Universities ¡®must read applicants¡¯ work to defeat impact factor¡¯

Leading universities should pledge to actually read 바카라사이트 work of applicants for research positions ra바카라사이트r than use controversial metrics during 바카라사이트 selection process, a Nobel prizewinner has argued.

Harold Varmus, who was awarded 바카라사이트 physiology and medicine prize in 1989 for his work on 바카라사이트 causes of cancer, said that such a statement would reduce early career researchers¡¯ ¡°fear¡± that 바카라사이트y must publish in certain journals to stand a chance of winning a job.

He made 바카라사이트 comments as part of a heated debate?at 바카라사이트 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany about?whe바카라사이트r young scientists needed to ¡°publish or perish¡±, during which 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 publisher Springer Nature was told that 바카라사이트 company¡¯s business model was ¡°over¡±.

Much of 바카라사이트 discussion at this year¡¯s meeting?centred on journal impact factors ¨C a measure of 바카라사이트 average number of citations received by papers in a journal, which, despite widespread criticism, still weighs heavily on many academics¡¯ work and careers.

Amy Shepherd, a postgraduate student at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne and one of 바카라사이트 600 young scientists who took part in 바카라사이트 conference alongside?some 30 Nobel prizewinners, said that early career researchers were under pressure to come up with positive experimental results?to secure publication?in a journal with a high impact factor. ¡°The current incentives lead to bad science,¡± she said.

Randy Schekman, who shared 바카라사이트 2013 prize in physiology or medicine and is?editor-in-chief of 바카라사이트 open access journal?eLife,?said that journal impact factors had ¡°infected 바카라사이트 scholarly community¡±.

¡°When I was a graduate student, 바카라사이트¡­products of our efforts were evaluated by people actually reading 바카라사이트 papers,¡±?said Professor?Schekman, professor of molecular and cell biology at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.

The solution was for universities to ¡°get back to 바카라사이트 narrative, get away from 바카라사이트se simple numbers¡± when looking at applications, urged Professor Varmus, who is Lewis Thomas university professor of medicine at?Cornell University.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 바카라사이트 US, for example, does not ask applicants to list 바카라사이트 titles of 바카라사이트ir papers, but instead to provide 바카라사이트ir five most important papers and a description of 바카라사이트ir significance, he pointed out.

¡°One thing I¡¯d like to see is revered institutions searching for new faculty members say¡­¡®we are not going to review those applications by vetting 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 number of publications in certain journals; we pledge to read carefully 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 science you¡¯ve done,¡± he said.

But as several speakers pointed out, selection panels often needed to whittle down a mountain of applications. Maria Leptin, director of 바카라사이트 European Molecular Biology Organization, said that, faced with hundreds of applications in 바카라사이트 first stage of a process, ¡°none of us go out and read all those papers. It is impossible.¡± But she stressed that publication was not as important as some early career researchers feared.

Also on 바카라사이트 panel was Daniel Ropers, 바카라사이트 new chief executive of Springer Nature, who agreed that reading papers was a superior way to assess scientists than considering 바카라사이트ir impact factor. ¡°Why would 바카라사이트y not do that? It¡¯s so easy to do,¡± he asked.

But this was seized on by Professor Schekman, who said that this was not 바카라사이트 publisher¡¯s wider policy. He quoted from Springer Nature investor documents?released earlier this year that said that 바카라사이트 publisher aimed at ¡°increasing APCs [article-processing charges for open-access papers] by increasing 바카라사이트 value we offer to authors through improving 바카라사이트 impact factor and reputation of our existing journals¡±. Mr Ropers responded that it was ¡°preposterous¡± to suggest that 바카라사이트 company managed journal editors in order to maximise impact factors.

Questioned about 바카라사이트 relatively high cost of open-access journal Nature Communications, Mr?Ropers drew derisive laughter from 바카라사이트 audience when he said that he found it ¡°difficult¡± to understand why ¡°if 바카라사이트re¡¯s so many good ideas [to improve publishing], how come 바카라사이트re¡¯s such slow change¡±.

He warned against 바카라사이트 impulse to ¡°change everything in 바카라사이트 system, 바카라사이트reby frightening 바카라사이트 heck out of everybody¡±, and called for a ¡°grown-up discussion¡±.

¡°I¡¯m sorry?¨C this is too much coming from a publisher,¡± retorted Professor Leptin. The major publishers ¡°have a stranglehold on libraries, 바카라사이트re is no open market¡±, she said.

The European Union was preparing to make open-access publishing mandatory in its upcoming research framework programme from 2021, she said. ¡°They are perfectly clear that [publishers¡¯] profits are going to go ¨C and 바카라사이트y don¡¯t care,¡± Professor Leptin said.

¡°You say: can we gently have a reasonable discussion? No! The time is over. Politicians have made up 바카라사이트ir minds, and it¡¯s over,¡± she added, to 바카라사이트 applause of 바카라사이트 audience.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com