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Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Among Doctoral Researchers
A perspective from Germany's biggest network of doctoral researchers.
Talent Isn't Keeping Women Away from Science. Sexism, Stereotypes and Bad Science Are
Talent Isn't Keeping Women Away from Science. Sexism, Stereotypes and Bad Science Are
Girls are equally able at STEM-related subjects at school but are reluctant to choose them for a career. That is linked to a lack of confidence. We're only just starting to tackle the problem.
What's the Big DEAL and Why Is It so Difficult to Reach?
Nick Fowler and Gerard Meijer on the future of Open Access in Germany. Will the negotiations continue?
I Was Deluded. You Can't Beat Fake News with Science Communication
The battle for evidence-based reason may have to move elsewhere, says Jenny Rohn.
The New, Younger Generation of Scientists Is Much More Open to Dialogue With Society
The New, Younger Generation of Scientists Is Much More Open to Dialogue With Society
A new generation of scientists is confounding expectations and proving much more willing to engage with the public, not only because it benefits their development as researchers but also out of a sense of duty to society and a desire to have a positive impact on public perceptions of science.
Publish Peer Reviews
Jessica K. Polka and colleagues call on journals to sign a pledge to make reviewers’ anonymous comments part of the official scientific record.
Research Is Set up for Bullies to Thrive
Working conditions in academic labs encourage abusive supervision. It is time to improve monitoring of and penalties for abuse, says Sherry Moss.
Why Universities Need 'Public Interest Technology' Courses
In an era in which data is everything, the risks to core democratic principles caused by technological illiteracy in policymakers, and policy illiteracy in computer scientists, are staggering.
Guest Post: Challenges for Academics in the Global South - Resource Constraints, Institutional Issues, and Infrastructural Problems
Guest Post: Challenges for Academics in the Global South - Resource Constraints, Institutional Issues, and Infrastructural Problems
For social science and humanities researchers in many parts of the world there are significant barriers to conducting and sharing research, in some cases more so than for science and medicine. In this guest post, Dr. Naveen Minai provides a perspective as a gender studies researcher in Pakistan.
20 Ways Blockchain May Improve Education
26 ways that digital ledger technology could be deployed by school districts, networks, postsecondary institutions and community-based organizations to improve learning opportunities.
Patients With Rare Diseases Ought to Get Free Access to Taxpayer-Funded Medical Research, Critics Argue
Patients With Rare Diseases Ought to Get Free Access to Taxpayer-Funded Medical Research, Critics Argue
There’s a real problem behind this Twitter spat.
No More Excuses for Non-Reproducible Methods
Online technologies make it easy to share precise experimental protocols - and doing so is essential to modern science, says Lenny Teytelman.
Do You Need a Science Degree to Be a Science Reporter?
Journalists covering crime or education are not typically expected to have a degree in those subjects. But science journalism is often considered a more technical and knowledge-heavy beat. This article examines advantages and drawbacks of becoming a science reporter from a variety of backgrounds.
Who Needs Democracy When You Have Data?
Here’s how China rules using data, AI, and internet surveillance.
The Challenges of Creating World-Class Universities in China
The obsession with internationalization had resulted in priority being given to overseas scholars and graduates and has diminished graduates of many top domestic universities to second or third-class status.
Referees Should Exercise Their Rights
Peer reviewers have the right to view the data and code that underlie a work if it would help in the evaluation, even if these have not been provided with the submission. Yet few referees exercise this right.
A Toolkit for Data Transparency Takes Shape
A simple software toolset can help to ease the pain of reproducing computational analyses.
Doctoral Students at Germany’s Max Planck Society Say Recent Troubles Highlight Need for Change
Doctoral Students at Germany’s Max Planck Society Say Recent Troubles Highlight Need for Change
Physicist Jana Lasser of PhDnet discusses the group's new report.
Science's Bullying Problem
When scientists reach mid-career, they suddenly have to manage people, something they have never done and never really been trained to do.
Despite Becoming Increasing Institutionalised, There Remains a Lack of Discourse About Research Metrics Among Much of Academia
Despite Becoming Increasing Institutionalised, There Remains a Lack of Discourse About Research Metrics Among Much of Academia
The active use of metrics in everyday research activities suggests academics have accepted them as standards of evaluation, that they are “thinking with indicators”. Yet when asked, many academics profess concern about the limitations of evaluative metrics and the extent of their use.
In the Era of Brexit and Fake News, Scientists Need to Embrace Social Media
In the Era of Brexit and Fake News, Scientists Need to Embrace Social Media
Social media can promote openness in research as international partnerships and collaborations are jeopardised, while increased adoption by scientists can also redress the balance that has shifted towards ill-evidenced news on some platforms.
Boycott the Journal Rankings
Journal rankings are a rigged game. The blacklist of history of economic thought journals isn’t a fluke nor a conspiracy - it exposes how citation rankings really work.
How Freely Should Scientists Share Their Data?
How Freely Should Scientists Share Their Data?
The Open Science movement champions transparency, but how much and how quickly is a matter of dispute.