2017

Completing a PhD course is undoubtedly one of the most fulfilling pursuits for academics. Recently, however, a new term arose: ABD (“All but Dissertation”). ABD refers to students who have completed their coursework and passed the exam, but…

A recent article in F1000 Research reviewed the impact of open access publishing. Open access makes it possible for anyone to read academic research. Traditional journal subscriptions do not include the right to data mining. The opposite is…

Data science relies on software programs to manage and analyze large data sets. Big data has become the buzzword and is helping both industry and academia to become data-driven. Researchers started using data science because of the need to…

An early career researcher faces a curious contradiction. On one hand, the current academic climate gives researchers better, broader, and faster access to technology and information. On the other hand, limiting factors like funds and…

With the ongoing CRISPR patent battle, there is no better time to refresh some important information on patenting inventions. Legally, technology transfer is defined as formal licensing of technical inventions to third parties under the…

Publishing in high-impact and high-quality peer-reviewed journals not only helps researchers advance their careers, but also increases the visibility of their work and the odds of it getting cited. Several metrics are used to assess…

ResearchGate is a platform that allows researchers to upload and share their work with others in the community. Termed as an academic social network, ResearchGate is currently embroiled in a battle against publishers, with the latter crying…

The number of open access publications has increased considerably during the last few years resulting from improved internet usage and the wish to make science more transparent and accessible to the public. This has led to many discussions…

In biology, a debate has erupted over using preprints to share your research article early online, before undergoing a formal peer review at a journal. The preprint is posted on a self-archiving platform such as BioRxiv, which is free to…

According to an estimate, more than 70,000 research journals exist, growing at a rate of about 3.5% per year. More than 1,000 new journals were launched in 2014 alone. These numbers can make journal selection a daunting task. However, you…