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How Do You Run the REF in a Pandemic? We Still Don't Know

How Do You Run the REF in a Pandemic? We Still Don't Know

Worldwide, the academic community is wondering how to compensate for a lost year of productivity and focus. This will require a suite of measures aimed at redressing the inequalities left in the wake of Covid-19. 

EU Will Be 'Shooting Itself in Foot' if It Bars UK, Switzerland, Israel from Quantum and Space Projects

EU Will Be 'Shooting Itself in Foot' if It Bars UK, Switzerland, Israel from Quantum and Space Projects

Excluding researchers based in the UK, Israel and Switzerland from major EU quantum and space research projects would see the bloc "shoot itself in the foot", according to German MEP Niklas Nienass, spokesman on space for the Parliament's green group.

Goals-based R&D Policy: High Popularity, Low Effectiveness - What is the Likelihood of the UK Reaching Its Target of Spending 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027? - HEPI

Goals-based R&D Policy: High Popularity, Low Effectiveness - What is the Likelihood of the UK Reaching Its Target of Spending 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027? - HEPI

A few days ago, the head of UK Research and Investment, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said the Government's target of having 2.4% of GDP spent on research and development (R&D) by 2027 was 'very challenging'. Here, Adão Carvalho of the Department of Economics at the Universidade de Évora in Portugal considers the poor record of such past […]

There's No Proof the Oxford Vaccine Causes Blood Clots. So Why Are People Worried?

There's No Proof the Oxford Vaccine Causes Blood Clots. So Why Are People Worried?

It's human nature to spot patterns in data. But we should be careful about finding causal links where none may exist, says statistician David Spiegelhalter

Academic-Humanitarian Technology Partnerships: an Unhappy Marriage?

Academic-Humanitarian Technology Partnerships: an Unhappy Marriage?

Working together seems like a good idea - especially when working toward a noble goal. However, little has been reported to date about the success and efficiency (or lack thereof) of such partnerships as a practical matter.

Peer Review in Transition?

Peer Review in Transition?

In recent decades new innovations in peer review have been developed to address issues of bias and inefficiency. These innovations are multifarious, but many of them relate to openness of peer review, reviewer incentives, and technological enhancements, such as the use of artificial intelligence.

Dear Grant Agencies: Tell Me Where I Went Wrong

Dear Grant Agencies: Tell Me Where I Went Wrong

I don't expect to get every grant I apply for, but the least agencies could do is give me a little feedback, says Juan Manuel Parrilla Gutierrez.

Science Needs a Radical Overhaul

Science Needs a Radical Overhaul

Illusions of discovery are holding science back. But even if we wanted to do the right thing and evaluate scientific papers based on their quality, regardless of how flashy and exciting the claims of discovery may be, it’s not clear how we’d do that.

When More is More: Broad Calls for Multilingualism and Evaluation Reform

When More is More: Broad Calls for Multilingualism and Evaluation Reform

In recent years, numerous initiatives have highlighted linguistic biases embedded in current evaluation processes and have called for change. The DORA-hosted community discussion on multilingualism in scholarly evaluation was inspired by actions others have taken to address these issues.

The Publisher's Association's Impact Assessment on OA is Pretty Much As You'd Expect

The Publisher's Association's Impact Assessment on OA is Pretty Much As You'd Expect

The UK Publisher's Association has commissioned a report that seems to be their latest attempt at painting open access to research as economically damaging to the publishing sector.

Peer Reviewers - Time for Mass Rebellion?

Peer Reviewers - Time for Mass Rebellion?

Richard Smith spent some time reviewing two scientific papers, and the experience has made him wonder if it is time for peer reviewers to rise up in rebellion.

Publishing Philosophy Open Access Without a Particle Collider

Publishing Philosophy Open Access Without a Particle Collider

Open Access often appears to be a monolithic concept, covering all fields of research and publication. However, in practice its application is to a large extent determined by the needs and resource…

How the Search for Covid-19 Treatments Faltered While Vaccines Sped Ahead

How the Search for Covid-19 Treatments Faltered While Vaccines Sped Ahead

Significantly less government funding was put towards researching treatments than vaccines. And national efforts to coordinate and recruit sick patients into trials were insufficient. The next few months will still bring many sick people - and doctors have woefully few drugs with which to treat them.

Don't Believe the Hype: Repositories Are Critical for Ensuring Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability in the Transition to Open Access

Don't Believe the Hype: Repositories Are Critical for Ensuring Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability in the Transition to Open Access

The rhetoric of some scholarly publishers lately has shown a troublesome trend with respect to Open Access repositories (often referred to as Green OA).