2017

Academic publishing relies on peer review to ensure research quality. Is there bias in peer review? And if so, how does it affect academic research? A recent study examined the peer review process using simulations. Some of its findings may…

The fight for open access is almost 15 years old now. Has it made real gains? Open access (OA) remains controversial and obviously threatens commercial journal publishers that profit from expensive paywalls and subscriptions. A new…

As an author, your biggest mission is to communicate information to your readers clearly and precisely. Academic writers often use comparisons to highlight the importance of a discovery or finding or to explain the degree to which something…

In academic writing, footnotes, endnotes, and headnotes provide additional information on a particular topic. They are placed in the document as a supplement to the main text. These notes can be inserted into the document as a footer or at…

Publishing an article in a science journal earns its authors recognition and respect. It is a form of academic currency. This is because, traditionally, the meaning of an author reflected someone making a substantial contribution to the…

Writing an academic biography is part of many academic activities. Whether your paper is accepted in a journal or you’re asked to present your findings at a conference, you will be required to submit a biography. How would you begin…

Whether you are a student or a professor, your circle of friends and colleagues can be valuable to reaching your career goals. What does this mean? Should you choose your friends and/or colleagues simply for how they can help you? Should…

There has been an explosion of scientific progress in the last few decades. Thanks to the development of new technologies, we are now closer than ever in overcoming hurdles such as curing cancer and slowing down climate change. Academic…

Peer review is essential to publishing quality articles. It can be difficult for editors to find reviewers for articles. Many scientists publish more articles than they review. This creates a burden on those who review many papers. The…

Horizon 2020 is an initiative by the European Union. This research and innovation programme will funnel €80 billion between 2014 and 2020 to support scientific breakthroughs and drive economic growth. The European Commission has recently…