Block on GM Rice 'has Cost Millions of Lives and Led to Child Blindness'
Block on GM Rice 'has Cost Millions of Lives and Led to Child Blindness'
Eco groups and global treaty blamed for delay in supply of vitamin-A enriched Golden Rice
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"Flipping" to (more) Open when You're Already Open
With most of the OA conversation now dominated by the notion of a transition to OA, what does this mean for those native OA publishers, like PLOS, who are already OA, and have been for years?
Internalizing "Open for Whom?": Unpacking the Connection Between Equity & Open
As this year's Open Access Week kicks off, we at SPARC continue to grapple with the question: "Open for Whom?" The questions of who is included and whose interests are prioritized are central to the process of how to reach a fully open access system of sharing knowledge.
Blockchain: How It Could Make Research More Open and Transparent
by Birgit Fingerle The study "Blockchain in Higher Education - Fundamentals - Potentials - Boundaries" (Study in German language "Blockchain in der Hochschulbildung - Grundlagen - Poten
Decrypting the Big Deal Landscape
Based on the data collected for the 2019 Big Deals Survey Report, this publication aims to deliver additional transparency of the dynamics of the scholarly publishing market by providing insights and indicators on the costs, publication volumes and timelines of Big Deal contracts.
Dissecting Racial Bias in an Algorithm Used to Manage the Health of Populations
Dissecting Racial Bias in an Algorithm Used to Manage the Health of Populations
The U.S. health care system uses commercial algorithms to guide health decisions. Obermeyer et al. find evidence of racial bias in one widely used algorithm, such that Black patients assigned the same level of risk by the algorithm are sicker than White patients (see the Perspective by Benjamin). The authors estimated that this racial bias reduces the number of Black patients identified for extra care by more than half.
The State of Open Data Report 2019
The State of Open Data 2019 report is the fourth in the series and includes survey results and a collection of articles from global industry experts.It is now the longest running longitudinal study on the subject, which was created in 2016 to examine attitudes and experiences of researchers working with open data - sharing it, reusing it, and redistributing it. This year's survey received a record number of survey participants with around 8,500 responses from the research community. While most trends are encouraging around the adoption and acceptance of open data, the research community is now demanding more enforcement of the mandates that have been adopted by many governments, funders, publishers and institutions around the world.The majority of researchers want funding withheld and penalties for a lack of data sharing.
Building Trust to Break Down Barriers
Iain Hrynaszkiewicz, Publisher, Open Research, PLOS Note: the following perspective was published as part of Digital Science's annual survey and report, The State of Open Data 2019 , to coincide with global celebrations around Open Access Week. The biggest barrier to research data sharing and reuse seems to be a matter of trust, and in particular trust in what others may do with researchers' data if it is made openly available. The 2019 State of Open Data survey revealed that more than 2,000 respondents had concerns about misuse of their research data. Concerns about data misuse represent a multitude of issues; fears that errors could be found in their work, or that the data could be misinterpreted or research participant privacy be compromised. Researchers might also be concerned that their data will be reused for purposes they did not intend, such as commercial exploitation, or for misleading or inappropriate secondary analyses.1 The 2019 survey provides insights from one of the
Engaging Researchers with Data Management: The Cookbook
Effective Research Data Management (RDM) is a key component of research integrity and reproducible research, and its importance is increasingly emphasised by funding bodies, governments, and research institutions around the world. However, many researchers are unfamiliar with RDM best practices, and research support staff are faced with the difficult task of delivering support to researchers across different disciplines and career stages. What strategies can institutions use to solve these problems? Engaging Researchers with Data Management is an invaluable collection of 24 case studies, drawn from institutions across the globe, that demonstrate clearly and practically how to engage the research community with RDM.
Ask The Chefs: Beyond the APC
It's Open Access week so this month we asked the chefs: What's next for OA? What lies beyond the APC as a funding model? Let us know your thoughts!
India Will Skip Plan S, Focus on National Efforts in Science Publishing
India Will Skip Plan S, Focus on National Efforts in Science Publishing
The government's "directions will be entirely determined by the interests of Indian academia and of India", according to K. VijayRaghavan, the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India.
Mental Health in Academia
How can the scientific community support researchers with mental health issues?
Advancing AI in Health Care: It's All About Trust
Predictions a few years ago that AI would soon replace radiologists haven't come to pass. AI has a long way to go before it can become autonomous.
The State of Open Data 2019 - Global Attitudes Towards Open Data
Figshare has launched its annual report The State of Open Data 2019. While most trends are encouraging around the adoption and acceptance of open data, the research community is now demanding more enforcement of the mandates that have been adopted by many governments, funders, publishers and institutions around the world.
What Happened when a Professor Was Accused of Sharing His Own Work on His Website
What Happened when a Professor Was Accused of Sharing His Own Work on His Website
Recent allegations of copyright violations against a professor who shared his own work on his website spark debate about ownership and whether peer reviewers should be paid.
Failing is a Key Part of PhD Success
Students must learn that a doctoral degree isn't for everyone - and that not doing one might be a better option.
The Future of Open Access Business Models: APCs Are Not the Only Way
Highwire's Byron Russell reports on this year's OASPA Conference, and future paths to sustainable open access business models.
Medical Fraud is Rising, Meet the Sleuths Fighting to Stop It
Image manipulation is nothing new, but its application for scientific and medical fraud is leaving lives and livelihoods at stake.
Racial Inequality, at College and in the Workplace
White Americans still disproportionately outnumber their African American and Latino counterparts when it comes to obtaining good jobs, regardless of education they have obtained.
What’s Lost When Research Is Driven Primarily by Funding
Science today is facing what seem to be unrelated crises, issues and problems with the public. We tend to see science in terms of the science of the past, and its great achievements, whereas the way science is done, evaluated and made accountable, no longer fits its historical image.
Position Statement on Open Access
Pharmaceutical companies, which fund approximately half of all biomedical research, are now leaders in the publication and disclosure of research. However, access to much company-funded research is restricted by journal paywalls.
Webcast - DORA
Webcast Driving Institutional Change for Research Assessment Reform October 21 - 22, 2019 Webcast information Opening Remarks and KeynotesOctober 21, 2019, 7:00 - 9:00 PM (ET)Panel SessionOctober 22, 2019, 8:30 - 9:30 AM (ET)Plenary TalksOctober 22, 2019, 2:15 - 3:15 PM (ET) For session details, see the agenda.
Ten Prerequisites to Securely Fund Open Infrastructure
The scholarly communication community needs an open, sustainable infrastructure that is community-owned - one that speaks to our open and academic values.
MIT Reaffirms Commitment to Open Access
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has published its final recommendations on how to increase the open sharing of MIT publications, data, software and educational materials.
Careless Citations Don't Just Spread Scientific Myths - They Can Make Them Stronger
How misconceptions persist and proliferate within the scientific literature.
A Textbook Evolutionary Story About Moths and Bats Is Wrong
A Textbook Evolutionary Story About Moths and Bats Is Wrong
For 50 years, researchers have thought that moths evolved ears to detect the ultrasonic calls of attacking bats - but a new study shows that ears came first.
More Inclusive Science Journalism Is Better Science Journalism
When we expand our pool of storytellers, we produce work that more fully reflects how science is done - and why it matters.
Associations Between Industry Involvement and Study Characteristics at the Time of Trial Registration in Biomedical Research
Associations Between Industry Involvement and Study Characteristics at the Time of Trial Registration in Biomedical Research
Study investigates whether industry involvement in biomedical research affects trial design. A reduced use of active controls (such as alternate treatment or standard care) was found in trials with industry involvement, which can have the side effect of making results look more favourable than they actually are.
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