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Postdocs Trying to Transition to Non-academic Careers Should Be Offered More Support by Their Supervisors and Universities

Postdocs Trying to Transition to Non-academic Careers Should Be Offered More Support by Their Supervisors and Universities

Despite the position being billed as a stepping stone on the way to tenure-track academic employment, many postdocs, discouraged by their poor prospects, are questioning their career choices and instead looking to non-academic jobs as an alternative. However, as Chris Hayter and Marla A. Parker reveal, making this transition is not as easy as it might first appear.

What a Massive Database of Retracted Papers Reveals About Science Publishing's 'death Penalty'

What a Massive Database of Retracted Papers Reveals About Science Publishing's 'death Penalty'

Better editorial oversight, not more flawed papers, might explain flood of retractions

On the Value of Preprints: an Early Career Researcher Perspective

On the Value of Preprints: an Early Career Researcher Perspective

A perspective from an interdisciplinary group of early career researchers on the value of preprints, advocating the wide adoption of preprints to advance knowledge and facilitate career development.

Gender and Quality Create Conflict when Hiring Academics

Gender and Quality Create Conflict when Hiring Academics

Many believe it is difficult to reconcile demands for gender equality and measures such as moderate quotas with academia's conception of quality. This is according to a new master's thesis on assessments and gender in hiring processes for senior-level positions.

Margaret Heffernan: 'The More Academics Compete, the Fewer Ideas They Share'

Margaret Heffernan: 'The More Academics Compete, the Fewer Ideas They Share'

The entrepreneur and author on how universities can create a healthy working culture

How to Keep Up to Date with the Literature but Avoid Information Overload

How to Keep Up to Date with the Literature but Avoid Information Overload

Getting the most out of your Google Scholar profile, creating some old-fashioned table of contents alerts, and simply setting aside time to periodically review key journal titles will ensure you rarely miss out on important research.

Let's Focus on the Research Process, Not the Outputs

Let's Focus on the Research Process, Not the Outputs

Ensuring we focus our definition of success around valuable contributions - instead of around the final output - would recognise and reward good research and researchers.

Time to Break Academic Publishing's Stranglehold on Research

Time to Break Academic Publishing's Stranglehold on Research

Science journals are laughing all the way to the bank, locking the results of publicly funded research behind exorbitant paywalls. A campaign to make content free must succeed

Do You Have Concerns About Plan S? Then You Must Be an Irresponsible, Privileged, Conspiratorial Hypocrite

Do You Have Concerns About Plan S? Then You Must Be an Irresponsible, Privileged, Conspiratorial Hypocrite

Over 1,200 researchers signed an open letter expressing concern about Plan S. Then Twitter came for them -- and, more particularly, for the woman who organized the letter.

Do We Need an Open Science Coalition?

Do We Need an Open Science Coalition?

What exactly is Open Science? Its lack of an appropriate common definition has meant Open Science can be a variety of things; a social justice issue, part of a political capitalist regime, or a form of traditional science. But this lack of consensus leaves room for Open Science to be co-opted and even exploited.

British Public Proud of the UK's Universities, New Poll Reveals

British Public Proud of the UK's Universities, New Poll Reveals

There is a myth that the public are sceptical about the merits of universities. In fact, as this research shows, the opposite is true. The public are hugely positive towards universities and see the benefits of a university education.

Arguments over European Open-access Plan Heat Up

Arguments over European Open-access Plan Heat Up

Biochemist Lynn Kamerlin tells Nature why she has coordinated an open letter - signed by more than 950 scientists - objecting to Plan S.

Would Preregistration Speed or Slow Progress in Science? A Debate with Richard Shiffrin.

Would Preregistration Speed or Slow Progress in Science? A Debate with Richard Shiffrin.

A blog about the science of human behavior and the human behavior of scientists.

Silicon Valley's Breakthrough Prizes Have Money, but They Need Diversity Too

Silicon Valley's Breakthrough Prizes Have Money, but They Need Diversity Too

The tech-funded science awards are attempting to bring glory to basic research, but so far they have done little to challenge the status quo.

The Quest for More Value - Challenges of the Scientific Ecosystem in the Absence of Coordination: A Long Read

The Quest for More Value - Challenges of the Scientific Ecosystem in the Absence of Coordination: A Long Read

How can research produce more value in the absence of coordination? An opinion piece by Daniel Ropers, Chief Executive Officer of Springer Nature.

Reaction of Researchers to Plan S

Reaction of Researchers to Plan S

An Open Letter in response to Plan S, signed by >600 researchers from all ranks, ranging from masters students & ECRs to full professors, department heads, institute directors, and Nobel laureates, from both cOAlition S countries and beyond.

Some Thoughts on Gender and Science/Technology Magazines

Some Thoughts on Gender and Science/Technology Magazines

I counted women and men in a bunch of magazine issues, made some graphs… and then got stuck. I wanted to tell people about these numbers, but how could I explain them? Did they actually show anything that wasn’t already obvious?