News archive
Thousands of grant peer reviewers share concerns in global survey
21 October 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Peer review process helps funders make decisions, but researchers say it is time-consuming and lacks transparency.
Careless citations don't just spread scientific myths – they can make them stronger
21 October 2019
Jon Brock
How misconceptions persist and proliferate within the scientific literature.
The biggest reason for biomedical research retractions
18 October 2019
Gemma Conroy
Detection software is not enough.
What’s lost when research is driven primarily by funding
16 October 2019
Stephen Turner & Daryl Chubin
Productivity-oriented “science on demand” leads to caution and conformity.
Why don’t more women win science Nobels?
16 October 2019
Mary K. Feeney
Barriers still hold women back from advancing in the same numbers as men to the upper reaches of STEM academia.
Highlight negative results to improve science
14 October 2019
Devang Mehta
Publishers, reviewers and other members of the scientific community must fight science’s preference for positive results — for the benefit of all, says Devang Mehta.
Q&A Kevin Burgio: 10 rules for a successful remote postdoc
11 October 2019
Gemma Conroy
How to build productive long-distance relationships.
Russian science stays at home
10 October 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Out of step with international norms.
Personal biases speed up research publication
8 October 2019
Gemma Conroy
Megajournal editors under the microscope.
This graphic shows India’s population overtaking China
8 October 2019
Gemma Conroy
Visualizing what growth looks like.
The top subjects in the top 5 countries in the Nature Index
8 October 2019
Gemma Conroy
Playing to their strengths.
The untold cost of formatting manuscripts
4 October 2019
Jon Brock
Just how deep is this time and money sinkhole?
Publication is not enough, to generate impact you need to campaign
3 October 2019
Toby Green
Regarding publication as only one part of a long-term and cumulative communication campaign is integral to achieving impact.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of September 2019
1 October 2019
Bec Crew
The top paper had a slick social media campaign.
These mind-bending visualizations show nature in motion
1 October 2019
Gemma Conroy
Capturing movement on a grand scale.
Don’t trust scientists? Then help collect the data
27 September 2019
Bradley Allf
Citizen science has the potential to reduce data dishonesty.
The fastest-rising institutions by country for scientific research
26 September 2019
Gemma Conroy
These are the ones to watch.
How AI trained to read scientific papers could predict future discoveries
25 September 2019
Marcello Travati
Creativity isn't the only route to discovery – automated analysis of huge amounts of data works, too.
How researchers can improve the quality of systematic reviews
24 September 2019
Jon Brock
A guideline to boost transparency is being updated.
These striking animations show the real impacts of climate change
24 September 2019
Gemma Conroy
Visualizing a grim outlook.
Italy’s rise in research impact pinned on ‘citation doping’
23 September 2019
Richard Van Noorden
Citation of Italian-authored papers by Italian researchers rose after the introduction of metrics-based thresholds for promotions.
Frequent collaborators are less likely to produce replicable results
20 September 2019
Gemma Conroy
Stick with who you don't know.
"There is a problem": Australia's top scientist Alan Finkel pushes to eradicate bad science
19 September 2019
Alan Finkel
A new publishing standard should be introduced to weed out unscrupulous research journals.
These 10 American universities dominated life sciences in 2018
19 September 2019
Nature Index
These academic institutions in the US made the biggest contributions to the discipline in the Nature Index.
South Korea’s ‘Nobel prize project’ gets overhaul
18 September 2019
Mark Zastrow
The Institute for Basic Science has been rocked by accusations of financial mismanagement over the past year.
Research returnees boost China’s scientific impact
18 September 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
An unprecedented rise to world-class status.
This morbid simulation reveals how people tend to die
17 September 2019
Bec Crew
Trends both disturbing and revealing.
The top universities in the best countries for scientific research
17 September 2019
Nature Index
The world's best.
Diversifying peer review by adding junior scientists
13 September 2019
Dan Garisto
Initiatives to train and include early-career researchers in peer review may help improve science’s quality control.
Q&A: Four false beliefs that are thwarting trustworthy research
13 September 2019
Gemma Conroy
Science doesn't self-correct – at least not fast enough.
Elsevier investigates hundreds of peer reviewers for manipulating citations
12 September 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
The publisher is scrutinizing researchers who might be inappropriately using the review process to promote their own work.
Times Higher Education releases its World University Rankings 2020
12 September 2019
Bec Crew
The United States dominates, but cracks are showing.
Museum volunteering among new impact indicators for UK universities
11 September 2019
Elisabeth Jeffries
How to compare apples with apples.
Top 5 corporate institutions for scientific research in 2018
10 September 2019
Bec Crew
These organizations are the most prolific in high-quality research.
These are the happiest countries in the world
10 September 2019
Gemma Conroy
Wealth isn't everything.
Q&A Daniele Fanelli: Retracting your own paper can lead to a spike in citations
6 September 2019
Gemma Conroy
Authors who retract papers due to an honest mistake are praised by peer-reviewers.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of August 2019
5 September 2019
Bec Crew
A month of spectacular firsts.
Experts question China’s bid to create world-class journals
4 September 2019
Hepeng Jia
"Scientists always prefer to publish in the world’s top journals over domestic ones."
These 10 institutions published the most papers in Nature and Science in 2018
3 September 2019
Gemma Conroy, Bec Crew
From CRISPR to CLARITY, here are some of the most high-profile studies.
This graphic reveals the most innovative countries for 2019
3 September 2019
Gemma Conroy
A strong showing from Asia.Q&A Linda Beaumont: Journals should take action against toxic peer reviews
30 August 2019
Gemma Conroy
Keep it constructive.
The allure of the journal impact factor holds firm, despite its flaws
29 August 2019
Jon Brock
“Science needs a healthy dose of its own medicine, yet refuses to take the pill.”
The hidden cost of having a eureka moment, but not being able to put it in your own words
29 August 2019
Sneha Kulkarni
Publishing in an “international” journal now refers to an English-language journal.
This simple tool shows you how to choose your mentors
28 August 2019
Carsten Lund Pedersen
"Gurus breed gurus."
The top 5 healthcare institutions for scientific research in 2018
27 August 2019
Bec Crew
The largest contributors to papers published in leading journals tracked by the Nature Index from the healthcare sector in 2018.
This animated map shows the true size of each country
27 August 2019
Bec Crew
Everything is relative.
5 features of a highly cited article
23 August 2019
Mohamed Elgendi
The difference between highly cited and lowly cited papers.
World university rankings: explained
22 August 2019
Bec Crew
How the most widely cited global rankings are measured, and which institutions made their top tens for 2019.
Government funding will be tied to uni performance from 2020
21 August 2019
Emmaline Bexley
How will performance-based funding shake out for Australian universities?
The top 10 government institutions in 2018
20 August 2019
Nature Index
These government institutions were the largest contributors to papers published in the 82 leading journals tracked by the Nature Index in 2018.Publishing standards help fight bias against Chinese authors
20 August 2019
Hepeng Jia
A response to concerns that editors' and peer reviewers’ confidence in Chinese authors has been eroded.
Snapshot: Princeton University impresses on two scores
20 August 2019
Bec Crew
The US’s fourth-oldest college wears the crown for high-quality research productivity among its peers.
Alaska governor halves massive funding cut to state university system
15 August 2019
Jonathan Lambert
Researchers at the University of Alaska still face possibility of layoffs.
"No one is immune": Alaska’s scientists despair over plan to shrink state universities
14 August 2019
Jonathan Lambert
The University of Alaska’s governing board plans to consolidate campuses to cope with a 40% cut in state funding.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of July 2019
14 August 2019
Bec Crew
Doom, gloom, and a dancing cockatoo.
Top 5 NGOs for scientific research in 2018
13 August 2019
Bec Crew
These organizations are the most prolific in high-quality research.
Confidence in scientists is on the rise in the US, Pew survey finds
13 August 2019
Bec Crew
It’s now up there with confidence in the military.
Desperately seeking scientists
12 August 2019
Jeffrey M. Perkel
When so many email addresses on journal articles don’t work, we have a problem.
How to run a successful citizen science project
9 August 2019
Gemma Conroy
Keeping participants involved can go a long way.
Never on a Sunday! Is there a best day for submitting an article for publication?
8 August 2019
James Hartley
It could mean the difference between rejection and acceptance.
A call for funders to ban institutions that use grant capture targets
7 August 2019
Dorothy Bishop
The practice has led to peverse incentives for researchers.
Studies suggest 5 ways to increase citation counts
7 August 2019
Bec Crew
There’s no one way to 'game the system'.
Ranking the most popular degrees in the US
6 August 2019
Bec Crew
Health professions have been booming.
Top 5 corporate–academic collaborations in biomedical sciences
6 August 2019
Bec Crew
This is what success looks like.
Google Scholar reveals its most influential papers for 2019
2 August 2019
Bec Crew
These 7 high-impact papers are citations gold.
Critics of peer review ask how ‘race science’ still manages to slip through
1 August 2019
Sarah Wild
Two scientific papers in South Africa have raised questions among critics about the quality - and potential biases - of international peer review.
Scientists collaborate more when disaster strikes
1 August 2019
Gemma Conroy
Teaming up when things fall apart.
6 ways to deal with rejection
31 July 2019
Staci Zavattaro
Rejection in academia seems particularly personal, but it doesn't have to be.
Out of date before it's published
30 July 2019
Jon Brock
Zika provides a vision for how to keep pace with a fast-moving research field.
The top 10 Asia Pacific countries in science for 2018
30 July 2019
Bec Crew
Where the smaller players shine.
Fudged research results erode people’s trust in experts
26 July 2019
Gavin Moodie
Some academic reports are flawed, and they're undermining trust in the vast majority that are rigorous and accurate.
Scientists reveal the creative side-projects that keep them sane
26 July 2019
Bec Crew
It’s hard to think about lab problems when you’re dangling upside-down by your ankles.
Writing over the holidays? Here's how to do it
25 July 2019
Chris Smith
Writing over the holidays can be effective, but should be approached thoughtfully.
What matters most on the road to scientific success?
24 July 2019
Viviane Callier
The skills and strategies — as well as the invisible structural factors — that contribute to scientific productivity.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of June
24 July 2019
Bec Crew
Everything’s melting, but Boaty McBoatface is a beacon of hope.
Harvard University’s top 5 authors in life sciences
23 July 2019
Bec Crew
These scientists are Harvard’s most prolific authors of high-quality life sciences papers.
Snapshot: The University of Tokyo – Asia’s star in the reputation ranks
23 July 2019
Bec Crew
The top-ranked university outside the US and UK for reputation.
10 key insights from the first research scorecards for G20 countries
19 July 2019
Bec Crew
Australia shines; the US, not so much.
University of California’s showdown with Elsevier aims to change scholarly publishing for good
18 July 2019
MacKenzie Smith
The high-stakes standoff that the world's universities are watching.
Q&A Niamh Brennan: 100 rules for publishing in top journals
18 July 2019
Gemma Conroy
A checklist for success.
Do the best academics fly more?
17 July 2019
Seth Wynes
As universities face increasing demands to reduce greenhouse emissions, they should look for ways to manage academic travel more efficiently.
Steve Jobs presents a lesson for young universities
16 July 2019
David Payne
It's time to take a risk on admissions to meet future workforce needs.
Time to lift the veil on peer review
12 July 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Data analysis can improve the vetting of scientific papers, but first, publishers must agree to make the information public.
The top 10 countries in research collaboration
12 July 2019
Bec Crew
This interactive visualization reveals the tightest pairs.
Q&A Wendy Belcher: How to write a journal article in 12 weeks
11 July 2019
Bec Crew
What they don’t teach at your institution.
Discrimination drives LGBT+ scientists to think about quitting
11 July 2019
Elizabeth Gibney
Despite progress, many physical scientists from sexual and gender minorities experience exclusion or harassment at work, finds UK survey.
Why can't British universities be more like New York University?
10 July 2019
David Payne
Former minister reveals thwarted hopes and the limits of political interference.
Preprints boost article citations and mentions
9 July 2019
Gemma Conroy
The benefits of showing your hand early.
Here’s how to deal with failure, say senior scientists
5 July 2019
Bec Crew
Don’t take it personally.
Four reasons to graphically illustrate your research
4 July 2019
Gemma Sou
Academic writing is often criticised for being overly complicated and impenetrable to anyone outside of a small circle of experts.
Singapore joins the rise of research integrity networks
3 July 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Global effort to combat research misconduct gathers pace.
Ban the lecture
2 July 2019
David Payne
How young universities aiming for high rankings are preparing for “Generation Alpha”.
The top 10 countries for scientific research in 2018
1 July 2019
Bec Crew
These countries were the year's largest contributors to papers published in the past year in the 82 leading journals tracked by the Nature Index.
The top 10 countries that dominate natural sciences research
1 July 2019
Nature Index
The United States reigns as the colossus but China is taking up ever more space, squeezing out European stalwarts.
This clever map visualizes Earth's population as a 'human terrain'
28 June 2019
Bec Crew
Watch the rise and fall of major population hubs.
“We can do anything we want”: How young universities say they're stealing a march on older competitors
27 June 2019
David Payne
The latest Times Higher Education rankings highlight innovation among universities established since 1945 and others aged 50 and under.
Don’t let your academic career determine your every move
26 June 2019
Eva Krockow
Should early career researchers be expected to relocate regularly in order to land a permanent job?
The top 5 most popular scientific papers of May
25 June 2019
Bec Crew
Even tiny tyrannosaurs and synthetic life couldn't topple office politics.
Unravelling the mysteries of preprints and peer review
21 June 2019
Chris Woolston
A database assembles thousands of science journals’ editorial policies to boost transparency and accessibility.
The top 10 research institutions for 2018
20 June 2019
Nature Index
These institutions were the largest contributors to papers published in the past year in the 82 leading journals tracked by the Nature Index.
The top 10 institutions for life sciences in 2018
20 June 2019
Nature Index
These institutions were the largest contributors to life-sciences papers published in the 82 leading journals tracked by the Nature Index in 2018.
The top 10 institutions for physical sciences in 2018
20 June 2019
Nature Index
These institutions were the largest contributors to physical-science papers for 2018 published in the 82 leading journals tracked by the Nature Index.The top 10 institutions for Earth and environmental sciences in 2018
20 June 2019
Nature Index
These 10 institutions in the Nature Index were the largest contributors to papers in Earth and environmental sciences published in 82 leading journals in 2018.
The top 10 institutions for chemistry in 2018
20 June 2019
Nature Index
These 10 institutions in the Nature Index were the largest contributors to chemistry papers published in 82 leading journals in 2018.
The top 10 academic institutions in 2018
20 June 2019
Nature Index
Among the world’s academic institutions, these were the largest contributors to articles tracked by the Nature Index.
The top 10 academic institutions in 2018: normalized
20 June 2019
Nature Index
This ranking shows which institutions might be punching above their weight in producing high-quality research.
A “petting zoo for code” makes studies easier to reproduce
18 June 2019
Jeffrey M. Perkel
A new tool helps users to compose, compute and publish reproducible articles.
Gender is not the biggest barrier to career success
14 June 2019
Gemma Conroy
Study paints bleak picture of disadvantage attached to ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
No paper, no PhD? India rethinks graduate student policy
13 June 2019
Gayathri Vaidyanathan
A committee has recommended scrapping a rule that requires PhD students to publish articles.
The top 5 most talked-about studies of April
29 May 2019
Bec Crew
The fall of insects, the rise of zombie brains, and the catalysts of political unrest dominated the conversation around April's research offerings.
Companies persist with biomedical papers
28 May 2019
Ashish Arora, Sharon Belenzon, Wesley Cohen,Andrea Patacconi
Corporate research in the life sciences endures, despite diminishing in other fields of science.
Stem-cell and genetic therapies make a healthy marriage
27 May 2019
Bianca Nogrady
This scientific partnership could fight everything from blood diseases to HIV.
New tools for new treatments
24 May 2019
Jennifer Cooke & Bec Crew
From antibiotics and organoids to CRISPR, improved biomedical methods and apparatus are enabling new therapies.
Lili Milani banks Estonia’s genomic potential
23 May 2019
Bec Crew
At the Estonian Genome Centre, the geneticist and her team are investigating the impact of genetic variations on drug metabolism and adherence to prescriptions.
The top 9 authors in the biomedical sciences for 2018
20 May 2019
Bec Crew
From genetics to nanomaterials, these researchers are making big leaps in the biomedical sciences.
The top 10 institutions in biomedical sciences in 2018
17 May 2019
Bec Crew
The US has a handy lead in the biomedical sciences, but China is hot on its heels.Rapid progress transforms ideals of health
16 May 2019
Bianca Nogrady
Ethical and equity challenges become more urgent.
In science, some ideas are more contagious than others
13 May 2019
Viviane Callier
An infectious disease model shows that ideas from prestigious institutions are more likely to spread farthest.
10 tips for tweeting research
9 May 2019
Bec Crew
Experts weigh in on how to make the most of a tweet.
For scientists skittish about Twitter, here's a plan
8 May 2019
Bec Crew
Researchers need to rethink their aversion to talking about their work on social media, says digital sociologist Mark Carrigan.
How academics should use Twitter
7 May 2019
Bec Crew
Conservative social media guidelines stifle scientists' voices.
Impact factors are still widely used in academic evaluations
18 April 2019
Holly Else
Survey finds that 40% of research-intensive universities mention the controversial metric in review documents — despite efforts to dampen its influence.
Unconscious bias limits women's careers
15 April 2019
Smriti Mallapaty
The vast gender gap in Japanese science has leading women researchers calling for change.
Chemistry is the fastest path to a Nobel prize
9 April 2019
Gemma Conroy
Sorry, economists. A new study pinpoints the age at which Nobel Laureates produce their transformative work.
Career mobility: Researchers change places to progress
1 April 2019
Smriti Mallapaty (Data analysis by Rodrigo Costas Comesana)
Moving countries to further a career in science has its benefits, but it isn’t an option for everyone.
Japan's global connectors boost scientific research collaboration
24 March 2019
Catherine Armitage, David McNeill & Smriti Mallapaty
Six scientists whose transformative work reaches across borders.
Japanese universities test collaboration
21 March 2019
David McNeill
Insular institutions seek ways to better accommodate international research partners.
Drawing on experience to help scientists tell their stories
19 March 2019
Jeffrey M. Perkel
The BioRender web tool lets researchers easily create sophisticated scientific illustrations.
My CV is gender biased. Here’s what I plan to do about it
13 March 2019
Arian Wallach
A confession: I can count on a single hand the number of women I have invited to collaborate with me on publications and grants.
Novel findings rare from international collaborations
7 March 2019
Caroline S. Wagner, Travis Whetsell & Satyam Mukherjee
Global teams shy away from risky research.
For risky research with great potential, dive deep
25 February 2019
Smriti Mallapaty
Multimillion-dollar experiment generates tools to study marine microorganisms.
"A love letter to your future self": What scientists need to know about FAIR data
11 February 2019
Jon Brock
Following these guiding principles for sharing data can help researchers get ahead.
How Brexit threatens Irish science’s cross-border collaboration
31 January 2019
Declan Butler
Peace and common membership of the European Union have allowed scientists in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to build a unique, cross-border research system.
What bioRxiv’s first 30,000 preprints reveal about biologists
24 January 2019
Joshua Rapp Learn
More than 1 million studies are now downloaded from the site every month, mostly in neuroscience, bioinformatics and genomics.
Hidden lake on Mars raises questions
22 January 2019
Gemma Conroy
Radar data of the red planet’s south pole had scientists deliberating over the possibilities. Could it really be liquid water?
In a race for mentions, it’s open season on researchers
18 January 2019
Alexandra Lippman and Christopher Kelty
The growing clamour for open access results makes scientists vulnerable, say Alexandra Lippman and Christopher Kelty.
A tally of mass destruction
15 January 2019
Gemma Conroy
A massive study on the planet’s biomass was among the top five most talked-about articles of 2018.
China's Belt and Road Initiative finds new research partners in Europe
11 January 2019
Marijk van der Wende & Robert Tijssen
Smaller member states are the beneficiaries of China's global trade and diplomacy project.
Coral bleaching pushes alarm buttons
9 January 2019
Gemma Conroy
A study revealing the decline of the Great Barrier Reef was one of the most discussed articles of 2018.
China's place among the stars
8 January 2019
Mark Zastrow
The FAST telescope dish, stretching half a kilometre, will thrust China’s radio astronomers into a role of global leadership.
China: Small science grows in large hands
4 January 2019
Sarah O'Meara
China’s nanotech industry is forging ahead, with high funding levels, a maturing talent pool, and international experience.
An unpalatable message about the climate’s point of no return
3 January 2019
Gemma Conroy
A dire warning from climate scientists was the second most discussed paper in the past year.
Data brief: Female first-authors attract more readers
2 January 2019
Gemma Conroy
The work of female researchers has a broader impact than citation analysis suggests, but not in India.
False news travels fast
28 December 2018
Gemma Conroy
One of the year’s hottest papers shows online
story-tellers are lukewarm when it comes to truth.
Egypt and Pakistan had highest rise in research output in 2018
27 December 2018
Anita Makri
Global production of scientific papers hit an all-time high this year, estimates show, with emerging economies rising fastest.
China: Quality deficit belies the hype
24 December 2018
Futao Huang
Few Chinese researchers are regarded as global leaders, as the pressure for rapid output prevails.
Stop, Start, Rewind: A front-seat view of mouse development
20 December 2018
Jeffrey M. Perkel
A new microscope allows researchers to track single cells in developing embryos, forward and backward in time.
China: Engineering a biomedical revolution
17 December 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
A permissive regulatory climate and a pragmatic approach has seen China’s bioscience sector soar.
China: Yielding results to feed a people
14 December 2018
Hepeng Jia
Studies to improve the productivity, resistance and taste of rice crops are central to China’s commanding position in plant biology.
China: All eyes on the prize
13 December 2018
Catherine Armitage
To become a world-leading scientific nation in every sense, China needs to close the quality gap.
Science cities: Discovery central
5 December 2018
Hepeng Jia
A hive of innovation, Wuhan has stormed up the Nature Index, but competition for talent is heating up.
Racial and ethnic disparities in NIH funding
29 November 2018
Raynard Kington & Donna Ginther
Research is elucidating a complicated phenomenon.
Science cities: A European heavyweight
27 November 2018
Hristio Boytchev
A rich research network has secured Munich’s position as a centre of science in Europe.
Data brief: Citizen science papers have more impact
23 November 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Public involvement in science has citation benefits, but these are often fleeting.
Q&A Kelly Robinson: Sample archive serves as a plankton ecologist’s rainy-day fund
22 November 2018
Jeffrey M. Perkel
A massive collection of sea creatures turns out to be a gold mine of research opportunities.
Science Cities: A venture under pressure
20 November 2018
Katherine Bourzac
Scientific innovation has long powered the San Francisco Bay Area’s economy, but community and political challenges could undermine progress.
Scientists struggle with confusing journal guidelines
14 November 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Global survey finds that unclear publishing policies place an additional burden on many scientists who don’t speak English as a first language.
Data Brief: US companies spend more on research
8 November 2018
Gemma Conroy
Businesses spent a small, but growing, amount of their R&D budgets on basic science.
From Tehran to Wuhan: Peripheral cities make an impact
6 November 2018
Marion Maisonobe, Laurent Jégou & Guillame Cabanac
The growing contribution of second-tier cities is narrowing the gap in research production.
Science Cities: São Paulo stands firm (but for how long?)
2 November 2018
Herton Escobar
The Latin American hub carries the scientific weight of a financially stricken country.
Science Cities: The cape of change
1 November 2018
Linda Nordling
Africa’s science star is confronting its colonial past to set a more inclusive research scene, benefitting more of its citizens.
First analysis of ‘pre-registered’ studies shows sharp rise in null findings
30 October 2018
Matthew Warren
Logging hypotheses and protocols before performing research seems to work as intended: to reduce publication bias for positive results.
Data Brief: First in, best dressed for EU healthcare research funding
26 October 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Only 3% of EU grant funds went to new entrants to the union between 2007 and 2016.
China hides identities of top scientific recruits amidst growing US scrutiny
22 October 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Scholars fear that affiliation with the high-status Thousand Talents scheme could make them targets of FBI investigations.
Less prestigious institutions deliver better value for grant money
18 October 2018
Catherine Armitage
Study finds "wasteful" skew in biomedical research funding towards those at the top.
Discovery relies on strong support staff
17 October 2018
David Langley & Therina Theron
A lack of trained administrators is holding African scientists back.
From punish to empower: A blame-free approach to research misconduct
16 October 2018
Lex Bouter
Research institutions have a duty to foster integrity,
and that includes monitoring.
Iran, Brazil and Austria rise in prominence in the Nature Index
12 October 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Strength in different sectors, subjects and regions contributes to a country's success.
The right tools to empower researchers
11 October 2018
J. Britt Holbrook
Too many tools used to promote accountability benefit research managers and for-profit companies at the expense of individual researchers.
Power balance in clinical trials exposed
9 October 2018
Gemma Conroy
Industry funders routinely take charge of analysis and reporting.
The Nobel gender gap is worse than you think
8 October 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
The Nature Index looks at the share of science medals and prizes that have gone to women.
The top rising stars in the Nature Index
5 October 2018
Anja Krieger et al.
Although China leads the pack, fast-moving institutions are building their research reputations the world over.
From postdoc to prosperity
4 October 2018
Emma Compton-Daw
Universities need to prepare researchers for life beyond academia.
When breaking free is a mark of success
3 October 2018
Gemma Conroy
Two new measures aim to assess researchers' independence from their former lab heads.
Green shoots: The astonishing growth of 6 young universities
26 September 2018
Gemma Conroy et al.
These institutions have made great strides over the past three years in their production of high-quality research.
How predictable is scientific success?
24 September 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Even sophisticated, data-driven models of academic careers have trouble forecasting the highs and lows.
11 up-and-coming researchers in the natural sciences
20 September 2018
Catherine Armitage et al.
These newcomers are making their mark in science across the disciplines.
The cost of staying put
18 September 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
In academia’s great migration, some researchers are
at a disadvantage.
Africa should set own standards of research excellence
13 September 2018
Munyaradzi Makoni
'Most highly cited' criterion is not the most appropriate.
Peer reviewers unmasked: largest global survey reveals trends
11 September 2018
Inga Vesper
Scientists in emerging economies respond fastest to peer review invitations, but are invited least.
Gender inequalities in science won’t self-correct: it’s time for action
5 September 2018
Sarah Hamylton et al.
"For twenty years people had been telling me how lucky I was to be in our field of research because 'things' were changing for young women. Twenty years later 'things' had not changed.
High-profile journals put to reproducibility test
30 August 2018
Philip Ball
Researchers replicated 62% of social-behaviour findings published in Science and Nature — a result matched almost exactly by a prediction market.
Could blockchain unblock science?
29 August 2018
Jon Brock
The technology has potential to solve some transparency problems, but there are many obstacles to clear first.
Q&A Koenraad Debackere: Impact assessment to become more complex
28 August 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
We need to define impact more clearly to be able to measure it effectively.
Lost in Japan, a generation of brilliant women
24 August 2018
Catherine Armitage
Outcry greeted the news that a Tokyo medical school was rigging entrance exam results to favour men, but prominent female scientists say the problem goes further.
Furiously surfing the wave to scientific success
23 August 2018
Merlin Crossley
From the top of the wave the view is sweet, but it's all too easy to fall off.
The A to Z of paper authorship
21 August 2018
Gemma Conroy
It's bad news for Z but A is AOK for authors listed alphabetically.
China digs deep on environmental research
16 August 2018
Hepeng Jia
As China’s scientists strive to produce research with global prestige, urgent local environmental problems jostle for attention.
How freely should scientists share their data?
16 August 2018
Daniel Barron
The Open Science movement champions transparency, but how much and how quickly is a matter of dispute.
European Commission to consult the people on science spending priorities
14 August 2018
Elisabeth Jeffries
Radical proposal will be difficult to implement, say NGOs.
Europe pulls together in scientific union
9 August 2018
Catherine Armitage
Smaller countries rely more on regional collaborations than on domestic interaction.
Q&A Adam Russell: The search for automated tools to rate research reproducibility
8 August 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
A US project is exploring the use of software to assign confidence levels to published research.
Gravitational pull
3 August 2018
Sarah DeWeerdt
Interdisciplinary encounters across the geosciences are yielding new insights into the workings of Earth and beyond.
Japan weighs the value of imported academics
2 August 2018
Futao Huang
Foreign faculty in Japan are less productive than their local counterparts on many measures, but better connected to global collaborations.
Science career ads are disproportionately seen by men
1 August 2018
Dina Fine Maron
Marketing algorithms prevent many women from seeing the advertising, even though it’s illegal to target jobs to one gender.
Indian translation pipeline in patent need of overhaul
31 July 2018
Virat Markandeya
Report recommends removing obstacles to the conversion of scientific research into products and services.
For the sake of science, it’s time to break ranks
26 July 2018
Anja Krieger
Researchers call for a change in evaluation to recognise the importance of reproducibility.
Early-career researchers herald change
25 July 2018
David Nicholas et al.*
The younger generation sees a collaborative system as key to discovery and advancement, a three-year tracking project reveals.
Philippines sweetens deal for scientists who return home
24 July 2018
Andrew Silver
The government is trying to bolster its research workforce but academics say more needs to be done to improve the sector.
Q&A Karen Seto: Paving the way to an urban future
20 July 2018
Catherine Armitage
The scale of growth in cities challenges scientists and policy-makers.
Annual tables 2018: China and Japan lead in chemistry
19 July 2018
Gemma Conroy
Institutions in China and Japan dominate the chemistry top 10 in the Nature Index.
India’s pick of institutions for prestige list draws fire
18 July 2018
T.V. Padma
One of them does not yet exist.
2018 Annual tables: Healthcare leads in the index
16 July 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Large pharmaceutical companies dominate the list of leading corporate institutions in the index.
Earth and environmental sciences must zoom in on the big picture
13 July 2018
Richard Kingsford
Academic reward structures discourage the pursuit of vital research.
Steps to a top-scoring impact case study
12 July 2018
Mark Reed et. al.
Describing the benefits of excellent research in simple language gets high marks in the REF.
British universities fail at research integrity self-regulation
11 July 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
One-quarter of surveyed institutions admit to not complying with guidelines.
Green stories greatest hits
7 July 2018
Gemma Conroy
We look at the top 5 Earth and environmental science articles by Altmetric Score from 2012 to 2017.
A better measure of research from the global south
6 July 2018
Jean Lebel & Robert McLean
Funders Jean Lebel and Robert McLean describe a new tool for judging the value and validity of science that attempts to improve lives.
Words count: the evolution of Earth and environmental sciences
5 July 2018
Nature Index
Discover the trending terms in the field, from climate to water and meteorites to mercury.
India struggles to select 20 elite universities
3 July 2018
T.V. Padma
Two years since the Institutions of Eminence project was announced, none have been selected.
Scientists build green connections
29 June 2018
Catherine Armitage and Aaron Ballagh
Networks of researchers across disciplines and across the world are working to solve some of humanity's biggest problems.
Earth and environmental sciences in the line of fire
28 June 2018
Katherine Bourzac
By modelling the course of climate change, scientists are building an arsenal to prepare for its impact.
Nature Index introduces multilateral collaboration score
28 June 2018
Catherine Armitage
A new measure accounts
for research collaboration within and between groups
African scientists launch their own preprint server
25 June 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
The free, online outlet is one of a growing number for academics on the continent to share their work.
Microsoft’s purchase of GitHub leaves some scientists uneasy
22 June 2018
Andrew Silver
They fear the online platform will become less open, but other researchers say the buyout could make GitHub more useful.
Australian researchers ‘vulnerable’ under new code of conduct
20 June 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Lack of independent oversight in examining alleged breaches leaves academics at the whim of institutions.
The cost of turmoil for Mediterranean scientists
15 June 2018
Kristen McTighe
From a failed coup in Turkey, to prolonged financial crises in Greece and Spain, researchers in the region are struggling to keep up.
10 institutions that dominated science in 2017
12 June 2018
Gemma Conroy
These top 10 institutions in the Nature Index were the largest contributors to papers published in 82 leading journals in the past year.
When it comes to reproducible science, Git is code for success
11 June 2018
Jeffrey Perkel
And the key to its popularity is the online repository and social network, GitHub.
2018 Annual Tables: Tsinghua joins elite group of research universities
7 June 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Two Beijing-based universities are among the top 10 academic institutions in the Nature Index.
Revisions to the Nature Index
6 June 2018
Nature Index
A revised list of journals improves the balance of disciplines between the natural sciences.
China gets serious about research integrity
6 June 2018
Hepeng Jia
The country’s highest executive body issues clear guidelines for dealing with scientific misconduct.
Italian scientists increase self-citations in response to promotion policy
4 June 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Study reveals how research evaluations can lead to self-serving behaviour.
Who gets credit? Survey digs into the thorny question of authorship
31 May 2018
Giorgia Guglielmi
Most researchers agree that drafting papers and interpreting results deserve recognition — but opinions don’t always match authorship guidelines.
Citation analysis reveals the game changers
29 May 2018
Gemma Conroy
A study identifies papers that stand the test of time.
Q&A Mary Frank Fox: Time to ditch the leaky pipeline model
25 May 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Policies should account for the institutional factors that discriminate against women.
Scientists get more bang for their buck if given more freedom
23 May 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Multi-national study challenges long-held assumptions about efficiency.
Scientists reveal their sacrifices for the sake of work
21 May 2018
John Pickrell
Palaeontologists, biologists are among researchers whose social media reflections reveal what they have given up in the pursuit of science.
Rockefeller tops Leiden university ranking for eighth consecutive year
20 May 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
The small university stands out for its citation impact relative to its size.
Wikipedia’s top-cited scholarly articles — revealed
16 May 2018
Giorgia Guglielmi
Gene collections and astronomy studies dominate the list of the most-cited publications with DOIs on the popular online encyclopaedia.
Cancer funding in the UK fits global pattern of gender bias
15 May 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Women receive fewer
and smaller grants across the world.
Open-access model is a return to the origins of journal publishing
11 May 2018
Gavin Moodie
Until recently, many university and society journals operated at a loss, says Gavin Moodie.
India picks up the pace against emerging economies
10 May 2018
Nature Index
In just a year, the number of Indian institutions in the Times Higher Education ranking has risen by 15 to 42.
UK challenges US in Nobel dominance
9 May 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
A per-capita analysis of physics, chemistry and medicine laureates since the turn of the century reveals the United Kingdom as the most prolific nation.
Luck of the draw
7 May 2018
Dorothy Bishop
Funders should assign research grants via a lottery system to reduce human bias, says Dorothy Bishop.
India culls 4,305 dubious journals from approved list
3 May 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
The higher-education advisory agency is cleaning up its registry of approved journals, but academics say the list should be abolished.
Science in North Korea: How easing the nuclear stand-off might bolster research
2 May 2018
Richard Van Noorden
The isolated nation publishes fewer than 100 scholarly articles a year — but as political tensions thaw, researchers hope for greater collaboration.
Q&A Felicitas Hesselmann: Vague and varied retractions point to weakness in the scientific community
1 May 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
The scientific method is not applied in dealing with aberrant research behaviour.
Ten reasons to share your data
27 April 2018
Amanda S. Barnard
Making data available to the larger scientific community has many benefits.
April publishing lull follows end-of-year academic flurry
26 April 2018
Gemma Conroy
Workloads influence when authors submit papers to journals.
Japan faces down disaster
24 April 2018
Tim Hornyak
An institute’s work on warning and mitigation systems for catastrophic events is a national priority.
Osaka hastens industry partnerships
23 April 2018
Ichiko Fuyuno
Osaka University bets on commercial-academic collaborations to survive.
Science must rise up to support people like me
20 April 2018
Aaron Schaal
Institutions could do more to support researchers who have disabilities, says Aaron Schaal.
Q&A Trish Greenhalgh: Linear impact narratives encourage easy science
19 April 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
The REF’s approach to impact incentivizes research that can be obviously linked to outcomes.
Pillars of a smart society: From blockchain to surgical robots
18 April 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Across the scientific fields, Japanese researchers are bringing together the virtual and real worlds.
Applied Physics Letters publishes ‘fewer, but better’ articles
17 April 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Noted journal among several reducing article counts in a competitive market.
Adjusted metric explainer
17 April 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
The new metric will account for annual global changes
in the Nature Index corpus.
Japan bets on science diplomacy
16 April 2018
Daniel Hurst
International collaborations are rising, but not enough to put Japan on the global researcher circuit.
Scientists hit the streets to command policy-makers’ attention
14 April 2018
John C. Besley & Kathryn O’Hara
A survey of Canadian scientists finds that evidence-based policy is a top priority.
Keep predators out with a low-spam diet
13 April 2018
Jeffrey Perkel
Clever email strategies can help fight the scourge of academic inboxes.
Scientists go to great lengths in reviewing high-quality research
11 April 2018
Gemma Conroy
An analysis of review length raises questions about what quantity means for quality.
AI engineers, data scientists - Japan needs you
10 April 2018
Tim Hornyak
Japan's vision of a high-tech, 'super-smart' society relies on sustained investment to arrest scientific decline.
Indian university rankings inherently inconsistent
9 April 2018
Thomas Manuel
Anomalies in the third national assessment of Indian institutions intensify criticisms of linking the exercise to funding.
Japanese institutions resist reform
6 April 2018
Ichiko Fuyuno
Efforts to improve Japan's scientific status include top-down institutional change, but tradition is hard to break.
How researchers are ensuring that their work has an impact
5 April 2018
Jack Leeming
Finding purpose and meaning in the lab.
It’s time for the US to get serious about funding open access
4 April 2018
Rachael Samberg et al.
University of California libraries tackle the transition from subscription-based publishing to sustainable open access.What’s wrong with the journal impact factor in 5 graphs
3 April 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Scholars love to hate the journal impact factor, but how flawed is it?
Women paid 20% less in top UK research institutions
29 March 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Gender pay gap reports reveal extent of male favoritism in the UK.
Experts fear irrelevance for assessment of research relevance
28 March 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Australian academics will need to prove that they have demonstrated the usefulness of their work to communities, industry and government.
Women left out of impact assessments
27 March 2018
Julie Davies and Emily Yarrow
Consideration should be given to the research impact agenda’s effects on female academics, say Julie Davies and Emily Yarrow.
Japanese government urges young scientists towards industry
23 March 2018
Nature Index
With permanent academic jobs scarce, the government wants industry to utilize young talent.
China's science ministry gets power to attract more foreign scientists
23 March 2018
Hepeng Jia
Science super-ministry gains new remit to develop policies that benefit international researchers.
Stand aside UTokyo, Gakushuin shows size isn’t everything
22 March 2018
Tim Hornyak
Gakushuin University is the top-ranking institution when assessed on the quality of its research in the natural sciences.
The undercover academic keeping tabs on ‘predatory’ publishing
22 March 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Following the shutdown of Beall’s list, blacklists that warn against questionable publishers are in demand.
Drug research priorities at odds with global disease toll
16 March 2018
Alfredo Yegros et al.
COMMENT: Large pharmaceutical companies do not target their scientific efforts on the deadliest diseases.
Why are scientists anxious?
14 March 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
Public regard for scientists is as strong as ever, but you wouldn't know it.
‘Bronze’ open access supersedes green and gold
12 March 2018
Jon Brock
Publishers can deny access to the majority of open-access articles at their discretion.
New tools track article buzz online
9 March 2018
Jeffrey Perkel
A new service allows researchers to access raw social media data.
Japan's woman problem
8 March 2018
Noriko Osumi
Less than 15% of researchers in Japan are female. Urgent culture change is needed, argues Noriko Osumi.
Not so fast. Who really leads the world in science?
2 March 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
China produces the most scientific articles, but lags on other measures.
Researchers coy about complete review transparency
28 February 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Survey reveals reluctance to take open peer review to the limit.
Network seeks to lift African research integrity
23 February 2018
Munyaradzi Makoni
A regional alliance of researchers is giving voice to a neglected community.
United States and South Korea the world’s biggest science novelty acts
21 February 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Tool that tallies engagement with new biomedical concepts seeks to reward novelty.
UK researchers want quotas to redress lack of diversity
16 February 2018
Anthea Lacchia
Efforts to increase diversity in research assessment panels don’t cut it.
China and the United States are science sweethearts
14 February 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
It's hard to believe, but the two largest rivals for global science leadership, are also the closest companions.
Q&A John Ioannidis: Biomedicine warms to preprints
13 February 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
It’s wrong to dismiss preprint repositories as the junkyards of science, warns Ioannidis.
The rise and rise of Chinese universities
7 February 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
China climbs the THE Asian university rankings, but Singapore is still first.
The perils of perpetuating postcolonial biases in research
5 February 2018
Munyaradzi Makoni
A proliferation of partnerships between academics and development practitioners pose ethical and practical concerns.
Paper authorship goes hyper
30 January 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
A single field is behind the rise of thousand-author papers.
World’s oldest fossils rock the web
25 January 2018
Gemma Conroy
A controversial fossil discovery has whipped up online discussions about alien life.
The secrets of Switzerland’s surprisingly high citations success
24 January 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Small countries have an outsized presence among the scientific elite.
Women edged out of last-named authorships in top journals
22 January 2018
Jon Brock
A Prestige Index exposes the gender bias in author lists published in top science journals.
International collaborations growing fast
19 January 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
More countries are taking part in cross-border partnerships, but inequality remains.
Post-truth tribalism is just the status quo
18 January 2018
Ross Gittins
COMMENT: In a noisy arena, scientists must become more effective communicators.
Artificial womb system raises ethical debate
15 January 2018
Gemma Conroy
A system for bringing premature baby lambs to gestational term caused much online debate about whether the technology should be applied to humans.
The invisible leg-up for males in science
12 January 2018
Merlin Crossley
COMMENT: A professor reflects on his privilege.
Dinosaur fossil ruffles feathers online
11 January 2018
Gemma Conroy
Flesh and feathers trapped in amber were the talk of the internet in 2017.Disagreement over the legal definition of misconduct
9 January 2018
Yojana Sharma
Without clear and consistent terminology, policing can be tricky.
Girls will be girls? Gender stereotyping among six-year olds sparks debate
5 January 2018
Gemma Conroy
A study revealing that girls are more likely to link brilliance with boys than with their own gender made headlines on the web.
Pharma could cut its losses with a bit of sharing
2 January 2018
Phillip Phan & Dean Wong
COMMENT: Life science companies are missing out on the benefits of open innovation.
Designer babies, the year’s most talked about story from a Nature Index-tracked journal
29 December 2017
Gemma Conroy
A gene-editing breakthrough topped all other papers for online attention.
Why we left academia: Corporate scientists reveal their motives
28 December 2017
Elie Dolgin
Five scientists discuss the reasons they moved to an industry lab.
Companies are outsourcing discovery to external partners
26 December 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
Stepping back from in-house science, companies are relying heavily on universities and government institutions for knowledge.
Scientists tainted by misconduct of former collaborators
21 December 2017
Dyani Lewis
The stigma has a punitive effect on citations for prior collaborators of fraudulent researchers.
In Japan, corporates make reluctant partners
20 December 2017
Ichiko Fuyuno
Industry links boost research output
18 December 2017
Neil Savage
Female researchers add their superiors as authors
15 December 2017
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Survey finds that women are more prone to recognizing honorary co-authors in papers, but less likely to pad citation lists.
Here’s what’s wrong with companies backing out of science
12 December 2017
Ashish Arora, Sharon Belenzon & Andrea Patacconi
The shifting corporate–academic relationship in pictures
11 December 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
Research partnerships between industry and academia have more than doubled in five years.
The top academic and corporate partners in the Nature Index
8 December 2017
Mark Zastrow
Help wanted: Industry seeks science alliances
7 December 2017
Katharine Gammon
A fix for open-access cost barriers
6 December 2017
Elie Dolgin
What if it was funders and libraries instead of authors who paid processing fees?
India's misfire on predatory publishing hits open access
5 December 2017
T.V. Padma
In trying to thwart predators, the government is penalizing researchers who publish in genuine open-access journals.
Local, not global, links boost productivity
4 December 2017
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
There’s no substitute for physical proximity, say researchers.
Corporate collaboration boosts buzz on research
1 December 2017
Nature Index
Papers authored by academic and corporate partners are more widely discussed online.
China's citations catching up
30 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
Papers from China are growing in influence and volume, yet the US remains supreme.
New research format rewards curiosity
29 November 2017
Jon Brock
Students in research: Cost or investment?
28 November 2017
Sujata Gupta
Undergraduate research programmes are expensive, and the benefits can be hard to measure.
An alternative metric for Chinese social media chatter
27 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
This midwestern US state has great chemistry
24 November 2017
Cassandra Willyard
Key investments in people and infrastructure have turned Illinois into a state of substance.
China leads BRICS university rankings
23 November 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
7 out of the top 10 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2018 are in the east-Asian nation.
Obsession with novelty sidelines deeper learning
22 November 2017
Brian Owens
Too much focus on generating new ideas in science is driving the replication crisis.
Global research gaps thwart Ebola response
21 November 2017
Elie Dolgin
The lack of research institutes with links to Africa has scientists worried about the next Ebola outbreak.
Strategies to sidestep selfish peer reviewers
20 November 2017
Jon Brock
Researchers point to options for tackling bias against competitors.
Retractions pulling China back
17 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
Call for tougher sanctions in response to growth in papers recalled for misconduct.
The problem with chasing publications
16 November 2017
Julia Lane
COMMENT: National initiatives that track people, rather than papers, will lead to better science in the United States.
Shenzhen and Guangzhou fight it out for top campuses
15 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
The upstart wants to copy its neighbour's academic success.
Where next for Catalonian science?
14 November 2017
Monica G. Salomone
Push for
Catalonian independence evokes mixed reactions from scientists in the region.
Young scientists flail in sink or swim system
13 November 2017
Elie Dolgin
Scramble for US science dollars set to intensify
10 November 2017
Scott Andes and Daniel Correa
Even if the biggest cuts since World War II don't eventuate, alternative funding sources must be found.
Canada’s future as a refuge for researchers could be short-lived
9 November 2017
Ian Munroe
An open society makes Canada an attractive destination for students and scientists, but only as long as government promises for increased funding are met.
Europe opens arms to post-Brexit research migrants
8 November 2017
Anna Petherick
For centuries a hub of ideas and trade, London is embracing ambitious developments to boost research and local connections, despite the uncertainty caused by Brexit.
Trouble at the top
7 November 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
Senior scholars stick together
6 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
Look west for resistance
3 November 2017
Katharine Gammon
Testing times for US science
2 November 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
At the current pace, China could overtake the US as the global science leader within a decade.
Beijing and Shanghai are in a league of their own
1 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
China's political and economic centres connect on a scientific level.
UK research integrity code ineffective
31 October 2017
Yojana Sharma
A parliamentary hearing on research misconduct finds little evidence of improvement.
The 7 ingredients for building a science city
30 October 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
What does it take to create a metropolis of knowledge and innovation?
Spain's science rivalry
27 October 2017
Monica G. Salomone
Barcelona lures scientists while Madrid is bound by bureaucracy.
On the biotech block
26 October 2017
Alexandra Ossola
New York's expensive office and lab spaces have deterred innovative life science firms, but with growing support for start-ups, the scene is changing.
The unexpected reason researchers choose open access
25 October 2017
Yojana Sharma
Open-access publishing held to the same standards as paid subscription journals.
Where the streets are paved with ideas
24 October 2017
Richard Florida
COMMENT: Most of the world's research and entrepreneurship is concentrated in a few megacities.
Study highlights gender imbalance in peer review
23 October 2017
Jon Brock
Women peer review fewer papers than men but are more likely to reject the papers they review, a new study shows.
Destination Daejeon
20 October 2017
Mark Zastrow
A focus on basic research is shifting scientific resources from Seoul to South Korea's central city.
Metropolis of minds
19 October 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
Nature Index 2017 Science Cities looks at the challenges for established science cities and highlights some rising hotspots.
Rush to publish weakens scientific integrity, study finds
18 October 2017
Gemma Conroy
A new model suggests bias towards novel results is driving down reproducible research.
UK deliberations leave young researchers in limbo
16 October 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Lack of clarity on changes to the country's research assessment system provokes anxiety among early-career researchers.
China's pick of university winners raises eyebrows
13 October 2017
Hepeng Jia
Many fear a plan to elevate 42 universities to world class status will deepen inequality.
Automated software saves researchers valuable hours
12 October 2017
Brian Owens
Online tools are lightening the load for authors and journal editors.
Time to open the curtains on peer review
11 October 2017
Yojana Sharma
Transparency should be the new normal, says peer review leader.
High-impact papers score well in REF, study finds
9 October 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Researchers in the UK find that the impact factor of journal articles matches judgements by a panel of experts on research quality.
New tool tracks gender imbalance in medicine
6 October 2017
Gemma Conroy
Gender proportions in
medical schools are almost equal, but disparities persist further up the ranks, a new tracking tool reveals.
Mouse pee, spider poison, and wasps' nests: 2017 Nobel research faces earthly problems
4 October 2017
Katherine Bourzac
China tackles biased awards
3 October 2017
Hepeng Jia
Do Chinese government reforms designed to thwart academic fraud go far enough?
Chatter makes popular metric unreliable: Study
29 September 2017
Ivy Shih
An analysis of a popular reputation metric concludes it relies too heavily on social interaction.
Measure for measure
26 September 2017
Aidan Byrne
Funding debate over paper quality vs quantity
21 September 2017
Dyani Lewis
Researchers disagree over whether performance-based metrics adversely affect publication behaviour.
The US leads the Nature Index top 500
19 September 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
140 institutions in the United States have spent five consecutive years in the Nature Index top 500.
New entrants to the Nature Index
14 September 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
A few institutions in the United States, China and Germany make it into the top 500 for the first time.
Top 10 universities in science in 2016
11 September 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
Harvard University holds the top academic spot for five years straight.
Predatory journals find their prey
7 September 2017
Brian Owens
Bogus journals and their victims are widespread, study finds.
Taiwan losing ground in the index
4 September 2017
Hepeng Jia
Taiwan slips to number 20 as graduates’ interest in science fades.
The long and short of US-China rivalry
31 August 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
China has the largest number of institutions that have risen up the top 500 ranks over the past five years.
Turning science into social outcomes
29 August 2017
Richard Jefferson
Game changers
25 August 2017
Branwen Morgan & Annabel McGilvray
Encouraging palaeontologists to stop hiding the bones
23 August 2017
Ivy Shih
New preprint services could bring niche scientific communities into the open.
Charting the influence of science on innovation
18 August 2017
Nicky Phillips
An analysis of the biggest industry influencers in four charts.
Japan's strategy for growth highlights innovation
15 August 2017
Ichiko Fuyuno
Collaboration with companies will become more important in the government’s science and technology strategies.
Michael Sporn: A legacy of greater knowledge
10 August 2017
Elie Dolgin
For the love of discovery, a biochemist freely shared the research which laid the groundwork for widely-used drugs.
Screening grant applications
8 August 2017
Flynn Murphy
Would you rather send a short video or a lengthy written proposal for funding?
Beneficiaries by ballot
3 August 2017
Adrian Barnett
COMMENT: Should research funding be allocated through voting?
Japan shakes up research funding system
1 August 2017
Tim Hornyak
An overhaul of Japan’s competitive grants programme could revive the country’s international science standing.
One small step in the thawing of China-US space relations
28 July 2017
Hepeng Jia
A Beijing DNA experiment boards the International Space Station.
UK-Indonesia partnership grows out of a conversation
27 July 2017
Dyna Rochmyaningsih
An encounter between two visiting social scientists at the University of Oxford was the catalyst for a unique partnership.
Charting China's rising dominance in science
21 July 2017
Nicky Phillips
The country's research contribution is continuing to overtake other nations.
10 institutions contribute to more than 10% index output in 2016
18 July 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
A few large institutions produce the majority of articles in the index.
Transparency is a growth industry
14 July 2017
Joy Zhang
COMMENT: Fierce public debate over GM food has put pressure on Chinese researchers to engage with the public about their work.
Psychology to the fore as social pressures mount
11 July 2017
Flynn Murphy
China's growing economy is also fueling an increased demand for psychologists in the country.
Cutting corners a bigger problem than research fraud
5 July 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Scientists are more concerned about the impact of sloppy science than outright scientific fraud.
The value of nostalgia in a land of upheaval
30 June 2017
Flynn Murphy
Psychology is an increasingly relevant discipline as the destabilizing effects of rapid social change take hold in China.
China sets ground rules for local talent quest
28 June 2017
Hepeng Jia
Officials move to stop the widespread poaching of talented researchers in China.
Better measures needed for research cooperation
23 June 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Researchers wrestle with a measure of collaboration increasingly used to assess the impact of their work.
Kunming's natural advantage
20 June 2017
Flynn Murphy
The region's natural and cultural bounty are making researchers worldwide take notice.
Keeping a lid on open science
15 June 2017
Hepeng Jia
Open science has made progress in China, but there is room for improvement.
Reading between the lines on citation value
13 June 2017
Adrian Barnett
COMMENT: Cited work often has little, if any, influence.
Global universities ranked by a different measure
8 June 2017
Ivy Shih
Find out how the top 20 institutions in the QS University Rankings 2018 measure up in the index.
US research in a state of decline
6 June 2017
Smriti Mallapaty
California, Massachusetts and New York produce the most high-quality research, but their output is in decline.
Search for industry partners heats up in China's chemistry hotspot
2 June 2017
Peng Tian
The industrial city of Changchun is losing young researchers to more prosperous cities in the south.
China trades science along ancient Silk Road
30 May 2017
Hepeng Jia
The ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative will expand scientific collaborations with 64 countries in the region.
China's higher ed reforms are ambitious, but can they address systemic issues?
29 May 2017
Wang Qi
The country is casting a wider net for excellence in higher education.
A close look at China's rise
25 May 2017
Nicky Phillips
Can the country maintain its growth in high-quality science?
Young researchers preach open access, yet many don't practice
22 May 2017
Ivy Shih
Early-career researchers in the UK are less likely to choose open access over subscription journals.
Far-flung and thriving: prime time for Okinawa’s grand experiment
16 May 2017
Tim Hornyak
Japan's gambit to globalize its scientific research is paying dividends.
Japan's plan to cultivate more entrepreneurial scientists
10 May 2017
Ian Munroe
Although government efforts to encourage innovation face significant obstacles.
8 things scientists want from a collaboration
2 May 2017
Ivy Shih
New report identifies what can make or break a good international collaboration.
Australian funding agency announces new chief
27 April 2017
Bianca Nogrady
Former microbiologist Sue Thomas will lead the Australian Research Council from July.
Historic co-authorships speed up editor handling times
24 April 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Journal editors tend to accept manuscripts written by prior collaborators more quickly.
Kyoto University is branching out in tough times
18 April 2017
Q&A
The university's president talks about the need for Japanese universities to stay competitive on the international stage.
How Todai is encouraging research spinoffs
11 April 2017
Ian Munroe
It was the first Japanese university to establish a venture capital firm.
Japan university reform 'unrealistic' without proper funding
7 April 2017
Atsushi Sunami
US-Uganda partnership uncovers potential culprit in mysterious nodding syndrome
4 April 2017
Linda Nordling
International team publish landmark paper on debilitating form of childhood epilepsy.
The rise and rise of a biology superstar
30 March 2017
Tim Hornyak
77 clinical trials, $29 million and 8 years but still no published results
28 March 2017
Adrian Barnett
Scientists reluctant to publish clinical trial results found to be a major contributor of research dollars wasted.
Japan loses share of research articles to China
24 March 2017
Nicky Phillips
Despite being among the top science nations, Japan's publication output has stalled over the past decade.
The slow decline of Japanese research in 5 charts
23 March 2017
Nicky Phillips
The country's research output is falling behind other dominant science nations.
What price will Japanese science pay for austerity?
23 March 2017
Ichiko Fuyuno
A great leap forward, but China needs more scientists
21 March 2017
Ivy Shih
OECD survey reveals the country’s science spending frenzy, noting a need for investment in innovation and invention.
UK-India research collaborations threatened by decline in student enrolments
15 March 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Years of groundwork underpins rise in research collaborations.
Incomplete descriptions in publications wasting healthcare research
10 March 2017
Tammy Hoffmann
COMMENT: Researchers, explain yourselves
Australian funding agency turns a blind eye to evidence
7 March 2017
Adrian Barnett
COMMENT: Ignoring evidence when deciding where research funding goes will not lead to high quality research, says Adrian Barnett.
EU funding formula revealed
27 February 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Several factors can help institutions secure one of these sought-after grants.
China and South Korea flash the cash in R&D race
24 February 2017
Ivy Shih
G20 countries dominate global research spending and production, but the mix is changing.
US supercomputer needs more people power
22 February 2017
Ivy Shih
A large computing network that has helped design cancer drug candidates and search for extra-terrestrial life is struggling to maintain its volunteer network.
Turbulent times for scientists with the 'wrong' papers
20 February 2017
Flynn Murphy
As Donald Trump’s bid to reinstate his travel ban failed last week, three Iranian scientists speak of their fears amid the uncertainty.
Female researchers cite their own work less than men, study
14 February 2017
Flynn Murphy
Female researchers in engineering receive fewer citations, despite producing high-quality research.
Research partnership improves life for vulnerable women
9 February 2017
Linda Nordling
A social welfare programme for women at risk of HIV has built trust between this vulnerable group and scientists seeking new treatments and a cure.
Cite unseen? Then step aside
6 February 2017
Anthea Lacchia
A large number of professors in Italian universities produce no cited work.
Bigger is better for quality research
31 January 2017
Ivy Shih
Size does matter when it comes to research performance.
Thailand's basic science grows despite limited resources
24 January 2017
Tim Hornyak
More scientists could help sustain the country's recent growth in research output.
'Millions' wasted in research approvals process
18 January 2017
Adrian Barnett
Applying for ethics approval cost Adrian Barnett's research group $348,000 in staff time, and delayed the research by six months.
How Chinese and US researchers recreated a 5000-year-old beer recipe
13 January 2017
Yanli Wang
A discovery in an ancient Chinese pot would reveal one of the oldest records of beer production.
Prominent female scientists struggle to retain their edge
11 January 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Tracking the careers of leading scientists reveals maintaining an edge is harder for women in Italy.
Success is just a bolt from the blue
5 January 2017
Adrian Barnett
Citations don't always reflect the quality or impact of a researcher's work.
When a name is out of place
4 January 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Locating a country in the title of a scientific paper may lower its visibility.
Indonesia's 'perfect' conditions for fossil discoveries
23 December 2016
Dyna Rochmyaningsih
The country has become a renowned destination for the paleoanthropological community.
All in a name: How research paper titles can make or break
21 December 2016
Ivy Shih
Writing style and grammar can affect an article’s citations.
My corporate experiment - a scientist learns from business
16 December 2016
Sidonia Eckle
Academics can learn a lot from the corporate world.
Science has a problem giving credit where it’s due
12 December 2016
Smriti Mallapaty
Apportioning author credit in large collaborations is as problematic as the Nobel Prize’s rule of three.
I made my grant application public, here's why you should too
8 December 2016
Adrian Barnett
If funding applications were made under open access, science would benefit from more universal scrutiny.
Invent now, pay later: economists urge R&D loans for businesses
6 December 2016
Myles Gough
Australia is urged to become the first country to offer businesses loans to fund research and development with repayment terms contingent on a company's future profits.
The team of scientists finding new ways to develop drugs for kids with rare cancers
2 December 2016
Neil Savage
An encounter helped kick-start the development of new cancer drugs.
Does proximity play a role in science collaborations?
30 November 2016
Neil Savage
Proximity is just one factor driving the high number of collaborations between top performing institutes in the same city.
Brexit uncertainty disrupting EU-UK research
29 November 2016
Mark Peplow
Uncertainty surrounding Britain’s future in EU research may be damaging science.
Innovators file record number of patent applications in China
24 November 2016
Ivy Shih
China's appetite for patents leads the world.
Comment: A call to action for gender equality
22 November 2016
Tim Wess
It's time for the academic community to put action to words and stand up for greater gender equality.
Partnerships between US and Chinese scientists surge
18 November 2016
Sujata Gupta
New data reveals universities in Tokyo are highly connected
17 November 2016
Tim Hornyak
The Japanese capital is a hub of local research collaborations.
Collaboration trumps competition in city of love
17 November 2016
Barbara Casassus
Paris excels in intra-city collaborations but needs to look beyond its borders to increase research performance.
Chinese and US researchers team up to study forests in a warming world
15 November 2016
Sujata Gupta
A new program is encouraging climate change research partnerships between two research powerhouses.
International research collaborations on the rise
15 November 2016
Ivy Shih
Growth in research partnerships was most pronounced in the life sciences.
New Zealand's 'Lord of the Rings' effect a boon for science
10 November 2016
Linda Vergnani
New award highlights gender imbalance among peer reviewers
7 November 2016
Ivy Shih
A new online award that recognises the contributions of highly-productive peer reviewers also highlights biases in the system that underscores scholarly publishing.
Comment: It's time to break ranks on university assessment
4 November 2016
Adrian Barnett
Ranking systems for universities need to be re-evaluated.
Top New Zealand research universities in 2015
31 October 2016
Bianca Nogrady
New Zealand universities are building an international reputation for high-quality research.
UQ retains position as Australia's top research university in 2015
28 October 2016
James Mitchell Crow
There's not much separating the top three Australian universities with the highest contributions to the index in 2015.
How Australian universities spent $4.5b on research in four years
27 October 2016
Bianca Nogrady
Assessing the research performance of universities is a difficult pursuit.
Melbourne pips Sydney as Australia's research hotspot
27 October 2016
Annabel McGilvray
Australia's two largest cities strive to attract the best researchers and produce science that makes a difference.
Research investments pay off for Australian city
25 October 2016
Bianca Nogrady
Significant state government investment along with philanthropic largesse has helped drive Brisbane's research performance.
Comment: Research needs less 'excellence', more competence
20 October 2016
Adrian Barnett
The research sector loves talking about it but is excellence best for science?
Debate on China's super collider heats up
19 October 2016
Hepeng Jia
Proponents say the mega facility would contribute to major science breakthroughs if built.
A beacon in the bush becomes an astronomy powerhouse
13 October 2016
Linda Nordling
South Africa's University of the Western Cape has exceeded expectations.
How should governments measure innovation?
11 October 2016
Branwen Morgan
There is a need to account for all types of innovation, from big to small.
Measuring the impact of R&D spending
6 October 2016
Myles Gough
Does pouring money into research always translate into better outcomes?
Yoshinori Ohsumi's dogged attention to detail credited for Nobel win
4 October 2016
Tim Hornyak
The cell biologist's accolade is Japan's third consecutive Nobel Prize since 2014.
Defining national research priorities
27 September 2016
Branwen Morgan
Australia’s former chief scientist reflects on the country’s need to focus its research effort.
How to take a great idea beyond the lab
20 September 2016
Richard Middlemiss
A Scottish scientist reflects on how his team built the world's smallest gravity detector
UN brokers partnerships to tackle tropical diseases
13 September 2016
Annabel McGilvray
A UN agency is connecting big pharma with research groups to accelerate development of treatments for diseases such as malaria.
The Nobel effect
6 September 2016
James Mitchell Crow
The illustrious prize has paid dividends for one Israeli research institute.
Turkey's geology a boon for scientists
2 September 2016
Annabel McGilvray
The country's output of earth and environment science papers is growing.
Is backing bright people a bright idea?
29 August 2016
Branwen Morgan
Whether it is better to fund researchers or their ideas is an ongoing debate.
Rising stars 2016: 10 countries to watch
26 August 2016
Nicky Phillips and Larissa Kogleck
Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars seeks to pinpoint the ascendant performers of science.
Singaporean research continues to dominate in some fields
23 August 2016
Tim Hornyak
The country has the world's highest per capita investment in science and technology
In research, time is as important as money
18 August 2016
Branwen Morgan
Do longer periods of funding lead to greater scientific returns?
Emerging hotspots for physical sciences
16 August 2016
Tim Hornyak
Less prominent research nations are carving out a niche.
European universities rise to the challenge
11 August 2016
Mark Zastrow, James Mitchell Crow
As a continent, Europe is home to the most rising stars in the index.
Xerox puts more skin in the printing game
9 August 2016
Tim Hornyak
The research the company is publishing in top journals.
Chilean research grows despite poor investment
5 August 2016
Tim Hornyak
Despite funding constraints, Chilean research is growing in some areas.
The right formula: chemistry the key to leaders’ research performance
3 August 2016
Mark Zastrow, James Mitchell Crow
Chemistry research was a significant driver of the performance for several institutions.
Australia's most improved research institutions
1 August 2016
James Mitchell Crow
Represented are institutions from the east and west coast.
Who are the research world's rising stars?
28 July 2016
Annabel McGilvray
Undaunted by the scientific dominance of historic global big-hitters, some of the world's less prominent research nations are carving out a niche and making a strong impact.
Rising stars: Chinese institutions lead the way
26 July 2016
Sarah O'Meara
China is a growing source of the world's top science
Rising stars: Baylor, the best medicine
25 July 2016
James Mitchell Crow, Mark Zastrow
BCM’s contribution to high-quality research rose 39% from 2012 to 2015.
Rising stars: Indian researchers have so much chemistry
22 July 2016
Annabel McGilvray
A significant rise in chemistry research makes India a Nature Index 2016 Rising Star.
Tracing bloodlines for the roots of an age-old friendship
17 July 2016
Bianca Nogrady
An international team hunt for the origins of dog domestication.
China's top 10 research universities in 2015
15 July 2016
Nicky Phillips
The country's contribution to top journals continues to grow.
Saudi Arabia: making the most of local expertise
13 July 2016
Nadia El-Awady
Collaborating close to home means solving mutual problems and forging regional networks.
Swapping burgers for beans: an unusual experiment reveals another pitfall of Western diets
11 July 2016
Linda Nordling
A ground breaking colon cancer experiment that swapped the burgers-and-fries diet of African Americans with the traditional fare of rural South Africans was sparked by a chance encounter.
Not just Brexit: Spanish election brings more uncertainty for Europe
7 July 2016
Nicky Phillips
It is hard to predict how the result will impact the country's science and research landscape.
It's the microwave: how astronomers discovered source of mysterious radio signals
5 July 2016
Viviane Richter
A new detection system helped solve the mystery.
How Brexit may impact Britain's top research universities
30 June 2016
Nicky Phillips
Some UK universities may be affected more than others.
Brazil’s subsumed science sector struggles to stay afloat
28 June 2016
Anna Petherick
Deep recession and a political crisis are hobbling the country and its recent research success, but one region hangs on.
China's diaspora key to science collaborations
23 June 2016
Peng Tian
Links formed by mainland China's large scientific diaspora and its increasing output of high-quality research make it an emerging centre of international collaboration.
Top 5 universities for environment research in 2015
21 June 2016
Neil Savage
Four of the top five universities producing the most earth and environment research in the index last year are in the United States.
Top 10 research universities in the US in 2015
17 June 2016
Nicky Phillips
It's a battle between the east and west coast.
South African research hits hard economic times
14 June 2016
Linda Nordling
Can international research funding help South Africa maintain its stellar performance in the index?
Top 10 research universities in the UK in 2015
9 June 2016
Nicky Phillips
A new chapter in an old rivalry
Shared knowledge is key to a kingdom
6 June 2016
Nadia El-Awady
International collaboration is yielding major breakthroughs and an increase in quality output.
Canadian researchers do more with less
2 June 2016
Brian Owens
Growing participation in large international research projects may explain the drop in Canada's index performance.
Paris, a tight-knit research community
26 May 2016
Nicky Phillips
Proximity can be a strong factor in research partnerships
How researchers discovered phytoplankton are warming the Arctic
23 May 2016
Mark Zastrow
In climate modelling, one of the biggest impacts has the smallest of beginnings.
What does industry contribute to the world's best research?
19 May 2016
Nicky Phillips
The Nature Index tracks corporations who publish in top journals.
Making the most of financial might
18 May 2016
Pakinam Amer
In a troubled region, Saudi Arabia is capitalizing on its relative stability and resource wealth.
How the world's largest mosquito genome project was almost derailed
12 May 2016
Sarah O’Meara
A collaborative study included in the Nature Index required the coordinated efforts of more than 130 researchers from around the world.
Saudi Arabian research in 6 charts
10 May 2016
Nicky Phillips
Strong connections with global scientific heavy-hitters and meaningful regional and domestic collaborations have thrust Saudi Arabia into a leading position in the Arab world.
World’s oldest science network faces uneasy future
6 May 2016
Annabel McGilvray
The Russian Academy of Sciences is the country's top producer of research, but its performance is slipping.
170 years after it made medical history, this US hospital is still at the cutting edge
4 May 2016
Jennifer Hackett
Massachusetts General Hospital is the most prolific healthcare organisation publishing in top journals.
Max Planck's other legacy
2 May 2016
James Mitchell Crow
The Max Planck Society’s pursuit of knowledge over application has helped the NGO top the Nature Index ranking for non-government research organisations.
Saudi Arabia draws on new reserves
28 April 2016
Sedeer El-Showk
Saudi Arabia has a bold plan to diversify from its oil industry to create a knowledge economy.
Top research institutes in chemistry in 2015
27 April 2016
James Mitchell Crow
National research organisations take the top three spots in the latest Nature Index chemistry research rankings.
IMB tops ranking of scientific publishing in 2015
25 April 2016
Tim Hornyak
IBM topped the Nature Index ranking of companies publishing in leading research journals in 2015.
US leads science pack, but its grip is loosening
22 April 2016
Jennifer Hackett
When it comes to the world’s best natural science research, no nation can match the United States.
Ten institutions that dominated science in 2015
20 April 2016
Sarah O'Meara
The top 10 institutions in the Nature Index are the largest contributors to papers published in 68 leading journals in 2015
An unlikely alliance
14 April 2016
Peng Tian
More than 20 researchers at China's genomics giant BGI got their PhD in Denmark.
Brazil's Russian connection
5 April 2016
Linda Nordling
A handful of influential professors are behind research partnerships between Russia and Brazil.
How a disparate team found the world's oldest stone tools
1 April 2016
Mark Zastrow
The incredible story behind a remarkable discovery.
"The trend transforming science" - Jonathan Adams
16 March 2016
Jonathan Adams and Tamar Loach
The small but focused snapshot of research afforded by the Nature Index helps fine-tune analysis of global scientific collaboration, say Jonathan Adams and Tamar Loach.
