MedGen wrote:I think we need to set out some exact guidelines, then open up to article proposals.

How about:
[1] Articles can be put forward by any member, but need to open-access.
[2] Several articles can be proposed, and a vote taken, alternatively, the someone steps forward to volunteer each week with their particular article.
[3] One or two weeks are given for everyone to read and digest the article.
[4] A thread is opened by whoever proposed the article (probably best to PM everyone in the discussion group so they know about it too) and the discussion follows from their.

Perhaps this way an article can be discussed every 2-3 weeks.

Mazille wrote:

MedGen wrote:I think we need to set out some exact guidelines, then open up to article proposals.

How about:
[1] Articles can be put forward by any member, but need to open-access.
[2] Several articles can be proposed, and a vote taken, alternatively, the someone steps forward to volunteer each week with their particular article.
[3] One or two weeks are given for everyone to read and digest the article.
[4] A thread is opened by whoever proposed the article (probably best to PM everyone in the discussion group so they know about it too) and the discussion follows from their.

Perhaps this way an article can be discussed every 2-3 weeks.

Good idea.
Although I think it would be better to appoint only one person, which is then responsible for opening the threads, etc. since otherwise it could lead to confusion. The articles are - of course - chosen in the way you described. Just the organisational framework that should be more stream-lined, methinks.

Lazar wrote:I say build it and they will come. I would think it would be best to pick an article (of your choosing Medgen) and just get the ball rolling.

MedGen wrote:

Lazar wrote:I say build it and they will come. I would think it would be best to pick an article (of your choosing Medgen) and just get the ball rolling.

Okay, I'll have a scout around and find an open-access article of interest.

Mazille wrote:I don't know if everyone's interested in this, but I recently read one from "Nature", which is openly accessible here.

Goldman, Nanna/ et. al. (2010): Adenosine A1 receptors mediate local anti-nociceptive effects of acupuncture.

I think Mr. Samsa already read it as well, as far as I can remember. Rather interesting, and a lot to discuss about it. Of course, I can understand if you want an article no-one has read yet.

Just putting it out there.

mjpam wrote:

Lazar wrote:

Mazille wrote:

natselrox wrote:At least we should start the club. Even if we have to limit the discussion to members who have access to the article.

I dunno. There is a wealth of peer-reviewed articles freely available online. I don't think it would be a problem to limit ourselves to those.

My thoughts exactly.

Are we looking for something fairly recent?

Might I suggest Climbing Mount Probable: Mutation as a Cause of Nonrandomness in Evolution?

Lazar wrote:Thanks Medgen. Downloaded but will need a hefty dictionary to get though. In payment I will dig up a nice statistics article to share....that should be fun for all involved.

Mazille wrote:

Lazar wrote:Thanks Medgen. Downloaded but will need a hefty dictionary to get though. In payment I will dig up a nice statistics article to share....that should be fun for all involved.

Oh, crap.

Lazar wrote:Thanks Medgen. Downloaded but will need a hefty dictionary to get though. In payment I will dig up a nice statistics article to share....that should be fun for all involved.

Could I also suggest that mjpam gets the next slot for his suggestion (if he agrees)?

mjpam wrote:

Lazar wrote:

Mazille wrote:

natselrox wrote:At least we should start the club. Even if we have to limit the discussion to members who have access to the article.

I dunno. There is a wealth of peer-reviewed articles freely available online. I don't think it would be a problem to limit ourselves to those.

My thoughts exactly.

Are we looking for something fairly recent?

Might I suggest Climbing Mount Probable: Mutation as a Cause of Nonrandomness in Evolution?

natselrox wrote:Tamoxifen study it is then. We should inform GenesForLife, he'd be interested in this as well.

MedGen wrote:It is often customary in research groups and departments to hold journal clubs, where various journals of interest are discussed on a regular basis. I thought perhaps that this may also work quite well here on the forum. The idea is that a single article is picked each week or fortnight (or however often), giving enough time for everyone to read it. The paper is then discussed amongst the group; the conclusions, the methodology, what could be improved, etc.

This may also be a good way to help laypeople to understand the technical aspects of scientific papers that are so often such a barrier to fully understanding them. There are a few professionals here on the forum, as well as many educated and interested laypeople.

I'd like to see what people's opinions are of this idea, and perhaps start something up in the next few weeks or so. I for one would like to broaden my scientific knowledge further, and this is often a great way of achieving that goal.