Reader

Subra Suresh fears that business short-termism, increasing research costs and worries over cybersecurity are undermining the incentives to invest

Dave Sayers shares his tips on how to boost productivity

Analysis suggests higher selectivity fails to increase journals’ impact factors

Center for Open Science hopes initiative will make results more reproducible

Committee of MPs hears that effort to conduct vaccine and treatment trials during outbreak in West Africa was ‘uncoordinated’

Warning comes after stories about Coca-Cola’s spending on science hit the headlines last year

Authors argue this means universities should spend less on senior academics and give promising younger scholars more of a chance

After a man dies following a clinical trial in France, Christopher Roy-Toole asks whether lessons were learned after a similar incident in the UK

Scholars say they feel overwhelmed by demands, but there is scandalously little evidence on whether long hours make any sense for knowledge workers, finds David Matthews

Some surveys show faculty putting in at least 60 hours a week, but research casts doubt on whether this is a productive routine

Peer Reviewers’ Openness Initiative billed as a ‘grassroots’ response to concerns over reproducibility

Analysis of seven prominent medical journals finds randomised controlled trials are far less likely to receive a press release than weaker observational studies

Despite mission statements proclaiming importance of ‘third stream’ activity, scholars do not see it as a priority

Plos Biology launches new section looking at how experiments are run and incentive systems for scientists

City University London vice-chancellor among academics recognised

Chair of review into research excellence framework also defends decision to have steering committee dominated by Russell Group

Baron Stern of Brentford has previously raised concerns that the research excellence framework forces academics to focus too much on publishing articles

New publishing model aims to make research accessible to all without charging authors

Survey also finds that women do more work with the general public than male researchers

New ministerial committee could wield power over research agenda, but support expressed for new pot of interdisciplinary funding

Analysis of top-ranked groups also finds they have ‘accountable autonomy’ from the university

Liang Xinsheng removed from deputy chair post after writing ‘radical opinions’ that had a ‘bad social influence’

New vice-chancellor Hugh Brady hopes innovation programmes will spur graduates to become social and business entrepreneurs

Green Paper recommends use of metrics, despite July report’s reservations

Science and Technology Committee raises fears that resource spending has not kept up with new infrastructure

Adam Afriyie urges policymakers to test their preconceived ideologies against evidence

Author of new book The Cunning of Uncertainty fears pressure for scientific certainty is leading researchers to make promises they cannot deliver

The measure of scholarly impact is now being manipulated so much that it has ceased to be meaningful, editorial claims

Success rates fall at five out of six councils amid warnings that the process could become ‘more of a lottery’ as reviewers are stretched

Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow and York enter top 10 after £120 million grant for quantum technology

A new paper finds that more than half of economic studies are unreproducible. But there could be even deeper issues with the discipline, says David Matthews

Cases underscore concerns about use of younger researchers’ work by senior colleagues without permission

Fears that discipline is particularly susceptible to statistical ‘hacking’ of data to gain a positive result

Director Jeremy Farrar argues that current research culture damages scientists’ ability ‘to dream’

The Chinese president is visiting several of the UK’s top universities. But would they thrive in China? 

Vast majority find position in STEM-related careers, although fewer stay in research over the longer term

Public scrutiny may force up quality of peer review, suggests study

Women with partners who have full-time jobs find it more difficult to get over ‘glass fence’ and move abroad, study suggests

Business secretary responds to fears that 2017 is too soon to bring in new teaching excellence framework

Reports question whether scientists are removing sources of bias in experiments involving animals

Sheer number of online profiles to be filled out a ‘disservice’ to scholars, Amsterdam conference hears

Articles that are free to view are also more frequently shared on Facebook, new research finds

Money to be set aside for ‘blue skies’ fundamental research

Inspired by previous movement in 1960s, PhD students say that ‘science is not neutral’ and urge scientists to confront their assumptions

Rising liabilities may again focus attention on whether Universities Superannuation Scheme assumptions are ‘unreasonably pessimistic’

Fears over quality decline, but many academics still unclear over open access requirements

THE Africa Universities Summit hears that scholars may be tempted back by improved standards, better facilities and a welcoming atmosphere

Sweeping changes to the laws governing industrial disputes could restrict unions’ ability to call strike action, writes Jack Grove