For Yet Better Science

Established in 1984, Vellore Institute of Technology is a non-profit private higher-education institution located in the urban setting of the medium city of Vellore (population range of 250,000-499,999 inhabitants), Tamil Nadu. This institution also has a branch campus in Chennai. Officially recognized by the University Grants Commission of India, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is a very large (uniRank enrollment range: 30,000-34,999 students) coeducational Indian higher education institution. Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

Established in 1959, Indian Institute of Technology Madras is a non-profit public higher-education institution located in the urban setting of the large metropolis of Chennai (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants), Tamil Nadu. Officially recognized by the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resources Development of India, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) is a large (uniRank enrollment range: 10,000-14,999 students) coeducational Indian higher education institution. Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

Claire Malone says that both physicists and the public benefit if researchers make science communication central to their day-to-day activities

The human mind takes shortcuts by using past experiences to fill in missing information. This special talent helped our forebears avoid unfamiliar dangers and facilitated the development of modern civilization. Today, it allows us to quickly size up new social situations and connect with complete strangers. As researchers, it helps us see patterns in nature that explain how the world works. But this inherently human characteristic has its flaws. In its most benign manifestation, our reliance on shortcuts makes us susceptible to optical illusions or a magician’s slight of hand. More troubling, our tendency to fill in missing facts by making broad generalizations can lead us to draw erroneous conclusions about our fellow researchers and the quality of their work.

Daniel Stokols , professor emeritus of planning, policy & design, and Judith Olson , professor of informatics, are co-authors of a new report from the National Research Council that concludes scientific research is increasingly dominated by teams–a promising approach that is also rife with challenges. The report is likely to have major public policy and research funding implications as academic and scientific research communities are still largely structured around an outdated concept of the independent solo investigator. Team science can be difficult, especially when teams or groups are geographically dispersed, include diverse disciplines or experience changing membership. Yet the evidence indicates that innovation and impact are enhanced by multidisciplinary science teams. The complete NRC report can be read or downloaded free here . 

PubPeer is currently very likely the most visible and coordinated post-publication peer review site for academics and scientists, even more than PubMed Commons, which has now become obsolete because it allows for anonymous comments and critiques. In order for this site to continue to gain the trust and respect of scientists, it needs to display complete transparency and open communication with the public. Little is known about the founders and the management of this organization, California-based The PubPeer Foundation, although two of its founders, Boris Barbour and Brandon Stell, work at French research institutes. It is believed that in November of 2016, The PubPeer Foundation received US$ 412,800 in funding from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation [funded by Enron billionaire John Arnold]. However, the public would not have been able to glean this information from looking at the “About us” page, even after PubPeer upgraded to version 2.0 on June 15, 2017. This large financial dona

The University of Cape Town is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest university in Sub-Saharan Africa in continuous operation.