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Recognizing and rewarding open research practices

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A short summary of the discussion about letting go of the Journal Impact Factor

Several Dutch articles about Recognition & Recognition were published last summer, including:

  • ‘Nieuwe Erkennen en waarderen schaadt Nederlandse wetenschap’ – ScienceGuide
  • ‘We moeten af van telzucht in de wetenschap’ – ScienceGuide
  • ‘Waarom de nieuwe Recognition & Rewards excellente wetenschap juist een boost geeft’ – Recognition & Rewards

In response to the news that impact factors of scientific journals are no longer included in the evaluation of scientists at the University Utrecht, 171 scientists (including 141 professors) warned that the new recognition and reward movement will harm Dutch science (Poot et al., 2021).

Utrecht announced, among other things, that they are abandoning performance figures based on journal-related metrics (including the Journal Impact Factor (JIF), and H-index), and will focus on team science and ‘open science’ instead. The opinion piece by Poot et al (2021) argues that the JIF is an imperfect, but good enough parameter for scientific quality. The signatories also believe that one cannot simply change the way researchers are evaluated, especially because the JIF (but also things like h-index) are internationally used and recognized measures for which, according to the signatories, there is no good (quantitative) alternative. They warn that the omission of measurable evaluation criteria will have negative consequences for the international recognition and appreciation of (young) Dutch scientists and make the evaluation process more political and arbitrary.

This opinion piece was criticized not only by established researchers but also by younger researchers. In various responses, more than 400 researchers stated that they did not find the JIF a representative measure to assess (young) scientists because the duties of the modern scientist consist of much more than just writing scientific publications (e.g., Algra et al., 2021). In line with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), the academics called for a reassessment of the role of bibliometric indicators in the assessment of research and the abandonment of the JIF as a measure of individual quality.

In addition, also members of Open Science Communities from all over the Netherlands state that to date there is no scientific literature showing that the JIF is correlated with the quality of individual scientists (Fijten et al., 2021). In fact, they cite articles showing that scientific articles in journals with a higher JIF are on average of lower quality (Bhattacharya & Packalenbrembs, 2018; Brembs, 2018). With regard to the possible negative consequences for the international recognition and appreciation of (young) Dutch scientists, the group emphasizes that the new recognition and appreciation, contrary to what is stated by Poot et al. (2021), is in line with a broad international trend. The DORA statement has been signed by more than 20.000 individuals and organizations from 148 different countries, and major national and international research funders (e.g. NWO, ERC, NIH) are saying goodbye to assessment based on journal metrics. The new recognition and reward movement could therefore have positive consequences for the international recognition and appreciation of (young) Dutch scientists.

The discussion shows that not everyone agrees on how scientists should be recognized and rewarded. At the moment, many universities are working to give shape to a vision on how to reshape how to reward and recognize researchers, including the University of Groningen.

Do you want to know more about this topic?

On 28 October 2021 there will be a panel discussion on recognizing and rewarding open research practices during the Celebrating Openness event, with an introduction by Professor Cisca Wijmenga (Rector of the University of Groningen and chair of the recognizing and appreciating Groningen committee).

Panelists:

  • Dr Flávio Eiró (Faculty of Arts)
  • Prof. Marian Joëls (Faculty of Medical Sciences)
  • Dr Marijke Leliveld (Faculty of Economics and Business)
  • Merle-Marie Pittelkow (Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences)
  • Prof. Mladen Popovic (Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies)
  • Chair: Dr Tina Kretschmer (Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences)

Vera E. Heininga & Maurits Masselink, co-founders of the OSCG

References

Algra at el. (2021) ‘We moeten af van telzucht in de wetenschap’ – ScienceGuide

Bhattacharya, J., & Packalen, M. (2020). Stagnation and scientific incentives (No. w26752). National Bureau of Economic Research.

Brembs, B. (2018). Prestigious science journals struggle to reach even average reliability. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 12, 37

Fijten et al. (2021) ‘Waarom de nieuwe Recognition & Rewards excellente wetenschap juist een boost geeft’ – Recognition & Rewards

Poot et al. (2021) ‘Nieuwe Erkennen en waarderen schaadt Nederlandse wetenschap’ – ScienceGuide

[Dutch translation]

Erkennen en waarderen van open onderzoekspraktijken:  de discussie rondom het loslaten van de Journal Impact Factor

Afgelopen zomer verschenen er diverse artikelen over Erkenning & Waarderen, waaronder:

  • ‘Nieuwe Erkennen en waarderen schaadt Nederlandse wetenschap’ – ScienceGuide
  • ‘We moeten af van telzucht in de wetenschap’ – ScienceGuide
  • ‘Waarom de nieuwe Recognition & Rewards excellente wetenschap juist een boost geeft’ – Recognition & Rewards

Als reactie op het nieuws dat de Universiteit Utrecht impact factoren van wetenschappelijke tijdschriften niet meer worden meegenomen in de evaluatie van wetenschappers, waarschuwden 171 wetenschappers (waaronder 141 hoogleraren) dat het nieuwe erkennen en waarderen de Nederlandse wetenschap zal schaden (Poot et al., 2021). 

Utrecht kondigde onder andere aan dat zij prestatiecijfers gebaseerd op journal gerelateerde metrics loslaten (o.a. de Journal Impact Factor (JIF), en H-index), en in plaats daarvan inzetten op team science en ‘open science’. In het opiniestuk van Poot et al (2021) wordt aangedragen dat de JIF een niet-perfecte, maar goed genoege, parameter is voor wetenschappelijke kwaliteit. Ook vinden de ondertekenaars dat men niet zomaar de manier waarop onderzoekers geëvalueerd worden kunnen veranderen, met name omdat de JIF (maar dus ook dingen als h-index) internationaal gebruikte en erkende maten zijn waarvoor, volgens de ondertekenaars, geen goed (kwantitatief) alternatief bestaat. Het achterwege laten van meetbare evaluatiecriteria zal negatieve gevolgen hebben voor de internationale erkenning en waardering van (jonge) Nederlandse wetenschappers en het beoordelingsproces politieker en willekeuriger maken, zo waarschuwen zij.

Op dit opiniestuk kwam veel kritiek, niet alleen van gevestigde onderzoekers, maar ook opvallend veel van  jongere onderzoekers. In verschillende reacties lieten meer dan 400 onderzoekers weten de JIF geen representatieve maat te vinden om (jonge) wetenschapper op te beoordelen omdat het takenpakket van de moderne wetenschapper uit veel meer bestaat dan enkel het schrijven van wetenschappelijke publicaties. In lijn met de San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), pleitten de academici voor een herijking van de rol van bibliometrische indicatoren bij de beoordeling van onderzoek en het loslaten van de JIF als maat voor individuele kwaliteit.

Deze jonge onderzoekers werden bijgestaan door veel leden van Open Science Communities uit heel Nederland. Zij laten weten dat er tot op heden geen wetenschappelijke literatuur is die laat zien dat de JIF gecorreleerd is aan kwaliteit van individuele wetenschappers. Sterker nog, ze citeren artikelen waaruit blijkt dat wetenschappelijke artikelen in tijdschriften met een hogere JIF gemiddeld van lagere kwaliteit zijn (Bhattacharya & Packalenbrembs, 2018; Brembs, 2018). Met betrekking tot de eventuele negatieve gevolgen voor de internationale erkenning en waardering van (jonge) Nederlandse wetenschappers benadrukt de groep dat het nieuwe erkennen en waarderen, in tegenstelling tot wat wordt gesteld door Poot et al. (2021), juist aansluit bij een brede internationale trend. De DORA verklaring is ondertekend door ruim 20.000 individuen en organisaties uit 148 verschillende landen, en grote nationale en  internationale onderzoeksgeldverstrekkers (bijv. NWO, ERC, NIH) nemen afscheid van beoordeling op basis van journal metrics.   Het nieuwe erkennen en waarderen zou dus juist positieve gevolgen kunnen hebben voor de internationale erkenning en waardering van (jonge) Nederlandse wetenschappers.

De discussie laat blijken dat niet iedereen het eens is over hoe wetenschappers erkent en gewaardeerd zouden moeten worden. Op dit moment zijn veel universiteiten bezig om vorm te geven een erkennen en waarderen visie, waaronder ook de Universiteit Groningen. 

Wil je meer weten over dit onderwerp? 

Op 28 oktober 2021 is er een paneldiscussie over het erkennen en waarderen van open onderzoekspraktijken tijdens het ‘Celebrating Openness’ event, met een inleiding door Professor Cisca Wijmenga (Rector of the University of Groningen en voorzitter van de erkennen en waarderen commissie Groningen).

Panelists:

  • Dr Flávio Eiró (Faculty of Arts)
  • Prof. Marian Joëls (Faculty of Medical Sciences)
  • Dr Marijke Leliveld (Faculty of Economics and Business)
  • Merle-Marie Pittelkow (Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences)
  • Prof. Mladen Popovic (Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies)
  • Chair: Dr Tina Kretschmer (Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences)

Vera E. Heininga & Maurits Masselink, co-founders of the OSCG

References

Algra at el. (2021) ‘We moeten af van telzucht in de wetenschap’ – ScienceGuide

Bhattacharya, J., & Packalen, M. (2020). Stagnation and scientific incentives (No. w26752). National Bureau of Economic Research.

Brembs, B. (2018). Prestigious science journals struggle to reach even average reliability. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 12, 37

Fijten et al. (2021) ‘Waarom de nieuwe Recognition & Rewards excellente wetenschap juist een boost geeft’ – Recognition & Rewards

Poot et al. (2021) ‘Nieuwe Erkennen en waarderen schaadt Nederlandse wetenschap’ – ScienceGuide

PLOS ONE’s Top 5 Videos of 2015 (So Far)

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At the end of 2014, we highlighted some of our favorite research videos from that year. We’re only mid-way through 2015, but we already have a number of popular research videos that we’d like to share. Here are some of … Continue reading »

The post PLOS ONE’s Top 5 Videos of 2015 (So Far) appeared first on EveryONE.

Science for Marathon Monday

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Update: On Monday afternoon at 2:56pm, two explosions occurred near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. In light of these events, PLOS ONE would like to express our deepest sympathies for the victims and families affected by this tragedy.

 

Still procrastinating on those tax returns? If you have finally filed and are looking to blow off some steam, maybe a 26.2 mile run will do the trick! Today on April 15th, over 27 thousand people will lace up their sneakers, warm up their muscles and prepare for one of the world’s oldest races, the Boston Marathon.

Vasque Mindbenders after a muddy trail run in the hills of Griffith Park. (c) 2011 Geoff CordnerThe very first Boston Marathon was held in 1897 and was then known as the B.A.A. Road Race. Originally 24.5 miles in length, the race was extended to 26.2 miles in 1924 to conform to the Olympic standard. Since that first race day which featured 15 runners, the marathon has grown immensely, with 26 thousand people participating last year.

In honor of the 117th marathon or whatever race you may be running today, here are some recently published articles featuring the sport:

In a paper published this February, researchers have determined the cause of runners fatigue during a marathon in warm weather. These authors recruited 40 amateur runners to test their fatigue and measure their pace during the race. Through their analysis, the authors found that participants who felt the greatest fatigue had elevated levels of blood markers of muscle breakdown. There is still further research to be done to find if this muscle damage is due to mechanistic or metabolic factors.

But what effect does warm weather have on a marathon? In another recent article, authors investigated whether climate change has affected the winning times of the Boston Marathon.  The authors found the temperatures between 1933 and 2004 did not consistently slow winning times on race day. However, the analysis also indicated that if temperatures warmed by 0.058°C a year, we would have a 95% chance of detecting a slowing of winning marathon times by 2100. And if average race day temperatures had warmed by 0.028°C a year (a mid-range estimate) we would have a 64% chance of detecting a decline in winning timings by 2100.

This analysis gives us some insight on how running may change in the future, but have you ever wondered what the sport was like 30,000 years ago? Unlike current shoe wearing athletes, our ancestors were barefoot runners and so are other modern human populations, including the Daasanach. In an article published this year, researchers have investigated the foot strike patterns among barefoot runners in northern Kenya. Data was collected from 38 adults, who ran at their own speed and distance. The authors found that not all the barefoot runners landed on their fore- or mid foot, but the majority landed on their heels first. This observation dismisses the original hypothesis that the barefoot runners would land on the fore-or mid foot, and suggests that there may be a number of other factors which influence foot strike patterns.

Whether you are ready to take your mark, or getting set to file those taxes, visit our site here for more papers on the topic.

 

Citations:

Citation: Del Coso J, Fernández D, Abián-Vicen J, Salinero JJ, González-Millán C, et al. (2013) Running Pace Decrease during a Marathon Is Positively Related to Blood Markers of Muscle Damage. PLoS ONE 8(2): e57602. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057602

Citation: Miller-Rushing AJ, Primack RB, Phillips N, Kaufmann RK (2012) Effects of Warming Temperatures on Winning Times in the Boston Marathon. PLoS ONE 7(9): e43579. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043579

Citation: Hatala KG, Dingwall HL, Wunderlich RE, Richmond BG (2013) Variation in Foot Strike Patterns during Running among Habitually Barefoot Populations. PLoS ONE 8(1): e52548. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052548

Image: on Flickr by geoff cordner

March Madness: PLOS ONE News and Blog Round-Up

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1660014877_10c78dd1a9For the month of March, a variety of papers caught the media’s attention, from distracting cell phone conversations, to the devastating decline in forest elephants.  Here are some of the media highlights for this month:

Have you ever wondered where your hound originated from? In a paper featured this March, researchers have identified the fossil remains of the oldest domestic canine ancestor. In this study, researchers analyzed the DNA of a 33,000 year old tooth belonging to a Pleistocene dog from central Asia. In their evaluation of the fossil, they assessed its relationship to modern dogs and wolves’, concluding the tooth was more closely related to the domestic canine.

In another study, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have found that football players might sustain long-term brain injuries without ever having a concussion. 67 players who had never suffered a concussion underwent testing over the course of a season.  The testing, which included blood sampling, brain scans, cognitive and functional assessments, screened for potential brain damage among the participants. The researchers searched for S100B in the blood, an antibody linked to brain damage. This antibody was found in many of the participants, with the highest levels belonging to the players with the most hits.

Have you ever found yourself distracted when a co-worker is on a phone call? In an eye-catching paper published this month, PLOS ONE authors examined the effects on attention and memory when listening to cell phone conversations, versus two-sided conversations. The participants were assigned a task while two conversations were in progress, one on a cell phone, and another between two individuals.  After the task was completed, the participants were assigned a recognition memory task and questionnaire measuring the distracting nature of the conversation. The participants who overhead the cell phone conversation measured it as much more distracting compared to the two-sided conversation.

And in a fourth study capturing the attention of many, researchers have examined the decline of forest elephants in Central Africa. The study concludes that forest elephants are being poached at increasing rates. Poaching, in addition to the human population rise and the absence of anti-poaching law enforcement, is contributing to the elephant’s population decline. The analysis revealed that 62 percent of the African forest elephants have been eliminated in the last decade due to poaching.

These four papers are just a taste of the variety of papers published this month. For more research headlines, visit our site here.

 

Citations:

Druzhkova AS, Thalmann O, Trifonov VA, Leonard JA, Vorobieva NV, et al. (2013) Ancient DNA Analysis Affirms the Canid from Altai as a Primitive Dog. PLoS ONE 8(3): e57754. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057754

Marchi N, Bazarian JJ, Puvenna V, Janigro M, Ghosh C, et al. (2013) Consequences of Repeated Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in Football Players. PLoS ONE 8(3): e56805. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056805

Galván VV, Vessal RS, Golley MT (2013) The Effects of Cell Phone Conversations on the Attention and Memory of Bystanders. PLoS ONE 8(3): e58579. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058579

Maisels F, Strindberg S, Blake S, Wittemyer G, Hart J, et al. (2013) Devastating Decline of Forest Elephants in Central Africa. PLoS ONE 8(3): e59469. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059469

Image: by digitalART2 on Flickr

Tuberculosis: Raising Awareness Through Research

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One of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases has been with us since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It has been found in thousand-year-old Egyptian mummies and is still present in millions of homes today. What is this ancient disease you may ask? Tuberculosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection in the lungs, which can spread to other organs. According to the CDC, TB is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world. And although significant progress has been made to eliminate this illness, 9 million new cases of tuberculosis were reported in 2011.

Tuberculosis is spread when an individual is exposed to a sneeze or cough of a person suffering from the disease. TB can also be contracted if someone has poor nutrition or living conditions.  In some cases, the infection can lie dormant in the body for years, and in others, it may become active and cause major complications. The primary stage of tuberculosis has no symptoms, but as the disease progresses, patients can suffer from bloody coughs, fatigue, fever and weight loss.

Ancient Roman physicians recommended treatments including bathing in human urine, eating wolf livers and drinking elephant blood. Today, though, modern medicine has found that Tuberculosis is preventable and treatable by more modern methods,  with early treatment being essential to stopping its progression.

In honor of World TB Day, observed yesterday on March 24th, here are some recently published papers from PLOS ONE on the subject:

Diabetes is a risk factor for TB, and it can also affect the severity of the infection and success of treatment. In a recent study, authors have researched the connection between diabetes, smoking and tuberculosis.  The cohort study featured patients suffering from their first episode of tuberculosis. Out of the 657 participants analyzed, diabetes was present in 25 percent, which increased the risk of death in the first 12 months after enrollment. Tobacco smoking also increased the risk of TB and caused further complications among diabetic patients.

In another recently published paper, researchers have investigated the outcome of aggressive treatments for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The patients analyzed were treated in a national outpatient program in Peru from 1999 to 2002. Participants received individualized regimens for laboratory-confirmed tuberculosis.  In this cohort examination, authors found that TB was cured in 66 percent of the patients, showing that aggressive regimens for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis can be extremely successful.

Lastly, the link between poverty and TB has been well established, but the mechanisms behind this link have not.  In a third PLOS ONE paper, authors investigated why the poor are at a greater risk for tuberculosis in India.  With data from the 2006 Demographic Health Survey, researchers analyzed incidences of TB and household economic status. They found low body mass index and air pollution may be partly responsible for the link between poverty and tuberculosis.

Further initiatives are needed to assist in the global eradication of tuberculosis. To expand your own awareness of this infectious disease, please explore additional PLOS ONE research here.

 

Citations:

Reed GW, Choi H, Lee SY, Lee M, Kim Y, et al. (2013) Impact of Diabetes and Smoking on Mortality in Tuberculosis. PLoS ONE 8(2): e58044. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058044

Mitnick CD, Franke MF, Rich ML, Alcantara Viru FA, Appleton SC, et al. (2013) Aggressive Regimens for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Decrease All-Cause Mortality. PLoS ONE 8(3): e58664. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058664

Oxlade O, Murray M (2012) Tuberculosis and Poverty: Why Are the Poor at Greater Risk in India? PLoS ONE 7(11): e47533. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0047533

Image: By isafmedia on Flickr

Prowling Catfish Catch Pigeons on Land

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Cats hunt birds, and sea-birds hunt fish.  And in some odd ecological pockets, catfish hunt pigeons.

In a study published today by researchers at the University of Toulouse, France, scientists have investigated this unusual predator-prey relationship between European catfish and pigeons in the Southwest region of France.

European catfish have been reported to capture the pigeons on land and drag them back into the water.  This surprising behavior has not been known to occur in the native range of the species; however this article discovers that in France, where the fish are an invasive species, they have adapted their natural behavior in order to feed on novel prey in their new environment.

The researchers completed this study along the Tarn River in Southwestern France.  European catfish originate from Europe, east of the Rhine River, but were introduced to the Tarn River in 1983.

From a bridge above a gravel island on the river, the researchers watched the fish from June through October 2011. Over that time they saw 54 pigeon hunting incidents, and in 28% of these cases, the catfish successfully captured their prey on land and dragged them back into the water to eat them. These attacks were nearly always triggered by active pigeons, as catfish never attacked motionless pigeons. This evidence suggests that the catfish used water vibrations to hunt their prey rather than visual cues.

The cause of this unusual predation behavior is still unknown. However, these new findings may bring us closer to understanding the implications of such novel behavior in a new ecosystem.

To view the fascinating catfish behavior described in this article, please see the video below:

Citation: Cucherousset J, Boulêtreau S, Azémar F, Compin A, Guillaume M, et al. (2012) “Freshwater Killer Whales”: Beaching Behavior of an Alien Fish to Hunt Land Birds. PLoS ONE 7(12): e50840. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050840

Spiders, Birds, and Snakes, Oh my!

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To continue our spooktacular posts this October, we bring you a study which may have some arachnophobes rethinking their next vacation destination.

The island of Guam is home to one of the densest spider communities in the Pacific.  In a recent study published with PLOS ONE, researchers investigated this region to discover how the demise of insectivorous birds inhabiting the island has affected one of the most widely feared creepy crawlers.

The downfall of Guam’s native insect-eating birds began in the 1940’s when the infamous brown tree snake was introduced.  To investigate the effects this loss had on the landscape, the authors of the recent paper analyzed the spider population on several Pacific islands.

The team compared the neighboring islands of Rota, Tinian and Saipan, to Guam. These islands do not have any known snake populations, and also have similar native bird species to that of Guam.  The researchers were then able to assess whether the bird presence correlated with spider web numbers, in addition to what impact bird presence had per season.

What the authors found might send chills right down your spine: The spider web densities in Guam were 40 times higher than those of the other islands during the wet season. Guam had an average of 18.37 spider webs per 10 meters, as compared to the other islands, which only had 0.45 webs per 10 meters. In addition, the bird loss had even increased the web size for a certain spider species.

Whether you suffer from arachnophobia, ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) or ornithophobia (fear of birds), I think we can all agree this is a terrifying case showing the effects the removal of an essential predator can have to a landscape.

Citation: Rogers H, Hille Ris Lambers J, Miller R, Tewksbury JJ (2012) ‘Natural experiment’ Demonstrates Top-Down Control of Spiders by Birds on a Landscape Level. PLoS ONE 7(9): e43446. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043446

Image Credit: Anders B on Flickr CC-by license