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Science and Politics: Can Research into Legislative Decision-making Help to Address Food Security?

Science and Politics: Can Research into Legislative Decision-making Help to Address Food Security?

Policymakers need to be encouraged to take a scientic approach when drawing up legislation to boost food security, according to a panel of experts.

The Open Tide - How Openness in Research and Communication is Becoming the Default Setting

The Open Tide - How Openness in Research and Communication is Becoming the Default Setting

The UK has benefitted from funder incentives that make Open Access appealing for authors, while US funders have taken a less interventionist approach to Open Access. This in turn has led to increased international collaboration for UK researchers.

A New Vision for the Statistical Training of Scientists

A New Vision for the Statistical Training of Scientists

Many of today's problems in science are substantially driven by deficits in statistical thinking and data skills that are common across the sciences. This opinion article justifies this position, and offers ways that these deficits might be addressed.

What Do Countries in the Global South Stand to Gain from Signing Up to Europe's Open Access Strategy?

What Do Countries in the Global South Stand to Gain from Signing Up to Europe's Open Access Strategy?

Plan S raises challenging questions for the Global South. Even if Plan S fails to achieve its objectives the growing determination in Europe to trigger a “global flip” to open access suggests developing countries will have to develop an alternative strategy.

How Publishers Keep Fooling Academics

How Publishers Keep Fooling Academics

Time and time again, academic publishers have managed to create the impression that publishing incurs a lot of costs which justify the outrageous prices they charge, even though it is well established that the cost of making an article public with all the bells and whistles that come with an academic article is between US$/€200-500.

It's Time to Start Some Serious Research into the Ethics of AI

It's Time to Start Some Serious Research into the Ethics of AI

The ethical issues swirling around artificial intelligence (AI) are under-researched, with surprisingly little serious academic investigation into AI ethics, despite the huge amount of money pouring into the field and the rampant pace at which the technology is advancing.

More Must Be Done to Ensure That Research is Really Delivering What We Need

More Must Be Done to Ensure That Research is Really Delivering What We Need

How should the social impact of research be measured? James Wilsdon, professor at the University of Sheffield, talks to us about the need for "responsible metrics". 

Why Were Scientists Silent over Gene-edited Babies?

Why Were Scientists Silent over Gene-edited Babies?

To be successful as researchers, we must be able to think through the impacts of our work on society and speak up when necessary.

Plan S - Positive Action Combined with Positive Thinking Delivers Success

Plan S - Positive Action Combined with Positive Thinking Delivers Success

League of European Research Universities (LERU) members offer 10 Recommendations which, once adopted, would make Plan S a bold blueprint in universities for a radical change to current publishing practice.

Open Access in China: Interview with Xiaolin Zhang of the National Science Library

Open Access in China: Interview with Xiaolin Zhang of the National Science Library

China's programme of innovation-driven development, underpinned by research and technology, has placed new demands on the Chinese scientific community. What role for open access - and the Europe-led Plan S programme?

Open-access Pioneer Randy Schekman on Plan S and Disrupting Scientific Publishing

Open-access Pioneer Randy Schekman on Plan S and Disrupting Scientific Publishing

eLife's departing editor talks about the seismic changes he sees coming - and why some journals will lose out.

Fabiola Gianotti: 'There is Nothing More Rewarding Than Discovering a New Particle'

Fabiola Gianotti: 'There is Nothing More Rewarding Than Discovering a New Particle'

The director general of Cern talks about discovering the Higgs boson, women in science and the next generation of colliders.

Partager Le Savoir Scientifique. Sans Entraves

Partager Le Savoir Scientifique. Sans Entraves

OPINION. Matthias Egger, président du Conseil national de la recherche du FNS, plaide pour que les textes scientifiques aient droit à une seconde publication. Une version en libre accès pour le bien commun

Wellcome Open Research, the Future of Scholarly Communication?

Wellcome Open Research, the Future of Scholarly Communication?

In this blog, Robert Kiley and Michael Markie, discuss the ambition behind creating Wellcome Open Research, an innovative funder led publishing platform, and assess the success of the platform over its first two years.

India's Chief Science Adviser: Cost of Academic Publishing is 'untenable'

India's Chief Science Adviser: Cost of Academic Publishing is 'untenable'

India's annual multi-million-euro outlay on scientific publishing is a bad deal for the country, says Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan, principal scientific adviser to the government.

The Unstoppable Rise of Sci-Hub: How Does a New Generation of Researchers Perceive Sci-Hub?

The Unstoppable Rise of Sci-Hub: How Does a New Generation of Researchers Perceive Sci-Hub?

How do early career researchers use Sci-Hub and why? In this post David Nicholas assesses early career researcher attitudes towards the journal pirating site.

PLOS Provides Feedback on the Implementation of Plan S | The Official PLOS Blog

PLOS Provides Feedback on the Implementation of Plan S | The Official PLOS Blog

PLOS welcomes Plan S as a 'decisive step towards the realisation of full open access'1, in particular the push it provides towards realization of a research process based on the principles of open science.