Monthly Archives: March 2012

What Isn’t for Sale?

In this essay for The Atlantic, Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel (whose course on Justice is available for free online) asks a much-needed question: what are the hidden social costs of free market triumphalism? While it is certainly true that … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Degrowth Economics, Occupy Wall Street, Open Access, Public Philosophizing, Sustainability, Risk Management, & Long-Term Security | 1 Comment

A turning of the pedagogical tides?

An interesting read in the Chronicle discussing the pedagogical strategy of ‘flipping’: “the inversion of expectations in the traditional college lecture,” which can take all kinds of specific forms, like group work, interactive learning assessment (i.e. quizzes or recaps halfway … Continue reading

Posted in Future of the University, Interdisciplinarity | Leave a comment

Reforming Science: Methodological and Cultural Reforms

An editorial worth reading, if only for the Machiavelli quote at the beginning. The article even includes the idea that philosophy might contribute to the health of science! Radicals … Reforming Science: Methodological and Cultural Reforms.

Posted in Basic News | Leave a comment

A Response to: The REF doesn’t capture how academic impact on policymaking takes place | Impact of Social Sciences

Jane Tinkler presents the latest case against the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) here: The REF doesn’t capture what government wants from academics or how academic impact on policymaking takes place | Impact of Social Sciences. At the risk of … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, Future of the University, Metrics, Peer Review | 13 Comments

Wanted: Dedicated Deep Thinkers – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education

CIAO! This stands for Chief Intellectual-Arbitrage Officer: What a successful intellectual-arbitrage officer would bring to the table are questions, ideas, connections, and possibilities from other intellectual, disciplinary, geographic, and cultural “worlds.” Lots of “what ifs,” “why nots,” “did you ever … Continue reading

Posted in Future of the University | Leave a comment

An Academic Adds ‘Enemy’ Feature to Facebook

There is something right about this. I personally find having to ‘like’ things and ‘friend’ people — or not, as the case may be — pretty skeevy, if not downright juvenile. It’s why  I choose to use Twitter instead of … Continue reading

Posted in Science and technology ramifications | Leave a comment

Good Transformations — Science Progress

Bob Frodeman, Kelli Barr, and I combined forces to present this first take on the recent Workshop on Transformative Research we ran at National Science Foundation headquarters in Arlington, VA. This was a good workshop involving some really good — … Continue reading

Posted in CSID Publications, NSF, STEM Policy, Transformative Research, US Science Agencies | Leave a comment

The 6 Habits of Strategic Thinkers | LinkedIn

An ethic of strategy, for those of us who believe that ethics are at least partly a matter of habit (though I also favor adding habitat and inhabitants). The 6 Habits of Strategic Thinkers | LinkedIn.

Posted in Accountability, Future of the University | Leave a comment

Students’ Blogs | Science Communication

Thanks to Stephen Curry (@Stephen_Curry), students at Imperial College are being trained not only in how to conduct research, but also in how to communicate research to those outside their own areas of specialization. That, my friends, is education. Students’ … Continue reading

Posted in Future of the University, Graduate Studies | Leave a comment

Op-Ed: How Traditional Publishing Hurts Scientific Progress | Wired Science | Wired.com

Among the gems one can find in this piece: If you think that scientific research makes the world a better place through treatments for disease, technologies that improve our lives, or just knowledge about the world around us – that … Continue reading

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What is Knowledge Mobilisation and Why Does it Matter to Universities? « Mobilize This!

Essential reading for all those concerned with accountability and impact! What is Knowledge Mobilisation and Why Does it Matter to Universities? « Mobilize This!.

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, Future of the University, Transdisciplinarity, Transformative Research | Leave a comment

Doing Transformative Research | Reflexivity

@stephjoke weighs in with her account of experimenting with Tweets from the NSF Transformative Research workshop (#NSFTR). Doing Transformative Research | Reflexivity.

Posted in Transformative Research | Leave a comment

Amazon vs. Apple: Competing Ecosystem Strategies

This shift from products to solutions matters to everyone. In industries ranging from consumer electronics to construction and from media to mining, the firms seizing the lead are those that can best align ecosystems of offers and partners. An interesting … Continue reading

Posted in Basic News, Economics & STEM Research, Future of the University, Globalization, Philosophy & Politics, Science and technology ramifications, Sustainability, Risk Management, & Long-Term Security, TechnoScience & Technoscientism | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Elsevier, the Research Works Act and Open Access: where to now? | Reciprocal Space

The folks running the SIAMPI Project could perhaps use this blog as evidence of what they are looking for to indicate impact: behavior change. @Stephen_Curry describes his attempt to negotiate Open Access for a review he was invited to write … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Future of the University, Metrics, Open Access | 1 Comment

Strict definitions of Impact? | Impact of Social Sciences

I left a comment on this blog entry in which I dispute the interpretation offered in the blog of the REF as having an unduly narrow defintion of impact. Interpreted in the way the author interprets it, the REF would … Continue reading

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The Future of the European University – WorldWise – The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Future of the European University – WorldWise – The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Posted in Accountability, Conferences Upcoming, Future of the University | Leave a comment

Visit me on peerevaluation.org

So, here is my site on Peer Evaluation. It contains all sorts of knowledge I’ve produced, including published articles, working papers, blogs, workshop reports, and a survey I co-authored. It does not contain everything I’ve ever produced. For instance, some … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, CSID Publications, Metrics, Open Access, Peer Review, Science and technology ramifications | Leave a comment

The ‘most important questions’ in science policy

A group of scientists in Britain has authored a list of the 40 most pressing, unanswered questions concerning the intersection of science and public policy, the result of a workshop at Cambridge University. Some have met the exercise with open … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, STEM Policy, Transformative Research | Leave a comment

Speaker to address fracking impact | Denton Local News – News for Denton, Texas – The Denton Record-Chronicle – Denton Record-Chronicle

Speaker to address fracking impact | Denton Local News – News for Denton, Texas – The Denton Record-Chronicle – Denton Record-Chronicle.

Posted in Environmental policy, Gas Fracking | Leave a comment

Universities need the guts to break this Faustian pact with research | Simon Jenkins | Comment is free | The Guardian

Universities need the guts to break this Faustian pact with research | Simon Jenkins | Comment is free | The Guardian.

Posted in Accountability | Leave a comment

Resistance to impact criteria can lead to a tightening of the accountability noose. | Impact of Social Sciences

Bob Frodeman and I venture virtually across the pond for a visit to the folks at the LSE Impact of Social Sciences Impact Blog — one of my favorites. Resistance to impact criteria can lead to a tightening of the … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, CSID Publications, Metrics, NSF, Peer Review, STEM Policy, US Science Agencies | Leave a comment

Two Ways To Think About Nothing

Very good piece with an interesting story. Two Ways To Think About Nothing : Krulwich Wonders… : NPR.

Posted in Basic News, Interdisciplinarity, Public Philosophizing | Leave a comment

Fastest growing job in America? Adjunct professor.

Wow. Just wow. Social media and job titles: A pixelated portrait of labour | The Economist.

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Two nations divided by a common purpose : Nature News & Comment

Interesting take on possible success — or lack thereof — of a media center for science in the US. Two nations divided by a common purpose : Nature News & Comment.

Posted in Accountability, Science and technology ramifications | Leave a comment

China’s budget backs science : Nature News & Comment

But will the funding be wasted? Researchers claiming China lags West because of top-down approach that gives short shrift to basic research. China’s budget backs science : Nature News & Comment.

Posted in Accountability, STEM Policy | Leave a comment