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Open-Access Model Is a Return to the Origins of Journal Publishing

Open-Access Model Is a Return to the Origins of Journal Publishing

Until recently, many university and society journals operated at a loss. To return to their earlier significant role in scientific dissemination, scientific societies and universities will have to return to their earlier acceptance of knowledge sharing as part of their broader public service, rather than their more recent exploitation of publications as revenue generators.

Conflicting Academic Attitudes to Copyright Are Slowing the Move to Open Access

Conflicting Academic Attitudes to Copyright Are Slowing the Move to Open Access

The open access movement has prompted a shift towards retention of rights and the use of creative commons licenses to control how works are used by publishers. However, in many cases, researchers continue to agree to standard assignment terms offered by publishers without fully investigating or understanding them.

A Beginner's Guide for Addressing Sexual Harassment in Academia

A Beginner's Guide for Addressing Sexual Harassment in Academia

Suggestions for how scientists, specifically male scientists, can undermine the alienating culture of sexual harassment that exists in STEM.

Funding for Fundamental Research Is Under Threat

Funding for Fundamental Research Is Under Threat

The US now faces a dilemma over the future of this national achievement and the supporting arrangements making it sustainable. The ‘social contract’ for science and research now looks more tentative than at any time since the Space Race.

All Science Should Inform Policy and Regulation

All Science Should Inform Policy and Regulation

In the context of a recent proposal to exclude research from consideration at the Environmental Protection Agency, John Ioannidis points out that "perceived perfection is not a characteristic of science, but of dogma" and envisions how governments can promote a standard of openness in science.

Star Wars: Who Should Get Credit for Solving the Mystery of Gravitational Waves ?

Star Wars: Who Should Get Credit for Solving the Mystery of Gravitational Waves ?

When scientists in California and around the world finally solved the mystery of gravitational waves last year, only one question remained: Who should get credit for the discovery?

Considering the 'Leaky Pipeline'- Are We Missing the Point on Leadership Diversity?

Considering the 'Leaky Pipeline'- Are We Missing the Point on Leadership Diversity?

There's a great deal of concern about a lack of diversity in senior academic roles. But Rachel Handforth's research suggests that problems start much earlier along the academic career path.

Beneficiaries of Organisation IDs Must Be Willing to Invest in Them

Beneficiaries of Organisation IDs Must Be Willing to Invest in Them

Collecting, annotating and curating data of universities, funding organizations and publishers manually is both wasteful and impossible to do comprehensively. If these data were available in a globally standardized, digital, open format, this effort could be redirected towards analysis and improving research information and administration.

Why Media Should Rethink the Way It Covers Science

Why Media Should Rethink the Way It Covers Science

Across time, public understanding about how science works is affected by journalism. A journalist, with very little extra effort, can increase the accuracy of public understanding and minimize public vulnerability to distortions of science.

Opium in Science and Society: Numbers

Opium in Science and Society: Numbers

We call for bringing sanity back into scientific judgment exercises. Despite all number crunching, many judgments - be it about scientific output, scientists, or research institutions - will neither be unambiguous, uncontroversial, or testable by external standards nor can they be otherwise validated or objectified.

Random Audits Could Shift the Incentive for Researchers From Quantity to Quality

Random Audits Could Shift the Incentive for Researchers From Quantity to Quality

One way to push back against the pressure to “publish or perish” is to randomly audit a small proportion of researchers and take time to assess their research in detail. Auditors could examine complex measures of quality which no metric could ever capture such as originality, reproducibility, and research translation.

Inexpensive Research in the Golden Open-Access Era

Inexpensive Research in the Golden Open-Access Era

The financial pressure that publishers impose on libraries is a worldwide concern. Gold open-access publishing with an expensive article-processing charge paid by the authors is often presented as an ideal solution to this problem. However, such a system threatens less-funded departments and even article quality.

Against Metrics: How Measuring Performance by Numbers Backfires

Against Metrics: How Measuring Performance by Numbers Backfires

Contrary to commonsense belief, attempts to measure productivity through performance metrics discourage initiative, innovation and risk-taking. The entrepreneurial element of human nature is stifled by metric fixation.

The Text and Data Mining Exception in the Proposal for a Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market: Why It Is Not What Eu Copyright Law Needs?

The Text and Data Mining Exception in the Proposal for a Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market: Why It Is Not What Eu Copyright Law Needs?

Text and Data Mining. Or the creation of new knowledge from existing information (but not in the EU).