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Should we Steer Clear of the Winner-Takes-All Approach?

Should we Steer Clear of the Winner-Takes-All Approach?

Scientists in New Zealand held the first ‘Kindness in Science’ workshop in December 2017 at the University of Auckland, hoping to kick-start a movement that will offer a kinder, gentler and more inclusive scientific culture. The group’s mantra is “Everyone here is smart and kind — don’t distinguish yourself by being otherwise.”

A Big Brother Future for Science Publishing?

A Big Brother Future for Science Publishing?

The leaders of Elsevier have now decided that the epoch of journals will soon be over, argues the former editor of the BMJ.

To Have and Have Not: The Drama of EU Research Funding Enters Its next Act

To Have and Have Not: The Drama of EU Research Funding Enters Its next Act

More EU ministers and commissioners are voicing support for bigger research and innovation funding - but the political argument is a long way from won. To win the case for more funding, innovation fans are going to have to talk, not abstractly, but concretely.​

The Concept of Research Impact Pervades Contemporary Academic Discourse – But What Does It Actually Mean?

The Concept of Research Impact Pervades Contemporary Academic Discourse – But What Does It Actually Mean?

Research impact is often talked about, but how clear is it what this term really means? The authors highlight four core elements that comprise most research impact definitions and propose a new conceptualisation of research impact relevant to health policy.

Why an Open Mind on Open Science Could Reshape Human Knowledge

Why an Open Mind on Open Science Could Reshape Human Knowledge

There is a serious lack in sharing material/resources that are used to creating the building-blocks of a research experiment.

ReMediate Your Research: Taking Your Scholarship Public

ReMediate Your Research: Taking Your Scholarship Public

Tips for grad students: the options for communicating your research beyond the dissertation or journal article are nearly endless and range from video games to comic books, but two of the easiest to work with are podcasts and infographics.

Pharma Could Cut Its Losses with a Bit of Sharing

Pharma Could Cut Its Losses with a Bit of Sharing

Efforts to engage life science companies in open innovation have been hampered by the industry’s continued reticence to share. The result is shrinking pipelines, a wave of drug patent expirations ending in sudden drops in revenue, and poorly served public health.

Is Reproducibility Really Central to Science?

Is Reproducibility Really Central to Science?

The Neuroskeptic commentary on a new paper by Chris Drummond about the ‘reproducibility movement’. Assuming that what really matters is the testability of a given hypothesis, how fundamental is reproducibility to science?

Can Science Save Humanity? The Debate Between HG Wells and George Orwell Is Still Relevant Today

Can Science Save Humanity? The Debate Between HG Wells and George Orwell Is Still Relevant Today

There is no shortage of problems facing humankind. What role science has in tackling them has long been debated.

Reply to Arguelles and Arguelles-Prieto, "Are the Editors Responsible for Our Obsession with the Impact Factor?"

Reply to Arguelles and Arguelles-Prieto, "Are the Editors Responsible for Our Obsession with the Impact Factor?"

The preoccupation with journal IF is generated by the scientists comprising the review committees responsible for hiring, promotion, or funding decisions.

The Replication Crisis in Science

The Replication Crisis in Science

There have been two distinct responses to the replication crisis – by instituting measures like registered reports and by making data openly available. But another group continues to remain in denial.

Precision Medical Treatments Have A Quality Control Problem

Precision Medical Treatments Have A Quality Control Problem

The goal is to customize treatments for cancer and other diseases to a patient's own biology. But something as simple as failing to take care of tissue samples en route to the lab can derail that.

Commission to Scientists: Stop Ruining Our Copyright Plans With Your Facts and Your Research!

Commission to Scientists: Stop Ruining Our Copyright Plans With Your Facts and Your Research!

A 30 page paper panning the Commission’s copyright plans on press publishers written by JRC never saw the light of the day.

How Care for Elders, Not Children, Denies Women a Paycheck

How Care for Elders, Not Children, Denies Women a Paycheck

The focus on child care may conceal a bigger barrier to female participation in the labor force: tending to the growing ranks of aging family members.