News archive
Online mentoring fills a gap for young researchers
14 September 2021
Clare Watson
Study finds that virtual programmes offer a useful pathway for careers in science.
Universities define four conditions for the UK to become a science superpower
7 September 2021
Benjamin Plackett
If British science is to rival the United States and China, research spending must be matched by freedom of movement, equitable distribution and less red tape.
Pursuing outside career avenues is no impediment to doctoral goals
31 August 2021
Andy Tay
Professional development work can complement and improve academic outcomes, study finds.
The challenge of leading interdisciplinary research projects
17 August 2021
Shipra Jain
Consensus is not always possible.
Scientists at odds on Utrecht University reforms to hiring and promotion criteria
9 August 2021
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Not everyone wants to let the journal impact factor go.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of April 2021 in the Nature Index journals
20 July 2021
Bec Crew
Vaccine efficacy against new COVID-19 strains and the possibility of learning during lucid dreaming feature in these widely discussed studies.
How science diplomacy can help navigate the post-pandemic world
8 July 2021
Andy Tay
Researchers can access training programmes and other resources in pursuit of a diplomacy role.
Machines learn to unearth new materials
5 July 2021
Neil Savage
Materials genome initiatives sift big data.
Ferroelectric materials prompt a rethink of matter
5 July 2021
Chris Woolston
Surprising qualities point to next-generation electronics.
Makers and shakers
5 July 2021
Catherine Armitage, Sandy Ong & Sian Powell
Three researchers making a material difference.
How nanotechnology can flick the immunity switch
5 July 2021
Bianca Nogrady
Nano immuno-engineering shows promise against autoimmune conditions, cancer and allergies.
Birds of paradise reveal a dark secret
5 July 2021
Katharine Sanderson
Super-black feathers at the interface of biology, photonics and materials science.
High-performing places in the materials world
5 July 2021
Tanner Maxwell et al.
Four heavyweights and a rising star, in highlights.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of March 2021 in the Nature Index journals
28 June 2021
Bec Crew
A self-decapitating sea slug and strategies for mitigating wildlife predation by house cats feature in these widely discussed studies.
Technical staff left out as PhDs drive academic hierarchy
15 June 2021
Lindsay Gray
Failure to acknowledge support roles weakens the team, and the science, researchers say.
Researchers’ publication rates don’t decline as they age
7 June 2021
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Contrary to stereotypes, senior researchers’ productivity doesn’t necessarily decline.
China’s leading researchers set their sights on new frontiers
27 May 2021
Hepeng Jia , Sian Powell & Kevin Schoenmakers
China sets lofty goals as it vies for global dominance in the highly competitive fields of quantum science, space exploration and nanocatalysis.
Five science stars making their mark in China
27 May 2021
Gemma Conroy, Flynn Murphy & Sian Powell
With research spanning particle physics, solar power, conservation and the mechanisms of coronavirus transmission, these researchers are standouts in China’s vast talent hub.
Three leading women in science share the highlight of their careers
17 May 2021
Shipra Jain
How they forged a new path to success.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of February 2021 in the Nature Index journals
6 May 2021
Bec Crew
An unprecedented space hurricane and an urgent call-to-action in support of Black scientists feature in these widely-discussed studies.
What I learned writing a science paper for a 10-year-old
27 April 2021
Andy Tay
"It’s amazing how much you can learn from the children reviewers."
The 5 most popular scientific papers of January 2021 in the Nature Index journals
20 April 2021
Bec Crew
A new approach to MS treatment based on COVID-19 vaccine tech and a sobering look at the fate of sharks and rays feature in these widely-discussed studies
Parachute science falls to earth
13 April 2021
Clare Watson
Researchers say more needs to be done to correct past injustices.
How altmetrics could help level the playing field for women in STEM
25 March 2021
Bjarne Bartlett et al.
Traditional measures of success favour male researchers. Altmetrics could offer an alternative to help democratize academic evaluation.
Southeast Asian countries join forces for scientific strength
18 March 2021
Sandy Ong
Partnerships are a path to growth in research output.
Politics and the pandemic disrupt migration patterns in research
18 March 2021
Catherine Armitage
Researchers are watching how political and economic tensions between China and Australia will affect scientific collaborations.
Rising tide of China’s science lifts Asia-Pacific research
18 March 2021
Catherine Armitage
Thanks to huge investments in science, China is the region’s scientific growth engine and collaboration magnet
Rethinking research assessment: 7 sources of bias to watch out for at your institution
16 March 2021
Gemma Conroy
Recognizing the signs of systemic bias is key to ensuring that hiring, promotion and tenure decisions are fair for everyone.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of December 2020 in the Nature Index journals
16 February 2021
Bec Crew
A major milestone in light-based quantum computing and the possibility of reversed ageing feature in these widely-discussed studies.
The 5 most talked-about scientific papers of November 2020 in the Nature Index journals
22 January 2021
Bec Crew
Stronger hurricanes and controversial research on autism feature in these widely discussed studies.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of October 2020 in the Nature Index journals
14 January 2021
Bec Crew
The 5 most popular scientific papers of September 2020 in the Nature Index journals
4 January 2021
Bec Crew
A Neanderthal-derived gene cluster linked to COVID-19 symptoms and a controversial AI algorithm feature in these stand-out studies.
Why universities must seize the chance to help "reset" society
16 December 2020
Mark Dodgson and David Gann
Higher education institutions are the cradle of innovation and entrepreneurship. Their expertise is needed more than ever.
Auto articles: an experiment in AI-generated content
10 December 2020
Catherine Armitage & Markus Kaindl
AI-generated summaries of three articles selected from a data set of 175 Springer Nature publications.
Sliced, diced and digested: AI-generated science ready in minutes
10 December 2020
Chris Woolston & Jeffrey M. Perkel
AI can decide which papers are worth reading, and condenses them to make the literature more accessible.
Four AI technologies that could transform the way we live and work
10 December 2020
Bill Condie & Leigh Dayton
From facial recognition to drug discovery, these emerging technologies are the ones to watch.
Six researchers who are shaping the future of artificial intelligence
10 December 2020
Gemma Conroy, Hepeng Jia, Benjamin Plackett & Andy Tay
From radio galaxies to robots, these trailblazers are at the forefront of AI advances.
Artificial-intelligence research escalates amid calls for caution
10 December 2020
Bec Crew
A look at one of the most rapidly advancing and controversial topics in scientific research.
Hope, fear and climate scientists
7 December 2020
Shipra Jain
Three generations of researchers look to the future.
German science on the world stage: visualized
30 November 2020
Nature Index
Infographics reveal the nation’s strengths.
Clusters of Excellence: the new ‘brains trusts’ of German science
27 November 2020
Gemma Conroy, Bec Crew & Andy Tay
Researchers praise the time and funding they are given for deep exploration.
Nobel Prizes have a diversity problem even worse than the scientific fields they honor
8 October 2020
Marc Zimmer
This is a problem much larger than simply bias on the part of the Nobel selection committees – it’s systemic.
From impact to inequality: How post-COVID-19 government policy is privatizing research innovation
6 October 2020
Daniel Hook
Government funding post-COVID-19 will see an increased emphasis on research impact. This could see blue skies research pushed into the private sector, says Daniel Hook
Science cities seek new connections
28 September 2020
György Csomós, Zsófia Viktória Vida & Balázs Lengyel
Emerging trends are explored in this commentary on high-impact research outputs across 245 cities.
Nature Index’s top five science cities, by the numbers
28 September 2020
Nature Index
Sizing up the success of the world’s science hotspots.
Beijing, the seat of science capital
25 September 2020
Hepeng Jia
China’s powerhouse holds firm as the number one city in the Nature Index.
The top cities for research in the Nature Index
25 September 2020
Catherine Armitage
A look at the inputs that result in high scientific research outputs.
New York and Boston maintain their lead
24 September 2020
Neil Savage
The two US cities have a peerless partnership for life sciences.
Women have disrupted research on bird song, and show how diversity can improve all fields of science
16 September 2020
Kevin Omland, Evangeline Rose & Karan Odom
For decades, scientists believed that only male birds sang. Then women entered the field and showed what their predecessors had missed.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of March 2020 in the Nature Index journals
1 September 2020
Bec Crew
Vanishing coastlines and a threat to sea turtles feature in these stand-out studies from March.
This scientific ‘power couple’ has one of the largest publishing networks in chemistry
18 August 2020
Hepeng Jia
How a supervisor-student pair forged a lasting collaboration.
These five scientific fields win the most Nobel Prizes
4 August 2020
Gemma Conroy
Scientists in neglected research areas at risk of being considered "second-class citizens."
How young researchers can create lasting industry partnerships
24 July 2020
Bec Crew
Don’t wait for universities to facilitate connections. Here’s how to find the right people on your own timeline.
When it pays to say yes to a burdensome request
17 July 2020
Peter Goldstein
Despite misgivings, this biomedical researcher agreed to serve on a faculty committee. It was a good gamble.
Google Scholar reveals its most influential papers for 2020
13 July 2020
Bec Crew
Artificial intelligence papers amass citations more than any other research topic.
Coronavirus vaccine front-runner Moderna puts MIT chemist-entrepreneur Robert Langer in the spotlight
30 June 2020
Leigh Dayton
4 lessons from his playbook.
These two geochemists have one of the largest publishing networks in science
26 June 2020
Gemma Conroy
A ‘power couple’ in Earth and environmental sciences.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of May 2020 in the Nature Index journals
25 June 2020
Bec Crew
COVID-19 vaccine hopes, and the environmental effects of the pandemic.
What to do when your research comes under fire
3 June 2020
Andy Tay
3 pieces of advice from the frontlines of scientific debate.
South Korean institutions lure global talent
29 May 2020
Chris Woolston
The country is making headway in the effort to internationalize its scientific workforce.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of April 2020
29 May 2020
Bec Crew
A colossal sea beast and a swampy rainforest at the South Pole feature in some of the stand-out papers from April.
A new deal for South Korea’s science?
28 May 2020
Catherine Armitage
A review of South Korea's research flagship will point to how the country plans to become a ‘first mover’.
This scientific ‘power couple’ has one of the largest publishing networks in biology
27 May 2020
Gemma Conroy
Their protein-saving techniques are in high demand.
10 tips for submitting a successful preprint
26 May 2020
Jon Brock
How to stand out in the fast-growing throng.
The decline of women's research production during the coronavirus pandemic
19 May 2020
Philippe Vincent-Lamarre et al.
Preprints analysis suggests a disproportionate impact on early career researchers.
Early career success: Nobel Prize winners are twice as productive from the start
12 May 2020
Gemma Conroy
The benefits of teamwork.
Empathy and grit – not just publication records – should be considered in researcher assessment
12 May 2020
Clare Watson
Is this the future of metrics in academia?
These materials scientists are a ‘power couple’ in the physical sciences
5 May 2020
Gemma Conroy
From rejected material to career-defining discovery.
Nature Index Annual Tables 2020: Measures of merit
30 April 2020
Bec Crew
With the release of the Nature Index 2020 Annual Tables, we celebrate the institutions and countries producing high-quality research in the natural sciences.
Chemistry researchers cite their own work the most
27 April 2020
Gemma Conroy
But we shouldn't assume selfish motives.
4 predictions for the future of higher education
26 March 2020
Bec Crew
Universities will have to adapt quickly to survive, says leading economist.
What's wrong with the h-index, according to its inventor
24 March 2020
Gemma Conroy
"Severe unintended negative consequences."
How to demonstrate the value of your research
20 March 2020
Carsten Lund Pedersen
A tool to help you master the four Cs: citations, communication, coverage, and collaboration.
Women rival men in scientific research publications and citations
17 March 2020
Jon Brock
But short careers set them back.
Nature Index’s top 5 countries: ranked in chemistry, environmental, physical, and life sciences
6 March 2020
Gemma Conroy
Where in the world are the subject strengths?
TOP Factor rates journals on transparency, openness
18 February 2020
Chris Woolston
New tool seeks to change editorial
practices.
Five leading early career researchers in materials science
16 December 2019
Gemma Conroy, Bec Crew & Hepeng Jia
Star competitors in a highly competitive field.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of November 2019
3 December 2019
Bec Crew
Alzheimer’s resistance and a black hole conundrum.
Scooped in science? Relax, credit will come your way
2 December 2019
Ewen Callaway
A study of protein databases shows that discoverers who are second to publish still end up getting a substantial portion of the recognition.
The 5 most popular scientific papers of October 2019
8 November 2019
Bec Crew
How supreme is "supreme"?
Unmasking the hidden networks behind academic success
25 October 2019
Margath Walker
They work well for some.
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.
"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.
Research returnees boost China’s scientific impact
18 September 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
An unprecedented rise to world-class status.
Times Higher Education releases its World University Rankings 2020
12 September 2019
Bec Crew
The United States dominates, but cracks are showing.
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.
Museum volunteering among new impact indicators for UK universities
11 September 2019
Elisabeth Jeffries
How to compare apples with apples.
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.
5 features of a highly cited article
23 August 2019
Mohamed Elgendi
The difference between highly cited and lowly cited papers.
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?
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.
10 key insights from the first research scorecards for G20 countries
19 July 2019
Bec Crew
Australia shines; the US, not so much.
Preprints boost article citations and mentions
9 July 2019
Gemma Conroy
The benefits of showing your hand early.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
European Commission to consult the people on science spending priorities
14 August 2018
Elisabeth Jeffries
Radical proposal will be difficult to implement, say NGOs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Citation analysis reveals the game changers
29 May 2018
Gemma Conroy
A study identifies papers that stand the test of time.
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.
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.
How researchers are ensuring that their work has an impact
5 April 2018
Jack Leeming
Finding purpose and meaning in the lab.
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.
World’s oldest fossils rock the web
25 January 2018
Gemma Conroy
A controversial fossil discovery has whipped up online discussions about alien life.
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.
Dinosaur fossil ruffles feathers online
11 January 2018
Gemma Conroy
Flesh and feathers trapped in amber were the talk of the internet in 2017.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.
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
Nature Index
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
China's citations catching up
30 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
Papers from China are growing in influence and volume, yet the US remains supreme.
An alternative metric for Chinese social media chatter
27 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
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.
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.
Turning science into social outcomes
29 August 2017
Richard Jefferson
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.
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.
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.
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.
In research, time is as important as money
18 August 2016
Branwen Morgan
Do longer periods of funding lead to greater scientific returns?
China's top 10 research universities in 2015
15 July 2016
The country's contribution to top journals continues to grow.
Could a 'Brexit' impact UK research partnerships?
11 April 2016
