Thought Leaders
Structured expert judgment using the Classical Method
When complex decisions must be made while data is unavailable, structured expert judgment can be used to combine uncertainty distributions resulting from experts’ assessments. Roger Cooke, the Chauncey Starr Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future, and Emeritus Professor at Delft University of Technology, created the well-known Classical Model to quantify uncertainty using expert opinion. Together with Dr Tina Nane, […]
The HIBAR Research Alliance: Reinvigorating research for the 21st century
How can the research ecosystem be improved so that it better contributes to solving the critical problems facing society today? That’s the motivating question behind an alliance of universities and other research organisations which believes that an answer lies in carrying out more Highly Integrative Basic And Responsive (HIBAR) research projects – efforts that are both basic and use-inspired, and […]
Writefull – Advanced academic language feedback
Writefull provides advanced academic and technical writing software that goes well beyond the tools provided by other grammar checkers. Using highly complex algorithms, it offers a full array of language feedback – covering everything from wording, syntax, and grammar – catered specifically to the academic community. Research Outreach caught up with Dr Hilde van Zeeland, Applied Linguist at Writefull, to […]
The troubling allure of predatory publishing
Predatory publishing has become increasingly ubiquitous across the sciences and beyond. Importantly, Dr Nicola Alberto Valente, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, compiled and studied the barrage of invitations he received over the course of an academic year. He then attempted to quantitatively assess the impact these invitations had on him and his work. […]
Scismic: Enhancing and diversifying scientific hiring
Scismic was founded to help facilitate scientists’ transition from academia to industry. Its two platforms – Scismic Job Seeker and Scismic Lab Seeker – ensure job-seeking scientists find fulfilling work that truly matches their unique skillsets. Scismic has overcome several weaknesses inherent in traditional hiring models, and provides a job-matching platform that saves time, alleviates confusion, and reduces the biases […]
MERICS: Researching contemporary China in Europe
The Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) is a European research institute which seeks to enhance knowledge about contemporary China in Europe. Based in Berlin, but with close connections to capitals across Europe, MERICS is harnessing global expertise to deliver nuanced insights into China and Chinese international relations. Countering the widespread misunderstanding of China which exists in European public debate, […]
Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund: Cutting-edge regenerative medicine
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MCSRF) is devoted to developing and supporting innovative research into all aspects of stem-cell-based technologies. Through its diverse program structure, the MSCRF is intimately involved in every stage of the stem cell journey – from pre-clinical lab discovery to clinical patient trials. Importantly, it remains forward thinking, ensuring the next generation of researchers have […]
Ripeta: Enhancing scientific integrity
Ripeta is an automated tool designed with a simple but vital objective: to enhance the credibility, reproducibility, and trustworthiness of scientific research papers. Its algorithms use several important metrics to assess the integrity of a paper, stemming the tide of untrustworthy science one paper at a time. Research Outreach caught up with Dr Leslie McIntosh, Ripeta’s founder and CEO, to […]
The Winton Centre: A vital time for nuanced risk communication
The Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication, based at the University of Cambridge, UK, was established with a simple belief: that everyone deserves to hear accurate evidence concerning matters which are important to their lives. Never has this core tenet been so vital, or so widely scrutinised, as during the COVID-19 pandemic. We spoke with the Centre’s Executive Director, […]
Scientific communication: Learning from the COVID-19 ‘Infodemic’
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken place in an age of rapid digital communication. Scientific voices can become lost in the noise. Worse, some were not accessible to the general public in the first place. On 7th December 2020, Project ECHO held a Global Series webinar: “COVID-19 global learning collaborative – science and the response to the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’”. The goal […]