The Ideal PhD Researcher Has No Baggage
The way institutions conceptualise doctoral candidates - as individuals without baggage, able to devote all their time to their research - has very real consequences for those who do not fit this profile.
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The Main Obstacles to Better Research Data Management and Sharing Are Cultural. But Change is in Our Hands
The Main Obstacles to Better Research Data Management and Sharing Are Cultural. But Change is in Our Hands
Appointing data stewards and data champions can be key to improving research data management through positive cultural change.
The "Problem" of Predatory Publishing Remains a Relatively Small One and Should Not Be Allowed to Defame Open Access
The "Problem" of Predatory Publishing Remains a Relatively Small One and Should Not Be Allowed to Defame Open Access
A recent investigation led by an international group of journalists raised concerns over the scale of the problem of deceptive publishing practices, but the problem of predatory publishing was overstated while at the same time discrediting open access publishing.
The New, Younger Generation of Scientists Is Much More Open to Dialogue With Society
The New, Younger Generation of Scientists Is Much More Open to Dialogue With Society
A new generation of scientists is confounding expectations and proving much more willing to engage with the public, not only because it benefits their development as researchers but also out of a sense of duty to society and a desire to have a positive impact on public perceptions of science.
So You Want to Make an Impact? Some Practical Suggestions for Early-Career Researchers
Quantity Does Matter as Citation Impact Increases with Productivity
There Is an Absence of Scientific Authority over Research Assessment as a Professional Practice, Leaving a Gap That Has Been Filled by Database Providers
There Is an Absence of Scientific Authority over Research Assessment as a Professional Practice, Leaving a Gap That Has Been Filled by Database Providers
To what extent does the academic research field of evaluative citation analysis confer legitimacy to research assessment as a professional practice?
Making Research Evaluation Processes in Europe More Transparent
What models or practices could be developed to help incentivize and reward innovation and diverse forms of scholarly communication and public engagement while reducing the risk to those who are seen to be diverging from traditional modes of professional practices and advancement?
Funder Open Access Platforms: A Welcome Innovation?
Funder Open Access Platforms: A Welcome Innovation?
An examination of the ethical, organisational, and economic strengths and weaknesses of funder OA platforms to scope the opportunities and threats they present in the transition to OA.
Introducing the Free Journal Network: a Community-Controlled Open Access Publishing
Introducing the Free Journal Network: a Community-Controlled Open Access Publishing
The Free Journal Network was established earlier this year in order to nurture and promote journals that are free to both authors and readers and run according to the Fair Open Access Principles.
Six Principles for Assessing Scientists for Hiring, Promotion, and Tenure
Against Metrics: How Measuring Performance by Numbers Backfires
By tying rewards to metrics, organisations risk incentivising gaming and encouraging behaviours that may be at odds with their larger purpose. The culture of short-termism engendered by metrics also impedes innovation and stifles the entrepreneurial element of human nature.
Writing a Page-Turner: How to Tell a Story in Your Scientific Paper
Storytelling is easy to implement in your manuscript provided you know how. Think of the six plot elements - character, setting, tension, action, climax, resolution - and the three other story essentials - main theme, chronology, purpose. You’ll soon outline the backbone of your narrative and be ready to write a paper that is concise, compelling, and easy to understand.
Beyond Impact Factors: An Academy of Management Report on Measuring Scholarly Impact
Beyond Impact Factors: An Academy of Management Report on Measuring Scholarly Impact
Findings of a recent Academy of Management report that sought answers to these questions by surveying its 20,000 members and conducting a selection of in-depth interviews with prominent figures.
The Academic Papers Researchers Regard as Significant Are Not Those That Are Highly Cited
The Academic Papers Researchers Regard as Significant Are Not Those That Are Highly Cited
Academia has relied on citation count as the main way to measure the impact or importance of research, informing metrics such as the Impact Factor and the h-index. But how well do these metrics actually align with researchers’ subjective evaluation of impact and significance?
Conflicting Academic Attitudes to Copyright Are Slowing the Move to Open Access
The open access movement has prompted a shift towards retention of rights and the use of creative commons licenses to control how works are used by publishers. However, in many cases, researchers continue to agree to standard assignment terms offered by publishers without fully investigating or understanding them.
PhD Students Supervised Collectively Rather Than Individually Are Quicker to Complete Their Theses
PhD Students Supervised Collectively Rather Than Individually Are Quicker to Complete Their Theses
Comparing the experiences of individually and collectively supervised students on the same doctoral programme, it was found that collective supervision, during the first year at least, is correlated with significantly shorter times to thesis completion compared to individual supervision.
Peer Review Processes Risk Stifling Creativity and Limiting Opportunities for Game-Changing Scientific Discoveries
Peer Review Processes Risk Stifling Creativity and Limiting Opportunities for Game-Changing Scientific Discoveries
Obviously peer review should not be abandoned entirely, but it is time to recognise the need for a separate category of highly innovative research with appropriate funding.
Open Peer Review: Bringing Transparency, Accountability, and Inclusivity to the Peer Review Process
Open Peer Review: Bringing Transparency, Accountability, and Inclusivity to the Peer Review Process
Open peer review is moving into the mainstream, but it is often poorly understood and surveys of researcher attitudes show important barriers to implementation. Tony Ross-Hellauer provides an overv…
The More Revisions a Paper Undergoes, the Greater Its Subsequent Recognition in Terms of Citations
The More Revisions a Paper Undergoes, the Greater Its Subsequent Recognition in Terms of Citations
Some evidence showing that the more revisions a paper undergoes, the greater its subsequent recognition in terms of citation impact.
The Proportion of Co-Authored Research Articles Has Risen Markedly in Recent Decades
The Proportion of Co-Authored Research Articles Has Risen Markedly in Recent Decades
To what extent should academic hiring and promotional bodies apply a discount for articles with many authors?
Writing a Peer Review Is a Structured Process That Can Be Learned and Improved
Writing a Peer Review Is a Structured Process That Can Be Learned and Improved
12 steps, relevant to both first-time peer reviewers and those keen to brush up on their skills.
How Are Academic Lives Sustained?
Gender and the ethics of care in the neoliberal accelerated academy.
Statcheck - a Spellchecker for Statistics
A study has revealed a high prevalence of inconsistencies in reported statistical test results. Such inconsistencies make results unreliable, as they become “irreproducible”, and ultimately affect the level of trust in scientific reporting.
The UCUStrikes: a Battle for the Future of Higher Education
What type of university system do we want? One with a casualised workforce and vice-chancellors who can claim they deserve exorbitant pay packages for running commercial organisations? Or one in wh…
Transdisciplinary PhD Programmes Produce More High-Impact Publications and Foster Increased Collaborations
Transdisciplinary PhD Programmes Produce More High-Impact Publications and Foster Increased Collaborations
While rates of productivity were broadly similar, citation rates were found to be higher for transdisciplinary students, as were indicators of collaboration such as co-authorship.
Where Are We with Responsible Metrics? And Where Might We Go Next? Reflections from Two Recent Events
A “Work in Progress”? Public Engagement Is Now Part of the Uk Research Landscape but Challenges Remain
A “Work in Progress”? Public Engagement Is Now Part of the Uk Research Landscape but Challenges Remain
Funders of UK research have sought to foster a research culture in which public engagement is embedded at all levels.
Without Urgent Action Big and Open Data May Widen Existing Inequalities and Social Divides
Without Urgent Action Big and Open Data May Widen Existing Inequalities and Social Divides
The unsustainable nature of the digital data landscape, the quality and credibility of the data themselves, and how data sources currently represent only privileged individuals, are challenges that can be overcome, but to do so requires significant investment in key data governance priorities.
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