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Is size really the most important thing?

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.

Defining and identifying Sleeping Beauties in science

Defining and identifying Sleeping Beauties in science

Scientific papers typically have a finite lifetime. Previous studies pointed out the existence of a few blatant exceptions: papers whose relevance has not been recognized for decades, but then suddenly become highly influential and cited. This study investigates how common Sleeping Beauties are in science.

Badges to Acknowledge Open Practices

Badges to Acknowledge Open Practices

The aim is to specify a standard by which we can say that a scientific study has been conducted in accordance with open-science principles and provide visual icons to allow advertising of such good behaviours.

Achieving human and machine accessibility of cited data in scholarly publications

Achieving human and machine accessibility of cited data in scholarly publications

The paper proposes how to achieve widespread, uniform human and machine accessibility of deposited data, in support of significantly improved verification, validation, reproducibility and re-use of scholarly/scientific data.

Switzerland is 2nd in the Ranking of National Higher Education Systems

Switzerland is 2nd in the Ranking of National Higher Education Systems

Switzerland’s higher education system has been ranked 2nd in the 2015 global ratings done by Universitas 21. One aspect where it stood out: international outlook. However this is the area under threat after an anti-immigration vote last year.

The Swiss science of investigating fraud

The Swiss science of investigating fraud

The ETH Zurich announced it was investigating one of its professors following accusations of publication fraud. Academic misconduct is nothing new, but the Swiss have only recently taken a coherent approach to investigating it.

UK universities slow to publish reports of misconduct investigations

UK universities slow to publish reports of misconduct investigations

Just a fraction of universities in the United Kingdom have made public the extent of their investigations into research misconduct, a survey has found - even though all have been told that they should do so.

Lawmakers advance controversial science-policy bill

Lawmakers advance controversial science-policy bill

Republicans in the House of Representatives seek to reshape research agenda.

The BMJ requires data sharing on request for all trials

The BMJ requires data sharing on request for all trials

The data transparency revolution is gathering pace. Last month, the WHO and the Nordic Trial Alliance released important declarations about clinical trial transparency.

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.

What the Open-Access Movement Doesn't Want You to Know

What the Open-Access Movement Doesn't Want You to Know

Advocates of open access tell only one side of the story, ignoring the exploitative practices and poor quality of many open-access journals.

Publisher sacks 31 editors amid fierce row over independence

Publisher sacks 31 editors amid fierce row over independence

Frontiers, based in Lausanne, removed 31 editors from two journals after the editors complained that company staff were interfering with editorial decisions and violating core principles of medical publishing.

Thomson Reuters identifies significant trends impacting the academic reputation of the world's leading universities

Thomson Reuters identifies significant trends impacting the academic reputation of the world's leading universities

Report and survey provide insider’s view into the various components that determine a university’s global academic reputation.