Physicsworld.com provides physics news and information from a variety of sources. Content includes news, a blog, videos, webinars, feature articles, opinions, reviews, events and employment listings. The news section lists articles in reverse chronological order and includes author credits and references to original research. Users can also browse the news archive by date using the navigation column on the left side of the page. Each article enables users to post comments or share articles using a variety of social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Connotea or CiteULike. One drawback is that the print and email functions are hidden in the share options. The blog page provides a list of recent blog entries and the option to browse by date or tags. Users are also able to subscribe to the blog's RSS feed from this page. Free webinars and videos are available on the Multimedia page. Videos are linked to the Physicsworld1 YouTube channel. Users can register for upcoming webinars and view older webinars. The In Depth page comprises opinions, reviews and feature articles. Users have the ability to browse by subject, or view the Most Commented, Most Read or Editor's Choice articles. Some posts are restricted to subscribers of the site but it is free to sign up for an account. The employment section includes listings from brightrecruits.com that allows for customized job searching. Recruiters can post vacancies and users can upload CVs, apply for positions, and subscribe to e‐mail alerts. Visitors can also submit and post listings on the Events page. Events in various countries can be browsed by type or date. Events appear in the order they are posted so they are not arranged in date order.
Physicsworld.com is operated by the Institute of Physics and serves as the web version of Physics World Magazine which is published by IOP Publishing. The site and content are overseen by a team of reporters, editors and marketing/sales personnel. Team member photos and contact information can be found using the Contact Us link on each page of the site. The site can be viewed free of charge via any internet accessible computer or mobile device. Members of the Institute of Physics automatically have full access to the site; others can sign up for a free account to access restricted materials (indicated by a small padlock icon). Some articles may link to restricted databases that are only available with library access; however, the vast majority of information is open to site visitors. Registered users are able to post and track comments and subscribe to newsletters and announcements. Users can also identify areas of interest and manage site favourites such as products and companies.
The site's white, red and grey design is clean, simple and easy to read. Pages are divided into three or four columns. Text colours identify titles and hyperlinks (red), section headings (blue) and body text (black). Images are small, eye‐catching and static. The site is intuitive and simple to navigate. The main navigation row (also duplicated along the bottom of the screen) and account sign‐up and login links are accessible from every page. Most secondary pages include sidebar links that allow for browsing. A simple search box in the upper right‐hand corner allows users to search for specific terms and filter by topic. Results are returned by relevancy but can be changed to display by date. Search terms appear in highlighted bold text. There are no advanced search options and only a few additional tips to assist with searching.
Although the site is easy to use, anyone looking for additional help will be at a loss should they need anything more advanced that an email link. There are no help tips or pages on the site but users can post comments directly to articles or they can send an e‐mail to customer service. Phone numbers are posted but the company is based in the UK. Print subscriptions of Physics World Magazine are available for a fee but not required to use the site. Advertisements are found throughout the site and the Buyer's Guide link provides users with a way to learn more about specific products and companies.
The Institute of Physics also maintains a related site, Physics.org (www.physic.org), comprised primarily of web resources and geared towards young adults. Physics Central.com (www.physicscentral.com), maintained by the American Physical Society, is a US‐based site that provides resources for educators, podcasts and vodcasts, articles and web links.
Physicsworld.com provides simplified print and multimedia resources to help the average layperson understand complex concepts or link a researcher to original research articles. Physicsworld.com is recommended for users ranging from high school and college students to professional scientists and researchers.
