publications

Send us a link

Subscribe to our newsletter

High Cost of Bias: Diminishing Marginal Returns on NIH Grant Funding to Institutions

High Cost of Bias: Diminishing Marginal Returns on NIH Grant Funding to Institutions

A study suggesting that implicit biases and social prestige mechanisms (e.g., the Matthew effect) have a powerful impact on where NIH grant dollars go and the net return on taxpayers investments. They support evidence-based changes in funding policy geared towards a more equitable, more diverse and more productive distribution of federal support for scientific research.

Illuminating Women's Hidden Contribution to the Foundation of Theoretical Population Genetics

Illuminating Women's Hidden Contribution to the Foundation of Theoretical Population Genetics

A study documenting acknowledgment sections and identified "acknowledged programmers" in Theoretical Population Biology articles published between 1970 and 1990. While only 7% of authors were women, 43% of acknowledged programmers were women.

Understanding Open Knowledge in China: A Chinese Approach to Openness?

Understanding Open Knowledge in China: A Chinese Approach to Openness?

This paper examines the development of open knowledge in China through two case studies: the development of Chinese open access (OA) journals, and national-level OA repositories.

EUA Publishes Roadmap on Research Assessment

EUA Publishes Roadmap on Research Assessment

Supporting the EUA membership with the development of research assessment approaches that focus on research quality, potential and future impact, and that take into account Open Science practices.

Scientists on Twitter: Preaching to the Choir or Singing from the Rooftops?

Scientists on Twitter: Preaching to the Choir or Singing from the Rooftops?

Asking whether Twitter allows scientists to promote their findings primarily to other scientists ("inreach"), or whether it can help them reach broader, non-scientific audiences ("outreach"). Results should encourage scientists to invest in building a social media presence for scientific outreach.

Guerrilla Open Access

In the 1990s, the Internet offered a horizon from which to imagine what society could become, promising autonomy and self-organization next to redistribution of wealth and collectivized means of production. While the former was in line with the dominant ideology of freedom, the latter ran contrary to the expanding enclosures in capitalist globalization.

A simple proposal for the publication of journal citation distributions

A simple proposal for the publication of journal citation distributions

Although the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) is widely acknowledged to be a poor indicator of the quality of individual papers, it is used routinely to evaluate research and researchers. Here, we present a simple method for generating the citation distributions that underlie JIFs. Application of this straightforward protocol reveals the full extent of the skew of these distributions and the variation in citations received by published papers that is characteristic of all scientific journals. Although there are differences among journals across the spectrum of JIFs, the citation distributions overlap extensively, demonstrating that the citation performance of individual papers cannot be inferred from the JIF. We propose that this methodology be adopted by all journals as a move to greater transparency, one that should help to refocus attention on individual pieces of work and counter the inappropriate usage of JIFs during the process of research assessment.

Faculty Service Loads and Gender: Are Women Taking Care of the Academic Family?

Faculty Service Loads and Gender: Are Women Taking Care of the Academic Family?

This paper investigates the amount of academic service performed by female versus male faculty. We use 2014 data from a large national survey of faculty at more than 140 institutions as well as 2012...

How Persistent Identifiers Can Save Scientists Time

How Persistent Identifiers Can Save Scientists Time

Persistent identifiers (PIDs) provide unique keys for people, places, and things, which supports the research process by facilitating search, discovery, recognition, and collaboration. This article reviews the main PIDs used in research (DOIs, ORCIDs, ...), as well as demonstrating how they are being used, and how, in combination, they can increase trust in research and the research infrastructure.

Does Bibliometric Research Confer Legitimacy to Research Assessment Practice? a Sociological Study of Reputational Control, 1972-2016

Does Bibliometric Research Confer Legitimacy to Research Assessment Practice? a Sociological Study of Reputational Control, 1972-2016

A growing gap exists between an academic sector with little capacity for collective action and increasing demand for routine performance assessment by research organizations and funding agencies. This gap has been filled by database providers. By selecting and distributing research metrics, these commercial providers have gained a powerful role in defining de-facto standards of research excellence without being challenged by expert authority.

Diversity Begets Diversity: A Global Perspective on Gender Equality in Scientific Society Leadership

Diversity Begets Diversity: A Global Perspective on Gender Equality in Scientific Society Leadership

A checklist and recommendations for societies to contribute to global gender equality in science.

Editors of Major Political Science Journals Demonstrate No Systematic Bias Against Female Authors

Editors of Major Political Science Journals Demonstrate No Systematic Bias Against Female Authors

Study says editors of major political science journals demonstrate no systematic bias against female authors. Yet women authors remain underrepresented in the field. Why?

Science Europe Reaction to the European Commission Proposal on Horizon Europe

Science Europe Reaction to the European Commission Proposal on Horizon Europe

Science Europe recognises the proposed budget increase for the period 2021-2027 but remains disappointed that this increase does not live up to the ambitious scenarios that the European Commission defended in front of the Heads of States and Governments in March 2018.

No Race or Gender Bias in a Randomized Experiment of NIH R01 Grant Reviews

No Race or Gender Bias in a Randomized Experiment of NIH R01 Grant Reviews

A randomized experiment of NIH R01 grant reviews finds no evidence that White male PIs receive evaluations that are any better than those of PIs from the other social categories.

Open Science and Its Role in Universities: A Roadmap for Cultural Change

Open Science and Its Role in Universities: A Roadmap for Cultural Change

LERU's paper discussing the eight pillars of Open Science identified by the European Commission: the future of scholarly publishing, FAIR data, the European Open Science Cloud, education and skills, rewards and incentives, next-generation metrics, research integrity, and citizen science.