S&S: Careers & Training
- More than a blogShould science bloggers stick to popularizing science and fighting creationism, or does blogging have a wider role to play in the scientific discourse?
Should science bloggers stick to popularizing science and fighting creationism, or does blogging have a wider role to play in the scientific discourse?
- Howard Wolinsky1
Blogging is circumventing traditional communication channels and levelling the playing field of science communication. It helps scientists, journalists and interested laypeople to make their voices heard.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
- These are your rights
- Howy Jacobs
Science is a vocation, not a job, and requires a degree of dedication and sacrifice that does not apply in a standard workplace. Howy proposes that we should be more upfront about this brutal reality when advising prospective scientists about their career choices.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
- Nocturnal emissions
- Howy Jacobs
Howy argues that sophisticated communication technology is no substitute for the face‐to‐face contacts that are vital to scientific work. Instead of ever‐fancier electronic devices, we should be focusing on making travel more efficient and humane.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
- The dilemma of the honest researcher
- Nicholas H Steneck1
Most agree that without honest and trustworthy practitioners, research has no value. Yet high standards present a dilemma for honest researchers, because successful practices often clash with ethically impeccable behaviour.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
- Freedom and responsibility
- Holger Breithaupt
Scientists enjoy considerable public trust and the freedom to spend research money with few strings attached. With this comes the responsibility to abide by the rules for proper conduct of research.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
- Discussing honesty, diligence and educationAn interview with Ulrike Beisiegel, President of Göttingen University and former chairperson of the ombudsman for science in Germany
An interview with Ulrike Beisiegel, President of Göttingen University and former chairperson of the ombudsman for science in Germany
Ulrike Beisiegel, the former ombudsman for science in Germany talks about the particular responsibility of scientists to tell the truth, and about how to prevent misconduct.
- Received June 21, 2011.
- Accepted June 29, 2011.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
- The academic birth rateProduction and reproduction of the research work force, and its effect on innovation and research misconduct
Production and reproduction of the research work force, and its effect on innovation and research misconduct
- Brian C Martinson1
Universities have been churning out PhD students to reap financial and other rewards for training biomedical scientists. This deluge of cheap labour has created unhealthy competition, which encourages scientific misconduct.
- Received April 12, 2011.
- Accepted June 22, 2011.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
- ‘The Molecular Biology of the Hamburger’
- Howy Jacobs
McDonald's Corporation has entered the higher education marketplace by sponsoring a university course in England. Inspired by this development, Howy proposes his own spiced‐up degree course in fast‐food biotechnology.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
- From and to a very grey area
- Howy Jacobs
The German Minister of Defence recently resigned after accusations that he plagiarized parts of the doctoral thesis. Howy argues that academia needs to refine and enforce its rules against such practices, in the new world of electronic publication.
- Copyright © 2011 European Molecular Biology Organization
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