PhysicsOverflow: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox website

[[File:PhysicsOverflow Discus.svg|thumb|right|The PhysicsOverflow [[discus]] as it appears in the PhysicsOverflow logo.]]

| name = PhysicsOverflow

| logo = File:PhysicsOverflow Logo.svg

| url = {{Official URL}}

| commercial = No

| registration = Optional

| type = [[Question and answer website|Question and answer]]<br>[[Scholarly peer review#Postpublication|Open peer review]]

| owner = Roger Cattin<ref name="physicsoverflow_legal">{{cite web |title = Legal |url = http://whois.domaintools.com/physicsoverflow.org |publisher = Roger Cattin|date = 2014-01-28 |access-date = 2017-03-22 |work = PhysicsOverflow}}</ref>

| author = Abhimanyu Pallavi Sudhir, Rahel Knoepfel and Roger Cattin

| launch_date = {{start date and age|2014|4}}<ref name="faq"/>

| content_license = User contributions under [[Creative Commons license|CC BY-SA]] 3.0<ref name="faq"/>

}}

'''PhysicsOverflow''' is a [[physics]] website that serves as a [[Scholarly peer review#Postpublication|post-publication open peer review]]<ref name="faq">{{cite web|url=https://physicsoverflow.org/faq|title=FAQ - PhysicsOverflow|website=physicsoverflow.org|access-date=2017-03-19|archive-date=2017-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320054011/https://physicsoverflow.org/faq|url-status=live}}</ref> platform for [[academic paper|research papers]] in physics, as well as a [[collaborative blog]] and [[online community]] of physicists. It allows users to ask, answer and comment on graduate-level physics questions, post and review manuscripts from [[ArXiv]] (which lists PhysicsOverflow discussion pages among its trackbacks<ref>{{cite web|url=https://physicsoverflow.org/30425/we-|title=We have-arxiv- ArXiV trackbacks?show!|last=30425#q30425dimension10|date=23 April 2015|website=PhysicsOverflow}}</ref>) and other sources, and vote on both forms of content.

In addition to the two primary forms of content, the PhysicsOverflow community also welcomes discussions on [[List of unsolved problems in physics|unsolved problems]], and hosts a chat section for discussions on topics generally of interest to physicists and students of physics, such as those related to recent events in physics, physics academia, and the publishing process.<ref While there are no explicit rules for civility, the community tends to be hostile to uncivil discussion, and tangential discussions are quickly moved to chat.name="faq"/>

==History==

PhysicsOverflow was started in April 2014 as a physics-equivalent of [[MathOverflow]] by Rahel Knöpfel, a physics PhD at the [[University of Rostock]], high-school student Abhimanyu Pallavi Sudhir, and Roger Cattin, a retired professor of computer science at the [[Fachhochschule|University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland]].<ref>https: name="faq"//physicsoverflow.org/8347/history-of-physicsoverflow</ref> The site was initially a mere question-and-answer forum, as it was started by users dissatisfied by the policies of the [[Stack Exchange|Physics Stack Exchange]], but it was eventually expanded to include a ''Reviews'' section in October 2014.<ref>https://physicsoverflow.org/24235/the-reviews-section-is-out-of-beta</ref>{{Needs citation|date=May 2025}}

==Moderation practices==

PhysicsOverflow is well-known for its liberal moderation policy and hesitation to block contributors except for spam, as reflected in the website's bill of "user rights".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://physics.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/6196/what-is-physics-overflow-and-how-is-it-linked-to-physics-se|title=What is Physics Overflow and how is it linked to Physics.SE?|website=Physics Meta Stack Exchange|access-date=2017-03-19|archive-date=2017-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320053801/https://physics.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/6196/what-is-physics-overflow-and-how-is-it-linked-to-physics-se|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="physicsoverflow.org">{{cite web|url=https://physicsoverflow.org/user-rights|title=User Rights - PhysicsOverflow|website=physicsoverflow.org|access-date=2017-03-19|archive-date=2017-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320053816/https://physicsoverflow.org/user-rights|url-status=live}}</ref> The content is largely community-moderated, much like MathOverflow, although exceptions have been recorded. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://physicsoverflow.org/31863/violation-|title=Violation of- policy- to- close- questions?|last1=drake|last2=Dilaton|last3=dimension10|date=10 June 2015|website=PhysicsOverflow|access-date=19 March 2017|archive-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017221054/http://www.physicsoverflow.org/31863|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="https://physicsoverflow.org/review">{{Cite web | url=https://physicsoverflow.org/review | title=Moderate {{pipe}} PhysicsOverflow | access-date=2017-03-19 | archive-date=2017-03-20 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320053935/https://physicsoverflow.org/review | url-status=live }}</ref>

Although the site's moderation policy is publicly available as part of the moderator manual, the site has been criticised for the excessive dispersion of policy-related material, such as the FAQ, the Bill of Rights, the moderator list and the Community Moderation threads , leading to reduced transparency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docsphysics.googlemeta.stackexchange.com/filequestions/d6196/0B_ra1Ss1Ewhat-rWN3cyRC1zalAtT1U/edit</ref><ref>https://physicsoverflowis-physics-overflow-and-how-is-it-linked-to-physics-se|title=What is Physics Overflow and how is it linked to Physics.org/faq</ref><ref>https://physicsoverflow.org/userSE?|website=Physics Meta Stack Exchange|access-rights</ref><ref>date=2017-03-19|archive-date=2017-03-20|archive-url=https://physicsoverflowweb.archive.org/usersweb/special<20170320053801/ref><ref>https://physicsoverflow.org/review</ref><ref>https://physics.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/6196/what-is-physics-overflow-and-how-is-it-linked-to-physics-se#comment25091_6213|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://physicsoverflow.org/22268/physics-overflow-|title=Who are the Physics Overflow moderators-, and what- is their- exact- role- and- powers?|last1=SaddlePoint|last2=Dilaton|first3=Ron|last3=Maimon|date=14 August 2014|website=PhysicsOverflow}}</ref> In response, the site's administrators posted a bulletin of all moderation-related content on the site on the homepage.

==Technical details==

[[File:PhysicsOverflow Discus.svg|thumb|right|The PhysicsOverflow [[discus]] as it appears in the PhysicsOverflow logo.]]

PhysicsOverflow runs [[Q&A software#Comparison of Q&A software|Question2Answer]], an open-source Q&A software, with a custom theme and several plugins and patches.<ref>https://physicsoverflow.org/faq#a4809</ref> Some of its plugins have been used by other Question2Answer websites, such as the [https://openscience.uni-bielefeld.de Open Science Q&A] and the [http://physics.qandaexchange.com/ Physics Problems Q&A].<ref>https://openscience.uni-bielefeld.de/768/how-do-i-regain-access-to-my-imported-account</ref><ref>https://blog.wikimedia.de/author/christopher_schwarzkopf/</ref>

PhysicsOverflow runs [[Q&A software#Comparison of Q&A software|Question2Answer]], an open-source Q&A software, with a custom theme and several plugins and patches.<ref name="faq"/> Some of its plugins have been used by other Question2Answer websites, such as the Open Science Q&A and the Physics Problems Q&A.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://openscience.uni-bielefeld.de/768/how-do-i-regain-access-to-my-imported-account|title=How do I regain access to my imported account? - Ask Open Science|website=openscience.uni-bielefeld.de|access-date=2017-03-19|archive-date=2017-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320052546/https://openscience.uni-bielefeld.de/768/how-do-i-regain-access-to-my-imported-account|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.wikimedia.de/author/christopher_schwarzkopf/|title=Christopher Schwarzkopf – Wikimedia Deutschland Blog|access-date=2017-03-20|archive-date=2017-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320145257/https://blog.wikimedia.de/author/christopher_schwarzkopf/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Usage==

[[Quantcast]] records around 3000 monthly visitors and between 20,000 and 50,000 global page views to PhysicsOverflow every month, over half of whom are located in four countries: the United States (26.8%), India (9.2%), the United Kingdom (8.5%), and Germany (6.4%).<ref>https://www.quantcast.com/physicsoverflow.org?country{{Needs citation|date=CN</ref>May 2025}} However, according to PhysicsOverflow's own data, only around 1500 users actually contribute content to the site, and 440 are active at a given point in time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://physicsoverflow.org/statistics|title=PhysicsOverflow|website=physicsoverflow.org|access-date=2017-03-19|archive-date=2017-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320052926/https://physicsoverflow.org/statistics|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Recognition==

The creation of PhysicsOverflow was well-received by the [[MathOverflow]] community.<ref>http{{cite web|url=https://meta.mathoverflow.net/questions/1608/physicsoverflow-just-went-live|title=PhysicsOverflow just went live|website=MathOverflow Meta|access-date=2023-06-10|archive-date=2021-09-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925025455/https://meta.mathoverflow.net/questions/1608/physicsoverflow-just-went-live|url-status=live}}</ref> PhysicsOverflow was also featured at the 5th Offtopicarium<ref>{{cite web|url=https://physicsoverflow.org/22788/we-|title=We have- a- talk- at- the-offtopicarium?show Offtopicarium !|last=22788#q22788Dilaton|date=24 August 2014|website=PhysicsOverflow}}</ref> and [[World Scientific]]'s Asia-Pacific Physics News Letter.<ref>http{{cite journal|title=PhysicsOverflow://www.worldscientific.com/ A postgraduate-level physics Q&A site and open peer review system|first1=Abhimanyu|last1=Pallavi Sudhir|first2=Rahel|last2=Knöpfel|date=23 October 2015|journal=Asia Pacific Physics Newsletter|volume=04|issue=1|pages=53–55|doi/abs/=10.1142/S2251158X15000193}}</ref>

* [[John Baez]] suggested the website as a platform for discussing research-level physics questions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/books.html|title=books|website=math.ucr.edu|access-date=2017-03-19|archive-date=2019-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726010538/http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/books.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

* Greg Bernhardt, the founder of PhysicsForums[[Physics Forums]], acknowledged the site as a "very interesting development for the physics discussion communities".<ref>http{{cite web|url=https://motls.blogspot.incom/2013/08/discussion-on-old-and-new-theoretical.html?m|title=The Reference Frame: Discussion about old and new theoretical physics forums|first=Luboš|last=Motl|date=14 August 2013|access-date=10 June 2023|archive-date=22 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922232912/https://motls.blogspot.com/2013/08/discussion-on-old-and-new-theoretical.html|url-status=1live}}</ref>

* Arnold Neumaier, a professor at the University of Vienna, employs PhysicsOverflow as the platform for discussion about his Theoretical Physics FAQ.<ref>http{{cite web|url=https://www.mat.univie.ac.at/~neum/physfaq/physics-faq.html|title=A theoretical physics FAQ|website=www.mat.univie.ac.at|access-date=2023-06-10|archive-date=2023-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526045935/https://www.mat.univie.ac.at/~neum/physfaq/physics-faq.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

* String theorist [[Lubos Motl]] referred to the website as a "very promising competition [to Physics Stack Exchange]".<ref>http{{cite web|url=https://motls.blogspot.incom/2014/05/physics-overflow-is-live.html|title=Physics Overflow is live|access-date=2023-06-10|archive-date=2021-10-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019075656/https://motls.blogspot.com/2014/05/physics-overflow-is-live.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

* [[Urs Schreiber]] publicised the site, claiming it could act as a catalyst to make physics academia more open like mathematics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://plus.google.com/+UrsSchreiber/posts/SoWhSAqmUJ1<?loc=us|title=New PhysicsOverflow forum for research-level physics discussion A new site...|date=2 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202090712/ref><ref>https://wwwplus.quoragoogle.com/Whats-your-impression-of-PhysicsOverflow+UrsSchreiber/answerposts/SebastianSoWhSAqmUJ1?loc=us|archive-date=2019-02-Schacher02}}</ref>

* The [[University of Stavenger]]'s cosmology department commented that PhysicsOverflow "seems to implement some interesting ideas", and that "it makes some sense the {{sic}} review the reviewing process".<ref>https://www.facebook.com/uiscosmology/posts/1228470267242602</ref>

* [[Urs Schreiber]] publicised the site, claiming it could act as a catalyst to make physics academia more open like mathematics.<ref>https://plus.google.com/+UrsSchreiber/posts/SoWhSAqmUJ1</ref><ref>https://www.quora.com/Whats-your-impression-of-PhysicsOverflow/answer/Sebastian-Schacher</ref>

==See also==

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==References==

{{reflist|3}}

[[Category:Physics websites]]

[[Category:Internet properties established in 2014]]

[[Category:Question-and-answer websites]]

[[Category:Creative Commons-licensed websites]]

[[Category:Gamification]]

[[Category:Peer review]]

[[Category:Academic publishing]]