Jess ButlerMay 10, 2023

The House of Commons has released a thoughtful, critical report on UK research quality

The recommendations to government are excellent, both practical and progressive

Highlights:

Make all research open access

Require data and code accompany all publications

Move peer-review and publication acceptance before data collection

Specifically fund replications

Remove “originality” from REF, instead require transparency

Impose a 3-year minimum term for all postdocs

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmsctech/101/summary.html

Show threadRichard ShawMay 10, 2023

@JessButler

I wonder if University HR in our Union negotiations will take notice of the House of commons recommending that Post docs have a minimum 3-year contract.

Show threadRichard ShawMay 11, 2023

@JessButler

Some aspects of the report show a remarkable lack of awareness. For example

"UKRI should consult with a representative sample of researchers to understand whether their grants allow them sufficient time and funding to do the work needed for ensuring their research is reproducible."

It appears nobody who wrote the report aware that overwork is one of the issues that Universities and #UCU are in dispute over?

Show threadIan SudberyMay 11, 2023

@RichardShaw @JessButler

I don't think that funders can really mandate this without publishers also mandating it. Even if funders say they will provide extra funding etc, people will still try to fit the most they can in the funding envolope - they will just promise more if more funding is made available, and claim they will do the repro work for free. Which they won't do, unless some audits it. Even if someone does audit the person doing the repro for "free" will still win more grants.

Show threadRichard Shaw

@IanSudbery @JessButler

The only thing publishers offer is international prestige. It's the funders who determine who wins more grants, so can direct funding towards people doing good repro work.

The real problem is that funders are also senor academics and a lot of them seem more interested prestige than they are in methodological rigorous and useful research. They also tend to direct research towards what they are interested in.

May 12, 2023 at 6:27amWeb
Show threadIan SudberyMay 12, 2023

@RichardShaw @JessButler Prestige = Ref *s.

Grant bodies will give money to peyote who promise to do good repro work, but ones who have done so. Publication hurdles reward those that have done so.