Diplomacy is Sometimes a Barrier to Progress in Universities
The tactful approach can be effective but it risks obscuring the necessity and urgency of improvements, says Chris Moore.
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PhD Supervision 'undervalued' by UK Universities
UK Research Supervision Survey raises concerns about increased demands during pandemic.
'Little Sign of Progress' on UK Association to Horizon Europe
Universities in Europe 'strongly regret' that finalisation of association is still elusive 10 months after Brexit agreement.
Wiley Acquires Editorial Services Group
Scholarly publishing powerhouse purchases editorial services group raising questions about industry comfort with using publisher owned services.
The UN's Sustainable Development Goals and Open Access: Timon Oefelein Interviews Gerald Beasley
The UN's Sustainable Development Goals and Open Access: Timon Oefelein Interviews Gerald Beasley
In Part 1 of this pair of posts, Timon Oefelein interviews Gerald R. Beasley, the Carl A. Kroch University Librarian at Cornell University, about how librarians can support the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Female Scientists Strike Success at the Australian Museum's 2021 Eureka Prizes
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain Antibody Evolution After MRNA Vaccination - Nature
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain Antibody Evolution After MRNA Vaccination - Nature
Results suggest that boosting vaccinated individuals with currently available mRNA vaccines will increase plasma neutralizing activity but may not produce antibodies with equivalent breadth to those obtained by vaccinating convalescent individuals.
Real-world Data Show That Filters Clean COVID-causing Virus from Air
An inexpensive type of portable filter efficiently screened SARS-CoV-2 and other disease-causing organisms from hospital air.
Publication Outperformance Among Global South Researchers: An Analysis of Individual-Level and Publication-Level Predictors of Positive Deviance
Publication Outperformance Among Global South Researchers: An Analysis of Individual-Level and Publication-Level Predictors of Positive Deviance
Research and development are central to economic growth, and a key challenge for countries of the global South is that their research performance lags behind that of the global North. Yet, among Southern researchers, a few significantly outperform their peers and can be styled research "positive deviants" (PDs). This paper asks: who are those PDs, what are their characteristics and how are they able to overcome some of the challenges facing researchers in the global South?
Citation Patterns Between Impact-Factor and Questionable Journals
Citation Patterns Between Impact-Factor and Questionable Journals
One of the most fundamental issues in academia today is understanding the differences between legitimate and questionable publishing. This study's findings show that neither the impact factor of citing journals nor the size of cited journals is a good predictor of the number of citations to the questionable journals.
'Elegant' Catalysts That Tell Left from Right Scoop Chemistry Nobel
Benjamin List and David MacMillan share the award for developing cheap, environmentally friendly organic catalysts.
How the World's Biggest Brain Maps Could Transform Neuroscience
Scientists around the world are working together to catalogue and map cells in the brain. What have these huge projects revealed about how it works?
China's Data-Driven Dream to Overhaul Health Care
Collaborations between AI researchers and China's medical workers are helping to combat diseases such as diabetes and COVID-19.
The Experience of Good Metadata: Linking Metadata to Research Impacts - The Scholarly Kitchen
The Experience of Good Metadata: Linking Metadata to Research Impacts - The Scholarly Kitchen
What do we really know about the linkages between good metadata and positive, productive user experiences with scholarly journals?
COVID's Lessons for Climate, Sustainability and More from Our World in Data
COVID's Lessons for Climate, Sustainability and More from Our World in Data
International agencies need the mandate, funds and expertise to connect information - otherwise pandemics, hunger and unsustainability will go unsolved.
Research Lobbies Renew Push for Say in ERA Governance
Sixteen research and higher education organisations have written an open letter calling on the European Commission to allow them to appoint representatives to the European Research Area (ERA) forum, the body that will establish the governance and policy agenda of the EU's revamped single market for research.
A Model for Diversifying Faculty Recruitment
When two junior researchers joined a search committee, they came up with a way to put equity and inclusion centre stage.
Swiss Clear First Barrier to Horizon Europe Association - but More Remain
Swiss Clear First Barrier to Horizon Europe Association - but More Remain
The Swiss parliament has agreed to pay overdue cohesion funds stretching back to 2012 - but this only removes one hurdle to reviving Horizon Europe association talks.
University of Zurich: A Step Forward for Open Science
The University of Zurich has just taken a big step forward on the open science path.
"Antithetical to Science": When Deep-Sea Research Meets Mining Interests
The high cost of studying deep-sea ecosystems means that many scientists have to rely on funding by mining companies - which poses an ethical hazard.
Climate Scientist Stands Down As Adviser to London's Science Museum over Fossil Fuel Sponsorship
Imaginary Carrot or Effective Fertiliser? A Rejoinder on Funding and Productivity
Imaginary Carrot or Effective Fertiliser? A Rejoinder on Funding and Productivity
The question of whether and to what extent research funding enables researchers to be more productive is a crucial one. In their recent work, Mariethoz et al. (Scientometrics, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03.855-1 ) claim that there is no significant relationship between project-based research funding and bibliometric productivity measures and conclude that this is the result of inappropriate allocation mechanisms. In this rejoinder, we argue that such claims are not supported by the data and analyses reported in the article.
Declaration on the Future of Science Communication
Young international researchers call for more funding and diversity in science communication.
An Unsung Female Pioneer of Computer Simulation
A mid-20th-century computer experiment created a new field of science—and programmer Mary Tsingou Menzel is finally being given credit for her role in making it happen
Springer Nature Slaps More Than 400 Papers with Expressions of Concern All at Once
Cartoon by Hilda Bastian (license) A total of 436 papers in two Springer Nature journals are being subjected to expressions of concern, in the latest case of special issues - in this case, "t…
What Even Counts As Science Writing Anymore?
The pandemic has made it clear that science touches everything, and everything touches science.
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