While the attention of the general public is often drawn to new and exciting scientific findings that are reported in the media, scientists are more interested in the long-term impact of published findings. Since its launch in 2004, Google Scholar has provided the general public with a searchable index of peer-reviewed research for accessing notable studies.
By now, nearly everyone is aware of the ongoing debate regarding whether climate change, which naturally goes through cycles of higher and lower average global temperature, is being accelerated by human activity, referred to as "global warming". What is perhaps less commonly understood is why carbon dioxide is the primary culprit blamed for global warming and why it is a greenhouse gas to begin with.
The internet has had an incredible impact on our daily lives and its effects on the academic publishing industry cannot be overstated. The ability to read accepted manuscripts before they appear in print, search the literature for similar studies, and reach potentially millions of readers are clearly beneficial and have promoted the dissemination of science at a speed that was not previously possible.
The technological advances that benefit society are mostly the result of research conducted by industry or academia. Due to the recent efforts to cut research funding for universities, many have become interested in the impact of academic research on technological advances and the potential consequences of reducing research funding.
