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It’s time for positive action on negative results
Perspectives: Structural biologist suggests that chemists can help redefine good research behavior by telling the whole story
Data Sharing Should Be In Everyone’s Interest
Data Sharing Should Be In Everyone’s Interest
Science Needs to Learn How to Fail So It Can Succeed
Social science is great at making wacky, wonderful claims about the way the world—and the human mind—works. But a lot of them are wrong.
An ounce of prevention
Crises of infectious diseases are becoming more common. The world should be better prepared
Government policy is wrecking science
Tim Birkhead warns of the ‘end of science’ unless academics push back against threats to creativity and integrity
What is the ethical compensation for nonprofit executives? (Should you boycott PLOS?)
What is the ethical compensation for nonprofit executives? (Should you boycott PLOS?)
Over the last week, there's been a storm over the executive compensation and financials at the Public Library of Science (PLOS).
Set up a ‘self-retraction’ system for honest errors
Notices should make obvious whether a withdrawal of research is the result of misconduct or a genuine mistake, says Daniele Fanelli.
How Journalists Can Help Hold Scientists Accountable
Amid the so-called replication crisis, could better investigative reporting be the answer? Maybe it’s time for journalists and scientists to work more closely together.
“Academics can publish journals of the highest quality without a commercial entity”
“Academics can publish journals of the highest quality without a commercial entity”
Fields Medal-winning Cambridge mathematician Sir Timothy Gowers and a team of colleagues have recently launched a new editor-owned Open Access (OA) journal for mathematics.
Sharing Knowledge, for a Price
While we may be drawn to the fantasy of Robin Hood, it is easy to see the danger of putting one individual’s idea of right and wrong ahead of society’s democratically enforced laws.
Eastern blocked
Countries with weak national research systems were always going to struggle to win ERC grants.
As Women Take Over a Male-Dominated Field, the Pay Drops
Women’s median annual earnings stubbornly remain about 20 percent below men’s. Why is progress stalling?
What is sonification, and how can it speed discovery in science?
Scientific data might be filled with important things waiting to be discovered.
Women in science: equality is impossible unless society shifts
Women have come a long way in science, but plenty of work remains. After all, gender bias in science doesn't happen in a vacuum.
Geoffrey Hinton, the 'godfather' of deep learning, on AlphaGo
The scientist who helped develop the neural networks behind Google's AlphaGo, which beat grandmaster Lee Sedol, on the past, present and future of AI
What psychology’s crisis means for the future of science
The field is currently undergoing a painful period of introspection. It will emerge stronger than before.
Many scientific “truths” are, in fact, false
“Science isn’t about truth and falsity, it’s about reducing uncertainty.”
The elephant in the room we can’t ignore
If Donald Trump were to trigger a crisis in Western democracy, scientists would need to look at their part in its downfall, says Colin Macilwain.
Why Science Journalism Matters
An essay by the Pulitzer-prizewinning science journalist Deborah Blum.
Should academics be paid for peer review?
Should academics be paid for peer review?
As the number of papers needing review increases, journals are thinking of replacing a voluntary system with cash rewards
Beyond today's crowdsourced science to tomorrow's citizen science cyborgs
Computers are getting better and better at the jobs that previously made sense for researchers to outsource to citizen scientists. But don't worry: there's still a role for people in these projects.
"Evidence-based medicine has been hijacked:" A confession from John Ioannidis
John Ioannidis is perhaps best known for a 2005 paper “Why Most Published Research Findings Are False.” One of the most highly cited researchers in the world, Ioannidis, a professor at Stanford, has built a career in the field of meta-research.
Is technology slowing down science?
There are three vectors of failure that can be addressed by better technology: time, cost, and the quality of the output itself.
Team up with industry
Combining commercial and academic incentives and resources can improve science, argues Aled Edwards.