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Unintended Consequences of Gender-equality Plans

Unintended Consequences of Gender-equality Plans

Don't let academia's initiatives to advance women become just another way to game the research system, urges Charikleia Tzanakou.

Shadow Minister Says REF 'serves No Purpose' - Research Professional News

Shadow Minister Says REF 'serves No Purpose' - Research Professional News

Emma Hardy says there will be no return to 'business as usual' after Covid-19 crisis. 

We Scientists Said Lock Down. But UK Politicians Refused to Listen

We Scientists Said Lock Down. But UK Politicians Refused to Listen

For 11 fateful days in March, the government ignored the best coronavirus advice, says public health professor Helen Ward. 

The Face Mask Debate Reveals a Scientific Double Standard

The Face Mask Debate Reveals a Scientific Double Standard

No one complained about the lack of evidence for 20-second hand-washing. So why did we treat face masks differently?

COVID-19 and the Future of Open Access

COVID-19 and the Future of Open Access

A systematic focus on governance – instead of, or at least alongside, open access – is vital for the future of publishing. Even if the for-profit publishing model is not going to be ‘killed’ any time soon, governance may still allow us to assert some control over it. Coupled with the publishing futures already being created and nurtured by library publishers, university presses and scholar-led collectives, we may be able to imagine a world that isn’t trapped in the logic of COVID-19.

Leadership to Change a Culture of Sexual Harassment

Leadership to Change a Culture of Sexual Harassment

How, then, does an agency like NSF—which has considerable influence but limited direct authority—work with the community and other institutions to implement change on issues that cannot wait? The case of NSF's work to combat harassment in the science community, a persistent problem for decades that remains shockingly widespread, is illustrative.

Strong Caveats Are Lacking As News Stories Trumpet Preliminary COVID-19 Research

Strong Caveats Are Lacking As News Stories Trumpet Preliminary COVID-19 Research

Some argue that rapid data sharing is ideally suited for infectious disease outbreaks like the one we’re experiencing now. However, the prospect of public access to unvetted work sparked worry about potential health scares and patients demanding unproven treatments. 

Point of View: Mitigating the Impact of Conference and Travel Cancellations on Researchers' Futures

Point of View: Mitigating the Impact of Conference and Travel Cancellations on Researchers' Futures

As the scientific community adapts to new working conditions in response to the growing pandemic, early-career researchers recommend actions to help lessen the unintended consequences of canceled conferences.

Mathematics of Life and Death: How Disease Models Shape National Shutdowns and Other Pandemic Policies

Mathematics of Life and Death: How Disease Models Shape National Shutdowns and Other Pandemic Policies

The Coronavirus highlights the "huge responsibility" of infectious disease modelers.

Authors Overestimate Their Contribution to Scientific Work, Demonstrating a Strong Bias

Authors Overestimate Their Contribution to Scientific Work, Demonstrating a Strong Bias

Teamwork is an essential component of science. It affords the exchange of ideas and the execution of research that can entail high levels of complexity and scope.

The Move to Online College is Hitting Adjunct Professors the Hardest

The Move to Online College is Hitting Adjunct Professors the Hardest

Non-tenure track faculty at community and city colleges across the country told Motherboard they have not received sufficient pay, training, or equipment to teach classes online-and the consequences could be devastating for students.

Time for NIH to Lead on Data Sharing

Time for NIH to Lead on Data Sharing

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is in the midst of digesting public comments toward finalizing a data sharing policy. Although the draft policy is generally supportive of data sharing, it needs strengthening if we are to collectively achieve a long-standing vision of open science built on the FAIR principles.

EPA Proposes Broad Science Restrictions in Midst of Coronavirus Pandemic

EPA Proposes Broad Science Restrictions in Midst of Coronavirus Pandemic

The Environmental Protection Agency moved today to restrict the types of research that can be used in public health protection decisions and scientific assessments. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the agency is recklessly giving the public just 30 days to comment on this sweeping proposal.