Whether you're diving to measure coral reefs in Tahiti or hunched over a computer running statistical analyses, participating in scientific research can be one of the most fun and challenging experiences in the world. The one part we all dread, though, comes after the excitement of a new discovery fades - when we have to sit down and spend the next few months (or years!) publishing a manuscript. Part of what makes this process so aggravating is that far too often it brings out the worst in us - the politics, getting scooped, pressure to over-interpret results, and hiding those really annoying results deep in the supplemental figures. Most if not all of these issues arise from a single source -trying to spin our own small set of results into a really good story. Atomizing research updates into "micro-publications" relieves these conflicts and lets us speak freely about what's actually going on - the good, the bad, and even the mundane. Most importantly, in aggregate micro-publications let us tell the most engaging research stories of all- the ones that involve the whole community, are reproducible, and will stand the test of time. But don't take my word for it, come see for yourself with an interactive game that pits slow, long form individual narratives against short, community driven narratives!
Conflicts of interest: I'm founder and CEO of a startup company that is building micro-publishing services for basic scientists. I am not planning to speak specifically about our product, but rather focusing on the underlying motivation for why I'm doing what I'm doing :).
