They say it’s the hope that kills you – but hopefully not in this case. With three effective vaccines against Covid-19 having emerged in the past few weeks and one of them already being rolled out in the UK, it doesn’t seem too giddy a prediction that by this time next year the curve of […] … learn more→

I’m here to share my top five tips for researchers who want to get confident with statistics. I know, I know – you’re really busy and statistics is one of those things that you’d love to get your head around at some point, but it’s just not your priority right now. Don’t worry. These are […] … learn more→

On 24 November, Twitter exploded with outrage at the announcement that the publisher Springer Nature plans to introduce an open access (OA) option for its Nature research journals, with an article processing charge (APC) of a whopping €9,500 (£8,290 or $11,390). Particular scorn was heaped on a subsidiary pilot scheme called “guided OA”, whereby authors can pay €2,190 in […] … learn more→

“If we cannot talk about sex, then we cannot talk about good sex,” proclaimed gynecologist Jennifer Gunter on a trailer for Jensplaining, her show on female reproductive health. Gunter is an example of a scientist using non-traditional platforms to communicate research. So excited to share the first trailer for Jensplaining with everyone! Thanks @CBC @CBClife You […] … learn more→

I’ve never heard good career news in science and academia. Even before the pandemic, every few years, the Arts Faculty of a major university would shed a huge number of jobs. Australian scientists would be subject to periodic funding cuts or reforms that frequently promise to create a “lost generation of scientists”. As another round of funding cuts looms, this time triggered by the […] … learn more→

SMOTHERING LIFE WITH PLANS WON’T WORK A lot of us in the research sector instinctively believe that we can become more efficient by careful planning. We enforce these plans by making to-do lists, deciding when we will leave the house and arrive for appointments, and by reminding ourselves (and those around us) that we have […] … learn more→

Open access (OA) has been the defining story of academic publishing for the past 15 years. The discourse has changed from whether to move to OA to how to move and, now, how fast to move. On the launch of Plan S in 2018, Science Europe president Marc Schiltz stated that “progress has been slow” […] … learn more→

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of psychological and verbal abuse. If this article causes you any distress, please seek support.  There is a form of privilege that we try not to speak about. Society knows this privilege and often casts woeful eyes and aching hearts to those without it but, in academia and science, we cover […] … learn more→

When the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) was announced five years ago, it was envisioned as a win-win arrangement that would align international aid with the national interest. The aim was to harness domestic research capacity to solve intractable development issues through innovative, impact-driven research. The UK would meet its moral obligations towards the […] … learn more→

Our recent survey found that schools can affect the mental health and well-being of not just students but their parents, too. From April through June 2020, we surveyed 152 parents – primarily mothers – in Detroit, Michigan, who were managing the new demands of remote schooling for their children. Not surprisingly, they reported high levels of anxiety […] … learn more→