Did My Father’s World Die with Him? Grieving the Incalculable Costs of “STEM.”
Grieving my father’s death feels inextricably tangled with grieving the catastrophe overtaking the whole of our research infrastructure.
Debate: Journal Editors Do Not Need To Worry About Preventing Misinformation From Being Spread
A summary of the European Association of Science Editors (EASE) debate session, where Haseeb Irfanullah argued in favor of a motion declaring that journal editors do not need to worry about preventing the spread of misinformation, while Are Brean argued against it.
Are AI Bots Knocking Digital Collections Offline? An Interview with Michael Weinberg
AI Bots are overwhelming server capacity and impeding access to collections. How big is the problem and what solutions exist?
Editing in the Age of Misinformation: A Report on the 2025 EASE Conference
In today’s post, three Scholarly Kitchen Chefs — Haseeb Irfanullah, Phill Jones, and Alice Meadows — report on the recent European Association of Science Editors (EASE) Conference (Oslo, May 14-16).
Guest Post: Will JAG’s New Models Give Libraries and Publishers a Better Seat at the Federal Funding Table?
As US federal policy on indirect costs remains uncertain, the Joint Associations Group seeks input on two proposed models. Learn about the models and implications for library funding and publishers.
Dispensed With A Matronly Air: Trust and AI
BBC Maestro has delivered a writing course taught by a speaking and moving on-screen image of Agatha Christie. Did the AI behind it succeed?
Strategies to Improve Open Science Monitoring: Lessons from France’s OSM initiative
The French Open Science Monitor Initiative shows a path toward improving recognition of data sharing and open science assessment.
Guest Post — The Guidelines for Intersectional Analysis in Science and Technology (GIST): An Interview with Londa Schiebinger
A comprehensive set of recommendations designed to support researchers, peer-reviewed journals, and funding bodies in systematically incorporating intersectional perspectives have been formalized in the Guidelines for Intersectional Analysis in Science and Technology (GIST). Here we interview Londa Schiebinger, co-author of the Guidelines.
Guest Post — Public Access to the Endless Frontier
Vannevar Bush’s “The Endless Frontier” served as both blueprint and symbol of the American research enterprise. His writings are worth re-examination, as the country grapples (again) with the relationship between science and the American public.
Guest Post: Eight Hypotheses Why Librarians Don’t Like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
AI-assisted search is here, and librarians need to have an honest discussion about how to integrate this new technology into library services. This post explores the parallels to the introduction of discovery layers and how to overcome some of the discomfort librarians might have with retrieval-augmented generation.
Is The Climate Change-Academia Relationship Changing Too Fast?
While our understanding of climate change is shaped by academia, the climate crisis also shapes academia’s research and teaching in numerous ways. In this article, I explore the current climate change-academia relationship and touch upon some envisaged changes.
Ask The Chefs — The NIH Steps on the Open Access Accelerator
The NIH has answered the lingering questions about the future of the Nelson Memo. Not only is it still in effect, it’s being accelerated by six months. We asked the Chefs for their thoughts.
Trump v. Research: How We Could Turn the Threats into Opportunities
Alice Meadows and guest chef Suze Kundu look at how, by acting collectively across all stakeholder groups, we could turn the Trump administration’s threats against research into opportunities
Cephalopod Update: First Video Footage of A Colossal Squid Recorded
Finally some good news, at least for afficionados of very large invertebrates.
Rubber Ducking For Research Communication: Why Explaining to Nobody Helps You Explain to Anybody
Explaining research to a rubber duck might sound odd, but it could be the secret to clearer thinking and better communication. This post explores how “rubber ducking” — a technique borrowed from programming — can help researchers explain complex ideas with more clarity, creativity, and confidence.