Research Culture: A Selection of Articles

Collection

1. Research Culture: A survey of travel behaviour among scientists in Germany and the potential for change

   Verena Haage

   A survey of scientists working in Germany reveals that most already travel to conferences in a sustainable manner and would be willing to make further changes to protect the environment.

2. Research Culture: Framework for advancing rigorous research

   Walter J Koroshetz et al.

   Establishing a community of 'rigor champions' and building a comprehensive educational platform to teach the principles of rigorous science will help to ensure that the outputs of scientific research remain reliable and robust.

3. Research Culture: Setting the right tone

   Tanita Casci, Elizabeth Adams

   Improving the research culture of an institution may lead to a fairer, more rewarding and successful environment, but how do you start making changes?

4. Research Culture: Career choices of underrepresented and female postdocs in the biomedical sciences

   W Marcus Lambert et al.

   Mentorship, financial security and a positive sense of self-worth increase the likelihood that underrepresented minority and female postdocs will pursue a career in academia.
5. 1. Microbiology and Infectious Disease

   Research Culture: Co-reviewing and ghostwriting by early-career researchers in the peer review of manuscripts

   Gary S McDowell et al.

   Early career researchers commonly peer review manuscripts on behalf of invited reviewers, often without receiving feedback or being named to the journal.

6. Research Culture: A survey of new PIs in the UK

   Sophie E Acton et al.

   The challenges faced by new PIs in the UK include difficulties in recruiting PhD students, maintaining a good work-life balance and securing permanent positions.

7. Point of View: When it comes to teaching and tenure it is time to walk the walk

   Andrew W Murray et al.

   Institutions should value teaching and service, and not just research, when considering faculty for promotion and tenure.

8. Research Assessment: Reducing bias in the evaluation of researchers

   A workshop run by DORA identified a number of ways to reduce bias in hiring and funding decisions.

9. Workforce Diversity: Let’s talk about race

   A workshop convened by the Medical Research Council gave PhD students the opportunity to discuss how research careers could be made more inclusive for black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals.

10. Gender Equity: Addressing recruitment at the departmental level

    We suggest five ways in which biology departments can improve their hiring processes in order to achieve gender equity in their workforce.

11. Research: United States National Postdoc Survey results and the interaction of gender, career choice and mentor impact

    Sean C McConnell et al.

    The quality of mentoring received while a postdoc influences career choice irrespective of field, gender, or ethnicity, according to a 7,603-respondent postdoc survey.

12. Global Science: Barriers in Bangladesh

    Senjuti Saha et al.

    An international effort is needed to overcome the paywalls, customs regulations and lack of local suppliers that hinder research in low- and middle-income countries.

13. Workforce diversity: Strategies for cultivating inclusion in research

    The organizers of a recent symposium on diversity challenges in science, technology, engineering and math outline approaches to improve diversity and inclusion across all career stages.
14. 1. Human Biology and Medicine

    Point of View: Competency-based assessment for the training of PhD students and early-career scientists

    Michael F Verderame et al.

    A method to assess the training of scientists, based on a set of 10 core competencies, is proposed.

15. Point of View: Journal clubs in the time of preprints

    Prachee Avasthi et al.

    Early-career researchers can learn about peer review by discussing preprints at journal clubs and sending feedback to the authors.

16. Point of View: The NIH must reduce disparities in funding to maximize its return on investments from taxpayers

    Wayne P Wahls

    A more balanced distribution of NIH grant funding among investigators would strengthen the diversity of the research enterprise, increase the likelihood of scientific breakthroughs, and lead to a greater return on taxpayers' investments.

17. Point of View: What’s in a name?

    Michael D Schaller et al.

    Standardizing the titles, terms and conditions under which postdocs are employed will benefit the biomedical research workforce.

18. Point of View: The future of graduate and postdoctoral training in the biosciences

    Peter Hitchcock et al.

    What can institutions and funding agencies do to address an array of issues facing the biomedical research community in the United States?

19. Point of view: Motivating participation in open science by examining researcher incentives

    Sarah E Ali-Khan et al.

    A survey of researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital provides insights into the challenges and opportunities involved in adopting an open science policy across an entire patient-oriented academic institution.

20. Point of View: The sustainable professor

    Elizabeth S Haswell

    Responsible agricultural practices provide a useful lens through which to consider the lives and careers of researchers.

21. Point of View: Nomad scientists and the ones left behind

    Maya Bar et al.

    To improve the diversity of the scientific workforce, we should not penalize researchers who are unable to move abroad for long periods.

22. Research: Gender bias in scholarly peer review

    Markus Helmer et al.

    Gender-bias in peer reviewing might persist even when gender-equity is reached because both male and female editors operate with a same-gender preference whose characteristics differ by editor-gender.

23. Research: Decoupling of the minority PhD talent pool and assistant professor hiring in medical school basic science departments in the US

    Kenneth D Gibbs Jr et al.

    A systems-level analysis of the biomedical workforce in the US shows that current strategies to enhance faculty diversity are unlikely to have a significant impact, and that there is a need to increase the number of PhDs from underrepresented minority backgrounds who move on to postdoctoral positions.
24. 1. Biochemistry and Chemical Biology

    Point of View: How open science helps researchers succeed

    Erin C McKiernan et al.

    Open research practices bring significant benefits to researchers.

25. Point of View: Avoiding a lost generation of scientists

    Justin Q Taylor et al.

    By sharing their experiences, early-career scientists can help to make the case for increased government funding for researchers.
26. 1. Human Biology and Medicine

    Point of View: Strategies from UW-Madison for rescuing biomedical research in the US

    Judith Kimble et al.

    A cross-campus, cross-career stage and cross-disciplinary series of discussions at a large public university has produced a series of recommendations for addressing the problems confronting the biomedical research community in the US.

27. Point of View: How postdocs benefit from building a union

    Benjamin Cain et al.

    Members of UAW 5810—the union for postdoctoral researchers at the University of California—describe how their union has led to improved terms and conditions for postdocs.

28. Point of View: The writing on the wall

    Henry R Bourne

    The biomedical research enterprise in the US has become unsustainable and urgent action is needed to address a variety of problems.

29. Point of View: What does it take to recruit and retain senior women faculty?

    Fiona M Watt

    eLife deputy editor Fiona M Watt recounts some of her personal experiences as a senior female academic in a male-dominated environment.