Aetiology (blog)

Aetiology is a web log, or blog that is written by Tara C. Smith, PhD, a faculty member with an expertise in epidemiology working in the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. Its stated goal is to discuss "causes, origins, evolution and implications of disease and other phenomena." [ [http://scienceblogs.com/aetiology/ Aetiology] homepage]

It is hosted by the Seed magazine's "Scienceblogs" organization, which also hosts the weblog "Pharyngula", the top rated science-based blog in a 2006 evaluation conducted by Nature magazine [ [http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060703/full/442009a.html Top Five Science Blogs] , Nature magazine official website, July 3, 2006. ] and science category winner in the 2006 "Weblogs Awards". [ [http://2006.weblogawards.org/2006/12/best_science_blog.php 2006 Weblogs Awards Best Science Blog] official webpage] [ [http://www.biochemist.org/bio/02901/0037/029010037.pdf Biochemists in the Blogosphere] , Clare Sansom, Biochemist Regulars, The Biochemical Society, February 2007] Nature ranks Aetiology as 7th among science blogs. [ [http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060703/multimedia/50_science_blogs.html 50 Popular Science Blogs (written by scientists)] , news@nature, Nature Magazine, July 3, 2006.] [This is more impressive than it might appear at first, considering that there were roughly 46 million blogs being ranked in the study.]

Aetiology was chosen to be one of the inaugural blogs for Scienceblogs, which is selective about which blogs it features. Scienceblogs states that:

and also pays all costs and provides technical support. [ [http://www.aetiology.blogspot.com/ original Aetiology site] , discussion of reasons to move to scienceblogs, January 11, 2006.] This venture by Seed Magazine demonstrates that science blogs are being recognized as gaining traction in the standard scientific literature. For example, science blogs have been mentioned as sources in both Science magazine [ [http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/comments/compliments_to_the_pandas_thumb/#comments "WEB LOGS: THE DARWIN BRIGADE"] , Netwatch, Science Magazine, volume 310, number 5752, November 2005.] and Nature magazine. [ [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7068/full/438548a.html Nature article] , Nature magazine, volume 438, 2005]

Smith has been a regular contributor to the Panda's Thumb, another highly rated science weblog with many other notable contributors. Her first post to Aetiology was on September 23rd, 2005.

Professor John Gay, a veterinarian from Washington State University, lists "Aetiology" as one of his suggested sources of information on avian influenza for students and other veterinarians. [ [http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/courses-jmgay/fadavianinfluenza.htm "Foreign Animal Disease - Avian Influenza: Links & Resources"] , John Gay, Ver. 2.0 Initial 4/8/05 Updated 07/10/07] Posts from Aetiology were selected by Bora Zikovic for his book on the 50 best science blog postings of 2006. ["The Open Laboratory: The Best Writing on Science Blogs 2006",edited by Bora Zivkovic, Lulu Press, 2007.] This book was positively reviewed by Nature Magazine. [ [http://blogs.nature.com/nautilus/2007/06/the_best_writing_on_science_bl.html "The Best Writing on Science Blogs 2006"] , Paul Stevenson, Nature 447, 779 (2007).]

Aetiology was nominated for a "Koufax Award" for "Best New Blog" in 2006. [ [http://koufax.wabanaki.net/node The Koufax Awards] , official webpage] It was featured in the Canadian student-produced science magazine "Hypothesis", [ [http://medbiograd.sa.utoronto.ca/pdfs/vol4num2/10.pdf "Who Benefits From Science Blogging?"] , Eva Amsen, [http://medbiograd.sa.utoronto.ca/ Hypothesis] , volume 4, number 2, October, 2006.] "Cell", [ [http://www.cell.com/content/article/abstract?uid=PIIS0092867407005430 "Analysis: Scientists Enter the Blogosphere"] , Laura Bonetta, Cell, Vol 129, 443-445, 04 May 2007.] MedScape Today, [ [http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/559173 "Defending Science in the Face of Controversy"] , Nicholas Genes, Pre-Rounds, MedScape Med Students, WebMD, July 10, 2007.] "The Epidemiology Monitor Newsletter", [ [http://www.epimonitor.net/EpidemiologyMonitor/Print/2006/June/print03.asp "University of Iowa Assistant Professor of Epidemiology Now A Part Of The Blogger Community"] , The Epidemiology Monitor Newsletter, June 2006.] and even the New England Skeptical Society's "The Skeptics Guide" [ [http://www.theskepticsguide.org/skepticsguide/podcastinfo.asp?pid=28 "Interview with Tara Smith"] , The Skeptics Guide, Number 28, February 1, 2006.] and "Daily Kos". [ [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/2/3/73340/26488 "Science Friday: Guns, Germs, & the GOP"] , "DarkSyde", Daily Kos, Fri Feb 03, 2006.] Aetiology was described in WebMD's "Medscape Today" in 2006 as, "a star attraction on Seed Magazine's ScienceBlogs." [ [http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/531616 "Aetiology: A Blog in Search of Intelligent Science"] , Nicholas Genes, Pre-Rounds, Med Students, Medscape Today, WebMD, May 3, 2006.]

ee also

*List of blogs

References

External links

* [http://scienceblogs.com/aetiology/ Aetiology] official webpage
* [http://www.microbeworld.org/ "WHAT'S NEW: MicrobeWorld Video Episode 6 - Microblogology"] , a video interview with Dr. Tara C. Smith about her blog, Aetiology.