opinion articles

Send us a link

Subscribe to our newsletter

What a Personal Saga Reveals About Scientists' Lives - and About Science Itself

What a Personal Saga Reveals About Scientists' Lives - and About Science Itself

Two scientists allowed Nature to chronicle their lives for three years. Their story speaks to the epic professional and personal struggles involved in establishing a career in research.

UK Universities Have Passed the Challenge of Brexit and Covid

UK Universities Have Passed the Challenge of Brexit and Covid

The pandemic produced apocalyptic warnings about higher education in the UK. In fact, its future is looking a lot brighter than predicted.

New WH Task Force Asking What Shared Computing, Data Could Do for AI Research | Federal News Network

New WH Task Force Asking What Shared Computing, Data Could Do for AI Research | Federal News Network

The White House earlier this year launched a National Intelligence Research Resource Task Force.

Genuine Open Access to Academic Books Requires Collective Solutions

Genuine Open Access to Academic Books Requires Collective Solutions

This post argues that for academic books to be genuinely open, an emphasis should be placed on collective funding models that limit the prospect of new barriers to access being erected through the imposition of expensive book processing charges (BPCs).

Preprint Advocates Must Also Fight for Research Integrity

Preprint Advocates Must Also Fight for Research Integrity

Efforts to share research with the public must include mechanisms to prevent harm resulting from low-quality work.

Kristian Krieger and Stijn Verleyen on Mapping Europe's Science Advice Landscape

Kristian Krieger and Stijn Verleyen on Mapping Europe's Science Advice Landscape

When it comes to science advice infrastructure, Europe is far from a unified whole. That’s why the European Commission’s science service, the Joint Research Centre, set out to map the entire landscape, looking not only at European and national level but also digging into the way science influences policy within regions and even individual cities.

Universities Say They Want More Diverse Faculties. So Why Is Academia Still So White?

Universities Say They Want More Diverse Faculties. So Why Is Academia Still So White?

Academia has a problem with race. It’s a problem that academia — like the rest of American society — doesn’t like to acknowledge.

Rafia Zakaria: 'A Lot of White Female Professors Told Me to Quit'

Rafia Zakaria: 'A Lot of White Female Professors Told Me to Quit'

The activist and author discusses why there is no one-size-fits-all feminism and her aim to create work that comforts women of colour who have been 'gaslit'

Scientists Need to Better Communicate the Links Between Pandemics and Global Environmental Change

Scientists Need to Better Communicate the Links Between Pandemics and Global Environmental Change

The pandemic and global environmental change are intimately intertwined at multiple levels, and this must be more clearly articulated to the public and in policy.

Without a Clear Sense of Purpose, What is the Future of National Research Assessment Exercises in Australia?

Without a Clear Sense of Purpose, What is the Future of National Research Assessment Exercises in Australia?

Australia’s ERA and EIA research assessment exercises lack a clearly defined purpose, or return on investment for Australian universities. In a climate of declining trust in the Australian Research Council, together with a confused idea about how research should be funded, the assessment regime itself is at a critical point of juncture.

The World's Scientific Panel on Biodiversity Needs a Bigger Role

The World's Scientific Panel on Biodiversity Needs a Bigger Role

IPBES, the international panel of leading biodiversity researchers, should be consulted on how best to measure species loss.

Three Questions to Address Rigour and Reproducibility Concerns in Your Grant Proposal

Three Questions to Address Rigour and Reproducibility Concerns in Your Grant Proposal

Addressing weaknesses and limitations in your science will reassure potential funders, say grant-writing coaches.