A belated farewell to Christopher Bell I should be writing my PhD thesis instead of this short post at this early hour.

I've just learned that Christopher Bell passed away in May 2024, which I somehow missed until now. I wrote a short tribute to a great historian who also once bought me a coffee at Kew.

yusufozkan.substack.com/p/a-belated-...

The old images are mostly shared for disinformation these days. Was it the case during WW1 or was it a bad practice of journalism? Maybe there was less info to validate the accuracy.

Kudos to the reader who identified the LLM use. S/he must have true spirit of a ‘peer reviewer’. Also, interesting to see that this has been found by a human rather AI.

Can we measure research in a more meaningful way? A quick look at the 2025 PLOS Open Science Indicators dataset Why measuring open research matters Open access publishing is sometimes mistakenly thought of as the be-all-and-end-all of open research (or open science). Bu

Great to see @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social using the PLOS Open Science Indicators to analyze open research practices across their institution.

Insightful work from @yozkan.bsky.social using our dataset with @dataseerai.bsky.social.

Can we measure research in a more meaningful way? A quick look at the 2025 PLOS Open Science Indicators dataset - Open Access and Digital Scholarship Blog Why measuring open research matters Open access publishing is sometimes mistakenly thought of as the be-all-and-end-all of open research (or open science). But while open access is important, it is no...

New blog post 📊 I analysed the 2025 PLOS Open Science Indicators to explore how Imperial research adopts #openresearch practices.

blogs.imperial.ac.uk/openaccess/2...

Thanks for sharing this. I was a little late in promoting the blog post, but I really enjoyed working with and analysing the PLOS Open Science Indicators dataset.

Can we measure research in a more meaningful way? A quick look at the 2025 PLOS Open Science Indicators dataset - Open Access and Digital Scholarship Blog Why measuring open research matters Open access publishing is sometimes mistakenly thought of as the be-all-and-end-all of open research (or open science). But while open access is important, it is no...

Using the @plos.org Open Science Indicators to:

'1) understand the level of open research adoption at @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

2) outline a simple methodology that other institutions can easily implement for their own analyses.'

@yozkan.bsky.social

blogs.imperial.ac.uk/openaccess/2...

🎄 It’s that time of the year when the buzz of work quiets down and we get the time to rest before ringing in the new year — and pick up a book or two.

🥳 If you find yourself in need of last-minute holiday gift ideas, look no further than our KCSI-approved book guide!

Our Publications

📄 From the impact of growing digitalisation on intelligence to Czechoslovakia’s complex relationship with Middle Eastern revolutionaries, our KCSI members have been busy with sharing their expert insights in several publications this month.

🔗 All publications can be found here: kcsi.uk/publications

📚 Call for submissions: 2025 Polly Corrigan and Kjetil Hatlebrekke Book Prizes

The King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence is pleased to open nominations for two distinguished awards celebrating excellence in intelligence and security studies.

Yes, that would make sense. I've never thought that way. Aegean cities of Turkey might be worth considering in that case.

OK, Turkey experts, oil experts, historians, sleuths. I'm looking at a 1945 US intelligence document about a clandestine source in "Oil City." This source is being paid in Turkish lira. What do you think Oil City is and why?

I do not know the answer to this.

I would look at Batman (yes, a real city in Turkey!). I think the first refinery was created in 40s there which is consistent with your discovery. But the issue is Batman officially became a ‘city’ in 1990. Perhaps @mesutuyar.bsky.social may have a guess.

Google Scholar Is Doomed Academia built entire careers on a free Google service with zero guarantees. What could go wrong?

Since search is dead, how soon do you think Google Scholar is headed for the Google Graveyard? I'm betting it's soon, and academia is NOT prepared

🔎 Times are changing — and so are we. The King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence is now on Instagram.

Follow for insights on intelligence, security, and global affairs, plus highlights from our research, events, and teaching.

👉 instagram.com/kcsi.uk

This sounds amazing!

Despite working on US intelligence in World War I off and on since 2006 and despite the fact that I'm slowly writing a journal article on memoirs of American intelligence veterans (all of them), I learned today of the existence of such a memoir that was entirely new to me. #research? #serendipity!

From Langley to Tokyo: The JFK Assassination Files and Communist…

🚨Publication alert🚨 Our latest Insights piece by Satoshi Yoda - about Cold War operations in Japan - is out now: kcsi.uk/kcsi-insight...

My third book. All published by Oxford University Press.

Best Gallipoli books from a Turkish perspective The Ottoman view revealed: Five essential books in English offering rare insight into the Turkish experience at Gallipoli.

"Best Gallipoli books from a Turkish perspective?
Here are five essential works in English."
littlegully.com/blog/best-ga...

Thanks, Gill! Interestingly, the memorandum was penned immediately after a meeting attended by the representatives of the Admiralty and WO. So, both names could be possible, but Dallas is the most plausible person.

Thanks very much Jock! Yes, Alister seems to be the most likely author of this memo because it was produced by the WO about the Ottoman Empire.

Thanks very much! I believe he was working in Room 40 in 1914. The minute sheet seems to be the WO one. Also, the memo contains details mostly about military intelligence rather than naval intelligence. But this is the closest guess so far! @nsistuk.bsky.social

That’s possible. I’ll check the WO list to see if I can find anything associated with this.

It doesn't specifically say, but it looks like DMO produced the memo.

It could be. I also checked names starting with A but couldn’t find anything. It can also be initials of a department.

Any idea who might have signed this memorandum? It was a War Office memo dated 01 Sep 1914. Possibly initials like ASD, but I'm not entirely sure. I've checked the War Office List, but couldn't spot any names. #skystorians

X’s dominance ‘over’ as Bluesky becomes new hub for research Data indicates more scholars turning to alternative social media site to post about their work after Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover

'Bluesky has overtaken its flailing rival X in hosting posts related to new academic research, indicating the platform is fast becoming the go-to place for scholars to share their work.'

Putin’s Spies for Hire: What the U.K.’s Biggest Espionage Trial Revealed about Kremlin Tactics in Wartime Europe - War on the Rocks In early 2023, in the sleepy English seaside town of Great Yarmouth, a covert operation was quietly revving into gear. Second-hand Chryslers and a

📑 My latest for @warontherocks.bsky.social:

#BulgarianSpies #JanMarsalek #OldBailey #WarInUkraine #FSB #GRU

The largest spy trial in UK history revealed an unusual espionage network & how Moscow's covert ops escalated shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

👉 shorturl.at/ymu4U

Obituary: Oleg Gordievsky

🚨Publication alert 🚨Our latest Insights contribution by Dr Huw Dylan - an obituary of Oleg Gordievsky - is now live! kcsi.uk/kcsi-insight...