Social Science News | University of Illinois

When most people think of parks, images of slides and swings, ball fields and basketball hoops, Rollerbladers and moms pushing strollers may come to mind. But in some urban neighborhoods with highly migratory immigrant populations, that image may take on a more ominous tint as the Rollerbladers and stroller-pushing mamas are replaced by gangbangers packing knives and guns, and pushing drugs.

Allen H. Renear and Carole L. Palmer, professors of library and information science at Illinois, say that as techniques originally designed to organize and share scientific data are integrated into scientific publishing, scientists' long-standing practice of reading "strategically" will be dramatically enhanced.

A University of Illinois professor, who also watches and studies bird-watchers, suggests that the popular pastime known as competitive birding that is, participation in various types of activities based around the goal of identifying and/or listing the greatest number of avian species may not be as eco-friendly as it purports to be.

For Judge Sonia Sotomayor, just being Latina means her objectivity is in question.That’s the message that stands out to University of Illinois professor Isabel Molina-Guzmn in too much of the coverage so far of the Supreme Court nominee, whose confirmation hearings began Monday.

President Barack Obama’s pledge to make his presidency the most open and accountable administration in history could come true if his administration embraces open data formats to make government information accessible to all, says a University of Illinois expert in information science.