It is surely misguided for funding agencies — for instance, the Swiss National Science Foundation — to prohibit the use of commercial data platforms by grant-holders.

Or why we should choose what to fund at random.

Why do we need middlemen in academia in the era of electronic publishing?

Computational scientists develop a system for spotting data overdue for public release, and end up getting hundreds of open-access datasets corrected.

How academic publishing may change in the years to come.

Open-access mandates have the potential to significantly harm the publishing industry, writes the Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property.

Things that haven’t worked for decades in the space are starting to work; and we are going beyond just tools and embedded functions.

The author of a new study of biomedical funding explains why he’s optimistic about young scientists’ futures.

Funding research solely on the basis of excellence ignores the crucial role science plays in improving local economies and societies

B.S. expressed as data is relatively new outside scientific circles.

Peer review recognition company Publons is set to expand under new owners. Could this boost peer review and stop it being seen as an onerous, thankless task?

Confidential feedback from many interacting reviewers can help editors make better, quicker decisions.

The President's proposed budget guts scientific research and protection, because it either doesn't know what science is for, or doesn't care.

In recent years, observers have noticed that articles for which an APC has been paid are not always made freely available. How pervasive is this problem?

Artificial intelligence is outperforming the human sort in a growing range of fields – but how do we make sure it behaves morally?

The evolution to a high-profit industry was never planned. Academics need to make the case for lower-cost journals.

Learned societies used to be seen as the guardians of academic prestige. They should act on that moral authority and reclaim their oversight of peer review, says Aileen Fyfe

Completing two graduate degrees can offer great flexibility.

Young scientists often have the same long-term goal: use one’s smarts and drive to gain insights into a problem of interest.

"Our species has problems with violence." —Biologist Robert Sapolsky

Yes, collective missteps happen. But if anything, history shows how hard it is to get scientists to agree in the first place.

Papers need to include fewer claims and more proof to make the scientific literature more reliable.

The blockchain technology that underpins cryptographic currencies can support sustainability by building trust and avoiding corruption, explains Guillaume Chapron.

The role and the impact of citizen science in today’s world.

Is there an alternative to the standard academic career path that would actually make research work better?

Maybe Newtonian physics doesn’t need dark matter to work.

Recently, a trio of mainstream physicists accused hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other mainstream physicists of Not Doing Science.

Independent professionals advance science in ways faculty-run labs cannot, and such positions keep talented people in research, argues Steven Hyman.

A discussion about what is best for the community?

ResearchGate and similar services represent a “gamification” of research, drawing on features usually associated with online games, like rewards, rankings and levels.