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Leveraging Open Science to Accelerate Research

Leveraging Open Science to Accelerate Research

The advancement of science — an intrinsically iterative process — is contingent on reporting practices that enable data to be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable to permit independent scrutiny, replication, and follow-on investigations. The urgency associated with the pandemic has created an imperative to accelerate the adoption of open science.

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.

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?

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. 

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.

Goals-based R&D Policy: High Popularity, Low Effectiveness - What is the Likelihood of the UK Reaching Its Target of Spending 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027? - HEPI

Goals-based R&D Policy: High Popularity, Low Effectiveness - What is the Likelihood of the UK Reaching Its Target of Spending 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027? - HEPI

A few days ago, the head of UK Research and Investment, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said the Government's target of having 2.4% of GDP spent on research and development (R&D) by 2027 was 'very challenging'. Here, Adão Carvalho of the Department of Economics at the Universidade de Évora in Portugal considers the poor record of such past […]

There's No Proof the Oxford Vaccine Causes Blood Clots. So Why Are People Worried?

There's No Proof the Oxford Vaccine Causes Blood Clots. So Why Are People Worried?

It's human nature to spot patterns in data. But we should be careful about finding causal links where none may exist, says statistician David Spiegelhalter

Academic-Humanitarian Technology Partnerships: an Unhappy Marriage?

Academic-Humanitarian Technology Partnerships: an Unhappy Marriage?

Working together seems like a good idea - especially when working toward a noble goal. However, little has been reported to date about the success and efficiency (or lack thereof) of such partnerships as a practical matter.

Peer Review in Transition?

Peer Review in Transition?

In recent decades new innovations in peer review have been developed to address issues of bias and inefficiency. These innovations are multifarious, but many of them relate to openness of peer review, reviewer incentives, and technological enhancements, such as the use of artificial intelligence.

Dear Grant Agencies: Tell Me Where I Went Wrong

Dear Grant Agencies: Tell Me Where I Went Wrong

I don't expect to get every grant I apply for, but the least agencies could do is give me a little feedback, says Juan Manuel Parrilla Gutierrez.

Science Needs a Radical Overhaul

Science Needs a Radical Overhaul

Illusions of discovery are holding science back. But even if we wanted to do the right thing and evaluate scientific papers based on their quality, regardless of how flashy and exciting the claims of discovery may be, it’s not clear how we’d do that.

When More is More: Broad Calls for Multilingualism and Evaluation Reform

When More is More: Broad Calls for Multilingualism and Evaluation Reform

In recent years, numerous initiatives have highlighted linguistic biases embedded in current evaluation processes and have called for change. The DORA-hosted community discussion on multilingualism in scholarly evaluation was inspired by actions others have taken to address these issues.

The Publisher's Association's Impact Assessment on OA is Pretty Much As You'd Expect

The Publisher's Association's Impact Assessment on OA is Pretty Much As You'd Expect

The UK Publisher's Association has commissioned a report that seems to be their latest attempt at painting open access to research as economically damaging to the publishing sector.