If you are interested in science, math and engineering — or teach these subjects — have I got news for you.
The National Academies – National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council – is offering free PDFs of its catalog of more than 4,000 titles.
The National Academies Press produces about 200 titles a year and has made PDFs free to developing nations since 1994. From the press release:
“Our business model has evolved so that it is now financially viable to put this content out to the entire world for free,” said Barbara Kline Pope, executive director for the National Academies Press. “This is a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact by more effectively sharing our knowledge and analyses.”
Based on the performance of NAP’s current free PDFs, projections suggest that this change will enhance dissemination of PDF reports from about 700,000 downloads per year to more than 3 million by 2013.
Here are a few interesting titles:
- Beyond Productivity: Information, Technology, Innovation, and Creativity
- Enhancing Undergraduate Learning with Information Technology:A Workshop Summary
- Ensuring the Integrity, Accessibility, and Stewardship of Research Data in the Digital Age
- Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty
- Improving Learning with Information Technology: Report of a Workshop
- Innovative Flanders:Innovation Policies for the 21st Century: Report of a Symposium
- Interim Report on Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Blowout and Ways to Prevent Such Events
- Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations
- Public Response to Alerts and Warnings on Mobile Devices: Summary of a Workshop on Current Knowledge and Research Gaps
- Reinventing Schools: The Technology is Now!
- The Socioeconomic Effects of Public Sector Information on Digital Networks:Toward a Better Understanding of Different Access and Reuse Policies: Workshop Summary
- State Voter Registration Databases: Immediate Actions and Future Improvements, Interim Report
- Who Goes There?:Authentication Through the Lens of Privacy
