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Why We Shouldn’t Take Peer Review as the ‘Gold Standard’

Why We Shouldn’t Take Peer Review as the ‘Gold Standard’

Targeting a general audience, this opinion piece argues that with more transparency about the publication process, we might have a more nuanced understanding of how knowledge is built - and fewer people taking “peer-reviewed” to mean settled truth.

The White House Blocked My Report on Climate Change and National Security

The White House Blocked My Report on Climate Change and National Security

Politics intruded on science and intelligence. That's why I quit my job as an analyst for the State Department.

What Boris Johnson's Leadership Could Mean for Science

What Boris Johnson's Leadership Could Mean for Science

The next UK prime minister is a controversial character - and his stance on Brexit concerns researchers.

A Call for Funders to Ban Institutions That Use Grant Capture Targets

A Call for Funders to Ban Institutions That Use Grant Capture Targets

Grant capture is often used as a formal metric for academic evaluation. The author argues that this practice has led to perverse incentives for researchers and institutions and that research funders have both a responsibility and a significant interest in using their influence to halt this practice. 

Why It's So Hard To Reform Peer Review

Why It's So Hard To Reform Peer Review

Measurement creates a temptation to achieve a measurable goal by less than totally honest means. As in physics, the simple act of measuring invariably disturbs what you are trying to measure.

Nutrition Science Is Broken. This New Egg Study Shows Why.

Nutrition Science Is Broken. This New Egg Study Shows Why.

At turns lauded and vilified, the humble egg is an example of everything wrong with nutrition studies.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: the Frustration of Diversity Efforts in STEM

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: the Frustration of Diversity Efforts in STEM

Keynote at PyData LondonJuly 14, 2019https://pydata.org/london2019/schedule/presentation/47/DescriptionTech has spent millions of dollars in efforts to diversify workplaces. Despite this, it seems after each spell of progress, a series of retrograde events ensue. Anti-diversity manifestos, backlash to assertive hiring, and sexual misconduct scandals crop up every few months, sucking the air from every board room. This will be a digest of research, recent events, and pointers on women in STEM.AbstractTwo years ago, a Google engineer attended a diversity program. He had such an adverse reaction to it, that he proceeded to write a 10-page anti-diversity manifesto that he circulated on internal channels. It later became public, furor ensued, and the engineer was fired. Far from being the end of the story, this engineer played the victim of political correctness and became a darling of conservative media outlets. What happened here? One tech company's attempts to educate its employees and improve the internal culture mightily backfired and as a result the cause for women in STEM was choked back. While a general sense that moving toward gender parity is desirable (though some still disagree with this premise), what actions to take remains unclear. Diversity trainings have been scarcely evaluated, and when they have, they seem to change awareness but not behavior. Sometimes, they create a backlash. More assertive action, like quotas, engender open resentment. Women in science and technology are underestimated by peers and teachers, pressed by stereotypes, disadvantaged in hiring and career progression, sexually harassed, disheartened as their expertise is ignored…and now they are resented for diversity initiatives. Science and technology needs its leaders to be fully committed to diversity and in frank understanding of the social-justice underpinnings. Two vehicles for change are: men leaders who are allies, and more women in leadership. The recent DataCamp debacle shows that a whole community's action was needed to right the wrongs of one harasser and one company's reticence to make him accountable. I aim to elicit your commitments to hire and promote women affirmatively, and to get educated and empower activism with evidence.

Taking Pride in Our Researchers

Taking Pride in Our Researchers

To celebrate LGBTSTEM Day, our researchers talk about being #LGBT in science and engineering and why celebrating diversity is so important.

The Largest Obstacles to Open Access Are Unfamiliarity and Misunderstanding of Open Access Itself

The Largest Obstacles to Open Access Are Unfamiliarity and Misunderstanding of Open Access Itself

Explaining the current trends, issues and challenges of open access with special focus on Plan S, Plan U, article processing charges (APC), access issues and predatory publishing practices.

Had I Been Editor in Chief

Had I Been Editor in Chief

i recently applied for the editor in chief position at Psychological Science. i didn't get it, but i got far enough to be asked to write a vision statement, responding to eight prompts.

Rejected Article Tracking with the CrossRef API

Rejected Article Tracking with the CrossRef API

Nothing burdens the heart of a journal editor more than rejecting an article. Partly, this is because you know you're giving someone…

"Destructo-Critics" and Mean Bloggers: The Study | Absolutely Maybe

"Destructo-Critics" and Mean Bloggers: The Study | Absolutely Maybe

A couple of years ago, psychologist Susan Fiske launched a broadside against science bloggers - since taken offline - packed with name-calling.