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Science Communication in the Context of Reproducibility and Replicability: How Nonscientists Navigate Scientific Uncertainty

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Author : Emily L. Howell

Scientists stand to gain in obvious ways from recent efforts to develop robust standards for and mechanisms of reproducibility and replicability. Demonstrations of reproducibility and replicability may provide clarity with respect to areas of uncertainty in scientific findings and translate into greater impact for the research.

But when it comes to public perceptions of science, it is less clear what gains might come from recent efforts to improve reproducibility and replicability. For example, could such efforts improve public understandings of scientific uncertainty?

To gain insight into this issue, we would need to know how those views are shaped by media coverage of it, but none of the emergent research on public views of reproducibility and replicability in science considers that question.

We do, however, have the recent report on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which provides an overview of public perceptions of uncertainty in science.

Here, I adapt that report to begin a conversation between researchers and practitioners, with the aim of expanding research on public perceptions of scientific uncertainty. This overview draws upon research on risk perception and science communication to describe how the media influences the communication and perception of uncertainty in science.

It ends by presenting recommendations for communicating scientific uncertainty as it pertains to issues of reproducibility and replicability.

URL : Science Communication in the Context of Reproducibility and Replicability: How Nonscientists Navigate Scientific Uncertainty

Original location : https://hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/3g7u601s/release/2

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Collaborative Processes in Science and Literature: an In-Depth Look at the Cases of CERN and SIC

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Emilia Leogrande, Renato Nicassio

In this paper we examine how the process of collaboration works in science and literature. In the first part, we discuss the features of scientific collaboration and literary collaboration and the differences between them.

In the second part, we analyze two processes of collaboration, each from a different field: the case of CERN and high-energy physics and the case of Scrittura Industriale Collettiva and its Great Open Novel. Lastly, we try to compare those two processes and deduce the common traits of a successful collaboration.

URL : Collaborative Processes in Science and Literature: an In-Depth Look at the Cases of CERN and SIC

DOI : https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2020.592819

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Waiving article processing charges for least developed countries: a keystone of a large-scale open access transformation

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Niels Taubert, Andre Bruns, Christopher Lenke, Graham Stone

This article investigates whether it is economically feasible for a large publishing house to waive article processing charges for the group of 47 so-called least developed countries (LDC). As an example, Springer Nature is selected.

The analysis is based on the Web of Science, OpenAPC and the Jisc Collections’ Springer Compact journal list. As a result, it estimates an average yearly publication output of 520 publications (or 0.26% of the worldwide publication output in Springer Nature journals) for the LDC country group.

The loss of revenues for Springer Nature would be US$1.1 million if a waiver was applied for all of these countries. Given that the subject categories of these publications indicate the output is of high societal relevance for LDC, and given that money is indispensable for development in these countries (e.g. life expectancy, health, education), it is not only desirable but also possible in economic terms for a publisher like Springer Nature to waive APCs for these countries without much loss in revenues.

URL : Waiving article processing charges for least developed countries: a keystone of a large-scale open access transformation

DOI : http://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.526

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Academic Impact of Articles by Practitioners in the Field of Library and Information Science

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Author : Yu-Wei Chang

This study measured the relative academic impact of articles by LIS practitioners by analyzing library and information science articles published between 2005 and 2014. The results revealed that, although practitioners were not the main knowledge contributors, the academic impact of articles by practitioners was not significantly lower than that of articles by academics.

No significant differences in academic impact were present between any two types of coauthored articles. Articles from academic–practitioner collaboration were cited earlier than articles from practitioner–practitioner and academic–academic collaborations.

This study suggests that LIS practitioners appear to benefit from collaborative scholarship with LIS researchers through more citations and higher impact.

URL : Academic Impact of Articles by Practitioners in the Field of Library and Information Science

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.82.1.59

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How ethics combine with big data: a bibliometric analysis

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Marta Kuc-Czarnecka, Magdalena Olczyk

The term Big Data is becoming increasingly widespread throughout the world, and its use is no longer limited to the IT industry, quantitative scientific research, and entrepreneurship, but entered as well everyday media and conversations. The prevalence of Big Data is simply a result of its usefulness in searching, downloading, collecting and processing massive datasets.

It is therefore not surprising that the number of scientific articles devoted to this issue is increasing. However, the vast majority of research papers deal with purely technical matters. Yet, large datasets coupled with complex analytical algorithms pose the risk of non-transparency, unfairness, e.g., racial or class bias, cherry-picking of data, or even intentional misleading of public opinion, including policymakers, for example by tampering with the electoral process in the context of ‘cyberwars’.

Thus, this work implements a bibliometric analysis to investigate the development of ethical concerns in the field of Big Data. The investigation covers articles obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection Database (WoS) published between 1900 and July 2020.

A sample size of 892 research papers was evaluated using HistCite and VOSviewer software. The results of this investigation shed light on the evolution of the junction of two concepts: ethics and Big Data.

In particular, the study revealed the following array of findings: the topic is relatively poorly represented in the scientific literature with the relatively slow growth of interest. In addition, ethical issues in Big Data are discussed mainly in the field of health and technology.

URL : How ethics combine with big data: a bibliometric analysis

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00638-0

 

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Les usages des ressources pédagogiques numériques par les étudiants de 1er cycle universitaire : Une distribution par filière d’étude et année de formation

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Auteur/Author : Emmanuel Brandl

Rares sont les enquêtes sociologiques qui analysent l’influence de la discipline, entendue comme « matrice disciplinaire » (Lahire, 1998), dans la structuration et la différenciation des pratiques étudiantes.

Pourtant, la matrice disciplinaire est déterminante en ce qu’elle est une instance de socialisation qui structure les manières d’étudier. Ces enquêtes mettent pourtant en évidence un usage différencié des ressources pédagogiques selon la discipline (notes de cours, photocopies, articles, ouvrages…).

Ce qui n’est pas sans intérêt : focaliser son attention sur les conditions d’appropriation des ressources pédagogiques prend une acuité particulière quand on sait qu’il s’agit in fine des conditions d’appropriation des savoirs disciplinaires, lesquelles sont déterminantes dans la réussite ou non des cursus universitaires.

Cependant, ces enquêtes ont été menées à des moments où ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler aujourd’hui le « numérique », et notamment le numérique pédagogique, n’était pas ou peu développé, surtout à l’université.

Quelle est alors l’influence du numérique sur ces logiques disciplinaires? Seraient-elles dépassées par le numérique? L’article interroge en creux les logiques par lesquelles les dispositifs et contenus numériques sont pensés à l’université : une offre qui ferait l’économie d’une analyse des principes de différenciation internes à l’université ne serait-elle pas vouée à n’avoir qu’un impact limité?

URL : Les usages des ressources pédagogiques numériques par les étudiants de 1er cycle universitaire : Une distribution par filière d’étude et année de formation

Original location : https://revue-mediations.teluq.ca/index.php/Distances/article/view/175

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Research Data Management (RDM) at the University of Ghana (UG) : Myth or Reality?

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Author : Bright Kwaku Avuglah

This article explores Research Data Management (RDM) at the University of Ghana (UG). It emphasises on institutional awareness and attitudes, and whether the University Library is officially supporting this emerging strategic interest in research focused Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

Purposive sampling was used to select information-rich respondents from across the University (i.e. Librarians, Research Administrators, ICT Managers and Senior Researchers) who were interviewed on a range of issues about RDM.

Institutional documents were also reviewed to corroborate the primary data and get a deeper understanding of the research problem. The study shows that while RDM is recognised at the institutional level as good research practice and integrity issue, the concept is tenuously understood in the local community.

Unsurprisingly, however, there was a general appreciation and awareness of the need for RDM and the implications for such critical concerns as security, integrity, continuity and institutional reputation.

The library is yet to take a strategic approach to RDM issues and there is clearly a dearth in RDM expertise within the library system.

The study recommends that the library must be proactive in advocating and promoting RDM issues at UG, but first, the Librarians must take advantage of numerous existing opportunities to build their capacity.

URL : Research Data Management (RDM) at the University of Ghana (UG) : Myth or Reality?

DOI : https://doi.org/10.2218/ijdc.v15i1.670