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All European scientific articles to be freely accessible by 2020

All European scientific articles to be freely accessible by 2020

All scientific articles in Europe must be freely accessible as of 2020. EU member states want to achieve optimal reuse of research data. They are also looking into a European visa for foreign start-up founders.

Why research for the pure sake of knowing is good enough

Why research for the pure sake of knowing is good enough

Duke University biologist Sheila Patek has faced criticism from lawmakers over her research into mantis shrimp and trap-jaw ants, with some calling her government-funded studies a waste of taxpayer money. But according to Patek, not only do her findings have important practical applications, but scientific inquiry is most fruitful when knowledge is sought for its own sake, not to justify budgets.

The SciHub Data Part 2: Academic Pirates

The SciHub Data Part 2: Academic Pirates

How many people are actually using Sci-Hub to download publications while they are in universities?

The NASW and the Looming Rift in Science Journalism

The NASW and the Looming Rift in Science Journalism

A report suggests that internal discord may tear apart the National Association of Science Writers, a near century-old professional journalism organization.

ACS and Dutch universities aim for 100% open access

ACS and Dutch universities aim for 100% open access

From 2017 onward, any new articles accepted for publication within ACS peer-reviewed journals that are submitted by a Corresponding Author affiliated with a Dutch university or other participating research institution will be published open access, without extra fees to the author.

A peerless review? Automating methodological and statistical review

A peerless review? Automating methodological and statistical review

Peer review is the primary mechanism for ensuring the integrity of the published literature; however, it is a human system with all of a human's fallibilities. Here Daniel Shanahan asks whether we could use text mining to automate some aspects of the peer review process to address some of its limitations, and introduces a new pilot to evaluate the software.

Annotation might be the future of fact-checking

Annotation might be the future of fact-checking

Climate Feedback, a scientist-led effort to “peer review” the world’s climate journalism, is closing in on its $30,000 crowdfunding target.

The Economics of Academic Self-promotion

The Economics of Academic Self-promotion

Marketing is you telling others about yourself. Public relations is having someone else tell others about you.

Chinese Science Revolution

Chinese Science Revolution

From building the biggest experiments the world has ever seen to rolling out the latest medical advances on a massive scale and pushing the boundaries of exploration from the deepest ocean to outer space - China’s scientific ambitions are immense.

Second thoughts: Nature Editorial

Second thoughts: Nature Editorial

Revisiting the past can help to inform ideas of the present: science without consensus would be chaos. But the price of consensus is eternal vigilance against complacency, and a willingness to contemplate the road otherwise not travelled.