Wednesday 29 October 2014

Open science and the disciplinary culture clash - Why is it so hard to reach a consensus?

Open science and the disciplinary culture clash - Why is it so hard to reach a consensus?

When it comes down to the nitty gritty detail of what open science means for an individual researcher, the disciplinary context is key. As clear and straightforward as making research publicly available is, many questions still remain for specific disciplines. Peter Kraker reports back from a session on openness in the humanities where definitions of data, research work and research materials were all contested.

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Do We Need to Shake Up the Social Sciences?

Do We Need to Shake Up the Social Sciences? - Video and audio - News and media - Home

Speaker(s): Professor Nicholas Christakis, Professor Patrick Dunleavy, Dr Amanda Goodall, Professor Andrew Oswald
Chair: Siobhan Benita

Podcast Recorded on 21 October 2014 in Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building.



‘Yes’, according to Nicholas Christakis. He wrote, in the New York Times, ‘Taking a page from Darwin, the natural sciences are evolving with the times. In contrast, the social sciences have stagnated. They offer essentially the same set of academic departments … This is not only boring but also counterproductive ...’ Is Christakis right? In this event, physician and sociologist Nicholas Christakis, political scientist Patrick Dunleavy, management scientist Amanda Goodall and economist Andrew Oswald will debate this question, and then join a discussion on the issue with policy and strategy officer Siobhan Benita.

The citation revolution will not be televised: the end of papers and the rise of data.

The citation revolution will not be televised: the end of papers and the rise of data.

Providing access across subjects and regions, the Data Citation Index is linking up with repositories to provide a single-point recognition mechanism for quality research data. Christopher Lortie welcomes this development as it will profoundly reshape the publication pipeline and further fuel the open science movement. Data can now be recognised and cited as independent products, with or without them being linked to papers. There is now no excuse not to publish those datasets.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Scientific Journals, Peer Review and How to Write a Great Research Paper

Scientific Journals, Peer Review and How to Write a Great Research Paper

"Scientific Journals, Peer Review and How to Write a Great Research Paper"  with  Dr Anthony Newman, Publisher ,Life Sciences, Elsevier & Michaela Kurschildgen, Account Development Manager, Elsevier in the Library on Wednesday the 29th Oct.
 Knowing how to correctly prepare a paper, and the most appropriate scientific journal to send it to will significantly increase the chances of your paper being accepted.  Furthermore, a strong grasp of the review process and the organization of the editorial office can help you - the researcher - understand what will be expected of your submission when it hits the desk.

Ireland’s Big Rewilding Project First of its Kind in Western Europe

Ireland’s Big Rewilding Project First of its Kind in Western Europe

 Wild Nephin project aims to create 27,000 acres of unique wilderness landscape. The Nephin Beg mountain range rises on Ireland's western coast and stretches 20 miles into the sparsely populated northwest of County Mayo. This is a landscape of boglands and heath-covered mountains, battered by Atlantic winds and rain. The only forests here are stands of Lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce, planted in an attempt to wrestle economic gain from the unproductive soil.

Monday 13 October 2014

IOPscience - 2014 Nobel Prize Collection

IOPscience - 2014 Nobel Prize Collection

 Free to read papers authored by the laureates and cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in the Nobel prize scientific background document. Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura are the latest Nobel Prize for Physics laureates. The scientists were awarded for inventing blue LEDs which have enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources.

How big data and analytics could help increase milk production

How big data and analytics could help increase milk production

A new €446,000 collaboration between major Irish dairy producers Glanbia and Dairygold and Irish researchers will see data analytics and big data employed to help boost milk production.

Friday 10 October 2014

Altmetrics can signal flows of information for paths in scholarly communication not yet mapped.

Altmetrics can signal flows of information for paths in scholarly communication not yet mapped.

Research metrics are currently being debated across the UK. With last week’s 1AM conference discussing alternative metrics and this week’s In metrics we trust? event as part of the Independent Review of the Role of Metrics in Research Assessment, the uses and misuses of metrics are under close scrutiny. Cameron Neylon reports back from last week’s altmetrics conference and looks at the primary motivations and applications of new data sources for building a better scholarly communication system.

Open Access movement losing its momentum

Wall Street analysts say open access has failed due to lack of focus, but their analysis might help it succeed.

There are tensions in the open access movement which are putting its sustained momentum at risk, argues Curt Rice. The enthusiasm for the movement’s ideals are now in conflict with what is needed for success, namely a clear message articulated by visible and visionary leadership. Wall Street analysts are predicting open access to be a fading threat to Elsevier profits due to a lack of focus. Can governments, research councils and universities provide the necessary leadership to ensure lasting change?

Monday 6 October 2014

Global Biodiversity Outlook 4

Global Biodiversity Outlook 4

Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) is the flagship publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is a periodic report that summarizes the latest data on the status and trends of biodiversity and draws conclusions relevant to the further implementation of the Convention.

Friday 3 October 2014

Applications requested for Drop Your Thesis! 2015

Applications requested for Drop Your Thesis! 2015

ESA’s Education Office is offering university students a new opportunity to perform a microgravity related experiment, using the ZARM drop tower in Germany.

Thursday 2 October 2014

Three ways podcasting can make you a more engaged academic

Three ways podcasting can make you a more engaged academic

 National Podcast Day was 30th September and was a day dedicated to promoting podcasting worldwide through education and public engagement. Here, Amy Mollett, managing editor of LSE Review of Books, and Cheryl Brumley, our multimedia editor, talk us through three ways that academics can use podcasting to enhance their engagement with students and expand the reach of their work beyond academia.

World University Rankings 2023

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 include 1,799 universities across 104 countries and regions, making them the lar...