ClinicalTrials.gov — Too Many Studies Are Registered Late, Published Late, and Smaller Than Planned
Registering clinical trials after enrollment has commenced may lead to the perception that medical researchers are peeking.
Follow-up on BioMed Central's Sponsored Publication Fees — Granting Funders a View Into Editorial Reports
While BioMed Central’s responses are a mixed bag, a new finding surfaces. And this one might just beat all.
Where There's Smoke — Is Sponsorship of Open Access Author Fees a New Type of Conflict of Interest?
Is there a new form of conflict of interest in the world: BioMed Central’s corporate sponsorship of author fees?
IT Arrogance vs. Academic Culture — Why the Outcome Is Virtually Certain
Claims that technological innovations can smash cultures and revolutionize the fundamentals of scientific communication mistake superficial changes for deep changes. Technology alone isn’t enough. In fact, it seems that publishing changes technology.
Reproducibility — An Attempt to Test the Psychology Literature Underscores a Growing Fault Line
The growing perception that science is built on sand demands not only some new incentives, but also an understanding that science is not always easy — or possible — to replicate.
An Interview with Cameron Neylon, PLoS' New Director of Advocacy
An interview about open access, funding of science, publishable works, profit motives, and other topics of interest, with one of the more thoughtful advocates of OA publishing, Cameron Neylon.
Making Mistakes in a Good Direction — The God Complex and Experiments
This fascinating TED talk will resonate on many levels with people who read this blog — study design, arrogance, vindication, creativity, inspiration, complexity, evolution, and authority are all dealt with. The topic is “the God complex” — the tendency for […]
A Blogosphere Divided — Differences Abound Within Left and Right Political Blogs
A very thoughtful study of the political blogosphere finds that liberal and conservative approaches to Web 2.0 differ dramatically, underscoring that it’s now that you do that matters, but how you do it.
Editorial Rejection — Increasingly Important, Yet Often Overlooked or Dismissed
When we talk about peer-review, we often gloss over the important role of editorial review, which precedes external peer-review — in some cases, eliminating a majority of papers while raising an important type of quality.
The "Academic Spring" — Shallow Rhetoric Aimed at the Wrong Target
In another rhetorical land grab, OA activists are aligning themselves with the Arab Spring by claiming their boycotts are the start of an “academic spring.” Not only are the two not comparable, but obviously the wrong target of oppression and exploitation has been identified.
Review: "How Economics Shapes Science," by Paula Stephan
A new book on the economics shaping science is a treasure trove of facts arranged sensibly and put wonderfully into context. In addition, it’s an example of how to design a print book.
Interview with Paula Stephan — Economics, Science, and Doing Better
The author of “How Economics Shapes Science” responds to some questions stimulated by her fine work.
Ask the Chefs: "What's the Biggest Elephant in the Room?"
What issues aren’t we talking about enough? The Chefs discuss a surprisingly wide variety of elephants — from consumerization to emerging crises to legacy problems.
Will We Be Ready When That Other Type of Disruption Comes?
Disruption has at least two flavors. We’ve dealt well with one, but may be blind to the second. Are those footsteps I hear?
A Sincere Thank You to Adam, Jamie, and Morgan
Two popular science shows take a different approach to science education and inspiration, but both are effective, and more than welcomed.