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Towards Open, Reliable, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Towards Open, Reliable, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Unreliable research programmes waste funds, time, and even the lives of the organisms we seek to help and understand. Reducing this waste and increasing the value of scientific evidence require changing the actions of both individual researchers and the institutions they depend on for employment and promotion. While ecologists and evolutionary biologists have somewhat improved research transparency over the past decade (e.g. more data sharing), major obstacles remain. In this commentary, we lift our gaze to the horizon to imagine how researchers and institutions can clear the path towards more credible and effective research programmes.

French Lawmakers Approve a Ban on Short Domestic Flights

French Lawmakers Approve a Ban on Short Domestic Flights

French lawmakers voted late on Saturday to abolish domestic flights on routes than can be covered by train in under two-and-a-half hours, as the government seeks to lower carbon emissions even as the air travel industry reels from the global pandemic.

US Universities Call for Clearer Rules on Science Espionage Amid Crackdown

US Universities Call for Clearer Rules on Science Espionage Amid Crackdown

As the National Institutes of Health begins implementing Trump-era guidelines, researchers voice concerns over transparency and racial profiling.

Troubling Podcast Puts JAMA Under Fire for Its Mishandling of Race

Troubling Podcast Puts JAMA Under Fire for Its Mishandling of Race

Critics say editors have asked authors to scrub the term racism from their articles even as they publish others that include racist notions.

Data Together: Fostering Cooperation Among Open Science Platforms

Data Together: Fostering Cooperation Among Open Science Platforms

Collectively referred to as Data Together, the four collaborating international data organisations-CODATA, GO FAIR, RDA, WDS-have a joint commitment to work together to optimise the global research data ecosystem and to identify opportunities that will trigger federated infrastructures to service the new reality of data-driven science.

Coronavirus Tracker: the Latest Figures

Coronavirus Tracker: the Latest Figures

The FT analyses the scale of outbreaks and tracks the vaccine rollouts around the world.

One in Three Survivors of Severe Covid Diagnosed with Mental Health Condition

One in Three Survivors of Severe Covid Diagnosed with Mental Health Condition

Study finds 34% developed psychiatric or neurological conditions after six months.

U.S. Bet Big on Covid Vaccine Manufacturer Even As Problems Mounted

U.S. Bet Big on Covid Vaccine Manufacturer Even As Problems Mounted

The Baltimore plant that recently had to scrap up to 15 million ruined doses had flouted rules and downplayed errors, according to internal audits, ex-employees and clients. Other doses had to be scrapped last year.

Why I Won't Review or Write for Elsevier and Other Commercial Scientific Journals

Why I Won't Review or Write for Elsevier and Other Commercial Scientific Journals

This author asks: Can scientists who are so meticulous in preparing their papers and so generous with their time in reviewing them for free not find better ways to advance science than relying on profiteering journals?

Time to Regulate AI That Interprets Human Emotions

Time to Regulate AI That Interprets Human Emotions

The pandemic is being used as a pretext to push unproven artificial-intelligence tools into workplaces and schools.

Researchers Are Hatching a Low-Cost Coronavirus Vaccine

Researchers Are Hatching a Low-Cost Coronavirus Vaccine

A new formulation entering clinical trials in Brazil, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam could change how the world fights the pandemic.

Collaboration, Empathy & Change: Perspectives on Leadership in Libraries and Archives in 2020

Collaboration, Empathy & Change: Perspectives on Leadership in Libraries and Archives in 2020

Students in the organizational theory and leadership course taught by Trevor Owe at the University of Maryland’s iSchool worked together to produce this book. 

Meta-Research: Weak Evidence of Country- and Institution-Related Status Bias in the Peer Review of Abstracts

Meta-Research: Weak Evidence of Country- and Institution-Related Status Bias in the Peer Review of Abstracts

A preregistered survey experiment spanning six disciplines has found weak evidence of bias in favour of authors from high-status countries and institutions.

No, It's Not The Incentives - It's You

No, It's Not The Incentives - It's You

Troubling narrative: the mere existence of perverse incentives is a valid and sufficient reason to knowingly behave in an antisocial way, just as long as one first acknowledges the existence of those perverse incentives. 

Here's How We'll Know an AI Is Conscious

Here's How We'll Know an AI Is Conscious

Zombies are supposed to be capable of asking any question about the nature of experience. It's worth wondering, though, how a person or machine devoid of experience could reflect on experience it doesn’t have.