Publicity at eLife — Are Media Embargoes Part of the Plan?
eLife is beginning to accept papers, but is it proper for them to promote papers they’ve accepted without having published the final versions? What will their approach be to media embargoes?
Sort of Significant: Are Psychology Papers Just Nipping Past the p Value?
A new paper finds unexpected disturbances around p-value ranges approaching 0.05. Is there something going on beyond mere science?
The Reproducibility Initiative — Solving a Problem, or Just Another Attempt to Draw on Research Funds?
A new initiative seeks to solve the reproducibility problem in science, but instead seems to be creating more of a drag on research funds, ignoring the incentives of scientists, and raising barriers to its very utilization.
Data Integrity and Presentation — Journalism, Verification, Skepticism, and the Age of Haste
Representing data graphically is always tricky. It doesn’t help when a journalist misses many opportunities to verify the data, provide context, and ask some probing questions.
In Praise of Peer Review – A Personal Perspective
When there’s a lot at stake, peer review still helps to separate the best information from the rest.
The Referee Who Wasn’t There: The Ghostly Tale of Reviewer 3
The power and identity of Reviewer 3 springs from the shadows to ensnare the unwanted paper. But is it really a powerful spirit? Or just Dad in a mask?
Interview with Fred Dylla, Executive Director and CEO, the American Institute of Physics
An interview with Fred Dylla of the American Institute of Physics, and why funding is at the heart of many issues we currently face.
Echoes of England — European Commission Backs Open Access by 2014 in Statement
The EU follows in lockstep with the UK, with a statement instead of a mandate. Are the gloves about to come off?
How Does Science Progress? By Branching and Leaping, Perhaps
For some time I have been working on a basic model of scientific progress (or, since “progress” is a value-loaded term, a model of how science progresses). It has implications for certain issues related to scientific publication, so I thought […]
The FDA Spies On Its Own Scientists — Cloaks and Daggers Emerge When Scientists and Authorities Clash
A lurid story of intramural hijinks at the FDA shows how far from mission an organization can drift when it gets its priorities wrong.
Predictable Problems — The UK's Move to Open Access
The RCUK announces its OA plans, including a six-month embargo. Now, speculation snaps into reality, and we will see if a number of lurking unintended consequences come to pass.
Please Use Whole Names on Scholarly Articles
While elaborate systems might help us disambiguate authors of scholarly articles, is there a simpler approach?
Why Do We Allow Poor Science to Guide Policy?
Science policy is often guided by poorly-constructed and highly biased survey results. Shouldn’t we demand more?
Publishers! What Are They Good For? Part Deux: The Debate
The participants in the recent SSP session debating the value of publishers reflect on the session, the audience interactions, and their talks. And, of course, the Romans.
The Hitler Meme Hits Peer Review and Having His NIH Grant Application Rejected
Two funny videos of processes in scientific life which many of us can use a good laugh about. Warning — Hitler, unsurprisingly, swears like a sailor when he’s frustrated. The peer review send-up: And, if you want more, there’s the […]