Category Archives: Impact Factors

The Schekman Manoeuvre

Posted on 12 December 2013 by Stephen

This is the original version (with the original title) of an article that has been published at The Conversation.  Having climbed all the way to the Nobel prize on a ladder made of Nature, Science and Cell papers, biologist Randy Schekman has … Continue reading →

Posted in Cell, Impact Factors, nature, nobel prize, Open Access, Randy Schekman, science, Scientific Life | Comments Off on The Schekman Manoeuvre

Impact factors declared unfit for duty

Posted on 16 May 2013 by Stephen

Regulars at this blog will be familiar with the dim view that I have of impact factors, in particular their mis-appropriation for the evaluation of individual researchers and their work. I have argued for their elimination, in part because they … Continue reading →

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Science: better messy than messed up

Posted on 9 May 2013 by Stephen

I am fascinated by the psychology of scientific fraudsters. What drives these people? If you are smart enough to fake results, surely you have the ability to do research properly? You should also be clever enough to realise that one day … Continue reading →

Posted in Diederk Stapel, fraud, Impact Factors, Norovirus, Scientific Life, Structural Biology | Comments Off on Science: better messy than messed up

Evaluating scientists: take care

Posted on 8 September 2012 by Stephen

A resonant blogpost is the gift that keeps on giving. One of the latest comments in my Sick of Impact Factors polemic bemoaning the corrosive effects of journal impact factors on scientific lives provided a link to a quite wonderful … Continue reading →

Posted in Impact Factors, Ronald Vale, Scientific Life | Comments Off on Evaluating scientists: take care

Sick of Impact Factors: Coda

Posted on 19 August 2012 by Stephen

My ‘Sick of Impact Factors‘ blog post seems to have struck much more of a chord than I anticipated. At the time of writing it has attracted over 12,900 page views and 460 tweets, far higher than my usual tallies. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Impact Factors, Open Access, science publishing, Scientific Life | Comments Off on Sick of Impact Factors: Coda

Eyes on the prize are blind to reality

Posted on 22 April 2012 by Stephen

Scientists’ quest for publication in journals with high impact factors is widely perceived as one of the more refractory barriers to the fuller adoption of open access, which I believe to be in the best interests of science. But the … Continue reading →

Posted in Impact Factors, nature, Open Access, Prizes, Scientific Life, Vanity | Comments Off on Eyes on the prize are blind to reality