Send us a link
Correcting mistakes and updating findings is often considered to be a key characteristic of scientific research. In practice, self-correction of published research is infrequent, difficult to achieve, and perceived to come with reputational costs.
Troubling narrative: the mere existence of perverse incentives is a valid and sufficient reason to knowingly behave in an antisocial way, just as long as one first acknowledges the existence of those perverse incentives.
Researchers in many countries need custom-built systems to do robust and transparent science.
COVID-19 has led to rapid and open sharing of research outputs. But will this new, radically open research communications paradigm result in permanent change?
This blog calls for a better scientific quality by pointing to the shortcomings in academia.
The world's third largest producer of scientific research, Germany, is the origin of the research university and the independent, extra-university research institute. Its dual-pillar research policy differentiates these organizational forms functionally: universities specialize in advanced research-based teaching; institutes specialize intensely on research. This article discusses the future utility of the dual-pillar policy.
Was there ever a golden age of unsullied science, as a book implies?
Close to half of PhD students are contemplating leaving their studies in the next six months. We need to talk about quitting with kindness and empathy.
Some scientists make their careers by criticising other's research. But who watches the watchmen?
In this interview Robert Harington asks Daniel Hook (CEO of Digital Science and co-author of the new Digital Science report. How COVID-19 is Changing Research Culture) about his views on fundamental shifts in research culture as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Pandemic politics highlight how predictions need to be transparent and humble to invite insight, not blame.
As scientists, we try to make sure our research is rigorous so that we can avoid costly errors. We should take the same approach to tackle issues in research culture, says Professor Christopher Jackson.
The research world has moved faster than many would have suspected possible in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In five months, a volume of work has been generated that even the most intensive of emergent fields have taken years to create.In our new report, How COVID-19 is Changing Research Culture, we investigate the research landscape trends and cultural changes in response to COVID-19. The report includes analysis of publication trends, geographic focal points of research, and collaboration patterns.
Nature commits to working to end anti-Black practices in research.
Virtual meetings are becoming the norm under COVID-19 and winning over many researchers: part 3 in a series on science after the pandemic.
For the sake of both science and action in the COVID-19 pandemic, we need collaboration among specialists, not sects.
Experts say the pandemic is letting bad science slip through the cracks.
Teamwork is an essential component of science. It affords the exchange of ideas and the execution of research that can entail high levels of complexity and scope.
Admitting scientific errors is hard. It's also important.
Preprint servers and journals are working overtime to keep up with a "firehose" of data.
A robot career adviser's personality assessment, based on analysis of tweets.
What are racial microaggressions and how do they appear within science communities?
This paper presents a simple model of the lifecycle of scientific ideas that points to changes in scientist incentives as the cause of scientific stagnation. It explores ways to broaden how scientific productivity is measured and rewarded, involving both academic search engines such as Google Scholar measuring which contributions explore newer ideas and university administrators and funding agencies utilizing these new metrics in research evaluation.
An automated e-mail response posted by an academic researcher on Twitter unleashed a social-media debate about the importance of work-life balance.
A mean and aggressive research working culture threatens the public's respect for scientists and their expertise, says Gail Cardew.
Global study highlights long hours, poor job security and mental-health struggles.
Opinion: Things are not right in the culture of research, and that this is ultimately to the detriment of research. Two issues emerge: the huge complexity of the research ecosystem, and the related problem of collective action that this complexity creates.
Scientists reveal how they are dealing with a profound sense of loss as the climate emergency worsens.
Perspectives on and experiences of research culture, based on a survey of more than 4,000 researchers in the UK and globally.
