South African universities 'racially skewed'?
Only one in 20 black South Africans succeeds in higher education, and more than half who enrol at university drop out before completing their degree, according to research published this week.
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There's no space for today's young Einsteins
The gravitational waves theorist saw physics as no one else did, but if he was around today his time would be spent chasing grants or tenures.
Zika virus initiative reveals deeper malady in scientific publishing
Moves to speed up the release of Zika virus research in response to the public health crisis highlight a systemic failure in scientific publishing.
The peer reviewers’ openness initiative
A new initiative published this week outlines how scientists can make a change to open science practices at an individual level.
Academics, forget about public engagement, stay in your ivory towers
Researchers are urged to make their work accessible, but simplifying complex ideas doesn’t support great scholarship.
Why universities should support the EU
Why universities should support the EU
The Eurosceptics say universities would be unaffected, or even improved, by a Brexit. They are wrong, says this vice-chancellor.
Are we finally getting serious about fixing science?
Biomedical research has faced criticism for being unreliable, but a report from the Academy of Medical Sciences might change all that.
Africa produces 1.1% of global scientific knowledge
There are just 79 scientists per million Africans, compared to 4,500 per million people in the United States.
Why it's time to get real about interdisciplinary research
A new book argues for less focus on structures and funding for interdisciplinarity, and more on the everyday highs and lows of collaboration.
Oxford again offers safe haven to endangered academics
University that gave shelter to Einstein quietly opens its doors to Syrian refugees.
How PowerPoint is killing critical thought
The bullet 'pointization' of information is making us stupid and irresponsible.
67% of Europeans don't believe women have the skills to be scientists
A new survey from L’Oreal looks at the public’s perception of female scientists with shocking results. (Particularly if you live in China.)
British universities slip downing global rankings
Change in methodology beneficial to ETHZ and EPFL.
Academics are being hoodwinked into writing books nobody can buy
In the US, taxpayers are said to be spending $139bn a year on research, and in the UK, £4.7bn. Too much of that money is disappearing into big pockets.
Preprints and the speed of science
Peer review is often claimed to be the guarantor of the trustworthiness of scientific papers, but it is a troubled process. Preprints offer a way out.
My laboratory would fall apart if Britain left the EU
My team is drawn from all over Europe and beyond – the researchers bring in talent, income and dedication.
Leaving the EU would drive away talented foreign scientists
A Brexit would put the UK’s academic success at risk as European research stars go elsewhere.
Academics seek to challenge 'web of avarice' in scientific publishing
Academics are challenging the control of a select group of publishing houses over scientific journals.
Why it strengthens research?
[21]New analysis of interdisciplinary collaboration across the UK research landscape highlights important questions about how we organise, fund and assess research.
Scientists or beancounters: who decides what's best for UK science?
Consultants think they can make publicly funded research more efficient. But they’re in danger of ignoring existing analyses – and real-life experience.
Move over science, humanities' tech-savvy research is making waves
In the UK, in 2014, 46% of research grants awarded included non-academic partners, up from 38% the year before.
Science, values and the limits of measurement
Metrics play a growing role in managing research. But to understand their limitations, we need to draw on the humanities.
Can we expect a MIRAcle for biomedical researchers in the US?
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the NIH has come up with a new system for funding researchers. Will the new Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award prove beneficial?
Journal Science releases guidelines for publishing scientific studies
Science posted the most comprehensive [3]guidelines for the publication of studies in basic science to date, calling for the adoption of clearly defined rules on the sharing of data and methods.
Brexit and science: let's not make the same mistake as the Swiss
What lessons does the Swiss ambivalence towards European Union hold for the UK?
Call to unlock a treasure chest of hidden research data
"The right to read is the right to mine" : publishers are resisting a change to copyright law that would allow academics to digitally mine published research to help crack intractable problems.
Is size really the most important thing?
There is an urgent need to reverse the decline in research funding, and a lot to discuss about how decisions are made. But setting up a death match between Big Science and the rest is not the way to go.
How can we stop big science hoovering up all the research funding?
How can we stop big science hoovering up all the research funding?
As science money is increasingly awarded to a small number of expensive projects, some academics argue that a new funding system is needed.
Will traditional science journals disappear?
Has the traditional format of the science journal had its day? Dorothy Bishop outlines an alternative model, based on consensual communication.
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