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Why ‘context’ is important for research
Discovery is the pathway to context. Context of an article is all about how research fits into increasingly complex domains, and using structured networks to decipher its value. With the power of the internet at our disposal, putting research in context should be of key importance in a world where there is ever more research being published that is impossible to manually filter.
Switzerland does well in competitiveness ranking
Switzerland has come in second in the annual competitiveness ranking published by the IMD World Competitiveness Center in Lausanne.
The Swiss research galaxy
Every research project financed by the SNSF between 2006 and 2015 has been compiled into an infographic.
Digital forensics: from the crime lab to the library
Archivists are borrowing and adapting techniques used in criminal investigations to access data and files created in now-obsolete systems.
SAGE Open five years on
Lessons learned and future thoughts on open access in humanities and social sciences.
Organised crime against the academic peer review system
Organised crime against the academic peer review system
Editorials are generally about what we did right in our journal and we do not often publish about our failures. Yet, in this Editorial we feel we have to convey the full story of how we went entirely off track with the publication of a paper.
The ecstasy and the agony of the altmetric score
Altmetrics have gained momentum and are meant to overcome the shortcomings of citation-based metrics. In this regard some light is shed on the dangers associated with the new “all-in-one” indicator altmetric score.
The SciHub Data Part 2: Academic Pirates
How many people are actually using Sci-Hub to download publications while they are in universities?
The NASW and the Looming Rift in Science Journalism
A report suggests that internal discord may tear apart the National Association of Science Writers, a near century-old professional journalism organization.
Integrity or impact? Confessions of an early career researcher
The reality of academia is stifling the passion and creativity needed both to enjoy science, and to do it well.
ACS and Dutch universities aim for 100% open access
From 2017 onward, any new articles accepted for publication within ACS peer-reviewed journals that are submitted by a Corresponding Author affiliated with a Dutch university or other participating research institution will be published open access, without extra fees to the author.
A peerless review? Automating methodological and statistical review
A peerless review? Automating methodological and statistical review
Peer review is the primary mechanism for ensuring the integrity of the published literature; however, it is a human system with all of a human's fallibilities. Here Daniel Shanahan asks whether we could use text mining to automate some aspects of the peer review process to address some of its limitations, and introduces a new pilot to evaluate the software.
Should researchers publish their findings before peer review?
Scientists, journal editors, and funders of research are talking about a once-heretical idea: preprint publishing for biologists.
All European scientific articles to be freely accessible by 2020
All scientific articles in Europe must be freely accessible as of 2020. EU member states want to achieve optimal reuse of research data. They are also looking into a European visa for foreign start-up founders.
‘Immediate’ open access to all scientific papers by 2020
Observers are skeptical goal can be achieved
Why research for the pure sake of knowing is good enough
Duke University biologist Sheila Patek has faced criticism from lawmakers over her research into mantis shrimp and trap-jaw ants, with some calling her government-funded studies a waste of taxpayer money. But according to Patek, not only do her findings have important practical applications, but scientific inquiry is most fruitful when knowledge is sought for its own sake, not to justify budgets.
Top science fair gets a new sponsor, as biotech ascends
Over the years, the nation has looked toward different kinds of science for its salvation, and science fairs have changed with the times.
Blogs and Twitter in informal peer review: the #arseniclife controversy
Blogs and Twitter in informal peer review: the #arseniclife controversy
Using the “#arseniclife” controversy as a case study, we examine the roles of blogs and Twitter in post-publication review.
The 10 commandments for influencing policymakers
Nick Hillman offers academics advice on managing expectations and ensuring that their research has a big impact
Confessions of a Wasteful Scientist
Three of my projects appeared last week on a senator's list of questionable research. Allow me to explain...
Crunch time
Overtime pay for postdoctoral scientists is welcome — but could mean fewer positions.
Annotation might be the future of fact-checking
Climate Feedback, a scientist-led effort to “peer review” the world’s climate journalism, is closing in on its $30,000 crowdfunding target.
The Economics of Academic Self-promotion
Marketing is you telling others about yourself. Public relations is having someone else tell others about you.
1,500 scientists lift the lid on reproducibility
Survey sheds light on the ‘crisis’ rocking research.
Jeremy Berg named Science editor-in-chief
Biochemist and former director of NIH’s basic research institute has long been involved in science policy