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A new statistical test lets scientists figure out if two groups are similar to one another. paleontologist natural/shutterstock.com

The equivalence test: A new way for scientists to tackle so-called negative results

A new statistical test lets researchers search for similarities between groups. Could this help keep new important findings out of the file drawer?
Academic journals rely on peer review to support editors in making decisions about what to publish. from www.shutterstock.com

When to trust (and not to trust) peer reviewed science

There’s peer review – and then there’s peer review. With more knowledge you can dive in a little deeper and make a call about how reliable a science paper really is.
There is a huge appetite for science and other research - so why aren’t more academic publications truly ‘open access’? from www.shutterstock.com

Not just available, but also useful: we must keep pushing to improve open access to research

Could the real open access please stand up? If more research was published according to true open access principles, we’d see better application of evidence for everyone’s benefit.
Birdwatchers are keeping parrots’ locations a closely guarded secret. Adventure Australia

Publish and don’t perish – how to keep rare species’ data away from poachers

With the right approach to data security, scientists’ discoveries of the locations of rare and sought-after species needn’t leave a trail for poachers to follow.
More is less in the world of research publications. Desktop image via www.shutterstock.com.

Peer review is in crisis, but should be fixed, not abolished

The traditional mode of publishing scientific research faces much criticism – primarily for being too slow and sometimes shoddily done. Maybe fewer publications of higher quality is the way forward.
Experiment design affects the quality of the results. IAEA Seibersdorf Historical Images

Why isn’t science better? Look at career incentives

Embracing more rigorous scientific methods would mean getting science right more often than we currently do. But the way we value and reward scientists makes this a challenge.
Computer… or black box for data? US Army

How computers broke science – and what we can do to fix it

Virtually every researcher relies on computers to collect or analyze data. But when computers are opaque black boxes that manipulate data, it’s impossible to replicate studies – a core value for science.
Who needs balance? Adrian Berg

The problem of false balance when reporting on science

How do you know the people billed as science experts that you see, hear and read about in the media are really all that credible? Or have they been included just to create a perception of balance in the…
Peer review? No thanks. thierry ehrmann

Hate the peer-review process? Einstein did too

Most academic papers today are published only after some academic peers have had a chance to review the merits and limitations of the work. This seems like a good idea, but there is a growing movement…

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