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Wikidata and Open Science: a Model for Open Data Work

Wikidata and Open Science: a Model for Open Data Work

Wikidata is a language-independent factual database belonging to the Wikimedia family which includes the particularly well-known Wikipedia. In an interview, Timo Borst explains the dimensions and particular significance of this database, especially in the context of Open Science.

Mellon Foundation Grant to Support Investigation into Hidden Costs of Open Infrastructure

Mellon Foundation Grant to Support Investigation into Hidden Costs of Open Infrastructure

New funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will support research and analysis into the hidden costs of open infrastructure. Hiring is now open for IOI's first Research Data Analyst.

Imposters and Impersonators in Preprints: How Do We Trust Authors in Open Science?

Imposters and Impersonators in Preprints: How Do We Trust Authors in Open Science?

Preprints play a crucial role in open science but offer an opportunity to be gamed. Fictitious authorship in preprints show that open science needs checks and we need to collaborate to govern Open Science.

They Had Mild COVID-19. Then Their Serious Symptoms Kicked In.

They Had Mild COVID-19. Then Their Serious Symptoms Kicked In.

A new study illuminates the complex array of neurological issues experienced by people months after their coronavirus infections.

Open Editors: A Dataset of Scholarly Journals’ Editorial Board Positions

Open Editors: A Dataset of Scholarly Journals’ Editorial Board Positions

Editormetrics analyse the role of editors of academic journals and their impact on the scientific publication system. However, such analyses would best rely on open, structured and machine-readable data on editors and editorial boards, whose availability still remains rare.

Police Warn Students to Avoid Science Website

Police Warn Students to Avoid Science Website

Universities are urged to block a science research website, which police say could put data at risk.

Scholarly Communications Harmed by Covid-19

Scholarly Communications Harmed by Covid-19

Society deserves academic discourse that is civil, cool, unbiased, and objective - but the Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated an erosion in civility in academic discourse, leading to deep divisions being played out in social, mass, and professional media.

The UK Will Never Become a 'Science Superpower' if it's Cutting Research Budgets

The UK Will Never Become a 'Science Superpower' if it's Cutting Research Budgets

The government promised to increase funding for vital scientific R&D to 2.4% of GDP - but its target is already slipping.

The H-index, or the Academic Equivalent of the Stag's Antlers

The H-index, or the Academic Equivalent of the Stag's Antlers

Philip Ball: It was meant to bring rigour to the tricky question of who deserves a grant or a post, but is the h-index's numerical score simplistic?

Sci-Hub: Police Warn Students and Universities Against Using 'the Pirate Bay of Science'

Sci-Hub: Police Warn Students and Universities Against Using 'the Pirate Bay of Science'

Sci-Hub has been described as "the Pirate Bay of science", but often receives praise for opening access to research.

Next Steps for REF? We Need to Repair the Sector's Health First

Next Steps for REF? We Need to Repair the Sector's Health First

A while ago I was invited to speak at the Westminster Forum in a panel session entitled “Research environments in the REF – stimulating positive cultures and wellbeing, academic independence and interdisciplinary research“...

How Do You Run the REF in a Pandemic? We Still Don't Know

How Do You Run the REF in a Pandemic? We Still Don't Know

Worldwide, the academic community is wondering how to compensate for a lost year of productivity and focus. This will require a suite of measures aimed at redressing the inequalities left in the wake of Covid-19. 

Five Reasons Why COVID Herd Immunity is Probably Impossible

Five Reasons Why COVID Herd Immunity is Probably Impossible

Even with vaccination efforts in full force, the theoretical threshold for vanquishing COVID-19 looks to be out of reach.

A New Master's in Sustainable Management and Technology

A New Master's in Sustainable Management and Technology

EPFL introduced its new joint Master's in Sustainable Management and Technology, a degree that will prepare the next generation to spearhead the transition towards a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive economy and which is hosted by the multi-institutional initiative Enterprise for Society Center (E4S).

EU Will Be 'Shooting Itself in Foot' if It Bars UK, Switzerland, Israel from Quantum and Space Projects

EU Will Be 'Shooting Itself in Foot' if It Bars UK, Switzerland, Israel from Quantum and Space Projects

Excluding researchers based in the UK, Israel and Switzerland from major EU quantum and space research projects would see the bloc "shoot itself in the foot", according to German MEP Niklas Nienass, spokesman on space for the Parliament's green group.

Another First: Perseverance Captures the Sounds of Driving on Mars - NASA's Mars Exploration Program

Another First: Perseverance Captures the Sounds of Driving on Mars - NASA's Mars Exploration Program

NASA's newest rover recorded audio of itself crunching over the surface of the Red Planet, adding a whole new dimension to Mars exploration.

PLOS Open Response to "Economic Impact of UKRI Open Access Policy" Report

PLOS Open Response to "Economic Impact of UKRI Open Access Policy" Report

PLOS generally refutes the assertion that OA via the UKRI policy is economically damaging, regarding the FTI Consulting report: "Economic assessment of the impact of the new Open Access policy developed by UK Research and Innovation".