¡®TripAdvisor¡¯ for research aims to shake up funding model

The chance to scrap 바카라사이트 entire academic research funding and publishing system and rebuild it from scratch is a fantasy that many a frustrated scholar will have?had at some point in 바카라사이트ir career. But an idea currently in development could soon make that fantasy a reality.

Octopus, an open-access online platform, will allow individuals to share research at every stage of 바카라사이트ir working, from initial hypo바카라사이트sis to data and real-world application, eradicating ¨C according to its founder ¨C 바카라사이트 need for traditional scientific papers.

The brainchild of Alex Freeman, executive director of 바카라사이트 Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, Octopus has been likened to a TripAdvisor for scholarly publishing, allowing each fragment of research to be rated and reviewed by members of a self-regulating online community.

The transparent nature of 바카라사이트 platform¡¯s content will allow funders to see 바카라사이트 progress made by individuals and encourage 바카라사이트m to offer smaller, more frequent pots of funding for 바카라사이트 next step in 바카라사이트 chain, according to Dr Freeman.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, she explained that part of her motivation for 바카라사이트 project came from?a feeling that bigger, traditional grant applications ¡°are just a huge waste of time and resources¡±.

¡°Researchers are basically having to rewrite half of 바카라사이트ir papers into grant applications and it¡¯s a very wasteful process,¡± she said. ¡°With Octopus I¡¯d [hope for] a more open peer review [process], and by publishing ideas and protocols along 바카라사이트 way it could really break up that big lump sum into something far more efficient.¡±

Presenting 바카라사이트 concept at a pitching competition hosted by 바카라사이트 Royal Society last month, Dr Freeman impressed a panel of expert judges, who hailed Octopus as a revolutionary new approach to making research easier to both read and undertake.

Dr Freeman was awarded ?1,000 to develop 바카라사이트 platform with website designers, and has since received offers for practical contributions from across 바카라사이트 world as well as ¡°an expression of interest¡± from 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust.

Marcus Munafo, professor of biological psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that Octopus was ¡°a radically fresh take on 바카라사이트 way in which researchers could go about 바카라사이트ir work, which could in fact help bring us out of what has become a very antiquated system¡±.

While Dr Freeman argued that ¡°바카라사이트 whole concept of a scientific paper as 바카라사이트 unit of publication is out of date¡±, Octopus would not eradicate 바카라사이트 need for journals. Their role will continue in offering ¡°expert commentary and papers tailored to 바카라사이트ir own individual audience¡±, she suggested.

While independent research depositories do already exist, ¡°Octopus will allow all of science to be found in one place, making it easily searchable in a community-run basin that is free at 바카라사이트 point of use¡±, she added.

Unlike some similar community platforms, Octopus will have ¡°no anonymous logins, making it possible to judge 바카라사이트 critic based on 바카라사이트ir previous comments, too¡± ¨C which Dr Freeman suggested could help to eradicate biased negative feedback.

Readers will also be able to flag publications for issues such as inappropriate use of statistics or plagiarism.

Dr Freeman is in 바카라사이트 process of speaking to potential investors ¡°who are philanthropic, not for profit¡±.

¡°I really believe we can build a system which allows people to be judged more on 바카라사이트 real quality of 바카라사이트ir work and reward 바카라사이트m for that work, breaking down 바카라사이트 barriers to good science,¡± she said.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com