More and more attention and funding
Researchers working at the interface of disciplines can pursue insights without sacrificing career progress.
'Impact': prestige or relevance for developing world research?
The release of the 2014 Impact Factor Report was being awaited, as usual, with some anticipation. Yet this comes at a time when there is an ever-rising tide of contestation about its value in a radically changing research environment, especially in the developing world.
In praise of early independence
Many factors influence success in a science career. Hard work, ambition, flair, and luck played a role in the success of Tim Hunt, who won a share of the 2001 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. Hunt's career demonstrates the importance of two additional success factors: playfulness and early independence.
How America's Great University System Is Being Destroyed
How America's Great University System Is Being Destroyed
When universities become corporatized, as has been happening quite systematically over the last generation as part of the general neoliberal assault on the population, their business model means that what matters is the bottom line.
Assessing Science
Earlier this year, at a symposium organized by Nature in Melbourne, Australia, a group of leading academics, funders and government advisers discussed how research outcomes are measured. This Nature Outlook was influenced by these debates.
Work Programme 2015
This document is the annual work programme for the European Research Council funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
A surge of p-values between 0.040 and 0.049 in recent decades
A surge of p-values between 0.040 and 0.049 in recent decades
It is known that statistically significant results are more likely to be published than results that are not statistically significant. We conducted a search in the abstracts of papers published between 1990 and 2014. The results indicate that negative results are not disappearing, but have actually become 4.3 times more prevalent since 1990. Positive results, on the other hand, have become 13.9 times more prevalent since 1990.
OA papers ‘gain more traffic and citations’
Open access science articles are read and cited more often than articles available only to subscribers, a study has suggested.
US Department of Energy frees up access to research
The US Department of Energy has revealed how papers from research it funds will become free to read.
Public consultation on Science 2.0
The goal of the consultation is to better understand the full societal potential of 'Science 2.0' as well as the desirability of any possible policy action
Researcher's death shocks Japan
One of Japan's top stem cell researchers, died in an apparent suicide. He was famous for his ability to coax embryonic stem cells to differentiate into other cell types.
Another Nature stem cell paper is retracted
Another stem cell paper has been retracted from Nature, this one a highly cited 2008 study. This is the 7th retraction in Nature this year.
Canada National Research Council 'hacked by Chinese spies'
Canada National Research Council 'hacked by Chinese spies'
A top Canadian government research organisation has been struck by Chinese hackers, the government has said.
How to better allocate research money and fix a flawed system
Research funding will continue to be haphazard if an anecdotal approach continues to be taken. by Julia Lane
Researcher's death highlights problems in dealing with scientific misconduct
We need to deal swiftly with fraud when it is identified. But time after time I have watched not only the accused, but everyone around them, be treated with such sanctimonious disdain. by Michael Eisen
Stop the deluge of science research
The increasing pace of human discovery is a curse – we need to rethink what it means to publish the results of research.
Something rotten
Something is rotten in the state of academic publishing. But even those of us in the thick of it find it hard to pinpoint exactly what is wrong.
Genesis of altmetrics or article-level metrics for measuring efficacy of scholarly communications: current perspectives
Genesis of altmetrics or article-level metrics for measuring efficacy of scholarly communications: current perspectives
This paper provides a glimpse of genesis of altmetrics in measuring efficacy of scholarly communications. This paper also highlights available altmetric tools and social platforms linking altmetric tools, which are widely used in deriving altmetric scores of scholarly publications.
The Kardashian index: a measure of discrepant social media profile for scientists
The Kardashian index: a measure of discrepant social media profile for scientists
While social media is a valuable tool for outreach and the sharing of ideas, there is a danger that this form of communication is gaining too high a value and that we are losing sight of key metrics of scientific value, such as citation indices.
OA explained in 8 mins
OA explained in 8 mins
What is open access? Nick Shockey and Jonathan Eisen take us through the world of open access publishing and explain just what it's all about.
Global flow of tertiary-level students
Where do students go to study? Where do they come from?
How did Lego become a gender battleground?
A palaeontologist, an astronomer, a chemist - into the pantheon of children's toys stride three new Lego characters. Not so surprising. Except the scientists are all female.
Iranian is first woman to nab highest prize in maths
Maryam Mirzakhani is among four young researchers to win Fields Medals, awarded every four years.
Rejected work gets back in the line-up
Paper turned down for plagiarising surfaces in another of publisher’s journals.
Research funders provide OA support
Overview of some of the approaches that research funders take to open access and why.
How Google Science could transform academic publishing
Google is allegedly working on a free, open access platform for the research, collaboration and publishing of peer-reviewed scientific journals. At least, that is apparently what one individual wants us to believe.
Science is still a final frontier for women
Women continue to face serious obstacles when pursuing a scientific career in Switzerland, with the juggle of family life and research particularly difficult.
Publishers' copyright move 'could limit use of research'
Scientific publishers producing model copyright licences will make it harder for academic research to be a "first class citizen of the web".
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