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Why Hiring the ‘Best’ People Produces the Least Creative Results
If you want to explore things you haven’t explored, having people who look just like you and think just like you is not the best way. We must see the forest, thinks Scott Page collegiate professor of complex systems, and author of the book book "The Diversity Bonus".
Cheating on my Mentor
For the first 2 years of my Ph.D. program, my primary adviser was always available when I needed help, promptly responding to emails and meeting with me when questions arose. But that abruptly changed when he went on sabbatical and left the country.
Why Academic Journals Need to Go
In his fantastic Peters Memorial Lecture on occasion of receiving CNI’s Paul Evan Peters award, Herbert Van de Sompel of Los Alamos National Laboratory described my calls to drop subscription.
Should we Steer Clear of the Winner-Takes-All Approach?
Scientists in New Zealand held the first ‘Kindness in Science’ workshop in December 2017 at the University of Auckland, hoping to kick-start a movement that will offer a kinder, gentler and more inclusive scientific culture. The group’s mantra is “Everyone here is smart and kind — don’t distinguish yourself by being otherwise.”
Novelty in Science - Real Necessity or Distracting Obsession?
When rewards such as funding of grants or publication in prestigious journals emphasize novelty at the expense of testing previously published results, science risks developing cracks in its foundation.
A Big Brother Future for Science Publishing?
The leaders of Elsevier have now decided that the epoch of journals will soon be over, argues the former editor of the BMJ.
Open Research in 2018, Real or Fake News?
Neil Jacobs, head of scholarly communications support at Jisc, explains the significance of the recent Horizon 2020 open publication announcement.
To Have and Have Not: The Drama of EU Research Funding Enters Its next Act
To Have and Have Not: The Drama of EU Research Funding Enters Its next Act
More EU ministers and commissioners are voicing support for bigger research and innovation funding - but the political argument is a long way from won. To win the case for more funding, innovation fans are going to have to talk, not abstractly, but concretely.
Scientists Continue to Use Outdated Methods
The use of outdated computational tools is a major offender in science’s reproducibility crisis-and there’s growing momentum to avoid it.
Funders Should Mandate Open Citations
"Truly open scholarship also requires that bibliographic references be freely available for analysis and reuse", says David Shotton, co-director of OpenCitations.
Elsevier is a Library's Best Friend
Elsevier is often thought to be the enemy of academic libraries, but in fact its practices improve libraries and lower costs.
The Concept of Research Impact Pervades Contemporary Academic Discourse – But What Does It Actually Mean?
The Concept of Research Impact Pervades Contemporary Academic Discourse – But What Does It Actually Mean?
Research impact is often talked about, but how clear is it what this term really means? The authors highlight four core elements that comprise most research impact definitions and propose a new conceptualisation of research impact relevant to health policy.
Why an Open Mind on Open Science Could Reshape Human Knowledge
There is a serious lack in sharing material/resources that are used to creating the building-blocks of a research experiment.
Why Scientists Need to Do More About Research Fraud
More than just an academic problem: on the repercussions of scienctific misconduct on the careers of honest and hard-working scientists.
What to Expect in 2018: Science in the New Year
Moon missions, ancient genomes and a publishing showdown are set to shape research.
ReMediate Your Research: Taking Your Scholarship Public
Tips for grad students: the options for communicating your research beyond the dissertation or journal article are nearly endless and range from video games to comic books, but two of the easiest to work with are podcasts and infographics.
Pharma Could Cut Its Losses with a Bit of Sharing
Efforts to engage life science companies in open innovation have been hampered by the industry’s continued reticence to share. The result is shrinking pipelines, a wave of drug patent expirations ending in sudden drops in revenue, and poorly served public health.
Is Reproducibility Really Central to Science?
The Neuroskeptic commentary on a new paper by Chris Drummond about the ‘reproducibility movement’. Assuming that what really matters is the testability of a given hypothesis, how fundamental is reproducibility to science?
A Machiavellian Guide to Getting Ahead in Academia
Rogier Creemers advises early career academics to be ruthless and put themselves first to move up the ladder.
Redressing the Inverted Pyramid of Scientific Publishing
Ultimately, the power to enforce change resides in the hands of scientists.
Can Science Save Humanity? The Debate Between HG Wells and George Orwell Is Still Relevant Today
Can Science Save Humanity? The Debate Between HG Wells and George Orwell Is Still Relevant Today
There is no shortage of problems facing humankind. What role science has in tackling them has long been debated.