IT).

We look forward to meeting you there.

The secret is out – calling all science writers!

Liz Allen Announcements, Conferences & Events, Journalists

Annual Reviews logo.

Annual Reviews is a nonprofit publisher of highly cited reviews that synthesize the research literature in a clear and compelling style to stimulate discussion about the science that shapes our lives.

Journalists, bloggers and writers tell us that we’re a “go-to resource” when it comes to researching the background on a story or on days when they have to deliver a piece and inspiration is thin on the ground!

Reading our reviews is like “being transported into the laboratory of the leading scientists in the area, who explain what’s going on in the field”. They come away with a richer understanding than they could gain in any other way.

Image credit: marcmo, Flickr, CC BY NC-ND
Image credit: marcmo, Flickr, CC BY NC-ND

To access this highly cited content that spans 47 disciplines within the Biomedical, Life, Physical, and Social Sciences including Economics all you have to do is email your writing credentials to marketing@annualreviews.org. It’s that simple.

If you use Annual Reviews content, please credit the Author/s and the name of the journal. You are welcome to link directly to our article and if you do so, let us know beforehand (email address as above) and we will provide your readers with complimentary access.

Annual Reviews is a treasured writers resource because every article:

  • Synthesizes the most significant research contributions on the most critical topics
  • Provides a thorough and balanced understanding of a subject from invited experts
  • Helps situate research within current understanding of a topic, including what is well supported and what is controversial.
  • Explores the interface between fields as most progress takes place at the confluence of two or more fields. We enable researchers to reach across disciplinary boundaries.
  • Provides historical context and sweeping panoramas of where research fields originated, where they stand now, and where they should go.
  • Poses compelling questions for the future.
  • Outlines practical applications and the broad general significance of research to the wider public.
  • Stands as a testament to human ingenuity in terms of our understanding of nature, the universe, and the human condition.

WCSJAnnual Reviews is also a proud early sponsor of the World Conference of Science Journalists taking place in San Francisco in 2017. We look forward to providing you with Free WiFi for a day and meeting you all there! To find out more about the event you can sign up for the conference newsletter.

Congrats Sergio Verdú – winner of the 2016 NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing

Liz Allen Awards, News

Annual Reviews is a non-profit publisher of highly-cited reviews that synthesize the research literature in clear and compelling style to stimulate discussion about the science that shapes our lives.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Award for Scientific Reviewing was established in 1977 through a gift from Annual Reviews together with the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), now part of Thomson Reuters Intellectual Property & Science, in honor of our founder J. Murray Luck – we are proud to currently sponsor it entirely.

This prestigious award – two recipients have gone on to win the National Medal of Science and another two the Nobel Prize – has been presented annually since 1979 to recognize authors, whose reviews have synthesized extensive and difficult material, rendering a significant service to science and influencing the course of scientific thought. The field rotates among biological, physical, and social sciences.

The NAS dome depicts an early 20th Century view of Science. Photo credit: Dan W Bailey.

We’re delighted that Sergio Verdú, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering at Princeton University, will receive the NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing on May 1st 2016 at their stunning building in Washington D.C., presented this year in computer science. Our President and Editor-In-Chief, Richard Gallagher (current) and Samuel Gubins (former) will attend the ceremony. 

Sergio won “For consistent and distinguished contributions of review material in information theory, and for a leading role in developing high-quality review journals covering broad areas of the information sciences”. He is a leader in information theory, has contributed numerous books, monographs, book chapters, and review papers, many of which have become essential reading for those working in information and communication theory.

This award serves to highlight the value that review articles add to the research community. Reading one is like being transported into the laboratory of the leading scientists in the area, who explain what’s going on in the field. Readers come away with a richer understanding than they could gain in any other way and this is why Annual Reviews is a treasured resource.

Note: The 2017 NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing will be for contributions in the field of Criminology. Nominations must be submitted online no later than 11:59 pm EDT on Monday, October 3, 2016, so register today and share your pick.

Congrats Barbara Cannon and Jan Nedergaard – winners of the APS 2016 Annual Reviews Award for Scientific Reviewing

Liz Allen Awards, News

Annual Reviews is a non-profit publisher of highly-cited review articles that synthesize the research literature in clear and compelling style to stimulate discussion about the science that shapes our lives.

APSEvery year, the American Physiological Society (APS) manages the Annual Reviews Award for Scientific Reviewing which is given for excellence in providing systematic, periodic examinations of scholarly advances, and provoking discussion that will lead to new research activity. The award recognizes an APS member who has written scientific reviews and has helped provide an enhanced understanding of the area of physiology reviewed.

Receiving the Annual Reviews Award for Scientific Reviewing
Receiving the Annual Reviews Award for Scientific Reviewing

This year two successful candidates, Barbara Cannon and Jan Nedergaard, shared the award which includes a contribution to travel to the annual Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego from April 2-6th where they received their recognition plaque.

Sunrise in Stockholm, image credit: Chas B, Flickr, CC BY
Sunrise in Stockholm, image credit: Chas B, Flickr, CC BY

Barbara and Jan are both professors in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. They won their award for a series of insightful reviews over the years, not least the fundamental overview in Physiological Reviews on brown adipose tissue 2004. Their review 2007 in American Journal of Physiology (Endocrinology and Metabolism) collected data, overlooked by the metabolic community, that unexpectedly demonstrated that even adult humans possess active brown adipose tissue, a paper that opened for today’s broad interest in this tissue and pointed to the possibility that it can counteract the development of obesity and can ameliorate the metabolic syndrome, if kept active in adults.

This Annual Reviews award serves to highlight the value that review articles add to the research community. Reading one is like being transported into the laboratory of the leading scientists in the area, who explain what’s going on in the field. Readers come away with a richer understanding than they could gain in any other way and this is why Annual Reviews is a treasured resource.