News archive
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.
10 key insights from the first research scorecards for G20 countries
19 July 2019
Bec Crew
Australia shines; the US, not so much.
Singapore joins the rise of research integrity networks
3 July 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
Global effort to combat research misconduct gathers pace.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Discovery relies on strong support staff
17 October 2018
David Langley & Therina Theron
A lack of trained administrators is holding African scientists back.
Africa should set own standards of research excellence
13 September 2018
Munyaradzi Makoni
'Most highly cited' criterion is not the most appropriate.
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.
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.
Network seeks to lift African research integrity
23 February 2018
Munyaradzi Makoni
A regional alliance of researchers is giving voice to a neglected community.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Emerging hotspots for physical sciences
16 August 2016
Tim Hornyak
Less prominent research nations are carving out a niche.
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.
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?