opinion articles

Send us a link

Subscribe to our newsletter

The Tyranny of Unintended Consequences: Richard Poynder on Open Access and the Open Access Movement

The Tyranny of Unintended Consequences: Richard Poynder on Open Access and the Open Access Movement

A recent opinion paper by Richard Poynder offers analysis and prognostication with regard to the current state and future prospects of the open access movement.

Why Science Failed to Stop Climate Change

Why Science Failed to Stop Climate Change

Scientists working on the issue have often said that, once upon a time, they assumed, if they did their jobs, politicians would act upon the information. That, of course, hasn’t happened.

Statistical Significance Gives Bias a Free Pass

Statistical Significance Gives Bias a Free Pass

Whether or not "the foundations and the practice of statistics are in turmoil",1 it is wise to question methods whose misuse has been lamented for over a century.

Women Say Discrimination Is a Huge Part of Why So Few Stay in STEM Careers

Women Say Discrimination Is a Huge Part of Why So Few Stay in STEM Careers

"No matter how much I did or how good my work was, it was never going to be enough."

The Moral Value of Open Access Should Not Be Negated By Geo-Political Borders

The Moral Value of Open Access Should Not Be Negated By Geo-Political Borders

University researchers outside the EU who may not otherwise have access to research articles should not be excluded based on the actions of their government.

Peer Review: New Initiatives to Enhance the Value of eLife's Process

Peer Review: New Initiatives to Enhance the Value of eLife's Process

Michael Eisen, eLife's Editor-in-Chief, reflects on lessons learned from a recent peer-review trial, and describes how eLife aims to make peer review more effective.

How to Build a Community of Data Champions: Six Steps to Success.

How to Build a Community of Data Champions: Six Steps to Success.

Inspired by the University of Cambridge Data Champion programme, we have built a community of Data Champions to advocate for good research data management (RDM) practice within all university faculties at TU Delft. Currently, we have 47 active members and the number is increasing.

Equal Parental Leave Can Close The Gender Pay Gap, Researchers Say

Equal Parental Leave Can Close The Gender Pay Gap, Researchers Say

One of the major causes of the gender pay gap, according to experts, is the "motherhood penalty," where women are penalized in various ways in the job market after having children. One solution to the gap is emerging among researchers: non-transferable paternity leave for men.

Ten Key Prerequisites to Securely Fund Open Infrastructure Today and Tomorrow - SPARC Europe

Ten Key Prerequisites to Securely Fund Open Infrastructure Today and Tomorrow - SPARC Europe

Everything we have gained by opening content and data will be under threat if we allow the enclosure of scholarly infrastructures. We propose a set of principles by which Open Infrastructures to support the research community could be run and sustained.

What Do Researchers Want from Publishers?

What Do Researchers Want from Publishers?

Former scientist, turned publisher, turned research program director, Milka Kostic is uniquely placed to look at publishing from a researcher and a publisher perspective. In this interview, she shares her thoughts on both.

The Industrialization of Scientific Research

The Industrialization of Scientific Research

Over the last few years, I have spent a lot of time thinking, speaking, and discussing about the reproducibility crisis in scientific research. An obvious but hard to answer question is: Why has reproducibility become such a major problem, in so many disciplines? And why now? 

"Flipping" to (more) Open when You're Already Open

"Flipping" to (more) Open when You're Already Open

With most of the OA conversation now dominated by the notion of a transition to OA, what does this mean for those native OA publishers, like PLOS, who are already OA, and have been for years?

Building Trust to Break Down Barriers

Building Trust to Break Down Barriers

Iain Hrynaszkiewicz, Publisher, Open Research, PLOS Note: the following perspective was published as part of Digital Science's annual survey and report, The State of Open Data 2019 , to coincide with global celebrations around Open Access Week. The biggest barrier to research data sharing and reuse seems to be a matter of trust, and in particular trust in what others may do with researchers' data if it is made openly available. The 2019 State of Open Data survey revealed that more than 2,000 respondents had concerns about misuse of their research data. Concerns about data misuse represent a multitude of issues; fears that errors could be found in their work, or that the data could be misinterpreted or research participant privacy be compromised. Researchers might also be concerned that their data will be reused for purposes they did not intend, such as commercial exploitation, or for misleading or inappropriate secondary analyses.1 The 2019 survey provides insights from one of the

The Future of Open Access Business Models: APCs Are Not the Only Way

The Future of Open Access Business Models: APCs Are Not the Only Way

Highwire's Byron Russell reports on this year's OASPA Conference, and future paths to sustainable open access business models.

The Metaphorical Power of NASA's First All-women Spacewalk

The Metaphorical Power of NASA's First All-women Spacewalk

The story of the first female spacewalk doubles as a metaphor for what it's like to be a woman full of ambition in 2019.

What’s Lost When Research Is Driven Primarily by Funding

What’s Lost When Research Is Driven Primarily by Funding

Science today is facing what seem to be unrelated crises, issues and problems with the public. We tend to see science in terms of the science of the past, and its great achievements, whereas the way science is done, evaluated and made accountable, no longer fits its historical image.