Post-truth: A Guide for the Perplexed
If politicians can lie without condemnation, what are scientists to do? Kathleen Higgins offers some explanation.
Send us a link
Helping Scientists to Help Others
Guest post by Professor Elizabeth Loftus, winner of the 2016 John Maddox Prize
The Power of Big Data Must be Harnessed for Medical Progress
But grave challenges remain before the promise of individually tailored medicine becomes reality.
Peer-Review 'Heroes' Do Lion's Share of the Work
Peer-Review 'Heroes' Do Lion's Share of the Work
20% of the scientists undertook between 69% and 94% of reviews last year.
Cautious Welcome for UK's Vague £2 Billion Research Pledge
Following a £2 billion research pledge, questions remain around commitment to boost science investment.
The Gamble of a PhD Hiatus
Pressure to barrel through a PhD can make taking a break seem daunting — but there are ways to limit career damage.
Disgraced Stem-Cell Entrepreneur Under Fresh Investigation
Davide Vannoni is barred from offering a controversial stem-cell therapy in Italy but may be continuing his work abroad.
Scientific Language Is Becoming More Informal
Biologists in particular are writing their papers in a less formal style.
Brazil’s Scientists Battle to Escape 20-Year Funding Freeze
Cap at current spending levels could spell 'end of science in Brazil', researchers say.
CRISPR Gene-Editing Tested in a Person for the First Time
The move by Chinese scientists could spark a biomedical duel between China and the United States.
Open Peer Review Finds More Takers
Journal experiments and surveys suggest scientists are coming round to the idea of publishing review reports. A few journals, such as PeerJ, the BMJ and F1000Research, already embrace open peer review in various different forms.
What Scientists Should Focus on — and Fear — Under Trump
Nine experts reflect on where researchers should direct their efforts during the next US administration.
Transparent Peer Review One Year On
The majority of our authors are opting in to publish reviewer reports of their papers.
The Quiet Rise of the NIH’s Hot New Metric
Biomedical funders worldwide are adopting the US agency’s free Relative Citation Ratio to analyse grant outcomes.
Big Brain Projects Urged to Aid Public Health
World Health Organization asks research initiatives to focus on translating their findings into clinical benefits.
Tracker Flags Up Failures to Report Clinical Trials
Computerized search of trial registry lists worst offenders.
Machine-learning Algorithm Quantifies Gender Bias in Astronomy
Calculation suggests papers with women first-authors have citation rates pushed down by 10%.
What Makes a Great Peer Reviewer?
What Makes a Great Peer Reviewer?
Tips from Nature Research editors.
Scientists Can Publish Their Best Work at Any Age
New equation also suggests way to predict a researcher's potential to produce top work.
'Living figures' Make Their Debut
'Living figures' Make Their Debut
Published chart integrates data from outside scientists.
Russian Science at the Crossroads
Upheaval in the former superpower is bad for research and the wider world.
Good Data Are Not Enough
A vibrant scientific culture encourages many interpretations of evidence.
Young Scientists Ditch Postdocs for Biotech Start-ups
Many biologists are founding their own firms as venture capitalists show increased interest in science.
Mining the Secrets of College Syllabuses
The creators of the Open Syllabus Project hope that sharing data can both improve and reward teaching.
Publisher Pulls 58 Articles by Iranian Scientists Over Authorship Manipulation
Publisher Pulls 58 Articles by Iranian Scientists Over Authorship Manipulation
Cull of papers follows similar discoveries in 2015.
×