Research Matters

Len Fisher explores his links to a mathematician, a film star and a heavy metal band

Ministers must ensure the death of a Cambridge PhD student in Cairo is properly investigated, say Hannah Waddilove and Neil Pyper

We may be small and young, but don’t underestimate our research, says Stephen Decent

After years of refusing to make or review grant applications, Philip Moriarty had a change of heart, but he still has mixed feelings about the UK research councils

Phil Ashworth and John Lewin explain why the Environment Agency should be submitted to the REF

Jenny McDonald examines the response to calls for academics who are not highly productive researchers to be given more recognition 

Donald Braben looks at the implications of Sir Paul Nurse’s review of research councils

Global Challenges Fund could be enabler of world-class science tackling global issues, says Malcolm von Schantz

Peer review is the least bad system we have for assessing quality, but metrics can help to determine attention and impact, says Euan Adie

Unexpected creation of a ‘Global Challenges Research Fund’ means that if they want more money, academics may have to contribute to international development

Commitment not to merge the research councils appears to contradict plans for a bonfire of the quangos in BIS

Matthew Feldman reflects on academics’ place in the insatiable 24-hour news cycle

Much is to be decided on who will distribute research funding, but a metrics-based ‘mini-REF’ may raise eyebrows, says David Matthews

David Crystal sets the record straight on claims the Australian accent originated in drunken speech

Matthew Reisz reflects that some jobs are really not for him – even on Halloween

The quality of scholarly editing is ‘extremely uneven’, says Brian Bloch

A new paper finds that more than half of economic studies are unreproducible. But there could be even deeper issues with the discipline, says David Matthews

Stephen Curry is campaigning against possible cuts to the UK research budget, and he needs your help

The Chinese president is visiting several of the UK’s top universities. But would they thrive in China? 

Even in the academy, your class background will always be a factor in how you are seen, says LSE’s Lisa Mckenzie

It seems unlikely that charity donors will want to pay for university research overheads – but someone will have to eventually

Sir Keith Burnett, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, takes a sideways look at the power of university brands

Studies on urine, pain thresholds and unboiled eggs honoured in annual awards for improbable research. John Elmes takes a look

Matthew Reisz celebrates the joys of profiling scholars

What becomes of 'expendable ex-employees who are no longer adding value', asks Liz Morrish.

Kathryn Fowler speaks up for the benefits of collaboration among university employees

Breaking the rules didn’t stop Jessica Sage from completing her degree

All scholars do it, but some are simply blowing their own trumpet, says Pat Thomson

The current review process has many holes, says Apostolos Koutropoulos

Carrying out research in the field, what’s the worst that could happen?

The eminent sociologist is entitled to draw on his long lifetime of thought, but should probably be clearer about the extent to which he is doing so, says Paul Jump

The ‘first women’s museum in the UK’ turned out to be dedicated to Jack the Ripper. ‘Activist academic’ Lisa Mckenzie wants scholars to protest

Asking R&D-heavy companies to help plug gaps in the science budget has implicit appeal but, in reality, only increased public spending is likely to keep global firms in the UK, says Paul Jump

From Africa to the UK, countries must find ways to capitalise on the global ebb and flow of today’s mobile scholars

The launch of Jo Johnson’s One Nation Science strategy has put place firmly on the research policy agenda, says Holly Else

Dalmeet Singh Chawla rounds up the recent discussion about single figure publications

Dalmeet Singh Chawla considers whether unsuspecting academics should be helped by having legitimate papers republished elsewhere

£246 million is big money but it is probably much less than the hit the research budget would take if the REF did not exist, says Paul Jump

An open letter sounding the alarm hit a nerve among academics – it’s time for managers to listen, argues Karín Lesnik-Oberstein.

Disagreement among social scientists means that policies to tackle climate change remain contentious, write Mark Freeman and Ben Groom