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?

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“...

COVID-19 has inflicted devastating losses. It has also delivered certain blessings.

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. 

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.

Doctors are applying a torrent of COVID-19 research to patient care, from first symptoms to recovery

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 […]

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

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.

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.

Systems for assessing scientists' work must properly account for a lost year of research - especially for female researchers.

Not one Covid jab had been administered in 130 of the world's poorer countries by mid-February, says the Guardian editor, author and presenter Kanishk Tharoor.

Academic mobility is often a prerequisite for professional development and career advancement - but what happens at a time when this mobility simply isn't possible?

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.

A joined-up approach is needed to make sure the public are given clear, correct information, says healthcare historian Sally Frampton

Outlawing ecocide would hold governments and corporations accountable for environmental negligence. We can't wait.

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.

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 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.

The pandemic has shown that other ways of teaching and learning are possible

I try to take people’s fears about coronavirus vaccines seriously, no matter how outlandish.

Citations, downloads, indexing - a scientific report gets all this, even if it's rejected.

A scientific endeavor that is not trusted by the public cannot adequately contribute to society.

After two million deaths, we must have redress for mishandling the pandemic.

UKRI chief executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser on why we must recognise the vital contribution of everyone in research and innovation and debunk the Einstein myth.

Richard Smith spent some time reviewing two scientific papers, and the experience has made him wonder if it is time for peer reviewers to rise up in rebellion.

Open Access often appears to be a monolithic concept, covering all fields of research and publication. However, in practice its application is to a large extent determined by the needs and resource…

Significantly less government funding was put towards researching treatments than vaccines. And national efforts to coordinate and recruit sick patients into trials were insufficient. The next few months will still bring many sick people - and doctors have woefully few drugs with which to treat them.

The pandemic prompted many scientists to pivot their research to the coronavirus. That’s not an entirely good thing.

The head of the Wellcome Trust warns that vaccines and research must be shared equitably among all nations